The Bundesliga returned with a bang last weekend that saw 34 goals across nine games. Bayern Munich emphatically beat Werder Bremen in the curtain raiser on Friday night before Stuttgart put five past Bochum to top the Bundesliga after week 1. Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig have both recruited well, while Borussia Dortmund will be up there challenging for the title once again.
As we head into matchday two, there’s plenty to watch out for.
Borussia Dortmund out for revenge against Bochum
Bochum will be hosting Borussia Dortmund in Ruhrpott for the derby on Saturday as Dortmund will be seeking revenge from their last encounter at the Vonovia Ruhrstadion. Towards the end of last season Dortmund dropped points in the title race when they faced Bochum and were denied a clear penalty which ended up becoming a big factor in their loss of the Bundesliga title. Bochum will be looking to make amends to their disappointing 5-0 loss to Stuttgart whist Dortmund will look to carry with on their winning momentum and avoid dropping points early.
Harry Kane to make his home debut
Harry Kane is set to make his home debut in the Bundesliga for Bayern Munich against FC Augsburg in the Bavarian derby. Kane recently celebrated the birth of his fourth child at the beginning of the week in London but has trained throughout the week since then, making him available for selection on Sunday. Leroy Sané, scorer of two goals last week, and Kingsley Coman are very much likely to be supporting Kane in attack again however Jamal Musiala is suffering with a hamstring injury, leaving either Thomas Müller or Serge Gnabry to replace him.
Potential for goals in Borussia Mönchengladbach vs Bayer Leverkusen
Both sides were involved in two goal fest matches last week with Bayer Leverkusen scoring three goals in a 3-2 win over RB Leipzig and Borussia Mönchengladbach scoring four goals in a 4-4 draw against FC Augsburg. This sets up nicely for a thrilling match between the two in yet another derby this weekend, the Rhine derby. This will be a really interesting encounter from two much improved teams with exciting attacking talent on display.
Can Stuttgart to become dark horses?
Last season’s relegation battlers, Stuttgart, made a spectacular start to the season with a 5-0 win over Bochum, with three of their players in the GGFN Team of the Week. They face a much tougher test this week though, as they kick off this week’s fixtures away at RB Leipzig. Getting a result here for Sebastian Hoeneß’s side will certainly make the rest of the league aware of their presence and could be the start of a much-improved season for them.
The start of a decline for Werder Bremen?
The toughest of starts for Werder Bremen came this season as they suffered defeat to the current champions and now have to take a trip to Freiburg for their second Bundesliga fixture. Bremen finished just three points above the relegation places last season and have only recruited three players this summer with a total spend of €2m. Their opponents Freiburg, finished fifth last season and secured a positive result on the opening day, winning 2-1 away at Hoffenheim. Questions could already be asked of Bremen if they suffer another defeat and frustration could grow early.
GGFN | Matthew Gritton
