TBB’s 5 Bundesliga Thoughts: Week Five

1. Torsten Fink is fired

Time is up for Fink after an awful start. Source: taz.de

It almost seemed inevitable in the end, after a dreadful start to this season Torsten Fink has paid the ultimate price and is out of a job. Although they’ve scored ten times they have conceded 15 goals in five games, a terrible record that leaves them just above the relegation play-off place.

The 6-2 loss against Dortmund was the final nail in the coffin as the defence looked all at sea throughout the contest. On another day it could have been in double figures had it not been for the crossbar or the occasional Rene Adler stop, although even he was at fault for two of the goals. They need a fresh start, they need to be much more solid at the back or this will be a very long season.

Dortmund, on the other hand, maintained their 100% record in superb style despite conceding twice. The front four of Lewandowski, Reus, Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan were firing on all cylinders and it will give Jurgen Klopp plenty of confidence heading into their Champions League tie against Napoli.

2. Gustavo sees red again

Gustavo needs to stay on the pitch for 90 minutes more often. Source: Bundesliga

Oddly enough it’s looking more and more like Wenger’s hesitance in going for Luiz Gustavo has worked as the Brazilian was sent off for the second time in three games. After an excellent debut, the defensive midfielder has become a little rash, picking up silly yellow cards leading to his dismissal. He will need to curb this to really be important to Wolfsburg, because it’s not helping the club with him being suspended.

The Wolves will be a little disappointed in their loss to Leverkusen because when they levelled they looked like they could at least get a point from the contest. Two wins and three losses is a below average start for Dieter Hecking’s side, who want to be pushing for Europe.

Leverkusen were impressive again, with Stefan Kiessling being the star of the show again. Whilst he’s out in the cold in terms of national duty, last season’s top scorer is in fine form again with four goals in five games. Although the side weren’t anywhere near their best against Manchester United on Tuesday, they’ll know that their campaign will be more focused on results at home as they try to progress in a strong group.

3. Volland turning heads again

Volland (right) was superb as he has been all season for Hoffenheim. Source: bild.de

It was announced this week the Mario Gomez would be out for six weeks and with only Miroslav Klose available to the national side for the final qualifiers, many are calling for Kevin Volland to get his chance. He turned heads again this weekend after a strong performance capped off with a great goal helped Hoffenheim win against Monchengladbach.

The U21 international looked dangerous all game, firing a shot from distance that worried Ter Stegen before taking a poor touch that lead to an exquisite finish that gave Hoffenheim the 2-0 lead before being pegged back by Hrgota. He should get a chance as he’s performing well in a side that looks drastically different from last season’s shambles.

Gladbach have been average so far but there is plenty of talent in the squad. There were defensive frailties at the weekend which need to be addressed if they are to push towards Europe this season, but Friday’s game against Braunschweig is the perfect game to bounce back in for Lucien Favre’s men.

4. Braunschweig get their first point

It looks like both sides could be in trouble this season. Source: Bundesliga

It’s taken them five games but finally an Eintracht Braunschweig player has scored in the Bundesliga. Omar Elabdellaoui grabbed a deserved equaliser for the Bundesliga new boys as the club also picked up their first point in a 1-1 draw against Nuremburg.

They put up a real fight in this one, creating plenty of chances but couldn’t find the net until the former Manchester City player popped up to stroke it into the bottom left corner. Again, they conceded a sloppy goal but they will be happy just to get off the mark, even though this is the kind of game they would need to win to have any chance to stay up.

Nuremburg are also in trouble after only managing three points in five games. Whilst all those points come from draws, it shows the side’s inability to finish off teams or when they come from behind taking that momentum to get all three points. It’s a worry, they have some good players but will need to pick up points quickly to avoid any panic.

5. Augsburg three in a row

Augsburg will be delighted to get wins on the board early, they just need to maintain it. Source: Bundesliga

They’ve scored five goals and conceded seven but Augsburg are sitting pretty in sixth after three wins on the trot in the Bundesliga for the first time in the clubs history. Victories over Stuttgart, Nuremburg and Freiburg have lifted a side many tipped to struggle to a nice start that will be very welcome to manager Markus Weinzierl.

Coming from behind at the weekend against a side that is also struggling is the kind of results Augsburg knew they would need to pick up to stay away from a relegation fight this season. They’ve bought good players in too, with Halil Altintop adding more goals to the squad and Rafael Holzhauser adding his left boot to set pieces that have given teams real problems so far this season.

Freiburg really haven’t got going since their mass exodus in the summer. Whilst they kept a few and brought in replacements, they haven’t quite meshed together as terrifically as they did last campaign and it could be a much tougher year this time around for Christian Streich and his side.

QUICK THOUGHTS:

–          Munich did their job again against Hannover who were a stubborn side. 13 points out of 15 is a good start for Guardiola, Hannover will be fine this season but won’t push near Europe.

–          Hertha’s 18-win streak at home was broken by Stuttgart in a dull 1-0 victory. Hertha will be happy with their overall start, Thomas Schneider’s reign has got off to a good start.

–          Mainz lost again as they went down 1-0 to Schalke courtesy of Kevin Prince Boateng. Schalke are back on their feet before they play in the Champions League again, Mainz’s start has ebbed and flowed.

–          Werder were put to the sword by Frankfurt who walked out solid 3-0 winners. Kadlec looks a great buy with two goals, Werder need to tighten up again at the back to stay away from trouble.

TEAM OF THE WEEK – BORUSSIA DORTMUND

Six goals and it could have been more. Two goals conceded, although one was unstoppable, will concern but their 100% record is maintained.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK – KEVIN VOLLAND

Was close between him, Lewandowski and Vaclav Kadlec but Volland nicks it. Played very well, worked hard and pulled of a sublime finish.

TBB’s 5 Bundesliga Thoughts: Week Four

1. Bayern make their first blip

Nicolas Hofler’s goal earned Freiburg a point against Bayern Munich. Source: ESPN

The first dropped points of the Pep Guardiola era came in the fourth round of games as Bayern drew with Freiburg the Tuesday before the UEFA Super Cup. With half a mind on the fixture against Chelsea, there were a few changes to the squad but the Bavarians could not put Freiburg away who equalised with five minutes to go.

Although they won on penalties in the Super Cup they were probably outplayed on the night by Chelsea and both results still leave question marks yet to be answered. It was also announced that Thiago will be out for a few months for an added blow to the strong squad that should have taken all three points from Mage Solar Stadium.

