Featured Game – Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 Borussia Mönchengladbach

Although it is very much still early doors, the second round of fixtures in the Bundesliga can start to give an impression of how certain teams will perform in the season ahead. No side wants to fall behind, even at this stage, and it is easy to forget that three points are just as valuable in August as they are in May. It all counts the same in the final tally. However, for Leverkusen and Gladbach on Matchday 2, more than the victory was at stake, as a North-Western derby meant that local pride was also on the line for the clubs separated by fewer than 60 kilometres. For two of the Bundesliga’s biggest names, facing each other was not unfamiliar and they had served up a cracker of a game when they met in the previous campaign. This time around though, the contest was only ever going one way.

The saying goes: if you don’t buy a ticket… This was the mindset of Leverkusen new recruit Mitchell Bakker as he decided to try an effort from 25 yards with under three minutes played. His teammates were probably thinking that they had not quite reached the period in the game where pop shots against one of the league’s best keepers in Yann Sommer were really the best route to goal. However, Dutch left-back Bakker has just been acquired from French giants Paris Saint-Germain, whose quality of squad speaks for itself these days with the likes of Mbappe, Neymar, Sergio Ramos and, not to mention, Lionel Messi among the ranks. Although Bakker may not be quite to the same standard as those serial trophy winners, he almost certainly would have picked up a trick or two from his former colleagues at the Parc des Princes. With the confidence that being the new Parisian arrival must give you, Bakker unleashed a low left-footed drive that was arrowing towards the corner of the goal. For a second it appeared the shot might just creep in, but the effort could only find the base of the post. Never mind for Bayer though, as the ball ricocheted first off the upright and then again off diving goalkeeper Sommer, diverting it backwards into its intended target – the bottom corner. A stroke of misfortune for the Swiss man between the sticks, who took unwanted credit for the own goal, however Bakker it was who wheeled away celebrating the early strike, if only marvelling in his own courage rather than skilled finishing.

Some teams may have sat back on an early lead, and especially last season without fans to spur them on for more. A number of coaches may have advised their side to be patient and work out the pattern of the game before trying to push for a second goal. Particularly against Mönchengladbach, whose threat on the break was demonstrated last week in their match with champions Bayern. In Leverkusen’s opening home game, however, with an expectant crowd, the first goal only served to up the intensity for Bayer. Moussa Diaby is often the source of good things for the side who finished in sixth spot last term, but more of the chances he creates may just turn into assists this season as his centre forward, Patrik Schick, seems to have found a new goal scoring swagger. His confidence in front of goal has undoubtedly been boosted by a great run in the European Championships with the Czech Republic, where he starred. He led the way for his nation in terms of goals, but arguably bagged the goal of the tournament when he netted from the halfway line in a group stage against Scotland at Hamden Park. Leverkusen will be hoping Schick can replicate a similar goals to games ratio this campaign that he did with his country during the summer, if not quite replicating the type of goal that he managed while on international duty. Nevertheless, when Diaby supplied his striker with an opportunity eight minutes in, Schick ha little time to adjust and had to take the shot on first time from the edge of the penalty area. The feat was one the Czech could pull off though, and let the ball run across his body before curling an attempt into the far bottom corner with his left foot, giving Sommer no chance in the goal. The match had barely even started and already Leverkusen were in control. Both they and Schick will be hoping that the goals continue to flow for him this season.

It is not as if Bayer do not have any other players capable of finding the back of the net though. Diaby’s main aim is arguably to create for others, but he does not lack a finishing touch in front of goal, even if he is somewhat inconsistent in applying it. He certainly demonstrated an ability to find the net on Matchday 1 when he ended a slaloming run with a coolly placed shot in Leverkusen’s draw with Union Berlin. However, despite Diaby having an effort end up in the bottom corner of the net once again in this game, less credit can go to the young Frenchman for the placement of the ball on this occasion. On 55 minutes, when a cross fell to the feet of the winger, he took one touch to control it and one to rifle it towards goal. His attempt cannoned off a defender though, diverting the trajectory of the ball massively and deceiving Yann Sommer in goal. The ball found the far bottom corner before the keeper could move and it was 3-0 rather fortunately to the home side. Gladbach were hanging on to some pride and not much more.

