Matchday 8

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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.

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Matchday 7

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Featured Game – Mainz 1-2 Union Berlin

Although the big names in the Bundesliga were in action on matchday seven, possibly the most interesting affair could have played out in Mainz. These two sides are on the up. The hosts Mainz turned around an abysmal first half of last campaign, bringing in Danish coach Bo Svensson when in the relegation zone, only for the new manager to steer them well clear of the drop zone come the end of the season. Their form has continued into 2021/22, and Mainz are showing they type of consistency needed to fight for a top half finish, potentially even to snatch European football via seventh spot and hence an entry into the UEFA Europa Conference League. That is something the visitors to the MEWA Arena know all about, after claiming a place in the inaugural Conference League on the final day last term. They came into the clash against Mainz off the back of a resounding Thursday night 3-0 victory over Israeli side Maccabi Haifa and hoped to proceed in that vein back in domestic league action. It was sure to be a tight contest.

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Matchday 6

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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.

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Matchday 5

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Featured Game – Wolfsburg 1-1 Eintracht Frankfurt

It was not just the Frankfurt fans rooting for an away win in Wolfsburg on Matchday five, with the other title challengers hoping that the so-far faultless hosts would drop their first points of the new campaign. The Wolves had been typically dogged in defence in the opening games, conceding only once in four. They had done just enough going the other way to create goals of their own, despite not being absolutely prolific. However, a mix of the two had found the vital winning formula up to this point and it would take a particularly well-prepared side to be able to land a blow on the early league leaders.

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Matchday 4

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Featured Game – RB Leipzig 1-4 Bayern München

It may still be early in the season, but a clash between the top two from the last Bundesliga campaign was never going to be uneventful. There was much riding on the contest: for RB Leipzig a chance to get one over the side they are hunting down in the pursuit of their first ever German title, while visitors Bayern would have wanted to simply keep their challengers at arm’s length. Past meetings between the two have often gone the way of the Rekordmeister. However, that is not saying much considering the case is the same for every other German side Bayern München have faced. Nevertheless, this match at home in front of the Red Bulls’ fans was a great opportunity to try and turn the tide for Leipzig.

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Matchday 3

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Featured Game – Borussia Dortmund 3-2 Hoffenheim

Three games down, only 31 left to play. The 2021/22 Bundesliga is very much still in its early stages, but that does not mean there is a lack of entertainment. The goals flowed on Matchday three – 32 across nine games – and it all began with a cracker under the Friday night floodlights at Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund. Hoffenheim were in town and, rather peculiarly, sat above their hosts in the table. Although, trying to read anything into the league standings at this stage would be a task almost certainly in vain, and Borussia did not lack incentive to take care of their visitors after defeat last time out away to Freiburg. Nevertheless, this game was never going to be one-sided. Hoffenheim are a team capable of giving anyone a run for their money on their day, as they proved last year at the same ground, demolishing their Black and Yellow opponents 4-0. Andrej Kramaric netted all four that day, but the Hoffenheim talisman is yet to get off the mark this campaign. No better time to do it than against Dortmund again.

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Matchday 2

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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.

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Matchday 1

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Featured Game – Borussia Mönchengladbach 1-1 Bayern München

The 2020/21 Bundesliga season was certainly an entertaining one. Some teams excelled, reaching heights they had never before imagined. Others faltered, only dreaming of getting back to more successful times. However, a new campaign brings a fresh start with new possibilities for every team; although, the most pleasing thing to see in the first match-up of 2021/22 was the return of fans to Borussia-Park. Grounds may still be able to hold full capacity, but new rules mean that stands can be half-full for the return of German top-flight football and that means the return of the fantastic atmosphere of German supporters. They were sorely missed last season and the fact that goals will be cheered by real life people is one that will be appreciated by all followers of the Bundesliga.

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2020/21 Bundesliga End of Season Review

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End of Season Review

The 2020/21 Bundesliga season was another full of drama and entertainment. The final league standings were anyone’s guess at the start of the campaign (perhaps except for top spot), and there were a number of teams who excelled well beyond their predicted finish, however at the same time a handful dropped below previous standards and reaped the consequences of this. This review will look back across the season from the perspective of each team, recounting top performances and best players, while also looking at what to expect when the league gets back up and running in August. Although, it is often hard to know what to expect in the Bundesliga.

