Featured Game – Freiburg 3-0 Augsburg

It was an emotional night in the Black Forest when Freiburg entertained Augsburg on matchday six in the Bundesliga, as it was to be the hosts’ final game at their home stadium of 67 years. That is a long time to be in one place, and there are bundles of history attached to the Dreisamstadion for Freiburg. However, a testament to the vast expanse of time they been there is the fact that the ground no longer met modern standards: the pitch is too small, and the goal at one end is nearly a metre higher than the one at the other. This issue has been at the forefront of the minds of the club hierarchy for some time now, but renovating the Dreisamstadion to bring it up to modern requirements would have been a lengthy process and almost just as expensive as building a new stadium entirely. So that is what they did. The team plan to move into their new home, the SC-Stadion, in the near future. It can hold an increased number of supporters – 34,700 up from 24,000 – and should give an exciting new era feel for all those inside. The end of the old one was not quite over yet when Augsburg came to town though, and the Freiburg players were keen to make sure that it was a send-off to remember.

The Dreisam, known as the Schwarzwaldstadion through most of Freiburg’s recent success under coach Christian Streich, was host to four games for the senior men’s Germany team between 2000 and 2006. Incredibly, in not one of those matches did the Germans fail to score fewer than seven goals and how Freiburg would have loved to replicate that kind of display for their last outing at the arena. With the way that the first half was shaping up, some fans may have even seen things going that way too. Lady luck appeared to be on the side of the hosts from the off, although the fruits that came to bare were more than partly down to the efforts of the Black Foresters. Their captain Christian Günter had experienced more good moments than most on that particular field of play and is often the source of attacking moves for his team, coming forward from his left wing back position. This was the case again just six minutes into this one, bursting through and firing a shot at goal. The ball hit Augsburg goalkeeper Rafal Gikiewicz more than him pulling off a save, and Günter’s attempt ultimately was blocked. Nevertheless, a goal did come as a result of the skipper’s work, because the rebound off the Gikiewicz stop fell very kindly to the onrushing Lukas Kübler, wing back on the opposite flank for the home side. In his 76th Bundesliga game, Kübler finally found the target for first time, doing it fittingly with a first time strike as well. The net was empty with the Polish keeper out of place after denying the first shot and Kübler had a simple task in the end. It was the perfect start on what would be a special day for Freiburg.

If the opener was fortunate, the second came about through a couple of pieces of very classy play. The pass through on the edge of the box from Maximillian Eggestein was of the highest quality, weighted with precision to find Lucas Höler twelve yards from goal. Freiburg’s striker is not the most consistent scorer of goals, but he brings other attributes to the team’s front line, including a persistent high level of energy and ability to link play around the opposing penalty area. On this occasion, however, he demonstrated that he does have a knack for hitting the back of the net too, like all trusty centre forwards. His turn beforehand was just as impressive as the actual finish though, getting away from his defender with a slick drop of the shoulder and pivot. Almost in the same movement, he deceived the goalie too. A delightful dink over the sprawling Gikiewicz made it a 2-0 very easy on the eye, especially for the Freiburg faithful. They were watching their side in top gear, and it was becoming one of those games where it seemed only one team was playing. It was their game, and Augsburg were starting to realise they were going to be able to do little to spoil the farewell party.

The visitors gave their opponents a helping hand in sealing the victory just after the half hour mark, quite literally. Christian Günter was integral to the home offense again, picking up a position high on the left-hand side of the Augsburg 18-yard box. The German international tried a cut back cross, hoping to find a teammate, but instead the ball ricocheted off the outstretched arm of opposition defender Rafael Framberger. The decision may have seemed harsh. Framberger was very close to the kicker and had absolutely no chance of moving his arm out of the way in time. However, it was adjudged that the full back’s limb was in an unnatural position and was away from the rest of his body in truth. The referee awarded a spot kick for the hosts, and it would have taken the most courageous of officials to rule against the raucous home crowd in the particular situation. Much like the referee, Freiburg winger Vincenzo Grifo was never going to disappoint as he stepped up to take the penalty. A short run up alluded to the Italian’s confidence that was confirmed by the resultant strike from twelve yards. He sent the keeper the wrong way, and the ball whistling into the opposite top corner for a match-clinching third.

