Bundesliga Matchday 11 Preview - The battle for dominance continues

As matchday 11 gets underway on Friday with Dortmund hosting VFB Stuttgart, it is clear that when all nine matches have been played, Dortmund, Bayern and Leverkusen will still be the top three clubs.  The only thing that can change is the placing among them.  The battle for Bundesliga dominance continues.

With ten matchdays out of the way, FC Bayern Muenchen, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen are leading the rest of the Bundesliga by nine points.  Bayern presently leads the league with one point more than Dortmund and Leverkusen. 

The next set of clubs, from fourth placed Gladbach at 16 points to 11th spot Mainz 05 are only separated by three points. Nuernberg, Freiburg and Braunschweig bring up the rear. 

In the Friday evening match Borussia Dortmund hosts VFB Stuttgart.  Stuttgart, after slow start, with three wins, four draws and three losses has moved into eighth spot.  Dortmund, at home, should have no difficulty picking up the three points and temporary lead of the league, at least for 24 hours.

FC Bayern plays in Hoffenheim and on paper is the clear favourite, but Bayern has had problems in Sinsheim before. Leverkusen hosts newcomer Eintracht Braunschweig and should win this match.  The likelihood of a shift among the top three is doubtful, but not impossible.

On Saturday Nuernberg hosts Freiburg, with both clubs needing a win to permit an eventual move out of the relegation zone.  For Freiburg, which qualified for the Euro League this year, it is becoming critical and a win is a must. A Nuernberg win, could move the Club out of the relegation zone.  Hamburg hosts Gladbach and the Borussen will want to close the gap to the top three, while Hamburg needs a home pitch victory.

Berlin hosts Schalke 04, with only two points separating the two clubs.  For the Royal Blues a win is critical to maintain contact to t he top three.  Berlin has done very well since returning to the Bundesliga, which is  exemplified by its fifth place standing.  Hertha will be difficult to defeat at home.

In the late match on Saturday Frankfurt hosts Wolfsburg.  This should be an interesting match, with either side having the ability to capture the three points.  On Sunday Augsburg hosts Mainz and Hanover travels to Bremen.

As the battle for dominance continues, there will be lots of drama on this matchday.  The rest of the pack is also gaining separation from the relegation spots.  With almost one third of the season in the books a pattern is starting to emerge.  



Friday 1 November 

 Borussia Dortmund vs VfB Stuttgart    6-1

Saturday 2 November
    
1. FC Nürnberg vs SC Freiburg        
1899 Hoffenheim vs Bayern München        
Hamburger SV vs Bor. Mönchengladbach        
Eintr. Braunschweig vs Bayer Leverkusen        
Hertha BSC vs Schalke 04        
Eintracht Frankfurt vs VfL Wolfsburg  

Sunday 3 November
    
FC Augsburg vs FSV Mainz 05        
Werder Bremen vs Hannover 96   



Position------Team-------------------GP--W---D-----L-----GF/A-----Pts

1--------Borussia Dortmund----------11----9----1-----1------32:9-------28
2--------FC Bayern Muenchen-------10----8----2-----0------22-6-------26
3--------Bayer Leverkusen------------10----8----1-----1-----22:10------25
4--------Borussia M'gladbach--------10----5----1-----4-----23:15-------16
5------- Hertha BSC Berlin-----------10----4----3-----3-----17:12-------15
6--------VFL Wolfsburg---------------10----5----0-----5-----14:12-------15
7--------FC Schalke 04----------------10----3----2-----5-----17:23-------14
8-------1899 Hoffenheim--------------10----3----4-----3-----25:23-------13
9-------VFB Stuttgart------------------11----3----4-----4-----21:20-------13
10-------Hannover 96------------------10----4----1-----4-----12:16-------13
11------Mainz 05-----------------------10----4----1-----5-----15:21--------13
12------Hamburg------------------------10----3----3-----4-----23:22-------12
13------Werder Bremen----------------10----3----3-----4------9:15--------12
14-------Eintracht Frankfurt-----------10----2----4-----4-----13:18--------10
15----- FCAugsburg--------------------10----3----1-----6----11:19---------10
16------1. FC Nürnberg----------------10----0----7-----3-----10:18----------7
17------SC Freiburg--------------------10----0----5-----5-------9:21----------5
18------Eintracht Braunschweig-------9-----1----1-----7------7:22----------4

Bundesliga Matchday 10 Roundup: Top three keep pace

The point gap of the top three Bundesliga teams grew, with all three winning their matches.  Bayern, Dortmund and Leverkusen now lead the remainder of the pack by ten points.  Bayern was humbled with its win over Hertha BSC Berlin.  Bayern was in danger of giving up two points right to the end of the 90 minutes.

Wolfsburg won against Bremen 3-0 and moved into fifth spots, while Schalke slipped into sixth.  Hoffenheim moved into the top half of the table with its victory over Hannover 96.  Nuernberg, Freiburg and Braunschweig remain in the relegation spots, with Nuerberg still chasing their first victory of this season.

The Torfabrik scored 32 goals in nine matches this weekend. 
VFB Stuttgart vs 1.FC Nuernberg 1-1

Friday's matchday opener featured the southern derbie between VFB Stuttgart and 1.FC Nuernberg.  Nuernberg, along with SC Freiburg, remained without a victory through nine starts, with just six points.  Stuttgart, with three wins was in the top half of the league.  Nuernberg's new coach, Gertjan Verbeek, hoped to change that.  The new coach only had three training sessions with his new club prior to the Daimler Benz Arena appearance.  48,460 spectators were present when Vebad Ibisevic scored on a penalty kick in the third minute.  Nuernberg pushed back and Josip Drmic got the equalizer just three minutes later.  Although Stuttgart dominated throughout the match, the Schwaben were unable to finish.  The crossbar, goal posts and Nuernberg's keeper often saved the Franken.  In the end the sides parted 1-1 and shared a point each.  Stuttgart currently is in spot six, while Nuernberg is in 16th spot.

FC Bayern Muenchen vs Hertha BSC Berlin 3-2

Berlin took it to FC Bayern from the start and were rewarded when Ramos scored in the fourth minute.   In the 24th minute Toni Kroos and Arjen Robben had to be replaced by Mario Goetze and Mandzukic.  Bayern took command of the game after Berlin's goal and in the 29th minute Mario Mandzukic got the equalizer.  In the 51st minute Mandzukic got his second of the day, giving Bayern a 2-1 lead.  Mario Goetze made it 3-1 in the 54th.  Berlin maintained its pressure and Ben-Hatira closed the gap to 3-2 in the 58th minute.  The win leaves Bayern in the top spot, leading Dortmund and Leverkusen by one point.  Berlin remains in fourth, ten points behind Leverkusen.

Bayer Leverkusen vs FC Augsburg 2-1

Augsburg took the lead in the 24th minute with a counter from their own half.  A quick pass from Morvek came to Werner, who delivered a long pass to Andre Hahn, who too the volley and one timed it into the net.  Rolfes got the equalizer for Leverkusen in the 34th minute.  Patience got  the three points for Leverkusen.  It wasn't until the 83rd minute when Can scored the winning goal.  Leverkusen remains in third spot, while Augsburg slipped to 14th.

Hannover 96 vs 1899 Hoffenheim  1-4

Hoffeneheim took a 2-0 lead in the first half with goals by Salihovic (10th) and Herdling (18th).  Hannover closed the gap shortly into the second 45, when Sane scored in the 56th minute.  Hoffenheim wasn't completely finished and Fimino scored in the 62nd and 64th minute for an importan away victory.  Hoffenheim moves into ninth spot just ahead of Hannover.

Mainz 05 vs Eintracht Braunschweig  2-0

Mainz, after six matches without a win, defeated Braunschweig 2-0.  Okazaki scored a goal in each half (8th and 68th) to earn the three points for Mainz.  Although Braunschweig dominated in the second half, the side was unable to close the deal.  Braunschweig continues to bring up the rear of the league, with four points for ten starts.  Mainz moved into  11th spot.

Schalke 04 vs Borussia Dortmund 1-3

Dortmund continues to fight head to head with Bayern.  In the local derby between the Knappen and Borussia, Dortmund has often had to take the backseat, especially in the Veitins Arena in Gelsenkirchen.  Aubemeyang put Dortmund on the scoreboard in the 14th minute for a 1-0 halftime lead.   Sahin doubled the score six minutes into the second half in the 51st.  Meyer gave Schalke some hope in the 62nd minute, when he narrowed the score to 2-1.  Jakub Blascykowski settled it for Dortmund in the 74th mintue.  Dortmund remains in second spot, one point behind Bayern.  Schalke dropped to sixth spot.