Freiburg will be more than happy with the result, they may have rode their luck at times but they had a few good chances of their own and managed to nick the point in the end. Whilst this draw will be good for now, Freiburg will have to start picking up wins against weaker opponents to avoid any relegation fears.

 

2. Hannover have began better than I expected

Hannover earned their win and they are proving me wrong, good for them. Source: Bundesliga

I think the first four games should stand to testament that predictions are just that, predictions and that I am not to be completely trusted. Hannover have started well and whilst the first two wins were gifted after red cards, this one was more well-earned against an unbeaten Mainz side.

They were pretty clinical in the 4-1 win that probably flattered them more than they deserved but three wins in four games is a great start for Mirko Slomka’s men. They played some good football, made every chance count and even though there were defensive mistakes their firepower made up for it.

As for Mainz, they’ll be disappointed that they lose their 100% record so easily, especially as they went in front. Nikolai Muller was excellent again and scored for the fourth game running, he’ll be key this season and I’m surprised he didn’t get a Germany call-up for the next qualifiers.

 

3. New Stuttgart manager starts excellently

Maxim was terrific for Stuttgart at the weekend. Source: ESPN

So what’s the best method of recovering from three straight losses and being dumped out of the Europa League in the qualifying stages? Hit your opponents for six. Stuttgart steamrolled Hoffenheim this weekend, with a hat-trick from Vedad Ibisevic, a double from Romanian Alexandru Maxim and one from Antonio Ruediger sealed a strong 6-2 win at home.

It was an ideal start for Thomas Schneider, with his side looking dangerous every time they came forward, with youngster Timo Werner really impressing alongside Maxim and hitman Ibisevic. Getting the Bosnian firing again is always a positive as he’s a 20-goal a season man and if they can tighten up defensively they can compete higher in the table.

Hoffenheim will look back at this game as just a bad day at the office. They never really turned up and got lucky with a deflected goal whilst the second was gifted to Roberto Firmino. They’ll have better days and on other evidence they don’t look as troubled as last season.

 

4. Schalke finally win

Schalke will be happy to have finally won but there’s work ahead. Also, this photo is excellent. Source: greenwichtime.com

Schalke were in pretty desperate need of a win and many felt it would be very difficult to find against a strong Bayer Leverkusen side but Jens Keller’s men pulled out a fantastic 2-0 win. Jefferson Farfan was really the star of the show, his free-kick led to the opener before winning and scoring the penalty that sealed the points 10 minutes from time.

New signing Kevin-Prince Boateng slotted in nicely aside Farfan and Julian Draxler, almost grabbing a goal himself but he looks like the good addition many thought he would be as long as he remains unselfish. The defending was much more solid too standing firm but also didn’t have to face many dangerous situations which is always much more of a positive for a strong defensive performance.

Leverkusen in the end didn’t put enough endeavour into their attacking efforts to win the game. Kiessling had one half chance that was bloked and Son had a few pops from range but other than that there wasn’t much on show. Spahic also gave away a silly penalty when he’d already forced Farfan wide, but they are the side to pick themselves up, dust off and go again.

 

5. Braunschweig need to regroup

Calhanoglu put in a superb performance off the bench, Hamburg will want to see more of him this season. Source: welt.de

Many were expecting Braunschweig to really struggle and so far they have but there were positives in the first few games. Bremen were incredibly lucky to get a win and they forced Dortmund to work hard for their win but the last two games have been worse.

The loss to an out-of-sorts Hamburg will probably sting the most as, even away from home, it should have been seen as a possible draw but in the end they were outclassed although there were a few lucky goals. There’s not enough firepower at the club and that’s what is killing them and it probably will result in a very hard season for the club.

Hamburg will be delighted to have gotten out of their hump with a comfortable win. It was good to see Jacques Zoua get on the score-sheet for the first time who’s been good and Hakan Calhanoglu scored twice in what looks like it may be a sign of things to come from the young Turk. Maybe Fink should lean on some of these young talents and see how far they can take them, it can’t hurt when the full squad looks almost relegation material.

 

QUICK THOUGHTS:

–          Gladbach were strong again at home and looked incredibly dangerous going forward, as for Werden Bremen their tough defence was finally crushed convincingly so will need to pick it up again fast.

–          Wolfsburg picked up a lucky win where they gained a penalty that was highly questionable whilst also riding their luck in defence, Hertha finally lose but they had chances for at least a draw.

–          Augsburg get their second win early compared to after Christmas last season which can only be a positive, Nuremburg need a win to get off the mark or they could be in trouble.

–          Dortmund maintain 100% record against Frankfurt but it wasn’t easy, Mkhitaryan also finally got in on the act, Frankfurt will do better than this but they did create opportunities which provides hope for the future.

 

TEAM OF THE WEEK – VFB STUTTGART

I wanted to give Maxim, Ibisevic and Werner credit for their performances so I thought I’d choose the whole team. Attacking-wise superb, defence needs fixing for tougher opposition.

 

PLAYER OF THE WEEK – HENRIKH MKHITARYAN

Two goals with the second being an absolute stunner. Showed why there was so many interested parties this summer and will be a big asset to Dortmund this year.

TBB’s 5 Bundesliga Thoughts: Week Three

1. Stuttgart sack Bruno Labbadia

Labbadia was on the hot seat from the off this season, he’s not done enough with what he had. Source: Bundesliga

Three Bundesliga games and three losses, coupled with a poor result in qualifying for the Europa League, has cost Bruno Labbadia his job at VfB Stuttgart. He was already under pressure from a poor campaign last year bar the DFB Pokal run but he was backed in the summer to bring in a stronger squad that many felt would lead to a better side.

A 2-1 loss against FC Augsburg was the final straw. Although Augsburg played well, there were plenty of opportunities for all of Stuttgart’s attacking options to score and none of them could find the back of the net. They promote from within as Stuttgart’s U17 coach and former player Thomas Schneider takes the helm.

As for Augsburg, they played well and could have won more comfortably if it wasn’t for the miss of the season from Sascha Mölders where he rounded the keeper but couldn’t put the ball in an open goal. It was a big win for them after two losses, Hamit Altintop scored his first goal back in the Bundesliga and Rafael Holzhauser played out of his skin against his parent club.

 

2. Mainz could be a surprise this season

Nicolai Muller is my three-game MVP, he’s been utterly superb. Source: Bundesliga

Mainz join Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen with 100% records so far, but it’s clear which of those is the surprise package. Thomas Tuchel’s men have been superb, when may felt they’d miss the goalscoring prowess of Adam Szalai, but Nicolai Muller is leading the Bundesliga so far with 4 goals.

