By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Bayern München travel to winless Borussia Mönchengladbach on Matchday 8 as another captivating weekend of Bundesliga action draws ever closer.
Bayern ran out 2-1 winners over Borussia Dortmund in Der Klassiker last weekend to make it seven wins from as many league games and extend their lead at the top of the table. Harry Kane was again at his scintillating best, scoring to take his season tally to a league-high 12 goals, while head coach Vincent Kompany signed a new contract on Tuesday to stay in charge until 2029.
Gladbach, meanwhile, find themselves at the opposite end of the division as the only team yet to get a victory. The Foals have lost the last four meetings between the two sides but were unbeaten in the five before that. Under interim coach Eugen Polanski, they will be eager to kickstart their campaign on Saturday.
Dortmund’s loss in Munich was their first of the season in all competitions, and they will look to bounce back against 1. FC Köln. The Black-and-Yellows are currently fourth in the table but are only three points ahead of Lukas Kwasniok’s men, who are enjoying life back in the top flight after a 12-month hiatus.
RB Leipzig are currently Bayern’s closest challengers, having gone unbeaten since their 6-0 opening day loss to Vincent Kompany’s charges. Next up is a trip to an improving FC Augsburg side who have taken four points from their past two outings.
Elsewhere, fellow UEFA Champions League chasers Bayer 04 Leverkusen will aim to maintain their top-four push at home to SC Freiburg in Sunday’s opening clash. Kasper Hjulmand is still yet to taste Bundesliga defeat since his appointment in September, but Freiburg are also on a five-game unbeaten league run after holding Eintracht Frankfurt to a 2-2 draw last time out.
The Eagles have enjoyed goal-filled games so far this term, scoring the second highest tally (19) after Bayern but also letting in more than anyone else (18). That should at least offer a glimmer of hope to Saturday’s opponents FC St. Pauli, who are on a four-game losing streak.
The opposite is true for VfB Stuttgart, who go into their Matchday 8 encounter with 1. FSV Mainz 05 on a four-match winning sequence, eager to capitalise on their visitors’ sluggish start to the campaign that has yielded just four points so far.
VfL Wolfsburg have also been slow out of the blocks this term with just five points on the board ahead of their trip to Hamburger SV, while FC Union Berlin kick off the matchday for a second week running when they take on SV Werder Bremen on Friday.
Finally, 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 are TSG Hoffenheim’s guests at the PreZero Arena on Saturday. The latter triumphed 3-0 over St. Pauli last weekend and will hope to continue their climb up the table against a side sat in 17th with just one win so far.