VFL Wolfsburg vs Werder Bremen 3-0

Wolfsburg catapulted itself into fifth spot with a 3-0 win over Bremen.  Arnold scored the opening volley in the seventh minute and Olic and Perisic sealed the deal in the 72nd and 89th minute.  The 3-0 victory was well deserved by Wolfsburg, which took control of the match right from the opening whistle.  Bremen has slipped to 12th spot.

SC Freiburg vs Hamburger SV   0-3

SC Freiburg continues to chase that elusive first victory this season.  Although Freiburg kept pace with Hamburg for most of the first half, an error by Freiburg's keeper Baumann allowed Maximillian Beister to get the 1-0 lead in the 37th minute.  Lasogga doubled the lead in the 47th minutes and Van der Vaart fired in the third in the 63rd minute.   With just five points in ten starts, Freiburg is settling in at the bottom of the league just ahead of newcomer Eintracht Braunschweig.  

 Borussia Moenchengladbach vs Eintracht Franfurt  4-1

Frankfurt continues to struggle in the Bundesliga, yet have been relatively successful in the Euro League group phase.  Frankfurt started this match with high hopes.  Gladbach proved to be to big a challenge for the Hessen.  Arango gave Gladbach the lead in the 11th minute and Aigner pushed right back to equalize in the 15th.  Wendt made it 2-1 in the 18th minute and Frankfurt was unable to get the equalizer before the halftime whistle.  Hermann made 3-1 in the 60th and Raffael put the match out of reach for Frankfurt in the 66th.  The win moved Gladbach into fourth spot, while Frankfurt remains in 14th. 


Friday October 25th   

VfB Stuttgart vs 1. FC Nürnberg  1-1

Saturday October 26th  
    
Bayern München vs Hertha BSC        3-2
Schalke 04 vs Borussia Dortmund      1-3  
Bayer Leverkusen vs FC Augsburg    2-1
Hannover 96 vs 1899 Hoffenheim      1-4 
FSV Mainz 05 vs Eintracht Braunschweig  2-0      
VfL Wolfsburg vs Werder Bremen  3-0

Sunday October 27th
    
SC Freiburg vs Hamburger SV       0-3 
Borussia Mönchengladbach vs Eintracht Frankfurt  4-1

Position------Team-------------------GP--W---D-----L-----GF/A-----Pts

1--------FC Bayern Muenchen-------10----8----2-----0------22-6-------26
2--------Borussia Dortmund----------10----8----1-----1------26:8-------25
3--------Bayer Leverkusen------------10----8----1-----1-----22:10------25
5--------Borussia M'gladbach--------10----5----1-----4-----23:15-------16
5------- Hertha BSC Berlin-----------10----4----3-----3-----17:12-------15
6--------VFL Wolfsburg---------------10----5----0-----5-----14:12-------15
7--------FC Schalke 04----------------10----3----2-----5-----17:23-------14
8-------VFB Stuttgart------------------10----3----4-----3-----20:14-------13
9-------1899 Hoffenheim--------------10----3----4-----3-----25:23-------13
10-------Hannover 96------------------10----4----1-----4-----12:16-------13
11------Mainz 05-----------------------10----4----1-----5-----15:21--------13
12------Hamburg------------------------10----3----3-----4-----23:22-------12
13------Werder Bremen----------------10----3----3-----4------9:15--------12
14-------Eintracht Frankfurt-----------10----2----4-----4-----13:18--------10
15----- FCAugsburg--------------------10----3----1-----6----11:19---------10
16------1. FC Nürnberg----------------10----0----7-----3-----10:18----------7
17------SC Freiburg--------------------10----0----5-----5-------9:21----------5
18------Eintracht Braunschweig-------9-----1----1-----7------7:22----------4

Bundesliga Matchday Ten Preview - Showdown in Gelsenkirchen

As matchday ten gets underway later on today, Bayern remains on top with only one point ahead of Dortmund and Leverkusen.  Fourth placed Hertha BSC Berlin is seven points behind the leaders and the gap seeems to be growing.  Schalke 04 is in fifth place and will be hosting Borussia Dortmund in Gelsenkirchen.  While Schalke has had diffficulty this season, this will not be an easy match for the Borussen to win.

Dortmund earlier this week won its match in London, with a 2-1 victory over the Gunners.  Schalke on the other hand lost their match 3-0 against Chelsea.  DFB.de headlined this match with "Schalke reaches its limits."  DFB also says tht Dortmund has failed its dress rehearsal for tomorrow's match, but don't write the Knappen off yet.

FC Bayern hosts Hertha BSC Berlin.  The Berliners have been the surprise team, with four wins, three draws and two losses.  The Allianz Arena and a well oiled Bayern machine is a big task for any team.  Bayern won its match midweek 5-0 over Pilzen and the side is riding a high.  Will Bayern remain the only undefeated team this season?

Leverkusen demonstrated midweek that the side rightly belongs into the Champions League, defeating Shakhtar Donetsk 4-0.  This week the side will be hosting a fiesty Bavarian side, FC Augsburg.  On paper this should be an easy task for Leverkusen, but Augsburg has been known to upset the big teams.  This should be an exciting match.

On Friday, VFB Stuttgart host 1.FC Nuernberg.  Nuernberg, along with Freiburg, is still chasing its first victory of the season.  With a record of 0-6-3, they visit the Schwaben, a side that sits at 3-3-3.  Motivation should be high for Stuttgart, a win can move the club among the top six sides in the league.  For Nuernberg a win would be a start to move up. 

The remaining three matches on Saturday are primarily battles between teams attempting to remain in the top half of the league.  Hannover hosts Hoffenheim and has the slight edge over the men from Sinsheim.  Braunschweig travels to Mainz and a win could finally move the newcomers off the tailend of the league.  For Mainz s a win is critical.  Wolfsburg welcomes Bremen in an Saturday evening match.  Both sides have 12 points and this should be a close match, with fans sitting on the edge of their seats.

On Sunday SC Freiburg hosts Hamburg and Frankfurt travels to Gladbach.  While Frankfurt has done relatively well in Euro League play, defeating Tel Aviv 2-0 yesterday, the side has been struggling domestically.  With only two wins in nine matchdays, the challenge will be to walk away with three points against a side that has won four and lost five matches.  This should be one of the better matches this weekend.

While there may be several surprises, including upsets, this weekend, there will again be lots of excitement and anticipation.  Dortmund, Leverkusen and Bayern come off impressive Champions League victories and will try to capitalize on the momentum. 

Friday October 25th   

VfB Stuttgart vs 1. FC Nürnberg  1-1

Saturday October 26th  
    
Bayern München vs Hertha BSC        
Schalke 04 vs Borussia Dortmund        
Bayer Leverkusen vs FC Augsburg    
Hannover 96 vs 1899 Hoffenheim        
FSV Mainz 05 vs Eintracht Braunschweig        
VfL Wolfsburg vs Werder Bremen  

Sunday October 27th
    
SC Freiburg vs Hamburger SV        
Borussia Mönchengladbach vs Eintracht Frankfurt

Position------Team-------------------GP--W---D-----L-----GF/A-----Pts

1--------FC Bayern Muenchen--------9----7----2-----0------19-4-------23
2--------Borussia Dortmund-----------9----7----1-----1------22:7-------22
3--------Bayer Leverkusen-------------9----7----1-----1------20:9-------22
4------- Hertha BSC Berlin-------------9----4----3-----2-----15:9-------15
5--------FC Schalke 04-----------------9----3----2-----4-----16:20-------14
6-------VFB Stuttgart------------------10----3----4-----3-----20:14-------13
7--------Borussia M'gladbach----------9----4----1-----4-----19:14-------13
8--------Hannover 96--------------------9----4----1-----4-----11:12-------13
9-------VFL Wolfsburg------------------9----4----0-----5-----11:12-------12
10------Werder Bremen------------------9----3----3-----3------9:12-------12
11------1899 Hoffenheim---------------9----2----4-----3-----21:22--------10
12----- FCAugsburg---------------------9----3----1-----5-----10:17--------10
13------Mainz 05-------------------------9----3----1-----5-----13:21--------10
14-------Eintracht Frankfurt------------9----2----4-----3-----12:14---------10
15------Hamburg-------------------------9----2----3-----4-----21:21----------9
16------1. FC Nürnberg----------------10----0----7-----3-----10:18----------7
17------SC Freiburg---------------------9-----0----5-----4------9:18----------5
18------Eintracht Braunschweig-------9-----1----1-----7------7:22----------4

German FA Cup (DFB Pokal) second round eliminates Hertha, Hannnover and Mainz 05

The DFB Pokal second round features 13 Bundesliga clubs among the 32 contenders, when all was said and done, three, Hertha BSC Berlin, Hannover 96 and Mainz 05, were eliminated.