They’ve also been relatively solid at the back, in comparison with the rest of the league, without Jan Kirchoff and the work that the club has done must be applauded. The signings have gelled nicely, they are playing some exciting football and thoroughly deserve their place in the league.

Their opponents Wolfsburg, however, are still a Jekyll and Hyde kind of team. They fully deserved their 4-0 win last week but they also deserved their 2-0 loss this week and it looks like that inconsistency has got into new signing Luiz Gustavo too who got himself needlessly sent off. They can’t keep flip-flopping if they want Europe this season and discipline is becoming a worrying issue.

 

3. Leverkusen have gone about their business well

Leverkusen look together this season, they could be a dark horse. Source: ESPN

Whilst Dortmund and Bayern take up all the headlines, Leverkusen have quietly and professionally gone about their business and won their first three games. The vastly underrated ( at international level at least) Stefan Kiessling has been doing what he’s always been doing which is scoring goals, Sidney Sam has come back improved and the whole team looks like a cohesive unit under Sami Hyypia.

They bought expertly in the summer too, with Son settling in nicely and Donati filling in nicely at right-back. They have depth in midfield, with Gonzalo Castro, Lars Bender, Simon Rolfes, Stefan Reinartz and Robbie Kruse fighting for places, they could mount a challenge if they could sustain their success.

Gladbach fans shouldn’t be too disheartened by this loss, whilst their attacking football was on show it’s lapses at the back that are letting others in. If they can find a nice balance they will win more games than they will lose, which should put them in a good position come the end of the season.

 

4. Pure entertainment at Hoffenheim vs Freiburg

If you can find highlights of this game, watch it. Source: Eurosport

What a game this was, end-to-end stuff from two sides that are trying to be as far away from the drop-zone as possible. Hoffenheim were on a high from last week and looked in good form again as they went ahead from the penalty spot. Then a moment of madness saw Sejad Salihovic sent off for slapping a Freiburg player before Oliver Sorg, who gave away the penalty, equalised from distance.

German U21 international Kevin Volland then produced a wonderful lob to put the 10-men ahead before Karim Guede crashed in a second equaliser. Then another sending off as Francis Coquelin saw his second yellow become red near half-time. Sebastian Fries then put Freiburg ahead through a wonderful volley before Tobias Stobl hammered home to make it 3-3 and just as you thought that was it, Admir Mehmedi saw red for mouthing off at the referee mere minutes before the end.

It was a cracker that had a little bit of everything to it, but it must have been hell for both managers. Both showed the capability to score and defend poorly, but both deserved a point in the end.

 

5. Red cards galore

Gustavo joined seven others for an early bath this weekend (not all at the same time, or same bath) Source: Wolfsburg.de

An unwanted record was set this past weekend when eight red cards where dished out in the nine games across Germany. Some were unwarranted, like Ibrahima Traore’s dismissal against Augsburg which was barely a yellow card, but some were obvious like Salihovic’s cynical slap against Freiburg.

Others were hotly disputed, like Benedikt Howedes’ against Hannover that could have been a yellow if some felt he wasn’t the last man, a red if they felt he was (like myself) or that it shouldn’t have even been a foul.

It’s one of the great parts of the game to debate things like this and it’s something I enjoy, but this amount of red cards is something no-one wants to see. It’s a bit of a black mark over this weekend that hopefully will not repeat itself.

 

Quick Thoughts:

–          Bayern eventually broke Nuremburg’s defences but it took time. Ribery impressive again, Ginczek looks a quality signing for Die Club.

–          Braunschweig are struggling to get anything going but Frankfurt earned a much-needed win.

–          Hannover have been strong at home but have been gifted two wins, Schalke struggle again where they probably could have got something, even with 10 men.

–          Hertha Berlin have started nicely with seven points from nine, Hamburg are in real danger of spiralling downwards.

–          Bremen were stout against Dortmund but the quality prevailed. In honesty, they should have won more than 1-0.

 

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: SIDNEY SAM

Scored twice and looked tormenting every time he came forward, good to see Sam back on form. (I was tempted to give it Holzhauser but I’m not wanting to toot my own horn.)

 

TEAM OF THE WEEK: FSV MAINZ

They were excellent for a third game running, looking dangerous and solid at the same time for a change.

 

(Note: There has been a game, Freiburg vs Bayern, but it counts as week four so I’ll include it with next week’s update)

TBB’s 5 Bundesliga Thoughts: Week Two

1. Eintrach Braunschweih will fight until the end

Braunshweig were a brick wall on Sunday. Source: augburger.de

Although they did park the bus this past Sunday against Dortmund, which was to be expected, they went against every prediction of five plus goals by only losing 2-1 after a valiant defensive display. It took Jurgen Klopp to send on Jonas Hoffman (who was a game changer) to turn the tide because it didn’t look like BVB were going to score.

I’ll admit that I had Braunschweig down to be pummelled in this game but they proved me wrong. If they can improve their finishing and perform like this regularly, I’ll be one of those in their corner rooting for them to stay up.

 

2. Roberto Firmino showed his true class

Firmino (far left) was unplayable at times. Source: caughtoffside.com

While I’ve been harsh on Firmino before, like any good person it’s because I care. I felt that he was a very good player but he’d often hide in games, lose his form too easily and then just be a shadow of what he can produced.

He was a star in Hoffenheim’s 5-1 victory and he reminded me exactly why I used to love watching him play. Firmino had pace, trickery, the ability to know when to shoot and when to pass but most of all looked truly unstoppable. If he keeps this kind of form up, clubs will be sniffing around him come January.

 

3. Hamburg and Schalke have serious defensive issues

Schalke just couldn’t get to grips with Wolfsburg. Source: dw.de

Both these sides put on a terrific game of football last week in an enthralling 3-3 draw, but we all maybe should have read more into that. This past weekend, Hamburg were humbled 5-1 by Hoffenheim and Schalke were shell-shocked by Wolfsburg 4-0.

Those kinds of defeats are simply unacceptable for the size of these two clubs. Hamburg could be in a little bit of trouble, with their finances not being as excellent as they should be given their size and the lack of new blood. For Schalke, they have the talent but not the structure, too many goals are coming from set pieces. Both sides need to sort out their frailties and quickly.

 

4. Gladbach are a fun football club to watch in full swing

Kruse scored his first Gladbach goal. Source: 1asport.de

Perhaps the game against Bayern Munich had given us a glimpse of what Borussia Monchengladbach can do, but the Hannover match truly showed what an exciting outfit this club can be with the talent they possess.

