Featured Game – Borussia Dortmund 2-2 Hoffenheim

Matchday 21 saw a record-equalling seven draws played out, so it only seems right that we start with one of the most thrilling equal games. I mentioned in the predictions section of last week’s report that this tie could serve up goals, as both sides’ defences are certainly looking feeble at the moment. Add into the mix one of the most exciting young attacks in world football that Dortmund possesses, along with a Hoffenheim front line that has the potential to produce as well. However, the yellow and blacks will be thankful that this was only a potential and not a sure-fire goal-scoring-machine like some of the sides further up the table than Hoffenheim.

Perhaps with the number of chances that Dortmund afforded their opponents, they ought to have been out of the game at half time, but wastefulness from Togolese forward Ihlas Bebou cost Hoffenheim a lead going into the break. Bebou is a quick and energetic striker, who can also play out wide, but he is also deceptively strong and it was this combination that all too easily saw both Mats Hummels and Manuel Akanji beaten in crucial situations. Hummels is a former World Cup winner and very experienced centre-half, but he has come under much criticism for his displays this season and his performance in this contest did not do him any favours. After the German was far too weak in a challenge with Bebou, the forward was presented with a great one-on-one opportunity just inside the penalty area, however he tried to sneak his effort past keeper Marvin Hitz into his near post, only to hit the side-netting. When faced with similarly poor defending from Akanji shortly after, Bebou once again broke through for another chance. The near post must have looked especially appealing for the man from Togo on Saturday, because he tried his luck again to slot the ball into this minimal area. The result was exactly the same.

This time, however, the chance seemed all the more costly a matter of moments later. In typical Dortmund fashion, the team strung together a fast-flowing move following the goal kick, which Hoffenheim had no answer for. Jadon Sancho was played in by a great through ball and he is not a player to often miss a shot at goal from inside the 18-yard box. He did what Bebou could not and slotted home coolly to hand the home side the advantage. Although, this would not last for long and half an hour through, Sebastian Hoeneß finally saw his Hoffenheim team take one of their plethora of first half chances. After Bebou’s failed attempts, the German manager was probably relieved to see that the next big chance fell to the other of his two strikers, and arguably Israeli forward Munas Dabbur is the one with the more prolific career up to this point. The former Salzburg and Sevilla man was on hand to classily dispatch a great chance with a dinked effort into the far corner. Maybe a tip for Bebou there. Dabbur’s strike meant the teams finished the half level, which allowed not just the players to catch their breath after an exhilarating first 45 minutes. There were constant opportunities for both sides, but an overall high tempo pattern made for a greatly entertaining clash.

Fortunately for neutrals watching this one, the second period started in a similar vein. For respective fans, this might not have been the desired format going forward, as the final outcome was still far from predictable. A new half brought with it a reinvigorated Ihlas Bebou, who was ready to try his hand at the rest of the game after a nice sit-down and cup of squash during the break. Straight off the mat, Hoffenheim were back at the intense attacking style that had brought so much productivity earlier, with a helping hand from the Dortmund back line. However, their charity did not seem to be diminishing any time soon, highlighted by their incompetence regarding an opposition corner just five minutes after the restart. Despite the first cross in being poor from the dead ball, Hoffenheim recycled and swung in the ball once again towards the near post. Seeing that the ball was heading for his favourite part of the goal, Bebou instantly came alive. Unlike any of the Dortmund players, the striker pounced to glance the ball into the – yes, you guessed it – near post. His persistence paid off and his goal finally arrived, which was in truth deserved based on his all-round performance, epitomised by his willingness to run right up until the final whistle. However, having gotten themselves in front, the away side would have to work hard before hearing that sweet sound and claim a priceless three points from the Signal Iduna Park.