2nd Bundesliga outfit 1860 Muenchen put up a stellar fight against Juergen Klopp's Borussia Dortmund. In front of 71,000 fans in the Allianz arena, the other Munich team held the Champions League finalist to a scoreless time over 90 minutes.  1860 ran out of steam during overtime and defeated the Lions with two unanswered goals.  Robert Lewandowski, who is expected to sign with Bayern Muenchen in January, was kept in check by the Lions.

Bayern Muenchen hosted Hannover 96 on Wednesday and the side showed its quality once again, when they rolled 4-1 over the guests.  Bayer Leverkusen scored twice against 2nd Bundesliga outfit Arminia Bielefeld to move to the next round. Schalke 04 managed a 3-1 win over Darmstadt 98. 

2nd Bundesligist Kaiserslautern move past Hertha BSC Berlin with a 3-1 win at the Fritz Walter Stadium on the Betzenberg and Mainz 05 lost against 1.FC Koeln.

At the end of the day, ten Bundesliga, five 2nd Bundesliga, and one third league, 1.FC Saarbruecken, will be competing in the third round.  Jogi Low, coach of Germany's national side, will be making the draw on Sunday.  The third round will be played on December 3rd and 4th.

Below are the results of round 2:

September 24
,
Preußen Münster vs FC Augsburg            0-3   
SC Wiedenbrück vs SV Sandhausen          1-3     
1860 München vs Borussia Dortmund    0-2           
VfL Wolfsburg vs VfR Aalen               2-0
Arminia Bielefeld vs Bayer Leverkusen      0-2         
Hamburger SV vs SpVgg Greuther Fürth     1-0          
1899 Hoffenheim vs Energie Cottbus        3-0       
FSV Mainz 05 vs 1. FC Köln   0-1

25 September
           
1. FC Saarbrücken vs SC Paderborn         2-1      
Eintracht Frankfurt vs VfL Bochum          2-0     
FSV Frankfurt vs FC Ingolstadt       0-2        
1. FC Kaiserslautern vs Hertha BSC Berlin   3-1            
VfL Osnabrück vs 1. FC Union Berlin    0-1           
Darmstadt 98 vs Schalke 04              1-3 
Bayern München vs Hannover 96    4-1           
SC Freiburg vs VfB Stuttgart      2-1

Bundesliga Matchday 6 Roundup: Dortmund ends winning streak

Dortmund ended its winning streak, settling for a draw in Nuernberg.  Bayern took advantage of the situation defeating Schalke 04 with four unanswered goals.  Leverkusen takes up the third spot, trailing the leaders by three points. 

For Schalke the defeat moves the club further away from being a viable contender, trailing fourth placed Hannover by five points.  After six matchdays a pattern is developing, although it is still too early to tell who will emerge from the middle pack  to combat over a spot for European play.  It seems clear that Bayern, Dortmund and Leverkusen will have a say in who will participate in Champions League play next season.

After European play this week, play continues with the DFB  Cup next week.  Dortmund travel to Munich to face 2. Bundesliga club 1860 Muenchen, while Bayern will host Hannover 96. 

Borussia Mönchengladbach vs Eintracht Braunschweig  4-1

Friaday afternoon's matchday opener in Mönchengladbach saw strong combinations and picture book goals.  Despite two early misses by Raffael, Gladbach lead after 45 minutes 2-0. New acquisition Oscar Wendt put Gladbach on the scoreboard in the 22nd minute and Raffael after missing at least two scoring opportunities early in the match upped Gladbach's goal to 2-0 in the 31st minute. 

 Mirko Birland narrowed the score to 2-1 in the 58th minute.  Max Kruse converted a controversial penalty kick in the 72nd minute, and Raffael closed the scoring spree in the 75th mintue for a 4-1 Gladbach victory.  This was Gladbach's third home victory, while Braunschweig is still chasing its first Bundesliga win and trails the league with only one point to its credit.

Hannover 96 vs FC Augsburg  2-1

After a scoreless first half, Augsburg took the lead in the 51st minute with a goal by Verhaeg, Hannover equalized in the 60th minute, when Sobiech found the back of the net.  Augsburg held on and looked to be salvaging a point from this match, but Huszti got the go ahead goal for Hannover in the 89th minute.  Hannover moves into fourth place with the win, while Augsburg slips into  ninth.

VFL Wolfsburg vs 1899 Hoffenheim 2-1

Modeste got the early lead for Hoffenheim in the 15th minute, but Wolfsburg Olic equalized just prior to the half in the 44th minute.  Olic hit the jackpot again shortly after the start of the second half in the 48th minute, which was enough to secure Wolfsburg's win.  Hoffenheim played at par until Olic's equalizer, but the side seemed to have the steam out of it after Olic's second goal.  Wolfsburg fully dominated the second half.  Wolfsburg has moved sixth spot and Hoffenheim into tenth.

1. FC Nuernberg vs Borussia Dortmund  1-1

 After five wins in five starts, Dortmund gave up a point in Nuernberg. The Franken put on a great performance in front of their home crowd.  Schmelzer put Dortmund ahead in the 37th minute, but shortly after the half in the 51st minute, Nilssen got the equalizer for Nuernberg.  The teams were evenly matched until the last 15 minutes, when winning seemed to take on more urgency for Dortmund.  Nuernberg held on to the end, with a lot of help of their keeper Schaefer.  Dortmund remains in first place, tied for points with Munich, but ahead in goals. Nuernberg is in 15th spot, which is not reflective of the teams overall ability.

 Mainz 05 vs Bayer Leverkusen 1-4

 Bayer Leverkusen dominated this match throughout the 90 minutes and could have had a higher result.  Mainz disappointed throughout.  Kruse scored twice in the first half (19th and 45th minute) for a 3-0 halftime lead.  Stefan Kiessling put Leverkusen ahead to 4-0 in the 59th minute.  Mainz's Malli got the consolation goal for in the 82nd minute.  Leverkusen, with 12 points, holds on to third spot, while Mainz after the three wins at the beginning of the season has now dropped three and moves into 7th spot.  

 Hamburger SV vs Werder Bremen 0-2

 In the Northern derby, Bremen is the most effectie team.  Bremen was particularly dangerous in front of the Hamburg goal during the first half, permitting Petersen to get the 1-0 halftime lead in the 32nd minute.  Petersen then scored again in the 90th minute to assure the highly deserved victory.  Bremen moves ahead of Hamburg into 9th place.

FC Schalke 04 vs Bayern Muenchen 0-4 

Schalke had the upper hand for the first 15 minutes, but Bayern took the steam out of the Knappen when Bastian Schweinsteiger put Bayern ahead in the 21st minute.  This was followed by Mandzukic's goal one minute later.  Bayern dominated the remainder of the first half and took a 2-0 lead to the break.  Domination continued in the second half and paid off in the 75th minute with Ribery's goal.  Pizarro upped it to four in the 84th minute.  The win puts Bayern on even keel with Dortmund with 5 wins and a draw each, but Dortmund leads the table, but goal difference is 11 for each, with Dortmund having scored 16 compared to Bayern's 13.

SC Freiburg vs Hertha BSC Berlin 1-1

The crisis for SC Freiburg continues after six matches in the new season.  Freiburg and Braunschweig are the only two clubs that have yet to register a victory.  With three wins and three losses the boys from South Baden have only collected 3 points, leaving them at the bottom of the league just ahead of the newly promoted Eintracht. 

Earlier in the week Freiburg had a disappointing 2-2 result against Slovan Liberec, after an early two goal lead.  This was Freiburg's first appearance in the Europa League in 12 years.  In their match against newly promoted Berlin Admir Mehmedi gave Freiburg the lead in the sixth minute, but the victory once again escaped Freiburg when Per Skjelbred equalized for Berlin in the 87th minute.  The draw places Berlin in the middle of the pack in the league, while Freiburg struggles to pick up its first three points.  

