by Brian Sanders
After another long and wrestles international break the meaning of life has returned to our loving arms. Lets look at the matches that are the talk of the Bundesliga.
Borussia Dortmund has not lost to Hertha Berlin since 2013. While the capital club has made a fantastic start to the 2016-17 season they have only faced Bayern of the ‘big’ sides and now face a stretch of difficult matches.
Borussia Dortmund are only four points back of champions Bayern but there is a chance to start to gain momentum. A match against Berlin would serve as a true barometer reading of the black and yellow’s season and the fact that Thomas Tuchel has to really balance the team with so many injuries this is a real litmus test of this maturing BVB side.
Bayern Munich is always going to be talked about as they are the champions of 25 of the last 40 Bundesliga seasons. Even under Carlo Ancelotti there are signs that the squad is not its form that was seen the previous four seasons under Jupp Heynkes and Pep Guardiola when the league was won at a canter. That doesn’t mean this isn’t a still deadly team.
Eintracht Frankfurt is an anomaly. Any out and out positive comments on in this blog are a bit of the writer’s fan boy coming out. Fact is though Niko Kovac has gotten his team to believe in his philosophy and so far it has got them to survive relegation and start the season strong even with no money to spend.
A surprising pick for a match to watch is Freiburg and Hoffenheim. Freiburg has a 100% record at home in the Bundesliga this season. So far showing they belong at this stage their attacking philosophy makes them a popular team to watch.
Hoffenheim has been shaky at defense but it is only because they are going for goal so strongly. They have been an interesting team to watch in due part to the fact that they can seem to find the back of the net in addition to not keeping them out.
El Plastico in Germany usually refers to when any of the ‘plastic clubs’ face each other. Wolfsburg has been a big spender and despite being backed by Volkswagen they have not gotten off to the sort of start they were looking for. Big signing Mario Gomez has been a disappointment with zero goals in five matches.
RB Leipzig will be a talking point with everyone club as they are a different breed of team. The Wolves and Bayer were set up by their companies as clubs for the factory workers and Hoffenheim as a playtoy of a billionaire who got them up from the very bottom of the pyramid. With the Red Bull money Leipzig have gotten here by out spending all in their way. But now at the big table new manager Ralph Hassenhutel has them playing an attractive game and look a decent shot for the European places now.
Bundesliga on Fox
Friday is one of the pick of the week. Hertha Berlin and Borussia Dortmund look to fight it out to see who will be standing in 2nd place in the Bundesliga on FS1.
Saturday early slate has Eintracht Frankfurt hosting Bayern Munich on FS1, Borussia Monchengladbach hosts struggling HSV on FS2, and Augsburg hosts Schalke on FSP.
Saturday Topspiel is Bayer Leverkusen and Werder Bremen on Fox
Sunday doubleheader starts off with local tussle of Darmstadt and Mainz on FS1 then Wolfsburg and Leipzig on FS2.