Three goals were not really necessary in the end for Freiburg to earn the points, as Augsburg mustered up next to nothing going the other way over the course of the 90. The flurry of first half strikes served to produce a fine spectacle for the supporters in attendance though, and when the tally did get to three it was a shame that a fourth did not arrive actually. Grifo’s penalty took the all-time goal count to at the Dreisamstadion to a tantalising 999. What a way it would have been to say goodbye to the stadium if one of the home players did ripple the net once more to reach the milestone, but they were unable to do so despite their best second half efforts, leaving the number at just one short of the millennia.

Regardless, Freiburg will begin their SC-Stadion chapter in good stead. While their Bavarian opponents fell to 15th in the Bundesliga standings with their defeat, the Black Forest club remain one of just two teams left unbeaten in 2021/22 after six rounds of fixtures. They sit in fifth spot, and, as the table starts to take more of a familiar shape with the season well under way now, this could prove to be a very exciting campaign for Streich’s side.

The Games Keep Coming

Hoffenheim 3-1 Wolfsburg

It was a daunting task that faced Hoffenheim in their sixth game of the season, as so far unbeaten Wolfsburg travelled to Sinsheim. The Wolves had, in fact, only dropped their first points of 2021/22 in their previous outing against Frankfurt, drawing 1-1. Therefore, competing with an almost faultless opposition could have unsettled the hosts, especially one who boasted one of the league’s tightest defences while posing the ever-present threat of Wout Weghorst up top. However, Bundesliga football rarely goes the way it is expected to.

If the job was not tough enough for the home side at the PreZero Arena, a goal for Wolfsburg on 25 minutes came as an early setback. Ridle Baku has impressed greatly for his club side in his young career so far, particularly making a name for himself in a right wing back role. He can play in a variety of positions too, including central midfield and right wing, and this versatility is arguably what has seen him named in his second senior Germany squad. Where he got his goal though was from a left wing birth. He does often drift between areas throughout a match and can have a major influence on proceedings due to this. This was the case once more, cutting in from the left flank and bending a shot with his right foot into the far corner, out of the reach of the goalkeeper. The lead was the reward of some accurate and calculated passing in the opening stages from the away side. Their challenge was to make sure that they did not rest on their laurels; controlling possession is always calming for a manager, but so is a second goal.

It turned out Wolfsburg really could have done with that second too. After restricting opposing attackers on the whole any sort of chances so far this campaign, the switch was surprisingly flicked it seemed right on half time. Hoffenheim got a rare opportunity for some kind of offence with a corner in the second minute of added time. The delivery was nothing remarkable, but what was remarkable was that it evaded everyone in the Wolves’ penalty area apart from the man at the far post. It just so happened that man was the home team’s talisman Andrej Kramaric, their usual bright spark going forward. He had chipped in with a number of assists already, although he had failed to register his first goal of the new season yet after breaking the club’s record in that respect last term. When the chance did arrive to change that statistic, he was never going to miss. It was an easy one for Kramaric and that would have left visiting coach Mark van Bommel fuming as the half time whistle blew.

The frustration was only going to grow for the Dutch manager, as Hoffenheim started to take a grip on the game. The possession stats evened out by the end of the 90, and the play from the hosts was comparatively more inventive than what was seen from Wolfsburg before the break. Long-serving Czech international Pavel Kaderabek was to have a telling impact on the outcome for Hoffenheim, beginning with fine bit of play to supply young Austrian forward Christoph Baumgartner with a chance to put their side ahead with fewer than twenty of normal time to play. Kaderabek’s cut back cross from the right wing found his teammate rushing into the box, and from the centre of the box, Baumgartner placed his effort to the side of keeper Koen Casteels. The match had been turned around and now only ever looked like continuing in the direction the hosts desired.