When Raffael, Juan Arango, Patrick Hermann and Max Kruse were in full flow, it was a joy to watch as they used their combined pace, skill and pure talent to carve through Hannover at will. With subs like Branimir Hrgota and Amin Younes playing in the same style, Gladbach could be an intimidating foe for any side this season.

 

5. Werder Bremen have won both their games, which was unexpected

Augsburg were more than a challenge for Bremen but they managed to come out with the win. Source: br.de

But then again, it was against opposition that will be around the drop-zone this season. Augsburg put up a good test and probably deserved a point for their efforts but Bremen have got two wins with two goals and two clean sheets.

With many tipping Bremen to really struggle, it was vital they got off to the best start possible and to get points off those who will be in and around them. They come up against Dortmund at the weekend and if they take a point, it would have been a good start to a league campaign without Thomas Schaaf at the helm.

 

 

Quick Thoughts:

–          Hannover were run down by Gladbach this week. A home game against Schalke this week will test them again and whether they can reach their European goals

–          Stuttgart weren’t too bad against Leverkusen but they were impotent in attack. It’s an issue, Leverkusen pretty much cruised this one.

–          Wolfsburg should be delighted with their display, Gustavo made a superb debut.

–          Mainz just out-played Freiburg but it was a good game. Nickolai Muller is quickly becoming my favourite player to watch

–          Munich had a very dull game against Frankfurt which on another day could have been a draw. Warning signs for the champions.

–          Nuremburg did superbly to get back into the game against Hertha. It was a good encounter and Ginczek looks a really good signing for Die Club

 

PLAYER OF THE WEEK – ROBERTO FIRMINO

Easy this one, it was a quality display from the Brazilian.

 

TEAM OF THE WEEK – BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACH

It was close to being Hoffenheim, but Gladbach played some wonderful stuff.

Week 2 Preview

In these little previews each week I’ll look into two games of the weekend, one on Saturday and one on Sunday (when the Friday game returns, I’ll count that with Sunday since all those games will be televised) that I feel interests me the most and also take a look at any interesting news from the past week.

 

Saturday -Wolfsburg vs. Schalke 04

Hunterlaar was terrific as usual against Hamburg and he’ll be the main danger for Wolfsburg at the weekend. Source: Bundesliga

The two well-fancied sides face off this weekend having both had a less-than-stellar first game of the season. Wolfsburg lost against Hannover whilst also having two men sent-off and Schalke had to come back from behind three times against Hamburg to earn a point, so both will want to get a win under their belts quickly. Schalke did have their moments against Hamburg and do have the quality to win this game, especially with Wolfsburg losing Arnold and Klose. Wolfsburg will need more goals out of their front-line, the addition of Gustavo has helped but there’s more work to be done. I think Schalke should be fancied to take the win here.

 

Sunday – Nuremburg vs. Hertha Berlin

John Anthony Brooks earned praise from US manager Jurgen Klinsmann for his performance in the national side in midweek. Source: mls soccer

Two sides tipped to be in a potential scrap for relegation actually got off to good starts. Hertha managed a magnificent 6-1 victory against Frankfurt whilst Nuremburg came back from two goals down to earn a point away from home against Hoffenheim, where they could have had all three points in the dying moments. It’s going to be closely fought contest that will be a good win for one side to take this early on. Expect both to really go for this, Hertha on the crest of a wave after last week and Nuremburg fully understanding that this could be a good home win for them. If Die Club are to win, Daniel Ginczek has to come to the fore, or I could see Hertha managing to take the three points back to the capital.

 

Headline of the week – Luiz Gustavo leaves Bayern Munich for Wolfsburg

It’s the boost Wolfsburg needed and could be a catalyst for sending the club towards the European places. Source: Daily Mail

Wolfsburg pulled in the headlines this week by managing to sign Brazillian defensive midfielder Luis Gustavo from Bayern Munich. The reported fee varies from €15m to €20m but it is a record transfer fee for the club who managed to beat off interest from Arsenal and Napoli.

This is a huge boost for the Wolves, Gustavo is well-respected in the league as one of the better defensive midfielders around, both strong in the tackle and good at keeping possession. He might have been pushed out a deep Bayern squad but he’ll be adored at Wolfsburg, it’s a huge miss for someone like Arsenal who really could use his skills.

TBB’s 5 Bundesliga Thoughts: Week One

Here’s my new post that I’ll be doing every Tuesday after the weekend’s Bundesliga action. It’s not going to be a review of every game because that would take forever to produce and for people to read so, I’ll just make five points about the weekend. Highlights are on ITV4 and ESPN (or BT Sport, I’m not sure because I’m a Virgin customer) so if you haven’t already watch them or stick them on series record.

 

1.  Bayern Munich pulled up no trees but got the job done.

Ribery and Robben combined for a slick first goal of the Guardiola era. Source: dw.de

Pep Guardiola managed a 3-1 victory against Borussia Monchengladbach in his first Bundesliga game in charge of the champions, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Whilst they completely dominated possession and the score-line look comfortable, Gladbach caused problems and on another day it could have been much closer.

Frank Ribery was probably the best on the day but if not for Alvaro Dominguez’s double handball (the first wasn’t, the second was) it would have been a tight affair at the Allianz Arena. But Guardiola will be happy with the three points and look forward to Gotze and Thiago returning to the fold.

 

2. Aubameyang announced himself with a bang.

Aubameyang and Reus could be a potent paring. Source: i2.cdn.turner.com

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored a hat-trick in the Gabonese international’s first game in a Dortmund shirt and showed what some other big teams missed out on already. All three goals displayed his pace and ability to get around the back of defenders whilst also showing some tidy finishing in the 4-0 win.

Many will say it is one performance against a side tipped to struggle in FC Augsburg but it did take 60-odd minutes to grab the second, so it was a real test of character for the BVB squad. If he continues in this vein he and Borussia Dortmund will be entertaining to watch again this season.

 

3. Hertha absolutely blew Eintracht Frankfurt away.

Anthony Brooks celebrating his goal and his performance has earned him a call up to the US squad. Source: MLS Soccer

Well, many didn’t except this to happen in Hertha’s first game back in the big time. A huge 6-1 victory, that could have been more if it wasn’t for a mixture of the crossbar and Kevin Trapp, sent the Olympiastadion ballistic and the capital club can be proud of their performance.

Hajime Hosogai really controlled the ball and began most of their attacks, the defence stayed solid bar from one mistake whilst at the other end Adrian Ramos and Sami Allagui ran riot in front of goal. There’s no denying that Frankfurt were abysmal in defence and there will be difficult times ahead for Hertha, but they should savour this while they can.

