Featured Game – Bayer Leverkusen 1-5 Bayern München
After two weeks without Bundesliga action due to the international break, fans of the German game were ready for the return of top flight football. What an encounter there was to enjoy as well on matchday eight, with the top two facing off in a mouth-watering showdown. Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern München are two of the country’s most historic clubs and sat level on points after seven rounds of fixtures. They had lost just the once each and, although Bayern undoubtedly have the stronger squad, the fact that the game was being played at the BayArena and with the hosts’ more than handy set of attacking players of their own, there was every chance this one was going to be tight. On paper then, it seemed as if this match could have gone either way, but, in truth, every spectator quickly realised that was not going to be the case.
What an opposing side really needs against Bayern is a good start. That does not especially mean scoring an early goal, but more or less just stopping one going in your own net. However, that is easier said than done and when it becomes 1-0 more tend to follow and sometimes many more, as even the likes of Barcelona can testify – that 8-2 Champions League humiliation from 2019/20 must still haunt the supporters of the Spanish giants. Leverkusen acknowledged this all too soon for their liking too, but it all began as it often does. With Lewandowski. Bayer and Bayern had both started in determined fashion in the opening couple of minutes, both having the ball and looking to go forward. It was Bayern who so often are the first to be clinical though, and when they got a set-piece on three minutes the danger signs were there. Joshua Kimmich, so good at delivering a dead ball for the champions, stood over the wide free kick. In what appeared to be a rehearsed move, Kimmich lofted the cross to the far post where Bayern’s big French defender Dayot Upamecano was waiting. He volleyed the ball back across goal and Polish predator Robert Lewandowski stole in between several Leverkusen defenders inside the six-yard box to meet the cut-back with a typically impotent backheel flick in mid-air, directing an effort into the far corner of the net beyond an unmoving Lukas Hradecky in goal. It was quite a way to open the scoring and the look on Lewandowski’s own face told that it was a rather special goal.
There is no denying that was a set-back for the Werkself, conceding so early on. Nevertheless, with a front four of wonderkid Florian Wirtz, full French international Moussa Diaby, Brazilian Olympic Gold Medallist Paulinho, and red-hot Euro 2020 joint-top scorer Patrik Schick, Bayer Leverkusen certainly do not lack the firepower they required to get back into this game. On the other hand, the attacking force that their visitors possessed goes without saying. Their attacks are not confined to their attackers either, with flying Canadian left back Alphonso Davies a constant presence in the opposition’s defensive third. He nearly added the away side’s second, only finding Hradecky in the way of a fierce shot from inside the box, but Davies was heavily involved in doubling the lead on the half hour. After a driving run from Leroy Sané on the Bayern left, the young former MLS player took the ball and drove into the penalty area himself, his quick feet taking him past a couple of defenders before the ball eventually rolled to Lewandowski on the six-yard line. It seemed Davies was looking for an opportunity to have a go at goal himself, but he was more than happy to hand over duties to his striker, arguably the best in the world at doing the job of finding the back of the net. From the centre of the goal, in a bit of space, six yards out, 100 out of 100 of those do not miss from the Pole. That was 2-0 and the second goal happened to be the start of a rather entertaining number of minutes for the travelling supporters.
Lewandowski had doubled Bayern’s lead on 30 minutes. On 34 it was 3-0. Another set piece like for the first goal came in from Joshua Kimmich, from a corner this time, although he still will not get the assist for this one either. His delivery fell arrived at the feet of six-foot five-inch defender Niklas Süle, who started at right back for Bayern in this one, a position where he is being utilised more and more regularly. Footwork, however, is not his strong suit and he is far from the modern day rampaging full back that the Rekordmeister had bombing up and down on the other flank. Regardless, he found the composure of a seasoned finisher to control the ball in the box, shift onto his right foot and fire at goal. The attempt was definitely on target and did beat the keeper to end up in the back of the net via a deflection. However, instead of hitting a defender and going in, it was the underside of Thomas Müller’s thigh that diverted it away from Hradecky and made the score line 3-0. Harsh on Leverkusen, but then it just was not their day.
