Bundesliga Matchday 3 preview: Surprises galore

Few could have expected that we would leave matchday two with just two teams with a 100 percent record. Fewer still could have predicted the two who hold that distinction.

Hoffenheim ended Bayern Munich’s 23-match winning streak in all competitions with authority while FC Augsburg surprised Borussia Dortmund.

At the other end of the table, both Schalke and Mainz have decided to make changes with their managers. Meanwhile, Union pick up a keeping familiar to their opponents on Friday. That and more as we preview matchday three. 

(All times US Central time on ESPN+ unless stated)

FC UNION BERLIN vs. MAINZ 05 (Friday at 1:30pm):

Loris Karius joins Union on loan from Liverpool, but may have to wait to make his debut with Die Eisernen after Andres Luthe performed well in last week’s draw at Borussia Mönchengladbach. Karius, who played 91 times with Mainz, is not the only Liverpool loanee at Union. Taiwo Awoniyi also impressed last week and looks set to keep his place in the lineup. 

Achim Beierlorzer was shown the door after a 4-1 home loss to VfB Stuttgart last weekend. Jan-Moritz Lichte has taken over in an attempt to right the ship. The 05ers will at least hope to avoid a repeat of last season that saw them open with three straight losses. He will have to start without Moussa Niakhate who was sent off against Stuttgart.

BORUSSIA DORTMUND vs. SC FREIBURG (Saturday at 8:30am)

It’s back-to-back losses for BVB after losing at Augsburg on Saturday and then Wednesday’s German Supercup to Bayern, 3-2. Keeper Roman Burki is expected to start despite a chest infection. Jadon Sancho is also hoping to return to full fitness. On Thursday, Dortmund were drawn into Group F of the Champions League with Zenit St. Petersburg, Lazio, and Club Brugge. 

Freiburg are coming off a 1-1 draw with Wolfsburg on Sunday in a match that could have gone either way. Nils Petersen already has a pair of goals and an assist for Die Breisgauer. Baptiste Santamaria was also impressive last Sunday, though unlucky not to score. Freiburg have never started a season with at least six points in their first three matches in the top flight, a win will do just that. It would also break a streak of 18 matches winless against Dortmund.

EINTRACHT FRANKFURT vs. TSG HOFFENHEIM (Saturday at 8:30am)

Die Adler went to Hertha Berlin last Friday and took all three points. Andre Silva now has ten goals from his last 12 league matches. However, Filip Kostic will miss this match due to a knee injury. Steven Zuber is expected to take his place. Keeper Andre Schubert has arrived from Schalke, though is expected to be on the bench with Kevin Trapp retaining his place. Frankfurt has won their last four against Hoffenheim. 

All eyes on what Sebastian Hoeness’s side after their impressive 4-1 win last Sunday over Bayern. The result puts them at the top of the table on goals scored over Augsburg. Andrej Kramaric is already on five goals this season after a brace last Sunday. However, the first goalscorer from last Sunday, Ermin Bicakcic will be out for the foreseeable future after a cruciate ligament and meniscus tear. 

FC COLOGNE vs. BORUSSIA MÖNCHENGLADBACH (Saturday at 8:30am)

It’s the Rhineland Derby and the Billy Goats are one of three teams yet to pick up a point this season after losses to Hoffenheim and Arminia Bielefeld. Jonas Hector faces a late fitness test after missing out last Saturday. Cologne are winless in their last 12 league matches dating back to the first Geisterspiel against Gladbach and the last match before last season was postponed.

Gladbach has also been slow out of the blocks and were held last week at home by Union Berlin. They will need Marucs Thuram and Alassane Plea back on form in order to get their campaign back on track which includes the Champions League this year. They were drawn into  Group B with Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Inter Milan.

WERDER BREMEN vs. ARMINIA BIELEFELD (Saturday at 8:30am)

Niclas Fullkrug got a hat trick in the Green-Whites’ 3-1 win at Schalke. Josh Sargent is still looking for his first on the season. Bremen are also looking to improve their form at the Weser-Stadion where they have won just once in their last 16 in the Bundesliga. That win came on the final day of the 2019-20 season against Cologne. 