Casteels had only let in two league goals prior to matchday 6. However, that number had been doubled by Hoffenheim and would only increase in the latter stages. David Raum had been part of the Germany under-21 squad that won the European Championship at that level during the summer, assuming the responsibility for the majority of his team’s set pieces at the tournament. He stood over a free kick this time for his new club side with ten minutes left against Wolfsburg and was very unlucky to see his curled effort strike the right-hand post of the goal. Nevertheless, he and Hoffenheim did get a decisive stroke of fortune, seeing the ball rebound off the upright and straight into the path of the waiting Kaderabek. The veteran Czech was the only one in the six-yard box as he accepted the simple task of knocking the ricochet home from close range. A third goal sealed the win and ended the unbeaten beginning to the campaign for the Wolves. They may have to rethink their defence-orientated tactical set-up if they are to really strive for success, especially as keeping them out of their own net was a real struggle away in Sinsheim.

RB Leipzig 6-0 Hertha Berlin

Leipzig languished worryingly in the lower reaches of the Bundesliga table going into their home clash with Hertha Berlin. They were in need of a win and any sort of win would have been taken. The eventual thrashing was welcomed with open arms.

As the 6-0 score line suggests, there were no poor performances in the Leipzig ranks. Nevertheless, one player in particular did stand out from the crowd. Christopher Nkunku was on fire throughout and the Berlin defence had no joy in trying to stop him weaving his magic. He netted the opener just after the quarter hour, showing alertness, strength, and then a touch of impudence to break through the Berlin back line, shrug off the challenging defender and chip the ball classily over the onrushing goalkeeper. It was to be the start of a long game for Hertha. The capital side had looked to have turned a corner after their poor beginning to the season and 5-0 hammering handed to them by Bayern on matchday 3. Two successive victories could have alluded to a change of fortune against one of the prospective title hopefuls, but their inability to handle Nkunku especially was their downfall.

The Frenchman was again involved for the goal number two. He was played through, in behind the almost non-existent away defence for the second time, opting to square the ball on this occasion rather than shooting and it turned out to be a good decision. The resulting finish for the Red Bulls’ longest-serving player Yussuf Poulsen was easy. He tapped into the empty net for 2-0. That was on 23 minutes, meaning Hertha did get something of a reprieve right until the final kick of the opening period. Some lackadaisical, to put it nicely, defensive work when faced with an Angeliño free kick gifted the hosts a third before the midway point. Nordi Mukiele stole in round the back of all the visiting players and volleyed in a rare goal for the right-sided full back.

Fifteen minutes after the restart, Nkunku decided he had not done much for a while and set off with the ball into the opposing 18-yard box, only to be brought down by Niklas Stark and a penalty was awarded. Emil Forsberg stepped up and converted for 4-0. Nkunku’s crowning moment was still to come though. A dead ball situation in the perfect area for a strike at goal presented a great opportunity for a fifth. However, it takes some player to actually pull such a feat off. The attacking midfielder accomplished it with the effortlessness shown by those simply watching it on the bench and watching in awe. He curled a sumptuous free kick into the top corner for the best goal of an unbelievable game for Nkunku. The rest he was given just a few minutes after was about as well-deserved as it possibly could have been. Hertha were relieved to see the match’s chief threat substituted before the closing stages, but their relief was short-lived.

Even without Nkunku on the pitch, RB Leipzig were determined to carry on the scoring trend and added one more just three minutes after their man of the match was withdrawn. Brian Brobbey demonstrated his strength in assisting and Amadou Haidara showed a cool finish to slot home a second goal in two games. The final whistle came as music to the ears of all associated with Hertha Berlin. Their ordeal was over, having been hit for six.

Rest of the Round-Up

Greuther Fürth 1-3 Bayern München

They had demolished the other newly promoted team the week prior, putting seven without reply past Bochum, and Bayern travelled to Fürth in search of another victory against opposition recently instated in the top flight. After a draw on opening day away at Mönchengladbach, the champions had been faultless in the league and started this one with the swagger that four straight wins will give you. It was always going to be tough for Fürth to stop that becoming five in a row, but the task was made even harder just ten minutes in when Thomas Müller set the Bavarians on their way. His early goal was followed by a fantastically precise second from Joshua Kimmich on the half hour, curling in his third in two games from just outside the area. Benjamin Pavard was shown the red card shortly after the break, although it did not hinder Bayern’s chances of winning and number three arrived when Sebastian Griesbeck turned into his own net under pressure from Robert Lewandowski. The night was frustrating for the Pole, who could have broken the Bundesliga record for goals in successive games. However, he had no luck in front of the target for once, and the only striker who did net in the match did so for the hosts. Former Rangers man Cedric Itten popped up with a towering header three minutes from time, bringing the biggest cheer from the crowd all night, despite it having no bearing whatsoever on the result.