 

4. Thriller in Gelsenkirchen as Schalke and Hamburg draw 3-3.

The Hunter was as deadly as ever this weekend. Source: Bundesliga

If you didn’t tune in to the late Sunday game, you missed a treat, a real end-to-end affair that ebbed and flowed in different directions, it was a real spectacle of football. Whilst the defending can be questioned, especially the marking in Schalke’s defence, the attacking play was wonderful to watch.

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar was magnificent, his first was an excellent strike, but overall Schalke will need to improve especially if Draxler’s injury keeps him out for any amount of time. Hamburg were better than many felt, with young players such as Max Beister, Jacques Zoua and Hakan Calhanoglu impressing and promising a better season this year.

 

5. I wouldn’t trust me, either.

Andreasson celebrating his goal. Source: sn-online.de

I know I predicted Wolfsburg to do well and yes, I said that Hannover would struggle but this is only the first game of the season, right? Any team would struggle with nine men and whilst Max Arnold’s challenge was poor (he’s since apologised, a lot), Timm Klose’s sending off was pure petulance.

It was a deserved victory for Hannover but a 2-0 win is not the best of results when your opponents are down two men. They will still have sterner tests to come, especially if they lose their main goal-threat in Mame Biram Diouf, but their goal of the Europa League is highly unlikely. Wolfsburg really need to cut out the immaturity or they’ll flop again this season.

 

QUICK THOUGHTS

–          Werder Bremen may have beat Eintracht Braunschweig but only just, it’ll be a long season for both.

–          Mainz pulled off a good result against Stuttgart; Nicolai Muller will be their main man this year.

–          Leverkusen won professionally against Freiburg, there are more exciting times to come for them

–          Hoffenheim have improved but old habits almost came to haunt them against Nuremburg. Both will have to improve to avoid any relegation talk.

 

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG

An excellent hat-trick and well deserved plaudits for a superb debut.

 

TEAM OF THE WEEK: HERTHA BERLIN

An astonishing display as they brushed last season’s surprise package Eintracht Frankfurt.

Bundesliga 2013/14: Bundesliga Predictions

Munich won it in 2012-13, can they repeat this season? Source: Sky Sports

The new season starts tomorrow with Bayern Munich facing off against Borussia Monchengladbach and I felt it was perfect time to do a few predictions for the season ahead. Feel free to comment and tell me your own predictions, here we go.

 

Champions – Bayern Munich

Kroos, Mandzukic and Muller will be crucial this season. Source: Bundesliga

As is everyone’s current favourites, I agree that Munich should win the title again this season. They ran away with everything last season and have only improved during the summer so another Bundesliga title should be coming to Bavaria.

However, I also think this is a double-edged sword. I think that if they don’t start well everything will crumble so they need to get off on the right foot and if they do they could win everything again. But there is too much quality in the squad to not pin them as favourites

 

Champions League – Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Schalke 04

Reus will be key again this season. Source: Bundesliga

Again, this is the same as last season and all these sides have moved forward in the summer with promising signings.

Dortmund have lost Gotze but Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan have added real pace to the squad that will trouble any team. Added with other stars Lewandowski, Reus and Gundogan, they should be much closer to Bayern this season but they will end up second.

Leverkusen have also moved on since losing Andre Schurrle and Dani Carvajal, gaining Heung Min Son, Giulio Donati and Robbie Kruse this summer. It will add youth to their squad that still has Lars Bender and Stefan Kiessling, the firepower will push them into Europe again.

Schalke have gone for youth this season, with Christian Clemens and Leon Goretzka joining Julian Draxler and Max Meyer in a midfield that looks exciting. Adam Szalai finally adds strong cover for Klass Jan Hunterlaar so if he is injured they aren’t crippled like last season.

 

Europa League – Borussia Monchengladbach, Vfb Stuttgart

Luuk de Jong needs to be more productive this season if Gladbach are to reach Europe. Source: Bundesliga

All but one of these sides made it to the Europa League last season, but I think these teams will be in the sister competition in Europe next season.

Gladbach have a year of experience now injected into their young side and look ready to fire on all cylinders. Luuk de Jong, Granit Xhaka, Patrick Hermann, Mark-Andre ter Stegen, Branimir Hrgota, Harvard Nordtveit, Max Kruse and Amin Younes will all play a part in what should be an exciting youthful team next season.

Stuttgart have made the most changes but it looks like they should be more competitive this season. They didn’t have enough options and they didn’t quite perform as hoped, but with players like Moritz Leitner and Marco Rojas joining Martin Harnik and Vedad Ibisevic, they should be more potent in attack.

 

Relegation – Eintracht Braunschweig, Werder Bremen

Robin Dutt has a huge job on his hands at Werder Bremen. Source: spox.com

Not many expect Braunshweig to stay up and unfortunately, I’m in that group too. They just don’t have enough to stay in the league and they will have to all put everything in each week to stand a chance. If they do, and I hope they do, they have a chance.

Bremen is the surprise team in here, as many predict it may be Hertha Berlin. But honestly, on last season and the summer, there hasn’t been anything positive from the club and they need to sort it out fast or they are down. There’s bits of quality but none performed last season bar loanee Kevin De Bruyne, they are in for a long season.

And if I was to predict the relegation play-off side, it would be Hertha Berlin but this year I think they can beat any side they would have to face from 2. Bundesliga.

 

The Surprise – Gladbach will almost make the Champions League

The fans at Borussia Park could be in for an exciting season. Source: Bild.de

This is the team I’m most looking forward to seeing progress this season, Lucien Favre has created a young side that look set to go into this campaign with no fear and I think they could really push the established four above.

The only reason I won’t go riskier and say they make the Champions League is that I think those above them (Bayern, Dortmund, Leverkusen, Schalke) have also improved but they have enough quality to really fight and be there if anyone slips up.

 

The Disappointment – Hannover will struggle this season

Mame Biram Diouf is a little overhyped and will need to produce again this season. Source: Bundesliga

For a club I admire, it could be a nervy season for Hannover. They have lost quite a few useful players that they haven’t replaced and missed out on transfers they would have liked to bring in, such as Johan Djourou.

I’m not in the Mame Biram Diouf fan club that’s sprung up and I feel he’ll have a down season and that’s my biggest worry. With Dider Ya Konan not producing as much as he used to, they could find it difficult in front of goal and they could lose a lot of games 1-0. I hope I’m wrong, but I believe Bittencourt will at least be a bright light for the club.