Respite would have been appreciated and the half time whistle would have brought that for Bayer. However, that was still over ten minutes away. From the kick-off after the Müller goal, Bayern immediately sought another, chasing down their opposition like a pride of lions and forcing a mistake from Jeremie Frimpong. The home side’s right back lost possession and from the turnover Bayern raced away. Müller had a more intentional role in this next bit of play than his thighed finish just sixty seconds prior, and he found a perfect curving low cross after being found on the left wing. He had spotted Serge Gnabry darting into the box from the opposite side, and Müller’s ball played him in behind as the pacey forward broke between two defenders. Hradecky had little chance as the goalkeeper in the situation, as his back line were the ones who had lost track of Gnabry and in his efforts to try and act to prevent another goal being conceded, the Finnish stopper ran out from his posts to try and reach the ball. Few are quicker across the turf than Gnabry though, and he got to it before the keeper, delicately knocked the ball past him with the faintest of touches and in doing so found the far bottom corner. If anyone had gone to make a cup of tea after the third goal, they would have come back to seeing the score read 4-0 to Bayern.
In fact, depending on the efficiency of their brewing skills, they may have returned with Bayern having just netted a fifth goal. 5-0 arrived on 37 minutes, with Gnabry’s first on 35, Müller’s on 34 and just seven minutes in total after Lewandowski had made it 2-0. The game had got very quickly out of Leverkusen’s reach and the Bavarians were feeling very comfortable. Gnabry had grabbed his first with his right foot, but felt like switching it up for his second, receiving a pass from Leon Goretzka on the edge of the penalty box, taking it in his stride and moving past a couple of defenders, and then slotting it home with ease on his left foot. The flurry of goals was over and that was actually the end of the scoring altogether for Bayern, but the damage was already done before the break. Half time came as a great relief to the home team
At the restart, the visitors decided to make a substitution. In fact, they had already made one and neither of the two early changes had come about through necessity from injury either. More so to prevent any injuries occurring before Champions League action in midweek. With Bayern 5-0 up, there was no need to keep top players on the pitch who had been included in the starting line-up for a big clash. Even before the half way, Alphonso Davies had been withdrawn, replaced by another young player, München-born Croatian defender Josip Stanisic. For the start of the second period, Marcel Sabitzer was introduced in midfield for Leon Goretzka. The Austrian Sabitzer is still yet to start for his new team since a summer transfer from Leipzig, but here he was given 45 minutes – more team in the team to adjust, hopefully to be included more in the near future. Bayern followed up with more changes later, resting more key players. However, they did wait, as Bayer did manage to find a consolation goal ten minutes into the second half.
They far from threatened a comeback, although the home fans got something to cheer when their usual duo combined yet again. Florian Wirtz is always around when good happens for Leverkusen, and his assists for Patrik Schick normally lead to his side getting results. That was never going to be the case even after he did set up a golden chance for his Czech centre forward, slipping his teammate in with a precise through ball. Schick, confident as ever this season, fired into the far corner past Manuel Neuer, giving the German keeper little hope of stopping the shot. The major difference in this game though was simply the regularity of good chances being created by Bayern. Leverkusen mustered up six attempts in the game, a stark contrast to the 27 from their opponents.
The second half did see fewer of these opportunities from the away team, but that was mainly due to a final three replacements coming on. With nearly half an hour to play, the two talismanic forwards, Lewandowski and Müller were taken off with Kingsley Coman and Jamal Musiala given a run out. Then, Süle came off shortly afterwards, replaced by English left back Omar Richards and Stanisic moved to the right back slot vacated by Süle. The attentions of the Bayern coaching team were clearly and understandably all switched to the trip to face Benfica in Portugal on the continental stage, and it may have been a luxury enjoyed all the more by Bayern for the reason that it was so unexpected. The Leverkusen fight was a weak one and the defensive display particularly poor, although little was done in an attacking sense either. Moussa Diaby was non-existent in the game, despite playing over an hour. If the Werkself are to truly mount a title push, they will have to step up when they visit the Allianz Arena later in the campaign.
