By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
If the opening weekend of this Bundesliga season helped the division’s teams shake off their summer cobwebs, all concerned will be fully back in the groove this week as they seek to settle into their 2025-26 rhythm.
Not that defending champions FC Bayern München needed any time to pick up where they left off on their way to securing a record 33rd Bundesliga Meisterschale last term. Vincent Kompany’s men brushed past RB Leipzig 6-0 at the Allianz Arena on opening night last weekend, with the irrepressible Harry Kane netting a hat-trick and Luis Díaz scoring one more goal in his eye-catching start in German football.
Another unmissable scenario awaits this week with a Bavarian derby against FC Augsburg on the cards. Augsburg also burst out of the blocks with an outstanding 3-1 win away to Sport-Club Freiburg. The subplot in the game against their nearest geographical rivals on Saturday comes in the form of Munich native and former Bayern striker Sandro Wagner, who took over at the WWK Arena in the summer.
Before that, though, Matchday 2 kicks off with a derby in Germany’s second biggest city. Hamburger SV play their first Bundesliga home game for seven years by welcoming crosstown rivals FC St. Pauli. The pair opened the campaign with draws last time out. Who will claim the spoils as the Hamburg derby returns to the Bundesliga after 14 years?
Borussia Dortmund finished 2024-25 with an incredible surge, but their flow was slightly checked by St. Pauli last weekend, Alexander Blessin’s men hitting a late equaliser in what was a pulsating 3-3 draw at the Millerntor. There’s been good news at the Signal Iduna Park this week with coach Niko Kovač agreeing a new deal in charge and some new signings in the door. They’ll all be tested up against an 1. FC Union Berlin team who are flying after top tier debutant Ilyas Ansah’s winning double against VfB Stuttgart on opening day.
Jean-Mattéo Bahoya bagged a brace of his own with the support of Can Uzun – the two youngest goalscorers of Matchday 1 – to give Eintracht Frankfurt a commanding 4-1 win over SV Werder Bremen. The young Eagles now go to TSG Hoffenheim, who ruined Erik ten Hag’s home debut with a 2-1 come-from-behind win away at Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
With a packed fixture list containing plenty more games besides, the new Bundesliga season is already hitting its stride.