Player of the Year – Ilkay Gundogan

Ilkay Gundogan is in for a big season, he might be Dortmund’s most important player. Source: Bundesliga

Many will pick a Bayern player for this award this season, but I’m going for a little Dortmund midfielder. Gundogan was excellent last season, both in Germany and Europe, confident in possession, reading the game superbly and being a consistent workhorse in every game.

This season, he will continue this and score some added goals as he’s occasionally pushed up to the CAM spot. I hope he gets the recognition he deserves, whilst at the same time remain at Dormund come next summer.

Young Player of the Year – Julian Draxler

Draxler could have another superstar season, could it spark a frenzy next summer? Source: goal.com

I was going to pick someone more out of the blue, like Heung Min Son, Leon Goretzka or Max Meyer, but it’ll be Draxler who will be the name on everyone’s lips again in May after he dazzles us again.

He’s a wonderful footballer, comfortable on the ball whilst possessing the size to pluck the ball out the air with his chest like a striker and he’s even started to score goals. He was my favourite player to watch last season and he’ll continue to amaze this season.

Bundesliga 2013/14: The One’s To Watch

Draxler was a real stand-out player last season, which of these will follow his example? Source: goal.com

With the new season just a day away, here is a look at players to keep an eye out for this 2013/14 season. I’ll go through every club, pulling out a player I think could have a big season for their club whether they are well known or a bit of a mystery, enjoy.

 

Thiago Alcantara – Bayern Munich

Thiago must impress this season, more pressure than any on this list. Source: worldsoccertalk.com

The young Spaniard got his move away from Barcelona to get more game time, he now has to prove the outlay with the German champions. After a sensational performance in the U21 European Championships and his known prowess as a bit-part player at the Catalan club, many were purring at the idea of Thiago joining a stacked Bayern Munich.

But a poor performance in the Supercup and Guardiola regularly starting him in-front of the defence has people questioning whether the 22-year-old is the right fit in Bavaria. There is a hell of a lot of talent there, he’s quick, great with his feet and an excellent eye for a pass, but could the bright lights of the Allianz Arena become a burden? It will be an interesting season to see how he grows.

Keep an eye out for: Mario Gotze, Pierre Højbjerg

 

Pierre Emerick Aubameyang – Borussia Dortmund

Aubameyang (left) with Klopp and other new signings Sokratis (middle-left) and Mkhitaryan (right) Source: tumblr.com

Dortmund’s new Gabonese international forward comes with a big reputation and the promise of adding even more pace to the attack. With him and Armenian Henrikh Mkhitaryan in to help heal the wounds of Mario Gotze’s departure and the former Saint-Etienne player possibly being the long term replacement for Robert Lewandowski.

The 24-year-old possesses incredible speed, he’s faster than Usain Bolt’s world record attempt over the first 30 metres, and can use it to decimate a defence. He’s a good finisher, scoring 19 goals in Ligue 1 last season, but he does waste chance which must sound hard to believe. If he improves again, watch out because Dortmund will have some footballer on their hands.

Keep an eye out for: Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Sokratis Papastathopoulos

 

Emre Can – Bayer Leverkusen

Emre Can in pre-season with Bayern Munich. Source: bleacherreport.com

Last season Leverkusen were very close to catching Dotmund in second place and whilst they’ve lost Andre Schurrle, they’ve added good, young players to their squad that could help them push the teams above. One addition that looks promising is 19-year-old former Munich midfielder Emre Can.

Used in the final stages of last season, Can looked solid on the ball and willing to get forward but will struggle with the talent-ridden Munich midfield so has been allowed to join Leverkusen. Joining Simon Rolfes and Lars Bender in midfield, he can add to that solid base and help create chances for their wingers and Stefan Kiessling. There is a buy-back clause but with the amount of midfielders at Bayern he could become a star at Leverkusen.

Keep an eye out for: Heung Min Son, Giulio Donati

 

Leon Goretzka – Schalke 04

It’ll be exciting to see Goretzka’s development in this young midfield. Source: Bundesliga

Schalke have reinforced after only just making the Champions League places last season with an influx of youth. The one that is of most promise is 18-year-old Leon Goretzka, formerly of Bochum who many see as possibly their next big star.

I’ll be honest that I’ve not seen him in a full game so far but in pre-season he’s both created and scored some wonderful goals, he looks like he will slot in nicely with other young midfielders Max Meyer, Julian Draxler and other summer signing Christian Clemens. He plays as a deeper midfielder than most youngsters that have come through (Gotze, Reus, Draxler, Holtby being more CAM’s) and could an added dimension in future national team squads and this exciting young Schalke side.

Keep an eye out for: Julian Draxler, Max Meyer, Christian Clemens

 

Matthias Ginter – SC Freiburg

Ginter is a target for Arsenal but Freiburg expect him to stay at least for this season. Source: theelastico.com

The surprise team of the season Freiburg have seen a lot of talent leave the Black Forest club this season, with Jan Rosenthal, Max Kruse and Daniel Caliguri all going to pastures new. But the club have a new reputation of finding footballers through their recently-built academy and Matthias Ginter is the newest starlet.

The versatile 19-year-old can play in both defence and in midfield, being deployed in both positions last season. The German was a striker in his younger days but his excellent reading of the game and his strength had convinced Christian Streich to play him as a defensive midfielder. He will be key if Freiburg are to continue their recent success, but there is interest from Arsenal in Ginter.

Keep an eye out for: Felix Kraus, Jonathan Schmid

 

Marc Stendera – Eintracht Frankfurt

Stendera may have to share game time with Frankfurt favourite Alexander Meier. Source: igol.pl

After a terrific season last year for Frankfurt with their free-flowing football, realistic goals of mid-table should be achievable this season. One of their bright lights at the end of the season was 17-year-old Marc Stendera, who played in five of their last seven game in 2012-13.

Having a debut in the Bundesliga against Bayern Munich is a true baptism of fire but Stendera showed no fear and impressed in those final few games. He keeps the ball well, doesn’t panic but needs to keep improving his passing range to compete with the other good German CAM’s on the national stage.

Keep an eye out for: Kevin Trapp, Sebastian Jung, Sebastian Rode, Takashi Inui, Joselu

 

Hakan Calhanoglu – Hamburg SV

Calhanoglu celebrating promotion with Karlsruher. Source: spox.com

Hamburg had a very up and down campaign, where they look both like Champions League contenders and like they should be in mid-table obscurity. They will be aiming for the former this season, although any European football will do, and someone who may get games this campaign is Turkish-German attacking midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu.

