By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
After downing Werder Bremen 4-0 in the Bundesliga opener, Bayern Munich will host FC Augsburg in a match that should not present much danger to Thomas Tuchel’s new-look squad.
Bavarian giants will be seeking to keep the good times rolling and to also build up a nice base of points early in the season.
Harry Kane will look to follow up his eye-catching Bundesliga debut by helping the team get the better of regional rivals as part of a Matchday 2 fixture list packed with derby games.
Kane lived up to his billing on the opening night of the new league season. He set up the first goal for Leroy Sane and scored the second himself when the beat Bremen. The England captain will hope to have a similar impact for the reigning champions on Sunday evening in Munich. Germany winger Sane, meanwhile, will seek to add to the two goals he got on Matchday 1.
Augsburg, though, were one of only five teams to beat their Bavarian neighbours in last season’s Bundesliga. They also landed plenty of punches while losing 5-3 on their last visit to Munich in March. There were eight goals in Augsburg’s first league match of this season too. Last week they came back from 3-1 down to lead deep in injury-time before being pegged back by a penalty in a 4-4 draw at home to Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Borussia Dortmund face a test of their title credentials on Saturday when they travel about twenty kilometres to take on local rivals VfL Bochum 1848. A late Donyell Malen goal proved decisive for last season’s runners-up against 1. FC Köln on the opening weekend. They will expect a reaction from a Bochum side that slumped to a 5-0 defeat in Stuttgart.
Matchday 2 kicks off on Friday night with the meeting of RB Leipzig and early leaders VfB Stuttgart. Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy and Congolese attacker Silas Katompa Mvumpa both netted twice in Stuttgart’s home win over Bochum, but they aren’t likely to find things as easy this weekend. Leipzig finished third last season and won the DFB Cup as well, and they opened this campaign with a 3-0 win over Bayern in the Supercup. Dani Olmo scored a hat-trick in that match and was on the mark again against Bayer 04 Leverkusen last week. Leipzig eventually lost 3-2, though, in an early-season setback.
Nigerian striker Victor Boniface got an assist on his Bundesliga debut for Leverkusen and he’ll look to build on that when Xabi Alonso’s team return to action in a Rhine derby on Saturday afternoon. Lightning-quick Jeremie Frimpong got a goal and an assist against Leipzig while Germany playmaker Florian Wirtz was also on the scoresheet. With their former attacker Jonas Hofmann set for an early return to his old club, hosts Gladbach could be in for a stern test in Saturday’s late kick-off.
On Saturday afternoon, meanwhile, 1. FC Union Berlin are away to promoted SV Darmstadt 98. Union beat 1. FSV Mainz 05 4-1 in their first match with the help of a hattrick of headers from Kevin Behrens – and two penalty saves from Frederik Ronnow. Darmstadt only lost narrowly at Eintracht Frankfurt, however, so they will feel they can cause a surprise.
Like Union, SC Freiburg and VfL Wolfsburg are also out to make it two wins from two on Saturday. Freiburg host Bremen after winning 2-1 at TSG Hoffenheim on Matchday 1. Wolfsburg – who won 2-0 against 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 – are in Cologne.
Heidenheim are at home to Hoffenheim for their maiden top-flight fixture at the VoithArena the same day, while Eintracht make the short trip to Mainz on Sunday.
In Bundesliga 2 meanwhile, Hamburger SV are leading the way on goal difference following a 3-0 success against Hertha Berlin. They next travel to face fellow unbeaten side Hannover 96 on Saturday night. Hertha – bottom of the table with three defeats from three – are at home to SpVgg Greuther Fürth earlier that day.
Struggling FC Schalke 04 are home to fifth-placed Holstein Kiel on Friday, while FC St. Pauli and 1. FC Magdeburg play on Sunday in a meeting of two unbeaten teams.