Bielefeld are a lofty sixth after drawing Frankfurt and then defeating Cologne. Joan Simun Edmundsson, the first Bundesliga player from the Faroe Islands, scored the game’s only goal last Saturday at the Schuco Stadion. Sergio Cordova could still start with Edmundsson on the bench.  

VfB STUTTGART vs. BAYER LEVERKUSEN (Saturday at 8:30am)

Pellegrino Matarazzo’s side bounced back from an opening loss to down Mainz, 4-1, last Saturday. Silas Wamangituka and Sasa Kalajdzic each took their season tallies to two goals in as many games, while last season’s 14-goal top scorer Nicolas Gonzalez is out with a thigh injury. Pascal Stenzel is suspended and Konstantinos Mavropanos is expected to slot into the three-man defense. 

Die Werkself has opened with two draws, though the second of those draws was against RB Leipzig. Kerem Demirbay has scored the only goal for Leverkusen thus far. They lost 22 goals worth in the over the summer with Kai Havertz going to Chelsea and Kevin Volland going to Monaco. Leon Bailey is available for selection again. 

RB LEIPZIG vs. SCHALKE (Saturday at 11:30am)

RB Leipzig will be looking to bounce back from that draw to Leverkusen. Center back Dayot Upamecano has extended his contract through 2023 in Saxony. Yussuf Poulsen and Hwang Hee-Chan are dealing with thigh and hip issues, respectively. However, Alexander Sorloth has arrived from Crystal Palace. Leipzig, last year’s Champions League semifinalist, have been drawn into Group H with PSG, Manchester United, and Istanbul Basaksehir. 

David Wagner is out at Schalke after the Royal Blues extended their winless streak to 18 after a loss to Bremen. Manuel Baum has taken over with Naldo has his Number Two. Sebastian Rudy looks to return to central midfield after being played as a right back this season. As mentioned, Markus Schubert has left for Frankfurt, but coming the other way from Frankfurt is Frederik Ronnow to challenge Ralf Fahrmann.

VfL WOLFSBURG vs. FC AUGSBURG (Sunday at 8:30am)

Wolfsburg are looking to bounce back after Europa League playoff defeat to AEK Athens on Thursday. They are also looking for their first win in the league of the season after a pair of draws. Wout Weghorst is also looking for his first goal of the campaign. Josip Brekalo is the only player from Wolfsburg to find the net for far this season. Both should start up front against Augsburg. 

Two wins to start the season is Augsburg’s best in their ten seasons in the top flight. Five different players have scored for Heiko Herrlich’s side already in the season and Florian Niederlechner has not been one of them. After registering a clean sheet against Dortmund after BVB put five past them twice over the previous season, Die Fuggerstadter are looking to end a five-match winless streak against Wolfsburg which includes an 8-1 thrashing at the end of the 2018-19 season. 

BAYERN MUNICH vs. HERTHA BERLIN (Sunday at 11am) 

Bayern’s long-unbeaten streak is over, but they weren’t done collecting silverware after claiming the German Supercup on Wednesday and individual awards on Thursday.

Joshua Kimmich was named UEFA Defender of the Year, Hansi Flick was named UEFA Coach of the Year, and Robert Lewandowski was named UEFA Male Player of the Year. It looks like the glut of fixtures will be the most likely factor to slow down Bayern this year. Leroy Sane has been stopped by a knee injury. Bayern is in Group A in the Champions League drawing Atletico Madrid, FC Salzburg, and Lokomotiv Moscow. 

Hertha started off on a flyer with a 4-1 win at Bremen, but crashed back to Earth with a 3-1 loss at home to Frankfurt. Which team will show up against Bayern? They did open last season with a 2-2 draw at the Allianz, but it was more up and down after that. Cunha, who has seven goals in 14 matches with Hertha, earned his first callup to the Brazilian national team. However, Arne Maier is out with a fresh knee injury. 

[columns]

[column size=”1/2″][blog type=”timeline” posts=”5″ cats=”256″ heading=”Bundesliga” heading_type=”timeline” /][/column]

[column size=”1/2″][blog type=”timeline” posts=”5″ cats=”163″ heading=“Bayern Munich” heading_type=”timeline” /][/column]

[/columns]