Union Berlin 1-0 Arminia Bielefeld

As Union Berlin manager Urs Fischer pointed out in a post-match interview, the football game was trivial after a horrible-looking injury to home defender Timo Baumgartl meant the German had to be substituted off before half time. His teammates thereafter played to get him the win as well as the fans. Although, Union attacker Andreas Voglsammer had added incentive, as he was facing the team he left in the summer. Bielefeld were able to able to prevent their old player from scoring, and he was taken off mid-way through the second period. However, at the same time, Berlin brought on Kevin Behrens, who Arminia would have no such luck in stopping. He stole the headlines late on, firing a left-footed shot into the roof of the net on 88 minutes to quash the visitors’ hopes of hanging on for a point.

Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Mainz

Leverkusen young starlet Florian Wirtz is smashing all kinds of records for accomplishing so much at such a young age. The visit of Mainz posed a fairly stern test for Bayer, and was always going to require a smart bit of play to break the deadlock against an opposition who have solidified their back line to a significant extent in recent times. Wirtz is the type of player to produce that something special though. He exemplified great composure and a fine close touch surrounded by defenders in the penalty area. He was able to shift the ball to the right, creating the half yard for himself to get a strike away and when he did there was only ever one destination. The attempt nestled in the far bottom corner for the German teenager’s tenth Bundesliga goal, making him the youngest player in the league’s history to reach that milestone.

Eintracht Frankfurt 1-1 Köln

The home team at the Deutsch Bank Park had become the first side to take points from Wolfsburg this season, when they went to the Volkswagen Arena on matchday five. However, they started the slower of the two against Köln, falling behind due to an early goal from Ellyes Skhiri. The Tunisian profited from a long ball forward and perfectly headed knock down from Köln captain Jonas Hector, ultimately being presented with an opportunity from close range. The chance came on the volley though, and on his weaker left side too, so there was no guarantee that Skhiri would put the effort home, although he did with a cool finish to hand his team the lead. They were unable to see out the advantage, and in fact did not make it to half time in front. Rafael Santos Borré was yet to notch one for his new club Frankfurt. Therefore, when Eintracht’s danger man down the left Filip Kostic drove into a good position for the cross, Borré made sure to be free on the edge of the box. He has looked lively for the Eagles this campaign without showing much of an end product to this point, but he tucked his shot away after being picked out by Kostic, showing a clinical nature not yet seen by Frankfurt fans from their new forward. More of the same would be very welcome, after his first for the club earned them the draw.

Borussia Mönchengladbach 1-0 Borussia Dortmund

The two Bundesliga Borussias went head-to-head at Borussia Park in a match that most had the away team down to win. The hosts’ hopes were spurred with the announcement before the game that arguably Dortmund’s two most influential players, Erling Haaland and Marco Reus, were out of the matchday squad with minor knocks. Therefore, the battle for the Gladbach defence would have been a welcome one up against the inexperienced pairing of Moukoko and Malen up top for the visitors, even if the exciting attackers can certainly do a job on their day. Fans of the Gelbschwarzen would have been ruing their misfortune further when the game got into its flow, and regarding the opener for the home side. Denis Zakaria tried to burst through into the Dortmund box with the ball at his feet, only to be met by a group of opposing defenders. The Swiss international showcased his renowned combative nature and, despite losing control of the ball, a kind ricochet off of Jude Bellingham played it right back into the Mönchengladbach man’s path. He needed little invitation to pounce on the stroke of luck, hammering a shot first-time into the far top corner. Fate was certainly in the corner of the hosts for this clash, because holding onto their slender lead was made all the easier by the dismissal of former Gladbach midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud later in the first half. Two yellows equalled a red and an early bath for Dahoud, as well as significantly diminishing the chances for Dortmund to get back into the contest. The Black and Yellows had already taken too many hits, and were unable to turn things around in the second period, falling to their second defeat of the season.