It was still to get worse soon though, and especially for Sommer who had not had an enjoyable day at the office, already conceding three goals, one of which was a rather embarrassing own goal. Nevertheless, he would have accepted that incident any day over the one that was to follow three minutes from time. Although some fortune was involved in a number of thew Leverkusen goals, there was nothing lucky about the way in which they went about the game, playing some fast-flowing football and really utilising the array of creative players at their disposal. The fourth goal exemplified this: 18-year-old Florian Wirtz picking out the onrushing Nadiem Amiri with a precise cross on the volley to set up a crisp first-time hit from the attacking midfielder. Amiri did not have a lot of luck with his country over the summer. Whereas a number of his German compatriots spent the off-season at the Euros, he jetted off to Tokyo to play at the Olympics. The German side did not make it out of their group and returned home after a rather lacklustre short stint in Japan, therefore Amiri was probably due some fortune. He got it too against Gladbach, as his centrally placed effort was fumbled by Yann Sommer and the Swiss keeper was unable to readjust in time to stop the ball rolling into the corner of the net. In trying to make the save, Sommer had put all his body weight behind the ball and, hence, could not move quickly enough to recollect the ball. It trickled teasingly just out of reach for the goalkeeper and past the line for Bayer’s fourth goal.

Despite Leverkusen being clearly the better side in the contest, Borussia will feel that 4-0 is not quite the fair reflection of the game. Some misfortune and costly errors combined to hand the home team perhaps a couple of extra goals, but the fans in the stands did not seem to care one bit. The return of supporters to the BayArena certainly had an effect in boosting their team, but also in playing on the concentration of the away side. It was a stark contrast between the Mönchengladbach of the first matchday and the second, undoubtedly influenced by the difference in the persuasion of the spectators. A signal that home advantage has returned to the Bundesliga? Hopefully so, as the fans are what the German game is all about.

The Games Keep Coming

Freiburg 2-1 Borussia Dortmund

Freiburg are really starting to become something of a bogey team for Borussia Dortmund after another defeat for the Black and Yellows at the Dreisamstadion. The Black Forest side were able to put away their visitors last season as well with two long range goals from Jeong Woo-yeong and Jonathan Schmid. Dortmund may have not heeded the warning from their previous visit, perhaps also slightly complacent after their romping victory against Frankfurt on Matchday 1. If the stadium in Freiburg is the bad luck charm for Dortmund, then they should not be too worried, as the home side are looking to move into their brand-new SC-Stadion in the near future. Their formerly named Schwarzwald-Stadion does not comply with a number of modern football stadium regulations, including a slanted pitch with one end of the pitch nearly a metre higher than the other. With the building of a new venue more economical than renovating the old one, the club are preparing for life in a new home, but they may be sad to say goodbye, especially if playing Borussia Dortmund, because their performances against them in recent times have been admirable with their comparatively weaker squad and their game on Saturday was no exception.

Although Freiburg’s strategy usually involves trying to hit their opponent with their high intensity in the hope that mistakes will be forced and, against stronger opposition, not letting them have any control on the game. These tactics arguably play to Freiburg’s lack of individual quality, but in making an unordered and unpredictable game, each side would have just as good a chance as the other. Nevertheless, that is not to say that there is not technical ability among the Freiburg squad and Vincenzo Grifo is the man who undoubtedly possesses the most of all. On six minutes in this one, a free kick placed all of 30 yards from goal would have probably caused Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel few worries. That was until Grifo curled his effort from the dead ball situation with venomous speed into the top corner of the goal for an unbelievable early strike. A real setback for Borussia who would now have to go chasing the game and this played into the hands of their hosts perfectly. Freiburg managed just 23% possession in the contest, but their counterattacking capabilities served them well and they turned out to be the team able to find the game’s second goal.

When Dortmund were dispossessed in the middle of the park inside ten minutes of the second half, the home team flicked the switch, turning all attention to the attack. Roland Sallai led the charge with the ball at his feet. When he reached the edge of the Borussia area, he played the ball out to the left for Jeong. Jeong crossed the ball high, Lucas Höler knocked the ball down and Sallai smashed the ball past Kobel and the Dortmund defenders on the goal line for 2-0. It was a typical goal on the break and a killer blow for Borussia. They had been unable to score at the other end so far and now their task to get something out of the game had just got harder.