VFB Stuttgart vs Eintracht Frankfurt  1-1

The 120th anniversary of the Schwaben from Stuttgart and the festive mood of the spectators in the Daimler Benz arena did not provide the impetus for Stuttgart to gain a victory over the Hessen.  Both clubs had a difficult start to the season.  While Frankfurt qualified for Europa League play, Stuttgart was unable to qualify for the Group stage.  Frankfurt in an attempt to rid itself of a three game losing streak against Stuttgart, took the lead with Markus Russ's goal in the 14th minute.  In a direct answer to Frankfurt's goal, 17 year old Tobias Werner scored his first Bundesliga goal for the 1-1 tie.  Although Frankfurt had dominated the match to that point, Stuttgart, following the tie was able to keep Frankfurt in its own half for a large part of the remainder of the half.  The draw was justified at the halfway mark.  The second half was relatively even matched with opportunities for both sides.  Stuttgart's Ibisevic, after a controversial award of a penalty kick, missed the best chance to take away three points for the Schwaben, when he fired the ball, unbelievably over the target.  Both teams remain in the bottom half of the league with seven points.

14 of the 18 sides are on the pitch again on Tuesday and Wednesday to compete in the second round of the DFB Pokal.  Both Dortmund and Bayern will be appearing in Munich on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively. 2nd Bundesliga 1860 Muenchen hosts Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday and FC Bayern hosts Hannover 96 on Wednesday, a real thrill for Munich's soccer fans. 

Friday September 20

M'gladbach vs Eintracht Braunschweig  4-1

Saturday September 21
   
Hannover 96 vs FC Augsburg     2-1
VfL Wolfsburg vs 1899 Hoffenheim   2-1
Nürnberg vs Borussia Dortmund   1-1
FSV Mainz 05 vs Bayer Leverkusen     1-4
Hamburger SV vs Werder Bremen     0-2
Schalke 04 vs FC Bayern Muenchen 0-4

Sunday September 22

SC Freiburg vs Hertha BSC Berlin   1-1 
VfB Stuttgart vs Eintracht Frankfurt   1-1  


Place-----Team-----------------------GP---W---D----L---GF/GA ---Pts
1--------Borussia Dortmund-----------6----5----1-----0------16:5-------16
2--------FC Bayern Muenchen--------6----5----1-----0------13-2-------13
3--------Bayer Leverkusen-------------6----5----0-----1------15:7-------12
4--------Hannover 96--------------------6----4----0-----2-----10:8-------12
5--------Borussia M'gladbach----------6----3----0-----3-----15:11------- 9

6-------VFL Wolfsburg-----------------6----3----0-----3-------9:8---------9
7-------Werder Bremen-----------------6----3----0-----3-------5:4---------9
8--------Mainz 05------------------------6----3----0-----3------9:12--- ----9
9--------FCAugsburg--------------------6----3----0-----3------6:9---------9
10------ Hertha BSC Berlin-------------6----2----2-----2----10:7---------7
11------VFB Stuttgart--------------------6----2----1-----3-----11:9---------7
12------1899 Hoffenheim--------------- 6----2----2-----2----15:15--------7
13------Eintracht Frankfurt--------------6----2----1-----3------8:10--------7
14------FC Schalke 04-------------------6----1----1-----4------6:14---------7
15------1. FC Nürnberg------------------6-----0----4-----1-----6:9----------4
16------Hamburg--------------------------6----1----1-----4-----11:16--------4
17------SC Freiburg----------------------6-----0----3-----3------8:12---------3
18------Eintracht Braunschweig--------6-----0----1-----5------3:15---------1

Bundesliga Matchday 6 Preview - Will Dortmund win six in a row?

Borussia Dortmund which is five for five this season will be chasing a new club record of six wins in as many starts.  Bayern Munich is the only other club in the league still undefeated, but have drawn one match, trailing the Borussen by two points.

Six clubs were involved in European group play this week, Borussia Dortmund, FC Bayern, Leverkusen and Schalke in the Champions League and Eintracht Frankfurt and SC Freiburg in the Euro League.  Matchday 1 of the Group stage had two winners and two losers.  Bayern Munich, as expected defeated CKSA Moscow 2-0, but Dortmund lost its encounter with Naples 2-1. Leverkusen was defeated by Manchester United 4-2, while Schalke 04 defeated Steaua 3-0.

In Euro League action Eintracht Frankfurt won its home match against Girandis Bordeaux convincingly 3-0.  SC Freiburg gave up a 2-0 lead over Liberec and walked away with just one point after Liberec equalized.  After matchday 1 the Bundesliga tally is three twins, one draw and two losses.


Bundesliga matchday six kicks off on Friday afternoon with Moenchengladbach hosting Eintracht Braunschweig. Eintracht is still chasing its first win in the Bundesliga, while Gladbach is 2 wins and three losses.  The odds are in favour of Gladbach.

Mönchengladbach’s eleven league goals so far this season have been shared among no fewer than eight players, Branimir Hrgota being the latest to get his name on the list.  Bundesliga.de

Dortmund, with five wins on its scorecard will be traveling to Nuernberg with three draws and on loss and 16th spot.  Dortmund will have to overcome its loss to Naples on Wednesday to defeat the Franken, who  are sure to put up a fight in an attempt to get their first win of the season.  It will be a difficult task for Dortmund, but if the side fires on all cylinders it should come out on top.

 For the first time in their history, Borussia Dortmund have started the Bundesliga season with five straight wins. That puts them in a select group alongside FC Bayern München (who have managed it on seven occasions), VfB Stuttgart, 1. FC Kaiserslautern, 1. FC Köln and 1. FSV Mainz 05.  Bundesliga.de

FC Bayern, after their victory midweek, will be traveling to Schalke.  Schalke is 1-1-3 and seems to have recovered from its early season misfortunes.  The match will be close and a draw is definitely possible for the Knappen.  Leverkusen travels to Mainz.  Both sides are  have earned 9 points and the match is sure to be a delight for the fans, with anything possible.

Hannover hosts Augsburg, again two clubs with 9 points.  Hannover should come out on top, but never underestimate the Bavarian side, which is sure to fight for at least one point.   The remaining two matches on Saturday features Hamburger SV vs Werder Bremen and VFL Wolfsburg vs Hoffenheim.  Hoffenheim has recovered from its season debut against Berlin and has since earned seven points, while Wolfsburg sits at six, with two wins and three losses.  The odds for a victory by both sides are quite good.  The edge goes to Wolfsburg as the home team.  Bremen has six points in five matches compared to Hamburg's four.  Both sides have a good chance to capture three points this weekend.  Can Hamburg overcome the home team advantage of Bremen?

 Hamburger SV have been the team of choice for target practice so far this season. HSV, who parted company with Thorsten Fink on Tuesday, have conceded 15 goals in their first five outings. Bundesliga.de

The matchday ends on Sunday, with Euro League contenders Eintracht Frankfurt and SC Freiburg taking on VFB Stuttgart and Hertha BSC Berlin.  SC Freiburg is still chasing its first victory this season while Berlin won two in their five starts.  Freiburg is not performing to the standard of last season and the question is if the side can put it together in time for the Berlin match.  The Euro League match has shown some serious attention lapses in the defence.  The Breisgau side has to overcome this if they want to defeat a lively Berlin side.  Frankfurts, Thursday performance demonstrated that the side has the ability to win important matches.  Both Frankfurt and Stuttgart have two wins to their credit and the game in the Daimler Benz arena should be a close one. The odds are on Frankfurt.

Two Japanese national team colleagues could line up against each other on Sunday when Gotoku Sakai's (pictured) VfB Stuttgart host Takashi Inui's Eintracht Frankfurt.  Bundesliga

On conclusion of matchday six the trends will have been established to guide the remainder of the season.  While Bayern and Dortmund lead the field by four points, Schalke and Leverkusen cannot be written off.  Good hunting.