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Relegation Play-Off

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1st Leg – Köln 0-1 Holstein Kiel

As the final whistle blew on Matchday 34 in the top two divisions in Germany, it meant the end of an especially tiring season for most teams. However, for a couple of the sides, their most important fixture was still to come – the relegation play-off, to be played across two legs. The tie combines the clubs that finished third from bottom in the top tier and third from top in the second, to play 180 minutes to determine the success of the respective teams’ entire seasons. For the Bundesliga side, a win means pure relief and a chance to build for the next campaign knowing that their top-flight status remains. For the 2. Bundesliga outfit, the pressure is arguably more on their opponents to perform, but with promotion on the line, the incentive for victory is no less. However, history does not look kindly on the second-tier side, and only on six occasions in the past have the promotion-seekers achieved their goal, although the most recent example came just two years ago, when Union Berlin toppled Stuttgart to reach the top league for the first time. Holstein Kiel did not feature in the play-off too long ago themselves, having been beaten by Wolfsburg in the 2017/18 season’s edition of the fixture. This time around though they sought a different outcome.

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Matchday 34

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Featured Game – Union Berlin 2-1 RB Leipzig

Matchday 34 – the final round of fixtures in the Bundesliga and there was still much yet to be decided. There was drama at both ends of the table, with the relegation battle reaching its conclusion, but it was the race for seventh spot that concerned the capital side Union Berlin. Unlike their city rivals Hertha, who only had a late season surge to thank for ensuring their Bundesliga status just last weekend, Union were in search of their first taste of continental football in 20 years and currently resided in the place in the standings allocated for the inaugural Europa Conference League, the new third tier European competition. Nevertheless, the hosts were arguably not favourites to finish in their current spot, with a tough task against second-placed RB Leipzig ahead and Borussia Mönchengladbach, who sat just a point behind Union, ready to take full advantage of any slip-up as they played strugglers Werder.

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Matchday 33

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Featured Game – RB Leipzig 2-2 Wolfsburg

It was the penultimate round of fixtures in the Bundesliga and there was still much to be decided at both ends of the table, however for the visitors to the Red Bull Arena, Wolfsburg, they knew a point would be enough to secure their place alongside their opponents Leipzig in the Champions League next season. The hosts also required a draw top achieve their aim of finishing in second place in the league behind champions Bayern to round off another fantastic campaign. Although, the past week had not been too good to Leipzig in truth, as they saw their slim title hopes evaporated with Bayern’s six-goal thrashing of Mönchengladbach before they lost in the DFB-Pokal final to Borussia Dortmund on Thursday. Coach Julian Nagelsmann would have been especially disappointed about the cup result, as he now will not be able to sign off as the Red Bulls’ manager with silverware before going to München in the summer. Therefore, he would have been particularly eager to make his last home game a memorable one with a win against fellow flyers Wolfsburg.

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Midweek in Gelsenkirchen

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Featured Game – Schalke 1-2 Hertha Berlin

The Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen was the setting on Wednesday evening for a vital game for the visiting club from the German capital. Hertha had needed to make up for a period watching on as a Covid-19 outbreak halted their season. Therefore, this clash away to Schalke was their fourth game in just nine days, but they would have played the same number of matches as everyone else afterwards. In truth, the break in play has done little to hinder Hertha’s of staying up this season and, as other teams have faltered around them, they have taken seven points from their three games after the resumption. Here, they had the chance to improve that to ten from twelve available and with their opponents coming in the form of the league’s poorest performers Schalke, Berlin started out as big favourites.

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Matchday 32

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Featured Game – Borussia Dortmund 3-2 RB Leipzig

After missing out on securing the Bundesliga title last week as they lost at the hands of Mainz, Bayern München would have been raring to go ahead of their clash with Borussia Mönchengladbach. However, kicking off three hours before that game was the one between Dortmund and Leipzig. In an unusual turn of events, Bayern’s normally closest rivals, Dortmund, would actually hand the championship to the Bavarians before they kicked a ball, if the Black-and-Yellows were able to beat second-placed RB Leipzig. It was not as if the hosts at the Signal Iduna park had little to play for either, as a victory would move Dortmund into the final Champions League spot at least until Eintracht Frankfurt played the next day. Some big results of late have seen Dortmund haul themselves back into the top four race that seemed out of their reach merely a couple of months ago, therefore they were not going to go lightly on their opponents, even if they were the Red Bulls.

