Last season’s Bundesliga provided a story for the ages and one which was as deserved as it was impressive.
When Bayer Leverkusen won their first ever top flight title, they did so with a style and a swagger which you couldn’t help but admire.
Bundesliga 2024 highlights galore, character galore, commitment galore and a complete domestic season unbeaten, culminating in a league and cup double – a combination which this Sbotop writer waxed lyrical about.
Yet such was the benchmark set by Xabi Alonso and his players last term, that any slight hiccup this term has been described as a setback and appears to be blown up more than it is.
To me, though, they remain the only side who could possibly give the mighty Bavarians of Bayern Munich a run for their money this season.
Champions for 11 years on the spin until Leverkusen came along, they may have drawn more than they would have liked, but have still only been defeated once in their first 12 league games and their 2-1 success at Union Berlin on Saturday kept them on the fringes of the pacesetters.
From a delightful Florian Wirtz delivery, Patrik Schick used his chest to force the ball over the line in the 71st minute for his 48th goal in his 100th Bundesliga appearance for the club. A clinical display in the German capital inflicted a first home defeat on Union Berlin in six months, secured a 2-1 win and extended their unbeaten run away from home to 23 games – you can watch the highlights here!
If that was important, what was going on at the same time in the contest between RB Leipzig and Wolfsburg was a shock. I’d pondered earlier in the week just how long the Saxony club could keep punching above their weight but I wasn’t expecting them to be two goals behind at home after just five minutes.
They never recovered as Wolfsburg added a third inside 16 minutes and went onto romp to a 5-1 triumph that showcased their clinical attack and aggressive defending.
Under the management of Ralph Hasenhüttl, who did such a good job at Southampton in the Premier League, Wolfsburg are up to seventh. Mohamed Amoura opened the scoring when he poked home a Ridle Baku cross and, almost immediately, Tiago Tomás doubled the lead with a deflected long-range effort. When Amoura struck again, firing through Péter Gulácsi’s legs to make it 3-0, it was effectively over. The Algerian forward’s pace and clinical finishing had not only set the tone for the victory but caused constant problems for the home defence throughout. Joakim Mæhle and substitute Kevin Behrens completed the rout in the second period with Leipzig’s only bright moment coming from Willi Orbán’s 82nd minute consolation.
Until those two games, the most notable moment of the weekend had come on Friday night when last season’s Bundesliga 2 champions, St Pauli, climbed out of the bottom three with a 3-1 home victory over Holstein Kiel.
It was a display which will give them hope of pulling clear of the relegation places and also saw them score their first home goals of the season.
Of course, as far as the Bundesliga 2024 betting odds were concerned, only one match was taking centre stage this weekend and that was Der Klassiker.
A must-win contest for Borussia Dortmund against clear leaders Bayern – a fixture dominated by Bayern over the past three decades with 45 wins to 20 and a further 17 draws.
This one saw the honours shared too as Bayern preserved their unbeaten start to the league season with a late equaliser.
Jamal Musiala rescued them five minutes from time to cancel out Jamie Gittens’ superb solo effort midway through the first half when the England under-21 international turned past Bayern right-back Konrad Laimer and drove into the penalty area before fizzing a shot beyond Manuel Neuer.
It looked set to secure a surprise home win until Musiala headed home a cross from substitute Michael Olise for his sixth goal in 10 league matches this term.
Bayern did lose England captain Harry Kane to a possible leg injury before the break but the club hopes it’s not serious.
A word for Neuer who was appearing in his 512th Bundesliga game, drawing level with retired goalkeeping counterpart Uli Stein in the all-time rankings.
He is aiming for a 12th Bundesliga title this season.
Second placed Eintracht Frankfurt are in action on Sunday as another compelling few weekend in Germany’s top flight continues.
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