Union, Bayern, Freiburg, Frankfurt: Four Bundesliga teams are reaching for the top
As of: 10/28/2022 9:42 p.m
Boredom? What boredom? Those responsible for the Bundesliga have been complaining about the lack of tension for some time. And should now breathe a sigh of relief.
Because before the 12th match day, the teams in places 1 (Union Berlin, 23 points) to 8 (RB Leipzig, 16) are only separated by one point. Behind Leipzig and the two equal-points teams from Mönchengladbach and Cologne, things continue in the same rhythm – the relegation zone only begins deep in the lower part of the table. The last time there was such a gap at this point in the season was 13 years ago. The top four teams all have a chance to be top of the table, but the other teams could also make a big leap in the tableau with a win.
FC Bayern Munich – 1. FSV Mainz 05 (Saturday, 3.30 p.m.)
The English BBC asks this week: Is FC Bayern’s dominance bad for the Bundesliga? In principle, a legitimate question, after ten titles in a row for the record champions. The Munich team is currently only in the unusual second place in the table. But the trend of the past few weeks clearly points in the well-known direction: Dortmund’s last-minute equalizer at the league summit seems like a wake-up call: Munich then swept over Freiburg, Hoffenheim and FC Barcelona, with a total of 10: 0 gates .
Even the problem with the center forward that cannot be found in the squad has been resolved for the time being: Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting, who once matured into a top-flight striker with the opponent from Mainz, of course also scored again with the loosely played goal 3-0 win at Camp Nou. The “Kicker” sees the record champions “in the flow” again. Should the surprising leaders Union Berlin drop points again, the Munich team could take over their regular place at the top if they win against Mainz. Even if caution is advised against fifth in the table, Mainz are currently the best away team in the league in Munich.
RB Leipzig – Bayer Leverkusen (Saturday, 3.30 p.m.)
The duel between two Champions League clubs, which also have a lot in common this season, including undesirable developments: Both clubs have swapped coaches, rank behind their own claims in the table – but have already recorded a tentative upward trend. Leipzig was even allowed to win against Real Madrid during the week an intoxicating European Cup night celebrate and is in the league after four games without defeat for the first time in the top half of the table.
Bayer Leverkusen landed at 2-2 draw against Atletico at least a partial success – and successfully against the mysterious penalty trauma: Bayer 04 had missed three times from the penalty spot and conceded five goals from the spot themselves – until keeper Lukas Hradecky saved Yannick Carrasco’s penalty against Atletico in added time. “We just needed a game like that,” said Nadiem Amiri after an emotional ending. In the league, however, Leverkusen (15th place, 9 points) still need points.
VfL Wolfsburg – VfL Bochum (Saturday, 3.30 p.m.)
Another club that has the wrong table constellation: Just three weeks ago, money would have been more likely that Gianni Infantino would describe the World Cup award to Qatar as a “big mistake” than that VfL Bochum would keep the class could. After eight matchdays without a win, Bochum seemed hopeless at the bottom of the table. But a change of coach and two victories later, including against Union Berlin, which was quickly considered unbeatable – and VfL is suddenly back in business. They have already handed over the “Red Lantern” to Schalke, with a win in Wolfsburg Bochum could even leave the relegation zone.
However, Bochum have not scored a single point away from home this season. Wolfsburg have been unbeaten four times in a row. The fact that the Wolfsburg team is only 14th with a meager 11 points has mainly to do with the catastrophic start to the season. The Wolfsburg spread before the game against Bochum. Even with the announcement that, despite the energy crisis, they don’t want to do without the usual light show at the games, dying among other things goes on stage with their own goals.
VfB Stuttgart – FC Augsburg (Saturday, 3.30 p.m.)
VfB Stuttgart is one of the five clubs that have already changed coaches. The interim balance after three games under interim coach Michael Wimmer has so far fluctuated between the extremes: two clear victories against Bochum and in the cup against Bielefeld is compared to the 0:5 debacle in Dortmund last week. Wimmer promised that the team would “show a different face” against Augsburg. At the same time, he announced claims to take over the post of head coach on a permanent basis. The new euphoria at the home games was also noticed by the VfB managers, but also the results: VfB still only has one win of the season under their belt.
