By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Following the international break, the Bundesliga returns with a bang on Friday as FC Bayern München entertain Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the Matchday 8 opener.
The reigning 10-time champions haven’t won in four league games – a first since 2001(!) – and will be determined to get back on track against an out-of-sorts Leverkusen, who start the weekend in 15th. Bayern are five points off the pace in fifth, but still boast the Bundesliga’s best attacking record with 19 goals scored. Teenage star Jamal Musiala is their top marksman (four), closely followed by marquee summer signing Sadio Mane (three).
Munich’s four-game winless run — their longest in the Bundesliga in 20 years — has soured the mood among club bosses and piled pressure on coach Julian Nagelsmann to quickly turn things around.
But the man currently leading the way atop the scoring charts is Sheraldo Becker (six), whose 1. FC Union Berlin team are sitting pretty at the top of the Bundesliga. The capital club are among 10 sides in action on Saturday afternoon, travelling to reigning UEFA Europa League champions Eintracht Frankfurt. With Becker in the form of his life and the division’s top assister – Randal Kolo Muani – lining up for the Eagles, goals are all but guaranteed at the Deutsche Bank Park.
Union’s closest challengers Borussia Dortmund are also in action on Saturday. Fresh from victory over bitter local rivals FC Schalke 04 in the Revierderby, second placed BVB make a short trip to face 1. FC Köln, who sit ninth after a mixed start to the campaign. It should be an emotional homecoming for Dortmund striker Anthony Modeste, who notched 79 goals in 157 competitive outings for the Billy Goats before moving to Signal Iduna Park this summer.
RB Leipzig are still finding their feet under new boss Marco Rose. After suffering a 3-0 loss to his former club Borussia Mönchengladbach last time out, Die Roten Bullen have a good opportunity to bounce back at home to rock-bottom VfL Bochum 1848, who have picked up a solitary point from seven outings. The visitors also have a fresh face in the dugout, with former Vitesse coach Thomas Letsch set to take charge of his first Bundesliga game.
Gladbach themselves play on Saturday night, travelling to face Werder Bremen and the division’s top-scoring German, Niclas Füllkrug (five goals). The 29-year-old would love to earn a spot in Hansi Flick’s squad for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, but he and Die Grünweißen won’t have an easy time of it against the sixth-placed Foals, who look to be hitting some form under Daniel Farke.
In the other Saturday contests, third-placed SC Freiburg will try to get back to scoring ways after two goalless draws, hosting an 1. FSV Mainz 05 side who have won three of their four away games. And there’s a crucial basement battle between a couple of former Bundesliga champions: VfL Wolfsburg (17th) are targeting a second win of the campaign at home to VfB Stuttgart (16th), the only team apart from Bochum yet to taste victory this term.
TSG Hoffenheim have made a strong start, winning four of their seven games to sit fourth. Following a stalemate with Freiburg, they’ll be hopeful of getting back to winning ways against 13th-placed Hertha Berlin, who have only secured one victory so far. That came against FC Augsburg, who will be on a high as they travel to Schalke in the weekend’s final game. Whereas the Royal Blues suffered a narrow Revierderby defeat to Dortmund, Enrico Maaßen’s men stunned Bayern to snatch Bavarian bragging rights, with Rafal Gikiewicz becoming the first goalkeeper to shut out the record champions in 87 Bundesliga matches.
Matchday 10 of the Bundesliga 2 season gets underway in explosive fashion, with the top four all in action on Friday. Hamburger SV are protecting a two-point lead at the summit as they travel to face Hannover 96, a team they have only beaten twice away in 18 meetings since the turn of the century. Second and third also face off as SC Paderborn 07 welcome SV Darmstadt 98, with the visitors looking for a fourth straight win over their promotion rivals.