In fact, none of the Dortmund players would actually score at all in the game. However, they did still get a glimmer of hope when the ball found the Freiburg net just before the hour mark, but the man to put it in was Freiburg midfielder Yannik Keitel. The away side’s young Englishman Jude Bellingham was heavily involved as he often seems to be for his team these days and it was his presence in the penalty area following a Felix Passlack cross that forced the error from Keitel. Bellingham went for the aerial ball and, although he missed it, his opponent inadvertently diverted it towards his own goal. Freiburg goalkeeper Flekken was unable to react quite quickly enough, and the ball crept into the corner of the goal. Dortmund had no luck in the search for an equalizer though and the three points stayed deservedly in the Black Forest. Freiburg stay unbeaten after two games, but Dortmund would have been hoping that they could have gone a bit longer before dropping points in the new campaign. The losses will all add up at the end of the season.

Bayern München 3-2 Köln

The Bundesliga champions returned home for their first game of 2021/22 at the Allianz Arena and with fans watching on too, albeit a limited number. They hoped to improve on their draw in the season opener away to Mönchengladbach, but Köln would provide a stern test. The Billy Goats’ impressive 3-1 win against Hertha Berlin signalled their desire to avoid the same troubles they experienced last campaign, finishing in the relegation play-off spot. They have been something of a yo-yo club in the 21st century, flitting between the top two divisions in Germany. This time around though, they will be looking to solidify their Bundesliga status for years to come, aiming for at least a comfortable mid-table finish. That could just be the platform they need. As other clubs have done, they will hope to use the experience gained through consistent Bundesliga seasons as a springboard for achieving greater things.

Even the knowledge that they would have picked up from just two seasons back in the German top-flight seemed to be putting them on the right track to giving the best team in the land a good run for their money in this one. Köln managed to navigate their way to the halfway stage of the contest without conceding, restricting their hosts to few clear-cut chances. However, the problem almost all sides have against Bayern is the far superior depth of squad that the Rekordmeister possess. When struggling to find the net in the first half, the luxury of being able to take off Germany international Leroy Sane and replace him with one of Europe’s most exciting young prospects, Jamal Musiala, is one that cannot be taken for granted. The Bayern fans certainly do not either. Musiala’s quality is recognised by the team’s supporters and his introduction at the break was met with a warm reception by the home faithful. Within five minutes of the restart, he had proven just why there is so much talk about this 18-year-old, jinking down the left flank to the by-line before pulling back a precise cross, picking out his striker in the penalty area, Robert Lewandowski. Hitting the ball first time, the Pole side-footed an effort from close range into the back of the net to set the hosts on their way. It was not long before 1-0 became 2-0 either, as Thomas Müller was the provider this time around, firing a low cross in from the right-hand side of the area. His delivery skipped up off defender Jorge Mere, who was sliding in an attempt to cut out the ball but was only able to change the type of finish that Serge Gnabry would have to apply: a volley instead of receiving one along the ground, but a tap-in all the same and not one the winger was ever going to miss.

Some sides may have accepted their fate, two goals down at the Allianz. However, fewer than sixty seconds after Bayern had doubled their lead, it was emphatically cut in half. Anthony Modeste had bagged a goal last week, equalizing against Hertha and providing the basis for Köln to go on and claim all three points. He netted once more in Matchday 2, benefitting from a pinpoint wide delivery from his captain Jonas Hector. The cross was perfect for Modeste to utilise his top heading ability and he guided the ball into Manuel Neuer’s bottom right-hand corner to reduce the deficit. The Bayern goalkeeper would be left helpless just two minutes later as well, when Köln surged forward again, down the right wing in this occasion, but with just as much space afforded to them by the München back line. It may be understandable for the Bayern defence to not be quite up to top speed yet, with new players coming into their rear guard and some still missing through injury. However, issues in that department are not new and if the first two matches of the campaign are anything to go by, they are issues that are still to be resolved. Oceans of room was left free for the visiting attack to operate in, as Kingsley Ehizibue took his time in finding Mark Uth in the 18-yard box. Credit must be given for the cross once more, with the right-back’s service allowing Uth to simply direct the ball into the corner of the net with his instep. These are the sort of deliveries where all the pace is already on the ball and all the striker has to do is put the ball in the goal. It might not be quite that simple, but a good cross certainly helps.