Friday September 20

M'gladbach vs Eintracht Braunschweig  4-1

Saturday September 21
   
Hannover 96 vs FC Augsburg     
VfL Wolfsburg vs 1899 Hoffenheim   
Nürnberg vs Borussia Dortmund   
FSV Mainz 05 vs Bayer Leverkusen     
Hamburger SV vs Werder Bremen      Schalke 04 vs FC Bayern Muenchen
Sunday September 22

SC Freiburg vs Hertha BSC Berlin    
VfB Stuttgart vs Eintracht Frankfurt     


Place-----Team-----------------------GP---W---D----L---GF/GA ---Pts
1--------Borussia Dortmund-----------5----5----0-----0------15:4-------15
2--------FC Bayern Muenchen--------5----4----1-----0--------9-2------13
3--------Borussia M'gladbach---------6----3----0-----3------15:11-------9

4--------Bayer Leverkusen-------------5----4----0-----1------11:6--------9
5--------Hannover 96--------------------5----3----0-----2------8:7---------9
6--------Mainz 05------------------------5----3----0-----2------8:8---------9
7--------FCAugsburg--------------------5----3----0-----2------5:7---------9
8------- Hertha BSC Berlin-------------5----2----1-----2------9:6---------7
9-------1899 Hoffenheim----------------5----2----2-----1----14:13--------7
10------FC Schalke 04-------------------5----1----1-----3------6:10--------7
11------VFB Stuttgart--------------------5----2----0-----3-----10:8---------6
12------VFL Wolfsburg------------------5----2----0-----3-------7:7---------6
13------Eintracht Frankfurt--------------5----2----0-----3-------7:9---------6
14------Werder Bremen------------------5----2----0-----3-------3:4---------6
15------Hamburg--------------------------5----1----1-----3-----11:14--------4
16------1. FC Nürnberg------------------5-----0----3-----1------5:8----------3
17------SC Freiburg----------------------5-----0----2-----3------7:11---------2
18------Eintracht Braunschweig--------6-----0----1-----5------3:15---------1

Bundesliga Matchday 5 Roundup - Borussia Dortmund on top with five wins

Borussia Dortmund retained the top of the Bundesliga with five victories in as many starts.  Two goals each by  Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Robert Lewandoswki helped thrash Hamburger SV 6-2 after Dortmund's early lead was erased for a 2-2 draw four minutes into the second half.
Mandzukic and Frank Ribery scored one each against Hannover to keep Bayern in second spot ahead of Bayer Leverkusen, which won its match against visiting Wolfsburg 3-1, with two goals by  Stefan Kiessling and one by Sam.
Mainz 05 dropped its match against Schalke 04, when Kevin Boateng scored in the 34th.  Frankfurt rolled over Bremen 3-0 and Augsburg defeated SC Freiburg 2-1.  In Friday's match VFB Stuttgart narrowly defeated Hertha BSC Berlin 1-0, holding off Hertha with a strong defence.

Hertha BSC Berlin vs VFB Stuttgart  0-1 

Although Hertha created more opportunities, Berlin was failed to convert those to goals, largely due to Stuttgart's Sven Ulreich.  Stuttgart played solid in the defence, led by Ulreich and converted one of two chances by Christian Gentner in the 49th minute.  This was enough to take home three points for the second win this season and a move into the top ten.  Berlin remains in seventh spot.


FC Bayern Muenchen vs Hannover 96  2-0

Pep Guardiola deployed a 4-2-4-2 formation for this match, taking Phillip Lahm out of his familiar right back position and filling in for the recovering Bastian Schweinsteiger.  Thomas Mueller took up the right fullback position.  While dominating the match from the outset, Bayern had difficulty to put the ball into the net.  Hannover put in a great performance in the first half, but was unable to maintain the momentum in the second go around.  Arjen Robben initiated both goals, one in the 51st with a pass to Mandzukic and the second to Franck Ribery in the 61st to give Bayern its fourth victory of the campaign.  Bayern remains undefeated with one draw and in second spot, while Hannover remains in fourth with nine points.  

Bayer Leverkusen vs VFL Wolfsburg 3-1. 

Stefan Kiessling's two goals ( 65th, 90th) and Sam's (24th)  brought home the fourth victory for Leverkusen this season and a tie by points with Bayern Munich.  Wolfsburg started the match with a slight advantage over Leverkusen, but the Leverkusen side fought back and takes the lead with Sam's goal in the 24th.  Olic got the equalizer for Wolfsburg in the 39th for the 1-1 halftime draw.  Stefan Kiessling scored his third and fourth of the campaign to convincingly defeat Wolfsburg 3-1.  Leverkusen remains in the top three with just one loss out of five.  Wolfsburg drops to 11th. 

Werder Bremen vs Eintracht Frankfurt 0-3

This was not Bremen's day.  The Hanseaten should have played on Friday the 13th. Di Santo saw the red card in the first 45, Aaron Hunt missed a penalty kick, while Proedl found the back of his own net in the 77th.  Frankfurt took charge of the match from the outset and Kadiec's goals in the 14th and 34th minute gave the Hessen a 2-0 halftime lead.  Proedl gave Frankfurt the 3-0 win over 90 minutes. This match should set the stage for Frankfurt's Champion's League debut against Bordeaux.

Mainz 05 vs Schalke 04   0-1

For a Bundesliga match, this can be considered as one of the weakest performances by both sides. Kevin Prince Boateng gave Schalke the lead and eventual victory with his goal in the 34th minute. Mainz put in a poor performance before a  home crowd and were unable to get their counter offensive going. Schalke will have to put in a better performance next week in Champions League play, especially the ability to convert good counters into goals

FC Augsburg vs SC Freiburg 2-1

After just missing relegation last season, Augsburg has now won three consecutive games.  Mehmedi scored for Freiburg just one minute into the second, but Altintop (62nd) and Werner (89th) ensured a well deserved 2-1 win over Freiburg.  Werner came in as a substitute in the 74th.  Augsburg with nine points is in sixth spot, while Freiburg with just two is in 17th spot.

Borussia Dortmund vs Hamburger SV  6-2

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang gave Dortmund the go ahead goal in the 19th minute followed by the second by Mikhitaryan in the 22nd for an early 2-0 lead.  Hamburg fought back and equaled the match with goals by Lam(16th) and Westermann in the 49th.  After that it was all Dortmund with Robert Lewandowski scoring two and Aubameyang and Reus netting once.   The 6-2 victory was well deserved and keep Dortmund on top of the league with a two point lead, while Hamburg slips into 15th spot.  This was undoubtedly the top match and by far the best match of this matchday.  Dortmund took control of the match from the start and demonstrated that the side played as a well oiled machine. 

Hoffenheim narrowly defeated Moenchengladbach 2-1 on Sunday.  While Gladbach pushed hard for the equalizer, Hoffenheim's defence stood strong.  Braunschweig picked up its first point of the season against a mediocre Nuernberg side.  While Eintracht was more agressive it was unable to finish the job.  Nuernberg can chalk it up to winning a point away from home, a point that may prove valuable in the future.

Matchday 5 - 13 and 14 September

13 September 2013

Hertha BSC vs VfB Stuttgart  0-2

14 September 2013

Bayern München vs Hannover 96      2-0  
Bayer Leverkusen vs VfL Wolfsburg  3-1  
Werder Bremen vs Eintracht Frankfurt    0-3
FSV Mainz 05 vs Schalke 04        0-1
FC Augsburg vs SC Freiburg       2-1 
Borussia Dortmund vs Hamburger SV  6-2

15 September   

1899 Hoffenheim vs Bor. Mönchengladbach       2-1 
Eintr. Braunschweig vs 1. FC Nürnberg  1-1


Place-----Team-----------------------GP---W---D----L---GF/GA ---Pts
1--------Borussia Dortmund-----------5----5----0-----0------15:4-------15
2--------FC Bayern Muenchen--------5----4----1-----0--------9-2------13
3--------Bayer Leverkusen-------------5----4----0-----1------11:6--------9
4--------Hannover 96--------------------5----3----0-----2------8:7---------9
5--------Mainz 05------------------------5----3----0-----2------8:8---------9
6--------FCAugsburg--------------------5----3----0-----2------5:7---------9
7------- Hertha BSC Berlin-------------5----2----1-----2------9:6---------7
8-------1899 Hoffenheim----------------5----2----2-----1----14:13--------7
9--------FC Schalke 04------------------5----1----1-----3------6:10--------7
10------VFB Stuttgart--------------------5----2----0-----3-----10:8---------6
11------Borussia M'gladbach------------5----2----0-----3-----11:10--------6
12------VFL Wolfsburg------------------5----2----0-----3-------7:7---------6
13------Eintracht Frankfurt--------------5----2----0-----3-------7:9---------6
14------Werder Bremen------------------5----2----0-----3-------3:4---------6
15------Hamburg--------------------------5----1----1-----3-----11:14--------4
16------1. FC Nürnberg------------------5-----0----3-----1------5:8----------3
17------SC Freiburg----------------------5-----0----2-----3------7:11---------2
18------Eintracht Braunschweig--------5-----0----1-----4------2:11---------1

Bundesliga matchday 5 preview - Will Dortmund make it five victories?

 Matchday 5 kicks off on Friday evening, with Borussia Dortmund having won their first four games and Bayern Munich with three wins and a draw.  Can Borrusia Dortmund continue to win when they meet Hamburger SV on Saturday?  Both Dortmund and Bayern play at home, but have formidable opponents that could take one or all three points from the Champions League finalists.

