Featured Game – Hertha Berlin 0-1 Bayern München

The Friday night game saw Hertha host the champions Bayern at the Olympiastadion. Although no fans have been allowed into stadiums this season, it is doubtful whether many of the capital side’s supporters would pay the ticket fee to watch the disjointed football that their club has been stringing together in the past months. After this loss, they are left just a place above the relegation play-off place in the league table, with Arminia in 16th only trailing to them on goal difference and with a game in hand. Although the team’s position is more than precarious, Hertha boss Pal Dardai would probably have walked away from the encounter with Bayern with many positives.

Their prospect of getting anything out of the game was minimal going into it but, despite the score line, Hertha gave a great account of themselves against Germany’s finest. Potentially, this invigoration was down to the typically fast start that Bayern made in the game. The Bavarian onslaught of the home side’s goal from the off was intense and, importantly, fruitful. Just eleven minutes in and Bayern were awarded a penalty, with the world’s best marksman ready to step up and take it. Robert Lewandowski had scored eleven Bundesliga penalties in succession before this kick and his last miss from twelve yards was over two years prior back in January of 2019. So, he wasn’t going to miss, right? He did his customary stutter in the run-up and struck the ball low to the keeper’s right – a typical Lewandowski penalty. They hit the back of the net more often than not, but Rune Jarstein between the sticks for Berlin is a very experienced goalkeeper and has probably spent countless hours studying the Pole’s classy spot-kick finishes. He guessed correctly and dived to his right to deny the striker emphatically and keep the game scoreless. For a while at least.

Bayern did not back down despite the setback and they continued to apply pressure. Being so clinical, Munich usually make their pressure count, turning this into goals and Kingsley Coman’s 21st minute strike was evidence of this. However, Hertha were unfortunate to concede in every sense. Up until this point, they had defended resolutely and had restricted Bayern to few chances, the missed penalty aside. Nevertheless, when Coman tried a speculative effort a quarter of the way through the tie, it took a fatal deflection off Hertha captain Niklas Stark and sailed over Jarstein into the goal. For Hertha this was crushing – a bit of luck for Bayern to get the early lead they desired, which allowed them to do what they do best and start to really control the game. But full credit has to go to the Berlin players, who could have easily let their heads drop. However, they pressed on in search of an equalizer.

After half time, the game continued in the expected mould of Bayern possession and Hertha hoping to hit on the counterattack. In other games, Hertha have employed similar tactics, trying to use fast and technical players to really get at teams in more open games. However, this has often backfired and, although they do score goals, their defensive frailties have meant that sometimes three or four goals have been shipped, giving them little hope of gaining any points. In contrast, the Bayern game had a different look and Bayern’s 62 percent possession and high defensive line gave the Berlin attackers a new type of opponent which seemed to suit them. They created nearly as many chances as Bayern throughout, with the tally finishing fourteen to ten in this regard in Bayern’s favour. Because of this stat, Hertha may rue the fact that they did not score, especially due to the quality of some of the chances. Most notably, in the 89th minute of the contest Bayern’s high line was exposed brilliantly by Matteo Guendouzi when he sent the ball through for Matheus Cunha to latch onto. Any Hertha fan watching the game on television at home would have been up and out of their sofas as they saw their Brazilian talisman racing towards goal. He has been one of the bright sparks in a dull season for team from the capital and his pace and fine first touch meant that an effort at goal from his position was never in doubt. The only question was whether he could beat World Cup winning goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in a one-on-one battle. As he neared the German, Cunha’s route to goal became clear: a delicate dink was the order of the day to win Hertha Berlin their most treasured point of the season so far. The importance of the chance was only too obvious once it had come and gone and the forward put his chip past Neuer, but just wide of the far post. Cunha fell to the ground in anguish along with a number of his teammates, who all realised in that moment that their valiant fight had been in vain and Bayern would leave the capital victorious.

Despite losing the game, Pal Dardai and Hertha will know that they put in one of their best performances this season. Both in attack and defence, their play was much more coherent than in previous games and this led to a better shape at the back, which was a major reason for restricting Bayern in this game. No doubt, there had been a lot of preparation done on the training pitch for a home clash with Bayern and the tactics worked on largely had their intended impact, with Hertha potentially even winning the award for dealing with Lewandowski the best out of any team so far this campaign. It was an unusually quiet night for the league’s leading scorer, one which he will certainly hope not to replicate as he hunts down Gerd Müller’s Bundesliga record of forty goals in a single season.