2-2 it was. Köln were back on terms after a crazy three minutes of action and not a bad second half in full. However, champions do not become champions for nothing. You can have all the top players, all the best tactics, but when it comes down to it, champions win on their fighting spirit and the ability to just score a goal when they really need it. Belief in the away camp was high after turning the match on its head in the blink of an eye, and there is nothing better for quashing the hopes of an underdog than a jaw-dropping bit of brilliance from a world class player. He may not have been able to do it for Arsenal and West Brom as a youngster on, as the saying goes, a rainy night in Stoke but Serge Gnabry, since returning to his native Germany to first play with Werder Bremen and Hoffenheim before his big switch to Bayern, has become a direct and productive player. He has discovered a goal-scoring knack, delivering in the regular league games but also in the big matches too, once netting four times against Tottenham Hotspur in a Champions League clash. Bayern needed someone to step up against Köln and, although Lewandowski is normally only too happy to oblige, it was Serge Gnabry who rifled in a blistering shot from the right-hand side of the penalty area high into the far top corner of the goal. That secured Bayern’s first victory of the season, with their visitors unable to fight back for a second time. Nevertheless, despite taking no points away from Bavaria, Köln will be taking some positives from the game. A resilient display ended in defeat but replicating that performance against pretty much anybody else might just bear fruit.

Rest of the Round-Up

RB Leipzig 4-0 Stuttgart

Losing on Matchday 1 away to Mainz was a big disappointment for an ambitious RB Leipzig team, but they did not let the setback get them down. Four goals were more than enough to see off Stuttgart in this battle between the Bundesliga’s two American coaches. Despite Pellegrino Matarazzo having enjoyed great success in his time with Stuttgart, getting them promoted back to the top tier and managing an impressive ninth place in the standings last term, it was the manager new to the German game that came out on top. Jesse Marsch had a fruitful spell with Leipzig’s sister club RB Salzburg in Austria since 2019, and this was the first win, and big win, of his tenure at the helm of the east German side.

Hertha Berlin 1-2 Wolfsburg

The blue half of Berlin will not be wanting a repeat of last season that saw them deep in a relegation scrap right up to the last, but with two games gone, Hertha’s form has not seen an improvement. Their start to the campaign could have been easier in truth, having to travel to Köln on opening day before hosting highflyers Wolfsburg this weekend. The Wolves have shown a knack for just getting over the line, even after just two games, but when Dodi Lukebakio’s penalty put the home team ahead on the hour in this one, young Germans Ridle Baku and new signing Lukas Nmecha scored to turn the match around. This could pan out as a very good season for Wolfsburg off of the limited evidence so far. However, after chucking away leads in both rounds of fixtures, Berlin’s prospects are somewhat dimmer.

Bochum 2-0 Mainz

What a newly promoted team normally needs in order to survive is a solid defence. However, some flashy players who can pull off bits of magic now and then is never not welcomed. Ritsu Doan had a great time with Bielefeld last term, providing the spark in many games and ultimately being vital to them retaining their top-flight status. While Doan went back to parent club PSV for this campaign, Bochum’s exciting attacking midfielder, Gerrit Holtmann, is very much their player. They would have been grateful for that too, after seeing him run round as many as five Mainz players before slotting home a cool finish for the first goal of the game. The player to add the second goal was the controversial Sebastian Polter, formerly of Mainz, who has just returned from a stint in the Netherlands and grabbed his first goal of this spell in his native Germany with a typically towering header from the six-foot four-inch striker.

Eintracht Frankfurt 0-0 Augsburg

After a fifth spot finish last season, missing out on the Champions League by a single point, Eintracht Frankfurt would have been hoping for better than one point from two games as they look to make another push for a European place this time around. On the other hand, Augsburg would have received the point from this score draw away to Frankfurt very differently, with coach Markus Weinzierl positively glowing at full time, unlike most of the neutrals who decided to watch this one. Augsburg failed to register a shot on target, but a point is a point and they are also now off the mark for the season in that regard.

Greuther Fürth 1-1 Arminia Bielefeld

This was the battle between the side that needs a miracle to stay up this season and the team that got one to avoid the drop in the last. Club captain and talisman Fabian Klos is a major reason why Bielefeld are still in the Bundesliga for this season, and he aims to keep them there. His goal on the stroke of half time put the visitors ahead, but Fürth have a top striker of their own. Branimir Hrgota netted 16 second division last term, and he opened his top-tier account from the penalty spot just five minutes after half time. There were no more goals to follow after that, but the drama was not over yet. The pay-off from surviving your first season is that more experienced Bundesliga players will want to join your club, and particularly those not wishing to be going the other way. From relegated Schalke, Alessandro Schöpf opted to become part of the Arminia ranks. However, the 27-year-old did not appear to have the experience that a player with nearly 30 caps for Austria would possess when he got himself a red card with a quarter of this one to go. Not the way to endear yourself to your new supporters.

