By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Last weekend’s 1-1 draw between leaders FC Bayern München and champions Bayer 04 Leverkusen has added extra intrigue to the developing battle at the top of the Bundesliga table.
Bayern’s hopes of reclaiming the Meisterschale face another stern test when they visit second-placed Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday afternoon. Frankfurt’s 4-2 win at Holstein Kiel last time out was their fourth consecutive Bundesliga victory. And given their one-point deficit, Dino Toppmöller’s side would take top spot with victory over Bayern.
A fascinating sub-plot is the fact that Frankfurt’s Egyptian striker Omar Marmoush leads Bayern’s Harry Kane in the race to be crowned this season’s top goalscorer. Marmoush’s brace against Kiel took him to six goals so far this season, ahead of the England captain on five.
Both sides might have been leapfrogged before kick-off by RB Leipzig, who are just two points behind the leaders in third place after continuing their unbeaten start to the season with a commanding 4-0 win over FC Augsburg. Leipzig travel to 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 in what should be a keenly contested encounter between two European qualifiers early on Sunday afternoon, with the hosts getting their own impressive start to the campaign back on track with a 2-0 win away at 1. FSV Mainz 05.
Leverkusen will start Matchday 6 in fourth and hope to apply pressure on those above them in the table when they host Kiel on Saturday afternoon. With top-flight newcomers yet to win a match in the Bundesliga since gaining promotion in the summer, the scalp of the champions could really ignite their campaign at this level.
Borussia Dortmund are currently level on points with Leverkusen, so will likewise hope to make ground in the developing race for the league lead with a trip to 1. FC Union Berlin on Saturday afternoon. Union will be determined to claim a result in front of their own fans, having suffered their first defeat of the campaign with a 1-0 loss to Borussia Mönchengladbach last weekend.
Gladbach are in action in the Matchday 6 opener away at Augsburg on Friday evening. The visitors will start two points ahead of their hosts and both sides will be eager to get a victory given their positions in the bottom half of the table.
VfL Bochum 1848 are another side that would welcome points, as they are the only team other than Kiel still without a win this season. Going two goals in front away at local rivals Dortmund the last matchday may have boosted their confidence, even if they lost that tie 4-2.
Bochum host VfL Wolfsburg, who are three points ahead on four, meaning a win for the home side would see them pull level with Ralph Hasenhüttl’s outfit.
TSG Hoffenheim are currently 16th and on a four-game losing run since opening the campaign with a win. Pellegrino Matarazzo’s side face a difficult away trip on Sunday to last season’s runners-up and regional rivals, VfB Stuttgart. Hoffenheim had a frustrating experience of losing 4-3 at home to SV Werder Bremen last weekend despite going 3-0 up.
Bremen are up in 10th after that morale-boosting away win and host an SC Freiburg side on Saturday who are in seventh despite recently suffering their first home loss of the campaign to FC St. Pauli.
Promoted Pauli are back home in Hamburg on Saturday evening and will hope to land their first win at the Millerntor since promotion when they host Mainz.