The Games Keep Coming
Hoffenheim 5-0 Köln
The Friday night game in the Bundesliga saw Köln travel to Sinsheim to take on Hoffenheim and the Billy Goats would have been confident ahead of the match too. Köln’s only previous defeat this season had come away to Bayern. An understandable opponent to struggle against, but even in that contest they had given a good account of themselves. Going into the clash with Hoffenheim, they sat happily sixth in the table, therefore the eventual score line would have come as a great surprise to manager Steffen Baumgart.
The away side were not overrun in terms of possession or even shots throughout the course of proceedings. Nevertheless, it was seemed obvious that the visitors were missing something in order to get a control on the game. So often the key men for Köln, both Ellyes Skhiri, who had netted twice in their last match before the international break, and experienced captain Jonas Hector were absent for this fixture, and it proved costly for their side. The presence of Skhiri in the defensive midfield position may have been the decisive factor in preventing Hoffenheim’s opener if he was in the team, but instead the hosts’ talisman Andrej Kramaric was afforded too much time and space just outside the penalty box around the half hour mark. That allowed him to pick the perfect through ball for Ihlas Bebou, who rounded goalkeeper Timo Horn and slotted into an empty net.
There were no more goals before half time, but a serge was to follow from Hoffenheim in the second period. Shortly after the restart, Ihlas Bebou demonstrated skill in the box again. For his first goal, he required a cool head to dribble around the keeper and finish, and the Togolese forward showed another ability to grab a second goal. When a cut-back cross came from the right-hand side of the penalty area, he controlled with his first touch and pulled off a clever back heel flick on the volley with his second to make it 2-0. The effort was cheeky and very effective in getting the ball past Horn in goal, but his team did not stop there.
David Raum, Hoffenheim left wing back, recently made his first senior Germany appearance during the international window after success with the under-21 national side and for his club so far this campaign. His strong running and very capable left foot make him a key attacking asset as well as a defensive one, and he supplied the third goal when his overlapping run high on the left wing was found by Kramaric. The Croatian played the ball for Raum on the side of the 18-yard box and, with a first-time low assist, he set up Christoph Baumgartner for a simple task of putting the ball in the net from close range. Although the Austrian Baumgartner is one of the team’s more reliable players when it comes finding the target, fellow Hoffenheim youth graduate Dennis Geiger is a more infrequent name on the score sheet. That has been partly down to a torrid time with injuries for the 23-year-old, but he also usually focuses on the creative midfield work. That did not stop him from getting forward in this game though, and it was he who notched the fourth goal breaking into the box and shooting past a number of defenders and the goalkeeper.
It had been a particularly impressive second half performance from the home side and it was leading to a resounding victory already at 4-0. However, they did manage to find one more before the end to really rub it in for Köln. If Geiger was an unlikely scorer with just three previous Bundesliga goals before the encounter, then the odds of centre back Stefan Posch popping up with his first in the German top flight after 86 appearances were even slimmer. Nevertheless, he produced a towering header from a delightfully flighted Kramaric cross, the Croatian influential as always for Hoffenheim as they stormed to a big win. It was a reality check for Köln, who had to deal with some very tough times last term, when they danced with the prospect of relegation. After a string beginning to 2021/22, they may have hoped that those days were behind them though. Coach Baumgart did say after the game that not too much will change just of the back of one poor outing, but the Billy Goats might just be that bit more cautious on matchday nine.
Borussia Dortmund 3-1 Mainz
What could have been a real test for Dortmund in their own back yard turned into a welcome back party for Erling Haaland after he had missed the last two league matches due to injury. The international weekend gave Borussia’s Norwegian superstar the extra bit of time he required to get back to full fitness and that meant he was in from the start against Mainz. The visitors are an unpredictable side who really can take on anyone on their day, but perhaps opposition teams are slowly beginning to realise that they can be caught off guard by Mainz and adopting a more conservative approach when facing the carnival club. Hence, opportunities were limited for the away side and therefore it did not help to be one-down very early on. The goal did not even come from Haaland.