To round off, Hertha played well but Bayern’s champions’ spirit shone through as they took all three points. However, if more performances like this are to come from the team in blue and white, then they have every chance of climbing the table and easing away from the relegation places.

The Games Keep Coming

Bayer Leverkusen 5-2 Stuttgart

This game looked like a tasty match-up before the whistle blew for kick-off and it certainly did not disappoint. A typical fast-paced contest with both teams adopting a gung-ho style which sees so many Bundesliga games become absolute thrillers. Furthermore, both sides were in patchy form so the score line of this one was going to be anyone’s guess. Even despite the fact that Leverkusen had raced into a two-goal lead at half time, the final result remained in question. Kerem Demirbay struck twice from midfield during the first 45 minutes and this forced the Stuttgart manager Pellegrino Matarazzo into two changes at the break, bringing on both Erik Thommy and youngster Naouirou Ahamada for his debut. However, due to an injury to Nicolás Gonzalez in the 22nd minute, the American coach had already made his most impactful sub with the introduction of lofty striker Sasa Kalajdzic. Within five minutes of the restart, the 6’7” Austrian had Stuttgart back to a one-goal deficit. This sparked a frantic second period, which saw four further goals, the next of which came only six minutes later and, importantly, for Leverkusen. From here, Bayer pressed on and in the 68th minute an historic moment arrived, with Florian Wirtz netting his fifth Bundesliga goal – at 17 years and 9 months old this makes the German the first player to reach this milestone before the age of 18. Kalajdzic did score again to make the score 4-2, but it was Leverkusen who undoubtedly played the better football and a fifth goal came three minutes from time. Demarai Gray had only come onto the field a quarter of an hour before for his first taste of the German top-flight, however when the chance fell to him on the edge of the area, with the quality that was often promised but rarely seen at Leicester City, he swept the ball into the far top corner to put a seal on the victory for the westerners. Despite putting five goals past Stuttgart, Leverkusen’s plethora of chances created meant that the final score could easily have ended up even more dramatic than it eventually did, and Bayer boss Peter Bosz said in an interview after the game that he was disappointed that his team did not get three of four more goals. Regardless, this was important for Leverkusen to get back on track after a couple of losses in the two games prior, as they continue their search for a top-four place and a return to the Champions League next season.

Borussia Mönchengladbach 1-2 Köln

On paper, this match seemed like it was only ever going to go one way. But anything can happen in the Bundesliga and especially in a Rhein Derby. Just three minutes in and the drama had already started – Elvis Rexhbecaj notching to put the away side into a surprise lead at Borussia Park. This woke ‘Gladbach up and it did not take them long to respond. A period of good play was followed by a 16th minute equalizer from Florian Neuhaus, but instead of gaining confidence from this, Borussia seemed to settle down along with the game. Perhaps the fast start just meant everyone needed a breather, although this seemed to last all the way to the half time whistle, with very little happening after the eventful first twenty. However, just ten minutes after the break Rexhbecaj decided to take the game by the horns (very apt for a team who’s mascot is a goat). A second goal from the Kosovan midfielder saw Cologne go ahead again and, fortunately for him and his side, it was a lead that they were not to relinquish. The game finished 2-1 to the men in red and having certainly left his mark, just like for Rock ‘n’ Roll, the king of this clash was Elvis.

Freiburg 2-1 Borussia Dortmund:

Dortmund’s woes continue. A lack of a spark was prevalent in this game until at least the last half-an-hour, when it was simply too late. After a scoreless first half, Freiburg raced out of the blocks for the second period with a desire to score that saw them trying shots from all angles. But, as the saying goes, if you don’t buy a ticket… On 48 minutes – Jeong Woo Yeong with an effort from 25 yards on his weaker left foot that could not have been hit more sweetly. It flew into the net for the Black Forest side’s first goal from long range this season. However, the second swiftly followed. Inspired by Jeong’s ability, Jonathan Schmid also tried his luck from outside the penalty area. The Frenchman is usually the more adept out of the two players in this act, however often his attempts come from dead ball situations. In fact, he holds one of the highest percentages for direct free kicks in Europe, despite largely playing as a full-back. Nevertheless, on this particular occasion he was able to beat Marvin Hitz in the Dortmund goal from open play, with a rasping drive that caught out the Swiss keeper at his near post. After almost no joy at all throughout the game, Dortmund’s reaction was to bring on the Bundesliga’s youngest ever scorer Youssoufa Moukoko for the final 30 minutes. The change had the intended impact. He brought energy, inventiveness and a hunger to score for the Gelbschwarzen, things that simply were not present before his introduction to the contest. Moukoko got into many great positions during his limited time, and from one of these he managed to find a goal with a third of the half remaining. The realisation of the possibility of a point emerged and Dortmund kept the intensity high, leading to one final chance for Moukoko in the dying seconds of injury time. Unfortunately for the teenager, it fell on his weaker right foot and the shot was tame and straight at Freiburg keeper Florian Müller. As the final whistle blew, Dortmund were condemned to their third loss in four games – a signal that their title hopes are long gone, and some sort of form has to be restored if they are to challenge for the Champions League spots.