The 19-year-old was out on loan at former club Karlsruher SC in 3. Liga, where he scored 17 goals in 36 appearances and aims to make the big step-up this year. His playing time may be limited behind Rafael van der Vaart, but he may play out wide after Heung Min Son’s departure. He also declined an U21’s call-up this week as he looks to be opting to play for Turkey.

Keep an eye out for: Jacques Zoua, Milan Badelj

 

Branimir Hrgota – Borussia Monchengladbach

Hrgota will get more chances this season after departures. Source: ruhrnachrichten.de

With Gladbach declining a little after the departure of Marco Reus, they look to youth again this season to lift the club back to Europe. One player to keep an eye on this season will be Swede Branimir Hrgota.

His hat-trick on his first start against Mainz last season displayed how good the 20-year-old forward can be and with Mike Hanke and Igor de Camargo seeking pastures new, he could see more game time this season. Quick and with great ability to finish, he can help back up Luuk De Jong but he may also be rotated out wide and behind the front man.

Keep an eye out for: Amin Younes, Max Kruse, Granit Xhaka, Tony Jantshke

 

Leonardo Bittencourt – Hannover 96

 

Bittencourt couldn’t force himself in the BVB side but will get a chance at Hannover. Source: e0.365dm.com

19-year-old Leonardo Bittencourt had found it hard to break into the Dortmund side last season and will get his chance with mid-table side Hannover 96. They had a poorer season than their last two, where they managed to qualify for the Europa League, and Mirko Slomka’s men will hope Bittencourt will lift them again.

He’s a creative little midfielder, who played in Dortmund’s final five games , creating and scoring once in that period. He is excellent on the ball and will help a Hannover side that need someone with an added spark in their squad.

Keep an eye out for: Edgar Prib

 

Daniel Ginczek – FC Nuremburg

 

Ginczek was superb last season for St Pauli. Source: e0.365dm.com

Another young player who has left Dormund this season is Daniel Ginczek, the 22-year-old who has decided to sign for FC Nuremburg. He finished second in the top scorer rankings in 2. Bundesliga last season whilst on loan at St. Pauli and will look to bring that kind of form to the Bundesliga.

Nuremburg finished with four losses then two wins and the club will look to cement a better position sooner this season. Ginczek is tall at 6”2 but is also very good with his feet and could be a great asset to Der Club this campaign, who needed more firepower.

Keep an eye out for: Alexander Esswein, Hiroshi Kiyotake

 

Maximilian Arnold – Wolfsburg

 

Arnold looked very impressive at the end of last season. Source: Bundesliga

After another disappointing season for the 2008-09 champions the squad looks to qualifying for Europe again. But, there was one shining light by the end of the season, which was the introduction of 19-year-old midfielder Maximilian Arnold.

Playing the last few games of the season, the young German managed to score three times for the Wolves and gain many admirers on the way. He’s a good overall midfielder who keeps possession well and seems to have an eye for goal, his progression this campaign will be good to watch and could help Wolfsburg return to European contention.

Keep an eye out for: Daniel Caligiuri, Ricardo Rodriguez

 

Marco Rojas – Vfb Stuttgart

Rojas had been looked at by other European clubs, but he will play for Stuttgart next season. Source: foxsports.com.au

Vfb Stuttgart underperformed again last season but have gone out this summer, reinforced and plan on a siege to get themselves back into European contention. An exciting addition that could go either way is 21-year-old New Zealand international Marco Rojas.

The winger has impressed in Australia for Melbourne Victory, scoring 15 goals in 27 games last season and has finally got his move to Europe. He’s got good feet and speed but it’s always a risk, he’s been good in an average league and this will be a big step up. If he can make that step up, he could be very fun to watch next season.

Keep an eye out for: Moritz Leitner, Daniel Schwaab, Sercan Sararer

 

Shawn Parker – FSV Mainz

Parker needs to calm down and score more this season, but the talent is there. Source: bild.de

With top scorer Adam Szalai leaving for Schalke, it will be partly up to 20-year-old German-American Shawn Parker to pick up the scoring responsibility. The club dramatically faded last season and they will need big contributions from their players to stay far away from relegation.

Parker possess good pace but poor discipline, holding the infamous record of the most red cards in the fewest games, two within his first seven games. Having only scored twice for the club, he needs to also improve his finishing and then develop a good partnership with new acquisitions Shinji Okazaki and Dani Schahin.

Keep an eye out for: Park Jo Hoo, Shinji Okazaki

 

Luca Caldirola – Werder Bremen

Caldirola was impressive when leading Italy’s U21 side this summer. Source: Bundesliga

Werder Bremen were simply awful last season, with Kevin De Bruyne being the only bright spark in their dreadful campaign. They need to be much more solid this season and play much better football, one good signing in that respect is Luca Caldirola.

The captain of Italy’s U21 side who managed to get all the way to the final was a major part of a side who conceded once on their way to the final (they did concede four in the final, though). Hopefully he can bring some steel and belief in the Bremen back line, or they could be in for a long season.

Keep an eye out for: Nils Petersen

 

Halil Altintop – FC Augsburg

It’s good to see one of the Altintop brothers back in the Bundesliga. Source: Spox.com

Markus Weinzierl performed a small miracle last season and kept Augsburg in the Bundesliga and this season needed to reinforce to keep up that momentum. Whilst he hasn’t been able to sign either of the two Korean loanee’s he has secured the signature of former Bundesliga favourite Halil Altintop.

The former Kaiserslautern, Schalke and Frankfurt winger returns after two seasons in his homeland with Trabzonspor to add some much needed experience to Augsburg. He’s lost a little pace but he’s still very creative and hard-working, he will be key in helping Augsburg stay up for a third season running.

Keep an eye out for: Rafael Holzhauser, Panagiotis Vlachodmis

 

Kevin Volland – Hoffenheim

Many still believe Volland has the talent to crack the national side. Source: Bundesliga

Hoffenheim just managed to save themselves from relegation after beating Kaiserslautern in the relegation play-offs and they need to be better this campaign. One player they will pin their hopes on will be young German forward Kevin Volland.

Despite only scoring six times in 31 appearances, he created 12 for his team-mates and made strides at the end of the season that contributed to the club remaining in the Bundesliga. He’s been hyped a lot in Germany and he has quality, he finds space well behind defenders and runs the channels well, in a more settled side he may be very productive this season.