Dortmund skipper Marco Reus may be one of the unluckiest footballers of his generation. He has been hindered by a string of injuries throughout his time at the Signal Iduna Park and, furthermore, Bayern have dominated the title race every year since he made the switch to his current side at the start of 2012/13, just after Dortmund had won the league the season prior. Nonetheless, no one can deny the German’s talent. He is a technically blessed footballer, and he showcased that for all his adoring fans inside the stadium wearing black and yellow when he cracked in a left-footed piledriver with not yet three minutes on the clock. Haaland may have been back, but it was the elder statesman who got things underway, and in some style too.
However, Haaland tends to get all the talk before the game, and often after the game too, and that is something he thrives off. It was his match to take by the horns in the second half. After failing to find his customary goal before the break, the big striker was handed, quite literally, the most presentable of chances to put that right on 54 minutes. Haaland had lost possession in the opposing area, but a VAR review deemed this was because of the intervention of a protruding elbow from Mainz’s Silvan Widmer that touched the ball and took it away from the attacker. Consequently, a spot kick was awarded and Haaland made no mistake, striking his penalty firmly down the middle as the goalkeeper dived out the way.
That put the hosts in pole position. They appeared comfortable at 2-0, but there is always a tendency with Borussia Dortmund to give cheap goals away and sometimes they pay dearly because of it. The role of goalkeeper is an area where the Gelbschwarzen looked to strengthen during the summer window out of dire need, with recent number ones like Bürki and Hitz far too shaky and inconsistent for such an ambitious club. For this reason, Gregor Kobel was brought in from Stuttgart where he had impressed on a regular basis. Perhaps the yellow nets at the Dortmund ground simply have a daunting effect on their keepers, as Kobel is yet to manage a Bundesliga clean sheet for his new side. That trend was to continue, even when it seemed he may achieve a first shut-out, but Jonathan Burkardt profitted from a poor attempt to play out from the back by Kobel with just three minutes left of the 90. Mainz pounced on the loss of possession in the final third and young German striker Burkardt swept home to half the Dortmund lead.
That could have been the start of everything turning sour for the hosts. A late goal from Mainz may have spurred them on. However, it was a couple of the Gelbschwarzen’s key men who got them over the line with an even later strike. When teenage midfielder Jude Bellingham won the ball off of a Mainz defender with some impressive high pressing for the 94th minute, the Englishman’s first thought was to look for Haaland in the middle. With the opposition pushing forward in search of a stoppage time leveller, the Mainz half was more or less vacated by red and white and Bellingham played his centre forward in for a chance he was unlikely to pass up. One-on-one with goalie Robin Zentner, Haaland put the ball on his trusty left foot and fired in for 3-1 and that sealed the win once and for all. He Norwegian immediately went over to congratulate Bellingham for his efforts in creating the goal, but, back in the side, it was yet again Haaland’s day. That is now nine goals in six league matches for him this season and a total 49 in 49 during time playing in the Bundesliga. He is quite good at scoring goals.
Rest of the Round-Up
Union Berlin 2-0 Wolfsburg
The Wolves had begun 2021/22 better than any other side, winning all of their first four games. Since then, it was one point from the next three fixtures, therefore a tough trip away to the capital to take on Union would have not been too welcome. The hosts knew a win would put them above their opponents in the standings and continue their good run of form, and with Taiwo Awoniyi in their ranks that was always a possibility. One of the Bundesliga’s most impressive performers this campaign so far, Awoniyi had made his Nigeria debut during the international break and was back with a bang netting Union Berlin’s first goal just after half time to set them on their way. Wolfsburg had more of the ball, but an inspired substitution from Berlin boss Urs Fischer kept his team on course, bringing on Andreas Voglsammer and Sheraldo Becker for Max Kruse and Genki Haraguchi. The two replacements combined to create the match-clincher, Voglsammer standing up a cross to the back post where Becker was lurking, ready to nod towards goal. Koen Casteels could not prevent the header creeping in and 2-0 was enough for a deserved three points for the home side.