The curve is pointing downwards at FC Augsburg, most recently they remained without a win for four competitive games in a row under coach Enrico Maassen. In the 3:3 against Leipzig, after the 3:0 lead, it was again late goals that spoiled the result for the Augsburgers. The Augsburgers, who still have to do without the injured keeper Rafal Gikiewicz, still have an apparently reassuring cushion of six points in 16th place and against the opponent from Stuttgart. But if Stuttgart wins, they would be drawn into the mess.
Eintracht Frankfurt – Borussia Dortmund (Saturday, 6.30 p.m.)
The top game on Saturday evening – initially at 6.30 p.m. The league now made mind games public, to schedule the late Saturday game at 8.30 p.m. in the future. The duel between the Champions League clubs Frankfurt and Dortmund would definitely promise real Saturday evening entertainment: Both made successful advertising on their own behalf during the week in the premier class. BVB held off a draw from Manchester City and made it into the round of 16 early, and Frankfurt also has every chance of progressing after beating Marseille.
In the league, Eintracht is suddenly stable after a changeable start and with 12 points is even the most successful team of the past five games. Dortmund, on the other hand, had a difficult time away from home, with three defeats in a row and a subsequent crisis of meaning. If BVB manages to reverse the trend with the strong Frankfurters, it would be a real mood booster for the remaining days before the World Cup break.
1. FC Union Berlin – Borussia Mönchengladbach (Sunday, 3.30 p.m.)
After the defeat in Bochum, Union Berlin’s lead over the competition has shrunk – the Berliners and their championship lead are now properly defending for the first time in weeks. During the week, the Köpenicker also saw themselves with the desires customary in the industry: Sheraldo Becker, the most dangerous offensive man for weeks, said in the Dutch media about a possible change “to a top club in Germany or England”, after the departure of Taiwo Awoniyi and Grischa Prömel threatens to become a victim of Union’s own success. Another encouragement was the stable 1-0 in the Europa League against Sporting Braga on Thursday evening (October 27th, 2022).
Borussia Mönchengladbach is playing for the third time this season with the reigning leaders – Borussia took a point in each of the two guest appearances against the leaders from Munich and Freiburg. But nothing more – the last away win in the league comes from the 29th matchday of the previous season, when you could take all three points from Fürth. A win at the Alte Försterei would therefore be more than a birthday present for coach Daniel Farke, who turns 46 on Sunday.
FC Schalke 04 – SC Freiburg (Sunday, 5.30 p.m.)
FC Schalke 04 is doing well again this week in its reputation as a “chaos club”. Almost at the same time as the announcement that Thomas Reis would become the new coach, sports director Rouven Schröder was expecting his sudden resignation. When the new coach was introduced, Peter Knäbel surprised Schröder with a very emotional farewell speech, but had no other explanations to offer about his departure.
In terms of sport, Reis, who was already acting as a Schalke coach before the season, faces the challenge of giving the club, which has been bottom of the table for weeks, new hope.
However, SC Freiburg is anything but a build-up opponent, the Freiburgers have only lost one of the last ten games and are squinting at the top of the table. The only question is how much strength the sensational second half cost on Thursday evening against Olympiakos Piraeus when Freiburg forced the 1-1 draw and thus the round of 16 in the Europa League.
1. FC Cologne – 1899 Hoffenheim (Sunday, 7.30 p.m.)
Crisis meeting – that’s how you would normally call the duel between two clubs that have conceded the last 14 goals in four games (Cologne) or only won one of five games (Hoffenheim). FC trainer Steffen Baumgart doesn’t need to be told that, in the SZ interview he once again commented on what he saw as exaggerated expectations and “the negative atmosphere” in parts of the Cologne environment. Baumgart expressly excluded the fans, who celebrated their team even after the 0:5 beating last week in Mainz.
The game will not be quite competitive in this case, however, because Cologne was only able to play at 1. FC Slowacko on Friday afternoon after the fog chaos with the game being abandoned in the Europa Conference League and only played again.
In addition, with Hoffenheim, a real feared opponent is coming to Müngersdorf. The Kraichgauer have all won the last eight duels against Cologne. With another defeat, Cologne would even set a negative record – FC have only lost to Bayern Munich nine times in a row. The last Cologne victory against Hoffenheim dates from April 2015, still under coach Peter Stöger.
Source: www.sportschau.de