Hoffenheim’s job was certainly easier said than done, especially with Erling Håland on the pitch. Borussia’s Norwegian wonderkid had fourteen Bundesliga goals already going into this game and had full intent of adding to his season’s tally. Edin Terzic introduced substitutes on the hour mark, with the aim of adding more energy to the Dortmund attack, namely with sixteen-year-old Youssoufa Moukoko to take up the attention of at least a couple of opponents. Ultimately, whether this was the desired result or not, this move freed up space for the dangerous Håland, who often only needs the sight of space behind an opposing back line to spark into action. Although he had tried frequent runs throughout the contest, it was to be another generous defensive mistake which gave him his big opportunity. After a potentially foul challenge on one of the Hoffenheim players went unpunished by the officials, the ball came to a rather panicked Sebastian Rudy. What he did next, Hoffenheim argued, was a direct result of the foul not being given to them and this put Rudy under pressure, however the challenge looked soft and unworthy of a free kick. With Dortmund players applying pressure in front of him, Rudy played a blind and crucially careless pass backwards towards his centre-backs, only to see Erling Håland collect the ball, sprint beyond the diving Florian Grillitsch and hammer home an equalizer in his trademark emphatic style. The game ended level at two a-piece and after a fantastic contest with both sides creating chances, this seemed the fair result.

There’s often little doubt regarding the end result when the Norwegian striker gets into good positions in front of goal and his consistency of scoring is going to have to continue if Dortmund are going to finish the season strongly. The Bundesliga title was undoubtedly the primary target at the start of the campaign, but injuries and a shocking defensive record have jeopardised their chances of this. However, the side from western Germany are still in the hunt for Champions League spots in the league and are still in this season’s elite European competition. A good run in the knockout stages may help to allow fans to overlook what has been a tough season for the Gelbschwarzen and look forward to a new campaign with a new manager. Times have been difficult for interim coach Edin Terzic after the departure of Lucien Favre, with an already underperforming team thrust upon him. But for a big club with much ambition, they can hope that current Borussia Mönchengladbach boss Marco Rose will rebuild and bring more success next year. The German manager, who is still one of the youngest in the league at 44, triggered a clause in his contract which allowed him to join rivals Dortmund at the end of the season. While ‘Gladbach will miss a coach who really got the club competing at the highest level once again, Dortmund will hope to benefit from their loss.

The Games Keep Coming

Bayern München 3-3 Arminia Bielefeld

A snowy Allianz Arena was the setting for Bayern München’s first game since being crowned World Champions just four days prior. Arguably, this game was the perfect opportunity for the Rekordmeister to strut their stuff against a team situated in the precarious relegation play-off place and from the kick-off, Bayern played like a team who had just won the Club World Cup a few days earlier. They were slow out the blocks and looked like they just expected to coast to victory, but they did not pay Arminia nearly enough respect and soon found themselves heading into the half time break 2-0 down at home. Their defence was slack and looked constantly vulnerable due to the massive space that they often leave in behind. Normally, they rely on both pacey defenders and a goalkeeper in Manuel Neuer who certainly could have made it in American Football as a quarter-back if the sport was more popular in Germany. However, in this game Bielefeld took advantage of the chances they were handed and Michel Vlap’s first Bundesliga goal in his first Bundesliga game was a signal of intent on nine minutes. With Amos Pieper adding a second for the away team before the half time whistle, they were in an unimaginably strong position at the break and the opportunities for counterattacks were always going to arise in the second period, as Bayern pushed forward. However, it did not take the Bavarians long to get back into the game.

The necessary shift in gears was applied from the restart and who else but Lewandowski to score just three minutes later, with a goal that most would find impossible but he makes look so easy, chesting the ball down to strike on the volley as he swivels towards goal – the Pole’s 25th goal in the league this season causing a noticeable shift in mood in the stadium, as most people realised that it was Arminia who were now the more nervous, despite still having the lead. But, more importantly, the gaps at the back for Bayern were still there, it only needed a string of passes finishing with ball across the box for a simple tap-in to break down their defence and that is precisely what Bielefeld delivered under a minute later to restore their two-goal lead. The away side acquitted themselves fantastically in this contest, however it was their clinical finishing which ultimately got them something out of the game. From their only three shots on target in the whole game, they produced three goals and this kind of play is crucial when fighting for survival. Unfortunately for them, they were still playing Bayern München and a second wave of response immediately kicked in. A header from Corentin Tolisso and a thunderous volley from Alphonso Davies got Bayern an inevitable point after a raft of chances in the final forty minutes, but Bielefeld manager Uwe Neuhaus will surely be happy with the overall performance and fight they showed to gain what would have been an unexpected point before kick-off. Look at it this way: they scored one more and conceded five fewer than Barcelona did towards the back end of last season when they visited the Allianz.