Keep an eye out for: Anthony Modeste, Roberto Firmino

 

Alexander Baumjohann – Hertha Berlin

Baumjohann was superb at Kaiserslautern last campaign. Source: Bundesliga

Baumjohann is a well-travelled player, having spells at Gladbach, Munich and Schalke before having a good season with Kaiserslautern last campaign. He’s someone I thought looked like a good, useful player and he gets another crack at the Bundesliga at 26 with promoted side Hertha Berlin.

The German made 11 assists last season, behind new team-mate Ronny, and was a major part in why Kaiserslautern almost made the Bundesliga themselves. He’s a good keeper of possession, good positioning, strong and an eye for the killer pass. He will add to Hertha’s squad that will be fighting to stay in the Bundesliga this season.

Keep an eye out for: Pierre-Michel Lasogga, Anthony Brooks

 

Domi Kumbela – Eintrach Braunshweig

Can Kumbela finally make the step up? Source: Bundesliga

Braunschweig are highly fancied to go straight back down and they may need something heroic to keep them in the Bundesliga this season. One man they should be able to rely on is last season’s top scorer Domi Kumbela.

The 29-year-old DR Congolese footballer finally has his chance to impress in the big league after travelling around the lower clubs in Germany since 2001. 19 goals last season showed his predatory instincts and him firing on all cylinders will only help Braunshweig’s cause.

Keep an eye out for: Torsten Oehrl

Bundesliga 2013/14: The Promoted Clubs

Hertha boss Jos Luhukay has kept a club in the Bundesliga before, can he do it again? Source: augsburger-allgemeine.de

With the new season fast approaching over the next week and a half I’m going to do a few posts leading up to the start of the league campaign on August 9. I thought I’d start by  taking a look at the two clubs that have been promoted to the Bundesliga this past season, their transfer activity, their danger men and whether they are good enough to stay up.

 

Hertha Berlin

Ronny will be key to Hertha’s chances of staying up. Source: goal.com

The capital club return back to the Bundesliga after a season away but two relegations from the top-flight in three seasons still live fresh in the memory of Hertha fans who will just want to stay up this campaign.

They picked themselves up from the relegation play-off loss to Fortuna Dusseldorf last season to run away with the 2. Bundesliga title, managing to only lose two matches all season. They also were both the most prolific attack with 65 goals and the meanest defence with only 28 goals conceded.

However, the Bundesliga is a big step-up in competition and if they are to stay up they will need a better second half of the season than in 2011-12, where they managed just 11 points out of a possible 51 after the winter break.

They will be heavily reliant on their Brazilian attacking midfielder Ronny, who last season top scored for the club with 18 and assisted with another 12, a league best. Signings such as former Schalke midfielder Alexander Baumjohann, who managed 11 assists with Kaiserslautern last season, will help increase Berlin’s options to try and find goals this campaign, whilst the capture of Leverkusen utility man Hajime Hosogai will help add to their defence that was so impressive last season.

Manager Jos Luhukay managed to get FC Augsburg promoted in 2010-11 and kept them up, so Hertha at least have someone with that experience to help them this time. It’s not going to be easy, but they have a much more stable set-up than in previous years.

 

Eintracht Braunschweig

Braunshweig need Kumbela fit and firing quickly if they are to give it a go this season. Source: Bundesliga

Braunschweig return to the Bundesliga after a 28 year absence in hope that whilst they may realistically only spend one season back in the division, they are determined to do it with people believing they played the right way.

Last season they managed to claim the second spot in 2. Bundesliga behind Hertha by nine points but also above third place Kaiserslautern by nine points. They got off to an outstanding start by going unbeaten for 14 games before losing to Energie Cottbus and if that could be replicated this season the club would be in dream land.

The club tried to bring in as much Bundesliga experience as they could, with Marco Caligiuri signing from Mainz and Torsten Oehrl from Augsburg, but the club hope most that last season’s 19-goal 2. Bundesliga top scorer Dominick Kumbela can return to full fitness soon after surgery on a thigh injury in May.

A familiar name to English fans has also joined the Lower Saxony club, with former Norwich player Simeon Jackson coming in to replace the injured DR Congolese striker. The Canadian international would like to perform better in Germany than he did in the Premier League, where he managed only four goals in two seasons.

Eintracht Braunshweig’s manager Torsten Lieberknecht has managed to pull the club up from the 3^rd division all the way back to the big time and he believes that anything above playing well will be a bonus. When asked what were the club’s targets this season, he said: “We want to be a team who are appreciated for the way we play – win or lose.” And I think that’s a great philosophy to go by, but winning would be nice too.

DFL-Supercup: Dortmund victorious over Guardiola’s Bayern

Weidenfeller lifting the cup after a 4-2 win at the Signal Iduna Park. Source: The Bundesliga

Borussia Dortmund claimed a psychological edge and the first silverware of the season after defeating Bayern Munich 4-2 in the DFL-Supercup, the German equivalent to the Community Shield.

Marco Reus gave Der BVB the lead at half time before Arjen Robben levelled things just after the break. Then an own goal from Daniel Van Buyten and a finish from Ilkay Gundogan inside 4 minutes gave Dortmund a comfortable 3-1 lead. Robben added to his tally after a good turn and shot made things 3-2 before Reus finished proceedings with an easy tap-in after good work from substitute Pierre Emerick Aubameyang.

Reus was clinical in the Supercup, his two goals crucial to the victory. Source: Eurosport

Jurgen Klopp will be delighted to have won the first test against his new opponent in the dugout Pep Guardiola, who said afterwards he felt his side played better throughout. There were a few players missing through injury (Piszczek, Mkhitaryan for BVB, Ribery, Gotze for Bayern) on both sides but there was plenty of quality on show during the contest.

Marco Reus has to take some of the plaudits for his top display that included two goals, also excellent performances from Nuri Sahin keeping possession in midfield and Ilkay Gundogan performing well in the CAM role left by Mario Gotze. However, the defensive mistakes of last season are still rearing their ugly head and need to be sorted before the league campaign begins.

Guardiola said his team were “the better side” but mistakes were made. Source: ITV

There were positives for Bayern too, with Robben managing to grab two goals and Phillip Lahm continuing his unstoppable form from last year to assist him twice. But there were negatives, with Thiago losing the ball often in the deep-lying midfield role and Guardiola sending on Dante to play just behind the striker with five minutes to go looking like an odd decision with so many options.

It’s obviously not an indication on the whole season but it will be a boost for Dortmund after hearing about a possible Bayern dynasty on the horizon all summer. It also will hopefully be a wake-up call to Guardiola that this season may not be as easy as it first seemed.