The matchday comes on the heels of international week, where Germany, composed of player from both Dortmund and Bayern, walked away with victories over Austria and Faroe Islands, clearing the path to World Cup 2014 qualification.

Under Juergen Klopp's guidance, Dortmund has kicked off on a path toward the league championship, while FC Bayern, with its new coach Pep Guardiola is adjusting to a new system and although dominating in every match, the club has had difficulty in converting this into goals.  With power houses like Ribery, Mueller, Robben and defenders like David Alaba and Phillip Lahm, the oppostion, for the most part has been concentrating on their defensive game.  Both Dortmund and Bayern are faced with breaking down the opposition's defence.

When Stuttgart meets Hertha BSC Berlin on Friaday evening in the Olympic Stadium, the side will be chasing its second win under its new coach and move up in the standings.  Berlin, a reentry to the Bundesliga this season, has two wins and two losses with 9-5 goals.  A win would keep the side in contact with the league leaders.  Regardless of the outcome, the match should be a delight for the fans.

Stefan Kiessling and Leverkusen host VFL Wolfsburg.  Currently in third spot, Leverkusen has a good chance of being competitive for the championship this year. With three wins and one loss the side trails Munich by one point.  Wolfsburg has accumulated two wins and two losses in their first four matches and Leverkusen is the clear favourite for this match.

Werder Bremen hosts Eintracht Frankfurt.  Last year's Cinderella team Frankfurt has barely kept its head above water with one win and three losses, while Bremen has won two of four.  The home advantage has to go to the Hanseaten.  FSV Mainz host Schalke 04.  Mainz has had an excellent start to the season and like Leverkusen won its first three, before giving up three points on matchay 4. Schalke, considered one of the top contenders, had a disappointing start to the season with one win, a tie and two looses.  Can the Knappen change their fortune in Mainz?  The remaining Saturday match has Freiburg traveling to Augsburg.  Augsburg, with a fiesty attitude, has two wins and two losses in the first four, while Freiburg had a disappointing start with two draws and two losses.  In Augsburg the men from southern Germany will be challenged to go home with a victory.  The edge goes to Augsburg.

Sunday has two matches on tab, with Hoffenheim hosting Borussia Moenchengladbach and Nuernberg traveling to Braunschweig.  Gladbach will be looking for their third victory in Hoffenheim and the men from Sinsheim for their second.  This should be a close match.  Braunschweig, newly promoted is still looking for its first victory when Nuernberg takes to the pitch.  Nuernberg has not had a convincing start to the season and currently sits in 17th spot with just two points.  If Braunschweig will walk away with a victory, this is their chance.  Nuernberg is motivated to leave the bottom of the league.  This match should be interesting.

Predicting outcomes in the Bundesliga is difficult.  There is never a matchday without surprises.  One can guarantee though that based on past history this matchday should see lots of goals.  Who will be on top on Saturday?  Your guess is as  good as mine.  GolTV Canada will be broadcasting some of the matches on Saturday and Sunday.


 Matchday 5 - 13 and 14 September

13 September 2013

Hertha BSC vs VfB Stuttgart  0-1

14 September 2013

Bayern München vs Hannover 96        
Bayer Leverkusen vs VfL Wolfsburg    
Werder Bremen vs Eintracht Frankfurt    
FSV Mainz 05 vs Schalke 04        
FC Augsburg vs SC Freiburg        
Borussia Dortmund vs Hamburger SV  

15 September     
1899 Hoffenheim vs Bor. Mönchengladbach        
Eintr. Braunschweig vs 1. FC Nürnberg


Place-----Team-----------------------GP---W---D----L---GF/GA ---Pts
1--------Borussia Dortmund-----------4----4----0-----0-------9:2-------12
2--------FC Bayern Muenchen--------4----3----1-----0-------7-2-------10
3--------Bayer Leverkusen-------------4----3----0-----1-------8:5--------9
4--------Hannover 96--------------------4----3----0-----1------8:6---------9
5--------Mainz 05------------------------4----3----0-----1------8:7---------9
6------- Hertha BSC Berlin-------------5----2----1-----2------9:6---------7
7--------Borussia M'gladbach-----------4----2----0-----2----10:8---------6
8-------VFB Stuttgart-------------------4----2----0-----3-----10:8---------6
8--------VFL Wolfsburg-----------------4----2----0-----2------6:4---------6
9--------Werder Bremen-----------------4----2----0-----2------3:1---------6
10-------FCAugsburg--------------------4----2----0-----2------3:6---------6
11-------1899 Hoffenheim--------------4----1----2-----1-----12:12--------5
12-------Hamburg------------------------4----1----1-----2-------9:8---------4
13-------FC Schalke 04------------------4----1----1-----2-------6:9---------4
15-------Eintracht Frankfurt-------------4----1----0-----3-------4:9---------3
16-------SC Freiburg---------------------4----0----2-----2-------6:9---------2
17-------1. FC Nürnberg-----------------4----0----2-----1-------4:7---------2
18-------Eintracht Braunschweig-------4----0----0-----4-------1:9---------0

Champions League - Group Qualification FC Schalke 04 vs PAOK Saliniki Preview

FC Schalke 04 will be facing the Greek club PAOK Saliniki in the first leg of the Champions League qualification round.  Schalke is seen by many as one of two clubs capable of dethroning FC Bayern and Borussia Dortmund at the top of the Bundesliga.  Bayer Leverkusen is the other. 

Despite the fact that Schalke is considered as one of the top four sides in Germany's top flight, its first two matches in the new season have left Schalke in 13th place.   In their season debut against Hamburger SV, the Royal Blues ended the match with a 3-3 draw, while four days ago in their second match against Wolfsburg Schalke took a 4-0 beating.   Those two games were not exactly confidence builders. 

PAOK Saliniki is coached by Huub Stevens, who was fired by the Royal Blues in 2012.  Stevens has occupied the coaches bench 304 times with Schalke and knows the club inside out, which will have helped him to prepare PAOK for this competition.

Schalke has had difficulty with its defence in the first two games and it is something that the club only had four days to fix.  Will it be good enough to avoid another loss?  Schalke's scoring ace Klaas Jan Huntelaar   is out due to injury and will be replaced by Adam Szalai, who was acquired from Mainz 05 during the summer transfer window.  Also out are Chinedu Obasi, Anthony Annan and Kyriakos Papdopolous.

Although Schalke is the clear favourite in this contest, the club hasn't been firing on all cylinders and will have to overcome the devastating defeat against Wolfsburg this past weekend.  Game time is 2:30 pm EDT and the match will be broadcast in Canada on SNET 1.  

Projected lineups:

Schalke 04: Timo Hildebrand; Christian Fuchs, Benedikt Höwedes, Felipe Santana, Atsuto Uchida; Jermaine Jones, Marco Höger; Christian Clemens, Julian Draxler, Jefferson Farfán; Ádám Szalai

PAOK Salonika: Jacobo Sanz Ovejero; Lino, Miguel Vítor, Íñigo López Montaña, Stelios Kitsiou; Miroslav Stoch, Alexandros Tziolis, Costin Lazăr, Lucas Pérez Martínez; Stefanos Athanasiadis, Dimitris Salpingidis

German national side not convincing in match against Paraguay

Jochen Low's German national side (DFB Team)  was not convincing in its friendly against Paraguay, a side that is last in its World Cup 2014 qualifying group.  The match revealed major flaws in Germany's defence. 

After a short practice session in Mainz, the DFB Team matched their skills in Kaiserslautern against a South American side that was not about to take a backseat to the Germans.  Within 15 minutes Paraguay took the lead with goals by Ariel Nunez (9th) und Wilson Pittoni (13th).  The goals revealed major flaws in the German defence.  

Ilkay Gündogan narrowed the score to 2-1 in the 18th minute and when Thomas Mueller got the equalizer in the 31st, it appeared as if Germany had recovered.   Paraguay scored a spoiler at 45+1 when Samudio scored the third goal for the South Americans and Paraguay went into the break with a 3-2 lead.

The only goal is credited to Lars Bender in the 75th minute, permitting the DFB Team to save faith with a 3-3. 

Jochen Low knows that he has a lot of work to do if Germany is to continue its unbeaten streak in World Cup 2014 qualification.   Low  commented on the game:

"We made basic mistakes in the first half.  Our defensive play was sloby and we gave the opponent too much room.  We made indivdual errors, but it was also clear that for some the league is still on its break.  We will certainly not play this way against Austria, we will improve our performance.  I foresee an intense competition for spots on the World Cup side."