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Hertha Games in Hand

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Hertha Berlin Games in Hand

After not playing for a couple of weeks due to a Covid-19 outbreak in the Hertha camp, the capital side had slipped down to second bottom in the Bundesliga standings as other teams around them picked up points. However, now it was time for Berlin to try and reduce the deficit as they were back in action in their rescheduled fixtures against Mainz and Freiburg. These games in hand were a real chance for Hertha to turn around what looked a dire situation as they currently sat in the relegation zone, but with three more games still to play on their fellow strugglers at the foot of the table, the reality was that a finish as high as ninth this season was still possible when they kicked off in Mainz. Therefore, points were priceless. Let’s see how they got on.

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Matchday 31

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Featured Game – Mainz 2-1 Bayern München

As per usual, the undoubted top team this season has been Bayern München. They are top of the league where they so often find themselves in the latter stages of any Bundesliga campaign and they have shown a consistency unrivalled by any other side. Therefore, it was only inevitable that this day would come, where Bayern were able to officially seal the German top-flight championship and be crowned the best team in Germany for a ninth season in a row. Their task was straightforward as well – simply getting all three points away in Mainz would see them win the league, regardless of the fact that closest challengers Leipzig were to play the following day. Of course there were games left after this one, and any slip-up from the Red Bulls would also hand the title to Bayern, however the Rekordmeister wanted to clinch their next Meisterschale as soon as possible.

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Matchday 30

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Featured Game – Köln 2-1 RB Leipzig

Matchday 30 in the Bundesliga – a midweek job for the teams and this one in particular was a vital game at both ends of the table on Tuesday night. Leipzig were expected to win and maintain what slim chance they had left of a title challenge, but for Köln any points gained would have been massive in their bid for Bundesliga survival. Therefore, the end result all but put an end to Leipzig’s hopes of a first Meisterschale. However, for the home side, the final score was so important as it stopped a three-match losing streak and puts them level on points with Hertha Berlin, who reside in the play-off spot after not featuring in the past two matchdays. The victory may have gone the way of Köln, but the match did fall into the anticipated rhythm.

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Matchday 29

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Featured Game – Wolfsburg 2-3 Bayern München

First played third on Saturday in a thrilling clash at the top of the Bundesliga, with Bayern hoping to make up for dropped points at home to Union Berlin last time out. Furthermore, the German champions had been knocked out of the Champions League at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain in midweek, and that added to a shock cup upset which saw them dumped out of the DFB-Pokal by second-tier Holstein Kiel earlier in the campaign, means that full focus now for Bayern has to be concentrated on securing a ninth straight Bundesliga title. However, their hopes of retaining the championship were boosted the previous night, as challengers Leipzig could only muster a draw at home to Hoffenheim, therefore a win would restore München’s seven point gap at the top of the table.

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Matchday 28

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Featured Game – Stuttgart 2-3 Borussia Dortmund

After a humiliating 5-1 defeat in their own back yard in the reverse fixture, Borussia Dortmund sought revenge against newly promoted Stuttgart. The hosts however have been far from the relegation battle this season and may have even exceeded the expectations of their American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo, as they fight to get into the European places in their first campaign back in the Bundesliga. The victory at the Signal Iduna Park in December epitomised Stuttgart’s play as their fast counterattacking football blew away a disjointed home defence. Therefore, there was every chance that they could close the gap to their visitors in the table from four points to just one. This was just a week after Dortmund failed to reduce the deficit to Eintracht Frankfurt in the race for the Champions League, but now their focus had to switch to preserving their current position in a Europa League spot. It all seemed a bit underwhelming for such a great club, whose real ambition is to be fighting for the title.

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Matchday 27

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Featured Game – RB Leipzig 0-1 Bayern München

The hotly anticipated Bundesliga Topspiel for Matchday 27 had huge implications in the title race. Ultimately, the Bayern victory sees them move into a seemingly comfortable lead now at the top of the table, however a win for Leipzig would have made for a very entertaining end to the season, as the gap between the sides would have been reduced to a solitary point with just seven games to play. The weighty stakes of the contest were all too apparent from the sides’ performances however, and the game was a slow and tense affair.