Eintracht Frankfurt 1-2 Hertha Berlin
Union’s neighbours Hertha would have been delighted to move further away from the relegation spots with a win in Frankfurt and they set about doing so in the right fashion. An early goal is always nice, and it really does not matter who scores it. That is good, because whether Vladimir Darida’s seventh minute cross went all the way into the net or got the slightest of touches off the head of Marco Richter on its way was almost impossible to tell. Richter claimed it and the goal was credited to the winger, but the ball may have done not more than just brush his hair is he did make any sort of contact. An impact on the game that was certainly more decisive was the introduction of Jurgen Ekkelenkamp from the bench for the visitors. The Dutchman had found his first Berlin goal as a substitute, and his second came via the same route, although his effect was all the speedier this time around. He got on the end of a sublimely delivered low cross from Max Mittelstädt, arriving at the far post and hammering home with his first touch after coming on. Another substitute, Goncalo Pacienca, got one back for Eintracht, winning and then converting a penalty inside the final quarter of an hour. Regardless, the away side held out against the team who toppled Bayern München in the last round of fixtures.
Freiburg 1-1 RB Leipzig
After an emotional final game at the Dreisamstadion on Bundesliga matchday six, Freiburg were ready to start life at their brand-new stadium, the Europa-Park Stadion. With Freiburg progressing as a club on the field, the modern ground with a larger capacity means that the field they will be playing on should compare to the football on display. The Black Foresters would have loved to grab the first goal at their new home, but an early penalty ended that hope, Emil Forsberg sending Mark Flekken the wrong way from the spot to hand Leipzig a first half lead. However, Freiburg remained the only unbeaten side in the league going into the clash and wanted to keep it that way. Although their South Korean star Jeong Woo-yeong had missed a glorious chance before the break, he put that right in the second period, benefitting from some shoddy marking to head home a Vincenzo Grifo cross just after the hour mark. The equalizer meant Freiburg are still yet to lose this season, but perhaps more importantly for the hosts, they took at least a point from their opening match at the Europa-Park.
Greuther Fürth 0-1 Bochum
They were both promoted from the German 2. Bundesliga last term, but this was the first ever top tier meeting between these two sides. Furthermore, Fürth were searching for their first ever Bundesliga home win, after failing to manage one in their only previous top flight campaign. Against fellow new boys Bochum, who also sat in the relegation zone before the match, the hosts had maybe their best chance of any to earn those first three points in their own back yard. However, the end result was somewhat harsh on the Clover Leaves, as the contest seemed to be heading for a goalless draw, but then visiting captain Anthony Losilla popped up with his maiden Bundesliga goal at the age of 35 to win the game for his team. He had also scored when the two met in the second division last campaign. This time around, his winner moved Bochum out of the drop zone.
Borussia Mönchengladbach 1-1 Stuttgart
Although the hosts dominated this encounter at the Borussia-Park, racking up a total of 31 shots, what really stood out were the two cracking goals that led to the 1-1 draw. Undoubtedly Stuttgart’s top performer this season, Konstantinos Mavropanos, who seems centre of attention each week for his side, had found the net already three times in 2021/22. One of those was an own goal, but from centre back he has posed perhaps Stuttgart’s main attacking threat and netted his best yet with a low drive from long range that arrowed into the bottom corner fifteen minutes in against Gladbach. It was not the only outstanding strike of the game though, and despite the shot being from closer in than Mavropanos’, Jonas Hofmann at least equalled him for technique. The German international pulled off a precise volley from the left-hand side of the penalty area that whipped into the far corner through a number of bodies to level the game. Even though Borussia continued to pester the opposing defence, they failed to muster that real clear-cut opportunity to win the game. Perhaps to do that, the sides would have required another super strike, but they could only manage one a-piece.
Augsburg 1-1 Arminia Bielefeld
With the two newly promoted sides going head-to-head, there was a chance for either Augsburg or Bielefeld to profit and move further away from the drop zone at the other’s expense. League positions are far from critical at this stage of the campaign, but, as was seen with Schalke last term, poor starts to the season can set an unwanted trend. However, the 1-1 draw that the teams played out gave Bochum the opportunity to leapfrog them in the standings, so did neither any favours. Although, Augsburg had looked to be heading for a win when English defender Reece Oxford, formerly of West Ham United, headed home his first senior goal in the first half. Augsburg had not one but two further goals disallowed during the course of the game, both times the ball hitting the back of the net, but both times striker Sergio Cordova, who was on loan at Arminia last season, was found to be offside in the build-up. Surprisingly, VAR was not required to make the decision to chalk off either goal, and for that credit must go to the official on the side line. When you come so close without grabbing those insurance goals though, there is usually only one eventuality – the opposition will hit back. Jacob Barrett Laursen would have slim odds to be the man to get his side back on terms, but the Danish full back scored what has to be his best career goal with a sliced half volley that neatly nestled in the bottom corner. It was a finish that fellow Scandinavian Erling Haaland would have been happy with, but the home fans felt rather disgruntled as it was a match that seemed to have slipped away.