Bochum 0-0 Stuttgart

A goalless meeting between two struggling sides who had failed to win since the early rounds of fixtures in 2021/22 could appear to have been a dull game. However, there was action a-plenty in Bochum on matchday six. The teams mustered one big chance each in the first half: Stuttgart’s fell to their big Greek centre back Mavropanos from an early corner, his header saved by Manuel Riemann; whereas, Bochum’s major opportunity arrived towards the end of the 45 when Eduard Löwen fired a shot straight at opposition stopper Florian Müller. The most controversial moment of the game came after the break though. Mavropanos has been involved heavily for Stuttgart recently, both for the good and the bad, and he was centre stage once again as he thought he had handed his side the lead when he controlled a cross and slammed it home like a cultured striker. Regular goal scorers have learned not to go too over the top in celebrations when they find the net these days with VAR always lurking. But, perhaps for a defender not used to the feeling, it may have been all the more difficult to take when his strike was ruled out for the most marginal of hand ball decisions. He did use the upper arm in controlling the ball, although it was a borderline sleeve of the shirt situation. The lead was chalked off and the match ended in a score draw.

A Few Words On… Christopher Nkunku

He is perhaps not the most consistent of goal scorers, or at least was not before this season began, but Christopher Nkunku has reinvented himself in recent times. With his side starting the new campaign slowly, he has stepped up in both the creative and finishing departments, providing RB Leipzig with much-needed goals, when some new signings like André Silva have not quite yet found their rhythm at the Red Bull Arena. Nkunku’s performance against Hertha Berlin getting an assist, two goals, and winning a penalty, was not the first this season in which he has been the main offensive threat for Leipzig. In their first Champions League group stage fixture, the Frenchman managed to grab a hattrick even though his side succumbed to a rather ridiculous sounding 6-3 loss at the hands of Manchester City. He was the only real bright spark on a disappointing European night. However, this might be due to the fact that he is not unaccustomed to playing with the big boys, whereas, for some of his teammates, major clashes like these are relatively new affairs. Nkunku started his professional career with French giants Paris Saint-Germain, having joined the club at the age of 12 and come through the youth academy. His first appearance, in fact, was in the UEFA Champions League back in 2015, coming on as a late substitute against Shakhtar Donetsk when he was just 18. From there, he slowly became more and more involved in the set-up at the Parc des Princes, eventually instating himself as a regular in the matchday squad towards the end of his time in the French capital. Frequent minutes were his real desire though, something he struggled to get with PSG, often beginning matches on the bench and understandably too when Neymar and Di Maria are the players you have to displace from the starting line-up. Therefore, a switch to the east of Germany beckoned, signing for the exciting project that is RB Leipzig. Football is coming much more often for Nkunku, but the fans have really taken to him too, as he fits the mould of the side: quick, creative, and always keen to counter. If displays like the one against Hertha continue to arrive, Christopher Nkunku’s admiration from the Red Bulls’ supporters is only going to rise.

What to Look Forward to Next Matchday

Köln vs. Greuther Fürth

Hertha Berlin vs. Freiburg

Stuttgart vs. Hoffenheim

Wolfsburg vs. Borussia Mönchengladbach

Borussia Dortmund vs. Augsburg

RB Leipzig vs. Bochum

Mainz vs. Union Berlin

Bayern München vs. Eintracht Frankfurt

Arminia Bielefeld vs. Bayer Leverkusen

The season is well under way now. The table is starting to shape up. The games are getting important.

After beginning the season strongly, Wolfsburg have registered just a solitary point from their last two outings. However, they face a stern test as they aim to get back on track when they host Gladbach at the Volkswagen Arena. Freiburg will hope to follow up their Dreisamstadion farewell win with another maximum. They travel to the capital for the ever-unpredictable challenge that is Hertha. Can Freiburg continue their unbeaten start to 2021/22 or will Berlin pull one out of the bag as they do from time to time? The most hotly contested clash may be the involving the other Berlin outfit, Union. They meet Mainz on a tough away day, but the fixture could really go either way. This might just be the one to watch.