Friday 14 September 2018

Bundesliga: August- 2nd September (First 2 league games)


The Bundesliga returned in very late August and only 2 matchdays have taken place so far this season but already there has been some excellent goals, good football and surprise results. Niko Kovac has made the perfect start in charge of Bayer Munich having won his opening 2 games of the season against Stuttgart and Hoffenheim scoring 3 goals in both matches. Usual suspects Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller have started well both notching 2 goals in 2 games and no doubt Kovac will be delighted with their opening to the new season.

The only other two sides posing perfect records are Wolfsburg and Hertha Berlin. It has been a brilliant start to the season for the Wolves after consecutive seasons of struggle. The Wolves look a much stronger side this season and his highlighted by beating their competition for European places in Schalke and Bayer Leverkusen. Bruno Labbadia will be delighted with their opening 2 games and he will want that momentum to continue in September starting against Hertha Berlin. Speaking of Hertha Berlin, they also hold a perfect record after victories over Schalke and Nuremberg. Per Derdai will be delighted with their opening month of the season after a disappointing campaign last time out.
There are a cluster of sides with 4 points from their opening 2 games including Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Monchengladbach, Augsburg, Werder Bremen and Mainz. It has been a solid start for Lucien Favre in charge of Dortmund. He will be pleased with their opening day comeback over Leipzig before a flat goalless draw away at Hannover. Favre will want to get back to winning ways and emphasise that Dortmund can challenge Bayern this season starting against Eintracht Frankfurt. Dieter Hecking will also be relatively satisfied with Gladbach’s start to the season after a disappointing campaign last time out. A draw with Augsburg followed an excellent opening day win over Bayer Leverkusen. Regular slow starters Bremen have started brilliantly this season after consecutive seasons of slow starts and managerial changes, but Bremen have started the season in a business-like fashion. Eintracht Frankfurt and Hoffenheim along with the sides above have registered a win this season. While Hannover remain unbeaten after two draws against Bremen and Dortmund.

However, the rest of the Bundesliga are yet to register a win, and this includes Bayer Leverkusen, Schalke, Leipzig, Stuttgart, Freiburg and both promoted sides Nuremberg and Fortuna Dusseldorf. Leverkusen, Freiburg, Schalke and Stuttgart are the sides rooted to the foot with 2 defeats out of 2. Both Schalke and Leverkusen have started slowly under young managers Domenico Tedesco and Heiko Herrlich. Both managers are entering their second season in charge and a disappointing start has followed and both will want September to kick start their seasons. Schalke go to Monchengladbach while Leverkusen are off to the Allianz Arena to face Bayer Munich. Regular strugglers Freiburg have started poorly once again suffering 2 defeats and the pressure is starting to mount on long serving boss Christian Streich after a disappointing campaign last time out. Freiburg are tipped to struggle and Streich quickly needs a win to kick start their season starting against Stuttgart. Speaking of Stuttgart, it’s been a slow start for them after a wonderful 7th place last season. Tayfun Korkut did a remarkable job in the second half of last season and at times Stuttgart looked unstoppable. However, they have struggled to reach those heights so far, but they will fancy their chances of kick starting their season against Freiburg. Goals have alluded both Stuttgart and Freiburg with neither side yet to break their goal duct so far this season and it could be a significant game for both clubs and could give an indication as to where their season ends up heading. Newly promoted Fortuna Dusseldorf and Nuremberg have struggled to make an impression so far on the Bundesliga, but both have 1 point so far. Both will target September as a chance to register their first win of the season.

It is very early in the Bundesliga to see where clubs’ seasons are going with only 2 games played so far but by the end of September we should see some indications as to how the season is going to play out. September will bring more quality football and goals. There are some tasty games to come in September including Bayer Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Monchengladbach vs Schalke, Hoffenheim vs Borussia Dortmund, Schalke vs Bayer Munich, Hoffenheim vs Leipzig and Dortmund vs Bayer Leverkusen. September brings some excellent games and no doubt will bring the entertainment the Bundesliga is renowned for.

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