Germany's world class keeper, Manuel Neuer, who seldom collects three goals, also said:

"We know that defensively nothing worked.  Those were clearly our mistakes, although in the second half it was better.  I believe that today was a shot across the bow and just in time.  We cannot play in this manner against Austria."

The German side has collect seven goals in the last two games.  The first was a loss against Juergen Klinnsman's US Men's National Team and this one.  Germany plays its World Cup 2014 qualifying match against Austria on September 6th. 

DFB Team Line Up:  Neuer - Lahm, Mertelsacker , Hummels, Schmelzer - Khedira, Gündogan - Müller, Özil, Reus  - Klose

Bayern hosts Hannover, Dortmund meets 1860 Munich in DFB Pokal second round

The DFB Pokal second round will take place on September 24th and two Bundesliga encounters will be one of highlights. FC Bayern Muenchen will host Hannover 96, while VFB Stuttgart travels to Freiburg.  Super Cup winners Borussia Dortmund will travel to Munich for an encounter with 1860 Muenchen.

Bayer Leverkusen travels to Bundesliga 1 fixture Arminia Bielefeld,  while Schalke 04 will be hosted by Darmstadt 98 of the third division.   The DFB Pokal has its own rules of survival, but one thing is clear that at least two more Bundesliga clubs will be eliminated.  Werder Bremen, Eintracht Braunschweig, Borussia Moenchengladbach and 1. FC Nuernberg were eliminated in the first round.

Here is the complete line up for the second round:

Bundesliga vs Bundesliga

FC Bayern München - Hannover 96
SC Freiburg - VfB Stuttgart

Bundesliga gegen 2. Bundesliga

TSV 1860 München - Borussia Dortmund
VfL Wolfsburg - VfR Aalen
Arminia Bielefeld - Bayer Leverkusen
Hamburger SV - SpVgg Greuther Fürth
Eintracht Frankfurt - VfL Bochum
1899 Hoffenheim - Energie Cottbus
FSV Mainz 05 - 1. FC Köln
1. FC Kaiserslautern - Hertha BSC Berlin

3. Liga gegen Bundesliga

Preußen Münster - FC Augsburg
Darmstadt 98 - FC Schalke 04

2. Bundesliga gegen 2. Bundesliga
FSV Frankfurt - FC Ingolstadt 04

3. Liga gegen 2. Bundesliga

VfL Osnabrück - 1. FC Union Berlin
1. FC Saarbrücken - SC Paderborn 07

Regionalliga - 2. Bundesliga

SC Wiedenbrück 2000 - SV Sandhausen

German National Side Has Some Soulsearching to Do

Germany's National Soccer team put in a disastrous performance during its test match against Switzerland in Basel.  During the debut of keeper, Marc-Andre ter Steger, who was a surprise starter for this match, could have had a better start.  He was defeated no less than five times, while the Germans only responded with two goals.  Thus Ottmar Hitzfelds side won convincingly 5-2.  Hitzfeld is the former coach of Bayern Muenchen.

What was missing from the game on the German side was imagination and concentration.  The lineup, although deficient of Bayern stalwarts like Schweinsteiger, Lahm, Gomez, Kroos, Thomas, had big talents like Mario Goetze, Reuss, Schurrle, Matt Hummels, Klose and the Bender brothers.  The team just lacked concentration and cohesiveness.   The Swiss side easily took the midfield and defence of the German side apart and on the front end the strikers were unable to finish the task.

Germany's strategy was to go full speed toward the Swiss side initially, but Switzerland defended well during the first 20 minutes.  After that it was pretty well all Switzerland.

Joachim Loew analyzed the game this way:

We would have never predicted this.  One can't be happy about the result.  It was a dangerous phase of the Euro 2012 preparations.  After many intense training units, the concentration was missing.  There were many mistakes made.

Needless to say Loew isn't happy about this result and he could expect more from a star studded side, even with the FC Bayern players missing. 

Miroslav Klose, who captained the team yesterday, expressed the sentiment of the players.

"Such a performance can't be explained.  We should not look for excuses. This is primarily a head thing. The whole team performed terribly."

Recognizing the problem and doing a proper self-critique is the road to discovery.  There are another two weeks prior to the game against Portugal on June 9th.  The Bayern players will join the team as of tomorrow and will be on the field in the match against Israel on Thursday.


No doubt there will be soul searching between now and Thursday, the key is to put this performance of the team behind them and come out swinging on Thursday.  A good performance against Israel should rebuild the confidence of the German side.  Of course the Bayern players, although key to the team, are dealing with the devastating defeat against Chelsea.

Socialist French President Visits Conservative German Chancellor

Shortly after taking his oath as the new President of France and a short motorcade in the rain, the new President of France, Francois Hollande wasted no time visiting his German counterpart, Angela Merkel.  While the new President was enroute his plane was struck by lightening and he had to return to France to change aircraft. 

Merkel and Sarkozy had an excellent relationship and the agreement reached to sort out Greece's debt crisis was developed between Merkel and he former French president.  Hollande campaigned on less austerity and more growth. 

Hollande arrived in Berlin to be greeted to with full honours for a state visit, with a military honour guard and all the trimmings.  Hollande's firs official  state visit shortly after he was  sworn in demonstrated the significance of the German/French relationship. 

The media, hungry for results, from the private meeting of these two European heavyweights, assembled in the foyer of the Chancellors office, demonstrating the importance of this relationship and the way forward for Europe. 

While no specific details were discussed, the two leaders attempted to put a positive light on their meeting. 

"We are very pleased, that on the day of his day he official became President, tha the (Hollande) came to us in Germany.  It pleases us even more that he did it, despite lighting striking his aircraft, perhaps this is a good omen for our cooperation,"said Merkel.

"I was very pleased with the official reception, because I wanted to pain a picture of trust, surpassing our diffenrece.  Trust in the work that we want to do together.  I also wanted to convey a picture of co-operation and continuity,  I hope that we will be able to convince Europeans that Germany and France together have the will to work on our relationship and the relationship in Europe overall," said Hollande.

Needless to say, the German and French public have different expectations from their leaders.  Greece is in turmoil and will be having new elections next month, since no coalition could be formed.  The current solution has been austerity, which no doubt hurt the ordinary person on the street. 

Years of neglect and politicians trying to garner votes have brought Greece to the brink of bankruptcy.  Those European leaders that attempt to get their spending under control, with entitlement and pension reform are being punished.  It is no different with Sarkozy and even in Merkel's Germany, where a state election in Nord Rhein Westfalen, showed the door to her Christian Democratic Union this past weekend.

In the United States the election this November is taking on the question of two different ideologies, one of entitlements and more spending, while the other bases its policies on the market place and deficit reduction.

Hollande and Merkel also differ in their approach to Afghanistan.  While Merkel supports the NATO plan to exit the country in 2014, Hollande wants to accomplish this a lot sooner.

The G8 meets later on this month in the United States.  President Obama has invited Hollande to a private meeting prior to the G8 discussions.  Hopefully, by then, the Germans and French will be using the same playbook and sing the same tune.  

Bundesliga Matchday 17 - December 16th - 18th Fixtures and Preview

Bundesliga Matchday 17 kicks off tomorrow with FC Bayern hosting 1. FC Koeln in the Allianz Arena in Munich.  Bayern leads the league with 34 points, a three point lead over challengers Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04.  Munich has a 10 goal difference lead over Borussia Dortmund and will emerge as the official Herbstmeister (Fall champion) prior to the mid season winter break.  Lukas Podolski has been successful as a goal scorer this season and is challenging the scoring leaders.

On Saturday Dortmund is guest in Freiburg, which is trailing the league.  Dortmund should have no difficulty in picking up three points in the away match.  Schalke 04 hosts Bremen, which will be a challenge for the "Knappen" from Gelsenkirchen.

On Sunday Gladbach hosts Mainz 05, which was deprived of three points against Koeln in the make up match of matchday 13 earlier this week, due to a late goal by Lukas Podolski.  This will be a must win for both Gladbach and Mainz.  For Mainz it will gain some distance from the relegation zone, while for Gladbach a win will keep contact with the league leaders.

FC Bayern coch Jupp Heynckes had hoped that Schweinsteiger, who has returned to training, would be available for the final match before the winter break and possibly the DFB Pokal match against Bochum.  Unfortunately, Schweinsteiger will not be available.  The FC Bayern medical department has determined that the reinjury risk is still too high.   Both Heynckes and Schweinsteiger are disappointed with the decision.   Schweinsteiger broke his collar bone on November 2nd during a Champions League home game against Napoli.  