Hoffenheim 2-2 Union Berlin

The penultimate game of Matchday 2, before Bayern met Köln to round off the weekend, took place at PreZero Arena between Hoffenheim and Union and it was a cracker! Both sides went full out in search of the victory that would have given them an early advantage over the other in their respective bids for European football. However, each blow one team delivered, they got back in equal measure from the other. Niko Gießelmann pounced on a loose ball to put the away side ahead from very close range on ten minutes, but Kevin Akpoguma responded for the hosts just four minutes later, heading home a powerful effort. Jacob Bruun Larsen, back from a loan spell in Belgium with Anderlecht, scored his first Hoffenheim goal to turn the match around. Union hit back two minutes after half time though, through their new star striker Taiwo Awoniyi, who has found goals easy to come by since making his loan move from Liverpool permanent. He needed two bites of the cherry in order to find the net, but at least he managed it in the end to please Berlin coach Urs Fischer, who was looking rather disgruntled at the break. A point on the road not bad though, despite the fact that Marvin Friedrich got himself sent off for a second yellow card in the 94th minute to cap off a scintillating Bundesliga contest.

A Few Words On… Dominik Szoboszlai

It must have been a long eight months on the side lines for RB Leipzig’s Hungarian attacker Dominik Szoboszlai. After signing for the club in December 2020, but not yet featuring due to a long-term injury, he was finally ready to play for his new team at the start of this campaign. He did not take long to notch his first Bundesliga goals either, finding the net in trademark style from long range on both occasions. Followers of Szoboszlai’s young career would not have been surprised to see him produce an unstoppable rocket of a shot from 25 yards to open his German top-flight account. The way in which he is able to hit a ball so sweetly that it dips and swerves while still travelling at immense speed seems to come naturally to the 20-year-old, who often dazzled RB Salzburg supporters during his time in the Austrian Bundesliga. New Leipzig boss Jesse Marsch will be thankful to have been able to bring him along to his new club, already knowing the quality that Szoboszlai possesses. Just in case he needed reminding though, the Hungarian came up with another effort from long distance, this time from a free kick. As if he does not have enough already in his repertoire, Szoboszlai is something of a dead ball specialist, capable of scoring from set pieces, but also whipping in the fiercest of deliveries for his teammates. The free kick he provided against Stuttgart was a bit of both. Any number of Leipzig players in the box could have given Szoboszlai’s service a finishing touch, but really none was needed. The ball zipped past everybody in the box and ended up in the back of the net anyway. Leipzig’s new wonderkid getting off to the best of starts at his new stomping ground, the Red Bull Arena. It may have already felt like home for him though, as it has exactly the same name as the Salzburg stadium, it is just in Leipzig this time. He is certainly one to look out for.

What to Look Forward to Next Matchday

Borussia Dortmund vs. Hoffenheim

Stuttgart vs. Freiburg

Mainz vs. Greuther Fürth

Köln vs. Bochum

Arminia Bielefeld vs. Eintracht Frankfurt

Augsburg vs. Bayer Leverkusen

Bayern München vs. Hertha Berlin

Union Berlin vs. Borussia Mönchengladbach

Wolfsburg vs. RB Leipzig

While the third round of fixtures may not deliver us a Bundesliga table reflective of the final standings just yet, it will be possible to gauge which teams are looking in the mood in the early stages of the season.

The only pointless side remaining after two matchdays is Hertha Berlin. However, their prospects of changing that statistic appear bleak as they will face the toughest test the Bundesliga has to offer – playing away to the Rekordmeister Bayern.

The Bavarians will of course be hoping that their rivals drop points, because even failure to win at this point can be costly. All eyes in München will be focused on the clash between Wolfsburg and Leipzig, which could turn out to be a tense affair as both sides have big ambitions for the campaign. In respect to this game on its own though, the Wolves will hope to stay the only team with a 100% record in 2021/22.