RB Leipzig 2-1 Augsburg

The Friday night game this week looked for 75 minutes like it was only ever going one way. Leipzig started the contest like the home side sitting second in the table. Despite resting a number of key players in preparation for their impending Champions League clash with the mighty Liverpool, the easterners were dominant in both possession and shots on goal, especially in the first half when they scored both of their goals. They did need a little bit of help in getting the first one in the net, however. Even the award of a penalty was not enough, at first, as Dani Olmo stepped up for a spot kick just after the half-hour mark, only to see his attempt initially saved by Augsburg’s Rafal Gikiewicz and the rebound cleared. But if the keeper thought that he had bought his side a reprieve, it turned out after a VAR check that he had stepped off of his goal line when diving to keep out Olmo’s strike. Therefore, due to this new rule only introduced in the last couple of years, the penalty had to be retaken and Leipzig’s Spanish midfielder assumed the responsibility once more. After a weaker effort first time round, he smashed the ball past Gikiewicz with this try to put the home team ahead much to the grievance of Augsburg. Perhaps it was this focus on the first goal that led to a lapse of concentration just five minutes later, as Leipzig broke through the opposing defence and Yussuf Poulsen had the simple task of rolling the ball across the goal to Christopher Nkunku for the even easier task of tapping the ball into the empty net. Despite scuffing his effort and nearly missing from all of four yards out without a goalkeeper to face, the French forward did add the second goal just before half time and avoided an inevitable week or so of online humiliation.

The trend of play continued for much of the second half, with Augsburg struggling to get a touch on the ball and struggling more to do anything when they did get possession. Hence, it is unsurprising that their goal also came from the penalty spot. After a clumsy bit of defending from Nordi Mukiele led to the foul in the box, it was Daniel Caligiuri’s turn to have a go from twelve yards and he did not ever look lie passing up the chance. Like with Olmo’s second try, he blasted the ball home to get Augsburg back into a game which few people would have noticed they were participating in. A few nerves may have kicked in for Leipzig fans, but Augsburg ended the game with just two shots on target and the prospect of a point late on never seemed to be enough of an incentive to rally them. The victory takes Leipzig closer to Bayern in the table, but the gap is still a susbstantial one at five points, however they are now without doubt the only team left with a chance of stopping Bayern from gaining a ninth successive Bundesliga title this campaign.

Bayer Leverkusen 2-2 Mainz

After a resounding win the week before against Stuttgart, it looked like Bayer Leverkusen were starting to get rid of their erratic form and would string a number of wins together, as they pushed for the European spots. Despite the early start they made in this one, this could easily have fooled anyone who did not see the game into thinking that Leverkusen were unlucky or a bit complacent right at the end to end up dropping two points, however Mainz were certainly deserving of something from this game and matched Bayer in every sense. Nevertheless, the favourites did find themselves ahead inside fifteen minutes through their main goal threat this season in Lucas Alario. The Argentine has struggled with minor injuries this campaign, which has meant that he has not seen as much action as he might have done, but he has still been able to perform well when he has featured. The game was pretty even after this and both sides had chances, although they were never really clear cut until the latter stages of the game arrived. As Mainz were really starting to look like they would convert one of their opportunities, Leverkusen went down the other end and when the ball came to Patrik Schick inside the area, the substitute scored very much against the run of play to all but seal the win for his side. However, what he probably did not expect to happen next would be an abandonment of any defensive structure on two crucial occasions.

Firstly, after a set-piece situation, the home side’s back line stepped up to play the offside trap against the Mainz as the ball was cleared. Yet, they somehow managed to forget to play Mainz substitute Robert Glatzel offside as well and, as the ball was redelivered into the box, Glatzel found himself completely free and stuck out a leg to turn home his first Bundesliga goal. The striker has just signed for Mainz during the January transfer window, transferring from Cardiff City, and this is his first spell in the German top-flight. Mainz will certainly hope that he can continue to score regularly and maybe replace the departed Mateta, who was their main source of goals before he left for Crystal Palace on loan. Regardless, they did not require Glatzel again to get the even later goal they needed to grab themselves a deserved point. The striker’s goal had come with just a minute of normal time remaining, so any equalizer would now have to come in injury time. However, Mainz kept probing and when Stefan Bell swung the ball into the box in the 92nd minute, a poor attempted clearance from Sven Bender fell straight to Kevin Stöger for the away side to smash into the back of the net from just yards out. After the match, Bayer Leverkusen manager Peter Bosz spoke saying that he believed his side had not played well and were lucky to get a point from the game, based on their performance. But he also said that from a two-goal lead, with five minutes left, no team should ever end up drawing.