A Few Words On… Alphonso Davies
The Bundesliga has seen an influx of English-speaking players, and primarily young talents, in the past few years, such as Gio Reyna and Jude Bellingham at Borussia Dortmund. However, perhaps the most impressive, or surprisingly impressive, is Bayern’s flying left back Alphonso Davies. Known as Phonzy in the Bavarian ranks, at just 20 years of age, Davies is a lively character known for his frequent social media posts and videos he creates with fellow footballer girlfriend Jordyn Huitema, as well as his sporting attributes. Although there are a number of United States representatives playing throughout Europe, elite Canadian footballers are a rare breed, and some may say non-existent until a couple of years ago. After the emergence of Davies at Bayern though, Canada certainly has its place in German football now. Nevertheless, his move from the MLS with Vancouver Whitecaps was not one that was expected to immediately bear the fruits it did. Davies had caught the eye as a young and extremely pacey attacking wide player during his senior spell in North America, but had not featured in a whole host of games before Bayern sought to bring him to Europe for a then record MLS transfer fee. Once he had made the switch across the Atlantic, whether he was intended by the München coach at the time Niko Kovac to play in the left back role was debatable. What is unlikely though, is that the manager wanted to introduce Davies to the regular set-up quite as quickly as he did, but his hand was rather forced in this matter by the long-term injuries sustained by Lucas Hernandez and Niklas Süle, two key centre backs. In order to move former Bayern defender David Alaba from left back to centre back to cover in their absence, Kovac required a body to fill in in Alaba’s vacated position and he saw in the young Canadian the potential to do so. Kovac left the club after an inconsistent start to 2019/20, but Davis remained a permanent fixture in the side under new coach Hansi Flick and was arguably an integral part of the Champions League winning side that year. He offered that something a bit extra at full back with superhuman speed that opposing defences on the continent could provide no answer for. Since then, Flick has moved on to the Germany job, and young Julian Nagelsmann could be at the Bayern helm for some time to come. After Davies’ displays over the last two seasons, exemplified again away to Leverkusen in the thumping 5-1 victory, there is no reason why he cannot also be part of this Bayern team for a while yet.
What to Look Forward to Next Matchday
Mainz vs. Augsburg
RB Leipzig vs. Greuther Fürth
Arminia Bielefeld vs. Borussia Dortmund
Wolfsburg vs. Freiburg
Bayern München vs. Hoffenheim
Hertha Berlin vs. Borussia Mönchengladbach
Köln vs. Bayer Leverkusen
Stuttgart vs. Union Berlin
Bochum vs. Eintracht Frankfurt
Only one team is left undefeated in the Bundesliga in 2021/22, but when the campaign kicked off, Freiburg may not have been the side most would have expected to be yet to lose after eight games. They face a tough test next time out though, away at the Volkswagen Arena in Wolfsburg. The Wolves have been especially disappointing of late, after three consecutive league losses and a below par return in their Champions League group stage quest so far. Therefore, the home faithful will be expecting a response and ending Freiburg’s unbeaten run may be the perfect boost Wolfsburg need.
The top clash may be on Sunday with Bayern in action again against another side with potential to cause them trouble as Leverkusen were tipped to do at the BayArena. That did not go to plan for the Werkself, but Hoffenheim will travel to Bavaria to pose a very different sort of challenge. Rather than being a direct top four rival, Hoffenheim boast one of the best records against the Rekordmeister in recent times, having pulled off a few big scalps. They include one in Bayern’s own back yard in October 2019, winning 2-1 with a Sargis Adamyan brace, and one in Sinsheim in September 2020, storming to a shock 4-1 victory. Hence, Bayern should be wary going into their encounter on matchday nine.