Another record-breaking week in the Bundesliga for Europe’s most prolific marksman; an entertaining basement battle and a show of strength from Bayer Leverkusen.
What caught your eye during the weekend’s Bundesliga highlights?
These three moments grabbed my attention.
Friday night is Jurgen’s night
This was the first-ever Bundesliga clash between Hertha Berlin and newly promoted Greuther Fürth, becoming the 933rd different fixture between teams in the German top flight.
A Friday night early-season relegation scrap in which Hertha recovered from going a goal behind, where fans paid €20 for a seat and had to show proof of double vaccination at the turnstile.
Germany’s authorities ensured they were the first major league to resume last year following the pandemic, while still maintaining health and safety standards.
Their footballing authorities have also advocated, successfully, the introduction of safe standing.
And here was another initiative they like to promote – Friday night football.
Branimir Hrgota converted from the penalty spot after Jeremy Dudziak was felled in the box to give Furth the lead.
Shortly afterwards, Hertha coach Pal Dardai responded by bringing on summer signing Jurgen Ekkelenkamp for his league debut and the move paid off instantly.
Seconds after entering the fray, the midfielder headed in the equaliser from Marton Dardai’s corner.
He then completed a dream Bundesliga debut as fellow substitute Marco Richter delivered a pinpoint cross for Ekkelenkamp whose pressure forced Furth defender Maximilian Bauer into conceding an own goal that sealed Hertha’s second win of the season.
Leipzig face familiar flaws
RB Leipzig remain in the bottom half of the table early on this term.
The fact they conceded six goals in Europe in midweek and still have only one win so far this term perhaps should not come as a surprise though.
This is, after all, a club that constantly has had to sell its best players in recent years and also lost its promising young manager this summer.
The rich are certainly getting richer as far as the champions are concerned.
Leipzig displayed character to come back in a 1-1 draw at Freiburg but couldn’t return home with all three points.
10-man Leverkusen are resolute
Robert Andrich had a mixed afternoon.
He opened the scoring after only two minutes at Stuttgart and then, after watching team-mate Patrick Schick double the lead, was sent-off just after the half hour for catching Tanguy Coulibay high on the knee – a yellow card upgraded to a red after VAR intervened.
They looked to be up against it when Orel Mangala reduced the arrears shortly afterwards but Leverkusen had a promising teenager in their ranks and that paid dividends.
Florian Wirtz had already set up Schick’s goal when he surged forward and restored Leverkusen’s two-goal advantage 20 minutes from the end.
He has now scored in three straight Bundesliga games for the first time in his career. Three goals and four assists this season puts him behind only Borussia Dortmund whizz Erling Haaland for goal contributions this term.
Another landmark as Bayern blitz Bochum
Collectively, Bayern have enjoyed their matches against Bochum.
In their last 10 league games dating back to 2004 they have an advantage of 26-10, winning eight and drawing the other two encounters.
Throw in three German Cup triumphs and it’s easier to see why newly promoted Bochum – playing Bayern in the top flight for the first time in over a decade – could have been dreading their visit to the Allianz Arena.
To their credit Bochum have battled in many of those games and sometimes only been narrowly defeated.
Not so this weekend as the German champions flexed their muscles and their main man created history.
Perhaps the only surprise was that Robert Lewandowski only scored one of his the Bavarian’s seven goals.
Bayern have won each of their last seven competitive outings, scoring 33 goals in the process, and the defending Bundesliga champions are also unbeaten in their last 30 games at the Allianz Arena.
By contrast, this was an unwanted club record Bundesliga defeat for Bochum.
It’s known they will be involved in a relegation battle this term.
At the other end, it already looks like the challengers are again playing for the second spot in the title race.
Quite a week after they put three past Barcelona in the Champions League in midweek.
The SBOTOP Bundesliga betting odds make them overwhelming favourites.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