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Matchday 26

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Featured Game – Eintracht Frankfurt 5-2 Union Berlin

The common cliché in football is that the game is a game of two halves. However, sometimes a game can feel like there was only one half. This was one of those occasions. Nearly all the action took place in the first 45 minutes, with six of the eventual seven goals already scored by the break – the most this Bundesliga season so far. After drawing away in Leipzig last weekend, Eintracht would have wanted to return to winning ways, but facing an unpredictable Union is never easy. The club, only promoted to the top-flight for the first time last campaign, have not experienced the second season syndrome that has seen so many teams crash back down due to a false sense of security built up by a successful first. Therefore, the half time score line would have come as something of a welcome surprise for Eintracht, however not without a series of trials and tribulations beforehand.

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Matchday 25

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Featured Game – Bayer Leverkusen 1-2 Arminia Bielefeld

When you are a prestigious German football team with a history of top players and high ambitions for the season, a defeat at home to a newly promoted side struggling at the wrong end of the table would often come as a shock. However, for Champions League-chasing Bayer Leverkusen the loss was one the likes of which have been seen all too regularly this campaign. Their wastefulness in front of goal is the key feature of many of their poor performances which have left them with only four wins from their last seventeen matches in all competitions. This inconsistent run has also seen the Werkself bow out of both the DFB-Pokal to fourth-tier side Rot-Weiss Essen and the Europa League against Swiss outfit Young Boys – a tie in which they lost both legs. Therefore, a run of three games in which they would face three of the bottom four would have been welcomed with open arms by Peter Bosz, however the first of those against Arminia Bielefeld did not go to plan.

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Matchday 24

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Featured Game – Bayern München 4-2 Borussia Dortmund

The whole world was watching as Matchday 24 served up the second edition of Der Klassiker this season. There was so much on the line as the battles for top spot and the Champions league places would both take exciting new turns as this game was played out. It certainly is not uncommon for a clash between these two giants of German football to have a lot riding on it, usually in trying to split them at the top of the league, with Bayern coming out on top more often than not. However, it was Leipzig that would have benefited most from a Dortmund win, as this would have kept the Red Bulls in first place after they beat Freiburg earlier that afternoon. Despite the eventual score line highlighting the fast-paced contest that it was, with chances a plenty, on face value it could have been easy to assume that Dortmund put up more of a fight than they perhaps have in previous recent encounters with Bayern. In the end, it was the home side who dominated the game in both possession and, drastically, in the shots tally at the end of proceedings as their 27 massively surpassed their opponents’ mere four attempts at goal. Nevertheless, when you have potentially the world’s most promising young attacker in your line-up, as Dortmund do in Erling Haaland, your few offensive efforts can still be converted into goals and this was demonstrated in the game’s opening ten minutes.

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Matchday 23

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Featured Game – RB Leipzig 3-2 Borussia Mönchengladbach

Saturday’s Topspiel served up an absolute cracker with goals and drama galore! There was so much riding on the game for both sides and this is ostensibly what caused the match to go the way it did – Leipzig had such pressure on them to keep up their title challenge with a win at home, especially after seeing Bayern thrash Köln earlier in the day, but for ‘Gladbach the task was simply to try and keep themselves in with a shout of reaching the European spots at the end of the campaign. Arguably, it is Leipzig’s task that appears the more challenging and this may have been the reason for their nervous start to the game and questionable defending for both of their opponents’ goals.

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Matchday 22

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Featured Game – Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 Bayern München

When it looked like the Bundesliga title race was only going one way this season back in December before the winter break, now due to some erratic Bayern form and some much-needed consistency from Leipzig, the prospect of an eight successive championship is no longer just within touching distance for the Rekordmeister. After a surprise draw at home to Arminia Bielefeld last week, and with the gap between first and second in the table being just five points, the pressure was certainly piled on München to react in this game. The question was just how would they approach the contest?

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Matchday 21

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Featured Game – Borussia Dortmund 2-2 Hoffenheim

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

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Matchday 20

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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.

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