Rest of the Round-Up

Augsburg 0-2 Wolfsburg

Ridle Baku starred for the Wolves, turning up in every position on the park apart from his usual right-back slot. He epitomised Wolfsburg’s attacking impetus and had two goals ruled out for offside to go along with his one legitimate goal.

Schalke 0-3 RB Leipzig

Another loss for Schalke. Their defensive frailties were on show for all to see as Leipzig put them to the sword. The East German side normally do not let up when they are on top and this game was another example of that. The most worrying thing for Schalke is that with Mukiele and Orban’s goals for Leipzig coming from corners, this takes the tally of set-piece goals conceded by the Royal Blues to nineteen this campaign – after just twenty matches.

Hoffenheim 1-3 Eintracht Frankfurt

Even though the teams had a similar number of shots in this game, it was Frankfurt’s clinical finishing that told. However, there is no other player quite as clinical on either side as André Silva for Eintracht – his goal just after the hour mark took his tally for the season to seventeen.

Mainz 1-0 Union Berlin

You would think that the side struggling for goals placed second bottom in the table would have no chance against a team who have shipped fewer goals than Bayern this season, but the Bundesliga is beautifully unpredictable and Moussa Niakhaté’s penalty in the first half set Mainz on course for a rare three points.

Werder Bremen P-P Arminia Bielefeld

There have been scatterings of snow over the UK in the past week, but nothing quite like the frozen weather they have experienced in some parts of Germany, including Bremen. Despite the groundsmen’s best efforts, the Weserstadion pitch was deemed far from playable and this clash will be revisited at a later date.

A Few Words On… Florian Wirtz

There was only one player who could possibly get the mention this week and that is Leverkusen’s young starlet Florian Wirtz. With his headed goal against Stuttgart, he became the first player to reach five Bundesliga goals before the age of eighteen and this ability to not just promise good play but deliver it as well is the reason why Wirtz’s stock is rising fast. So many young players come through to the first team with the label ‘promising’ attached to them, without ever really showing any end-product on the top-flight stage. However, the German has shown a goal-scoring touch as well as a versatility which sees him play in various positions across the attacking midfield line, something invaluable for a coach but also something which attracts a pool of top clubs circulating like sharks as they watch Wirtz impress week after week. Comparisons are easily drawn between him and his Bayer predecessor Kai Havertz, who shared a knack for goals from a similar position on the field. Undoubtedly, Wirtz looked to Havertz’s success for inspiration and has certainly replicated this to an admirable extent up to this point, and he will surely hope to continue in the same vein that the £72million man did before his eventual and inevitable departure. Leverkusen will maybe hope that Wirtz opts not to leave like Havertz did in search of a bigger challenge at a bigger club and perhaps more regular football in Europe’s elite competition. However, if the seventeen-year-old’s form carries on for much longer, some big price tags are going to start getting banded around, the likes of which will be very hard for Leverkusen’s executives to refuse. The only advice for Florian Wirtz if he does also end up leaving – maybe don’t go to Chelsea.

What to Look Forward to Next Matchday

• RB Leipzig vs. Augsburg

• Borussia Dortmund vs. Hoffenheim

• Bayer Leverkusen vs. Mainz

• Werder Bremen vs. Freiburg

• Stuttgart vs. Hertha Berlin

• Union Berlin vs. Schalke

• Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Köln

• Wolfsburg vs. Borussia Mönchengladbach

• Bayern München vs. Arminia Bielefeld

Although Wolfsburg against Gladbach should be an entertaining clash between two teams battling it out towards the top of the table, this could be quite a tactical affair.

Potentially, the Dortmund game with Hoffenheim will produce the most goals with both sides looking for a good result after defeats this week. There certainly will be an array of attacking talent on show and with shaky defences shipping a number of goals, Kramaric and Haaland could fill their boots in this one.