Rest of the Round-Up

Werder Bremen 0-0 Freiburg

This game brought the first of three goalless draws this weekend. There was little goalmouth action of note, however Werder fans would have been glad to see one of their most exciting attacking players Milot Rashica back in action for the first time since Matchday 7.

Stuttgart 1-1 Hertha Berlin

After his wasted brace in last week’s loss to Leverkusen, Sasa Kalajdzic scored again just before half time in this one, but Hertha’s teenager Luca Netz netted his first Bundesliga goal to frustrate Stuttgart’s lofty striker for a second week running.

Union Berlin 0-0 Schalke

Another stalemate lacking chances, but Union will not be too worried by the odd game like this one with their current position in the table. For rock bottom side Schalke though, they really cannot afford to not start turning draws into wins. The clean sheet will please boss Christian Gross, but what he desperately wants is a goal or two for his side.

Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 Köln

André Silva scored yet again to put Eintracht in front, but it was much rarer scorer Evan N’Dicka who added a second to cap another great performance from Eintracht, which sees them leapfrog Wolfsburg and move up into third place in the league standings.

Wolfsburg 0-0 Borussia Mönchengladbach

Despite being another game without a goal, this one was much more entertaining than the previous matches with the same score line. Xaver Schlager looked lively for the home team, making plenty of runs and trying his hand at goal from range, but what Wolfsburg were really waiting for that never came was a chance to fall to top scorer Wout Weghorst.

A Few Words On… Dayot Upamecano

Although Dayot Upamecano was left out for Leipzig’s win against Augsburg, the Frenchman is the player who many have been talking about this week after it was announced over the weekend that his transfer to Bayern München has been completed. There has much recent speculation over whether this move would go ahead, but it seems that the champions were more than prepared to pay around £40 million to trigger the release clause in the defender’s Leipzig contract. It is clear to see why though. He has performed sensationally since arriving in the Bundesliga from RB Salzburg, being arguably one of the best to come off the Red Bull conveyer belt. His ability to play well in big games must have appeared particularly attractive for Bayern, with Upamecano relishing the chance to face some of the best players in European football and often showcasing his array of defensive capabilities when doing so. The opportunities to replicate this would probably come even more frequently at Bayern, with long runs in the Champions League most seasons for last season’s winners of the competition (and everything else). Upamecano was on the radars of most top sides in Europe, but his play style seems almost perfect for the system that Bayern like to adopt, using a high line to catch opposition players offside. This does leave plenty of space in behind, so when the other teams’ forwards do time their runs correctly, pacey defenders are needed and the French centre-back definitely falls into that category. Bayern have sought these types of players for their back line in recent years but many have been laden with injuries, namely Lucas Hernandez, who arrived for a massive sum of money. Even when Hernandez has featured, he has not looked as good as some of the players more accustomed to the Bundesliga, like David Alaba. However, Alaba looks like he might leave at the end of the season, so Upamecano seems like a very sensible buy. He has shown his prowess in the league already and is more than young enough to play for many years to come at the highest level for his new historic club.

What to Look Forward to Next Matchday

• Arminia Bielefeld vs. Wolfsburg

• Borussia Mönchengladbach vs. Mainz

• Freiburg vs. Union Berlin

• Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Bayern München

• Köln vs. Stuttgart

• Schalke vs. Borussia Dortmund

• Augsburg vs. Bayer Leverkusen

• Hertha Berlin vs. RB Leipzig

• Hoffenheim vs. Werder Bremen

The next matchday looks interesting with a good mix of tighter and probably more one-sided contests. The Freiburg game against Union sees two sides face each other who have exceeded most people’s expectations this season, so that could be a great game.

With Eintracht hosting Bayern, there is potential for the league leaders to drop points and Leipzig to close the gap as they take on struggling Hertha. An individual battle to keep a close eye on in will certainly be the one between the Bundesliga’s two sharpest shooters in André Silva and Robert Lewandowski.

However, the Saturday Topspiel could offer up one of the most keenly watched Revierderbies in recent times. As both Schalke and Dortmund are finding points and, even more so, wins hard to come by, every player will be desperate for the victory. Expect defensive mistakes galore and this one may come down to which team can take more chances. Like there was a few years ago, let’s hope for another 4-4!