Matchday 17 completes the first half of the season, which has been full of surprises.  Gladbach, which was close to relegation last season, has surged and is a contender for the championship.  Augsburg is struggling in their debut to the Bundesliga and their visit to Hamburg this weekend will be another challenge.  Earlier on in the season it looked like FC Bayern would take be a runaway leader and that Manuel Neuer was unbeatable.   It turns out he is only human too.

The Bundesliga this season has been exciting and nothing has been decided.  The remaining matchdays after the winter break will keep fans on the edge of their seat.

Fixtures for Matchday 17


16.12.11,20.30 Bayern München - 1. FC Köln  3-0
17.12.11,15.30 Hamburger SV - FC Augsburg  1-1
17.12.11,15.30 SC Freiburg - Borussia Dortmund  1-4
17.12.11,15.30 1899 Hoffenheim - Hertha BSC Berlin  1-1
17.12.11,15.30 VfL Wolfsburg - VfB Stuttgart  1-0
17.12.11,15.30 Bayer Leverkusen - 1. FC Nürnberg  0-3
17.12.11,18.30 Schalke 04 - Werder Bremen  5-0
18.12.11,15.30 Kaiserslautern - Hannover 96  1-1
18.12.11,17.30 Mönchengladbach - FSV Mainz 05  1-0

Bundelsiga Table Updated 16 December  2011 



                                                         GP      W   D   L   GF/GA    Pts

1   Bayern München                        17         12  1    4     43:10      37
2   Borussia Dortmund                    17         10  4    3     35:12       34
3   Schalke 04                                  17         11  1    5     38-22       34
4   Borussia Mönchengladbach       17         10  3    4      25:11      33
5   Werder Bremen                          17           9    2    6    30-31      29
6    Bayer Leverkusen                     17           7    5    5     22:22      26
7   Hannover 96                               17           5    8    4     20-24     23
8   VfB Stuttgart                              17           6    4   7      23:20      22
9  1899 Hoffenheim                         17           6    4    7     19:18      22
10 1. FC Köln                                   17           6    3    8     27:35      21
11  Hertha BSC Berlin                     17           4    8    5      23:26     20
12  VfL Wolfsburg                           17           6    2    9       23:34     20
13  Hamburger SV                           17           4    7    6       21:27     19
14  FSV Mainz 05                            17           4    6    7       22:29     19
15  1. FC Nürnberg                          17           5    3    9       17:28     18
16  1. FC Kaiserslautern                  17           3    7    7       13:21     16
17  FC Augsburg                              17           3    6    8       15:28    15
18  SC Freiburg                                17            3    4  10      21:39    13

VFB Stuttgart vs FC Bayern Muenchen Preview

There is a lot at stake in tomorrows match between neighbours VFB Stuttgart and FC Bayern Muenchen.  There are some good news for Bayern fans.  Most of the players that were affected by the flu will be fit to play.  The flu resulted in Bayern fielding a "B" team on Wednesday against Manchester City. 

Gomez, Kroos and Van Buyten are good to go and it looks like Thomas Mueller and Arjen Robben will be able to play as well.  A win tomorrow, regardless of the outcome of the Dortmund game against Kaiserslautern will keep Bayern in the top spot.  Of course Bayern will be hoping for an upset in Dortmund. 

Stuttgart is presently in seventh place with 22 points and a win for the Schwaben will help them maintain contact with the top 6 and a Euroleague spot.   A loss would be a setback. 

For Gomez will be playing against the club, where he has some close friends, but he said it won't influence his performance.   The Ukrainian Tymoschuk and Stuttgart's Progrebnjac are also good buddies.  Progrebnjac says that Bayern players often talk to him in Russian on the pitch and bets that Tymoschuk puts them up to it.

With a full strength team the match is Munich's to lose.

Preliminary Line Ups:

FC Bayern :  Neuer - Lahm, Badstuber, Van Buyten, Raffhina - Kroos, Tymoschuk - Ribery, Mueller, Robben - Gomez

VFB Stuttgart:  Ulreich - Boka, Tacsi, Maza, Molarina - Holger, Kvist - Harik, Hajnal, Okazaki - Cacau

Gladbach Tops Bundesliga After Win in Koeln

Fourth place Borussia Moenchgladbach outclassed Podolski's 1.FC Koeln with 3 goals to 0 in Bundesliga Matchday 14 opener.  The victory moves Gladbach temporarily into the leagues top spot, one point ahead of FC Bayern.  Goals by Hanke (2) and Arango soldified the victory.

For twenty minutes Koeln was able to hold off the Gladbach onslaught.  In the 20th minute Patrick Hermann slipped and Hanke was quickest on the scene and fired at the net from 12 meters, for his first goal of the season.

Ten minutes later, in the 30th minute, Gladbach was awarded a free kick approximately 25 meters off the goal.  Arango, with an accurate shot fired the ball in the lower corner of the net.  His third goal of the season gave Gladbach a 2-0 lead.

Although Gladbach had 65% of the ball possession at that point, Koeln held on to the halftime whistle.
 
Borussia dominated the half from the start and showed themselves to be more confident and without and the stronger team.  Koeln had a relatively good start, but trailing in the game chipped away on the team and threw them off their game.  The 2-0 lead at halftime was well deserved.

Just two minutes into the second half Gladbach struck again. In the 47th minute Gladbach executed a perfect counter, outnumbering the Koeln defence.  Hermann took aim, but the shot was blocked and diverted to the side by Rensing.  Hanke was on the spot and slides the ball into the net for his second season goal.

Rensing, who arguably had managed the score lower than it could have been, robbed Marco Reuss several times.

After a great away performance and a win, Gladbach now leads the league with one point, at least until tomorrow.  A Dortmund tie or win will push them off the top spot by goal difference.  Schalke 04 will have a word in that match.  Sven Bender will definitely not play tomorrow and the jury is still out on Mario Goetze.  Bayern is not due to play until Sunday in Mainz.

Regardless of the outcome of the remaining league games, Bayern will not be able to extend its lead beyond two points.  With three matchdays left until the winter break, the Bundesliga remains tight at the top.

Top Bundesliga Match Relegated to Delayed Broadcast By Gol TV

It happens way too often in Canada.  The German Bundesliga top matches don't get the live broadcast they deserve.   While Gol TV caters to a Spanish audience, it has three live broadcasts in a row scheduled on Saturday.  This is during the same time period FC Bayern Muenchen meets Borussia Dortmund.

From GolTV's Facebook Page 

We are showing five live matches on Saturday. While Bayern Munich v. Borussia is left out of the live lineup due to a scheduling conflict, we will have a live Twitter cast and show the match in its entirety at 6 p.m. ET. Click the blog below for more details.

Saturday Schedule Congestion by Asif Hossain | GOLTV Canada

www.goltv.ca

Five live matches on GOL TV Canada Saturday, along with a live Twitter cast of Bayern Munich v. Borussia Dortmund.

FC Bayern hosts Dortmund in the Allianz arena with kick off scheduled at 12:30 EST.   The game is not being broadcast until 6pm EST.   While Barcelona vs Zaragozsa  features FC Barca, it can hardly be described as important as the match between Bayern and Dortmund.

Bundesliga fans feel very left out. Bundesliga coverage actually dropped off late in the season as GolTV US cut back from two games a week, to just one most weeks to save money. If you as me, the Bundesliga is one of the most exciting European leagues to watch. There are full stadiums, loud crowds and lots of goals. Plus, it has now passed the Serie A to become the 3rd best football league in Europe. According to Statistics Canada 10.18% of Canadians consider their ethnic orgin to be German. That puts it only behind English, Scottish, French and Irish. On top of that Germany is a major economic hub in Europe. Canadian Sports Media Blog

We have a problem in general with Bundesliga broadcasts in Canada.  When the Bundesliga first appeared in Canada it was broadcast on FOX Sports, which then became the FOX Soccer Channel in the US.  The Bundesliga was gone until Gol.tv appeared on the scene.

Sportsnet East, West and World, does a pretty good job of broadcasting the Barclays Premier League, Champions League and selected international games.  Since the Bundesliga is so popular in Canada and the competition, in my opinion, is second to none, it would be nice if our multitude of sports channels gave it a little spot on Saturdays and Sundays.

The German National side rates among the top sides in the world.  The team is manned with players from both FC Bayern Muenchen and Borusssia Dortmund, among others.  The league doesn't have to take a backseat to the other European leagues.  Week after week it presents superb soccer.

The Bundesliga deserves a place among the top leagues in Europe and one of Canada's sports channels should carry it.  The league and the fans deserve it.