Bundesliga Matchday 4 Preview: Back from Break

We are back from the international break and from the closure of the transfer window. It’s still early days in the Bundesliga, but no team has a 100% record and three teams still have 0% records.

Bayern begin a stretch of two matches a week until January while RB Leipzig hope to begin a current reign at the top of the table.

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

TSG HOFFENHEIM vs. BORUSSIA DORTMUND (Saturday at 8:30am)

The last time Andrej Kramaric faced BVB, he scored four goals on Matchday 34 last season. He has seven goals in eight matches against Dortmund. He also is the current top scorer in the Bundesliga. However, Hoffenheim will also be looking to return to winning ways after losing to Eintracht Frankfurt on Matchday 3. Sebastian Rudy could begin his third stint with the Sinsheimers after arriving from Schalke.

Kramaric may find shots hard to come by this time around. BVB has allowed a league-low 20 shots on target so far. Jadon Sancho is looking to join fellow youngsters Erling Haaland and Gio Reyna on the pitch. Reyna has had a direct hand in four of Dortmund’s seven goals so far. Last season, Hoffenheim was a bogey side as they lost to them 2-1 at the PreZero Arena and then 4-0 at the Signal Iduna. 

SC FREIBURG vs. WERDER BREMEN (Saturday at 8:30am)

Freiburg are hoping that the Schwarzwald-Stadion continues to be home sweet home as they are unbeaten in their last four there. However, they are also currently four matches without a win. They fell to a 4-0 defeat on Matchday 3 to Dortmund. Florian Muller comes in from Mainz and fills in for the injured Mark Flekken. 

The Green-Whites have won back-to-back matches for the first time since September 2019. Josh Sargent is expected to retain his place in the starting XI looking for his first league goal of the season. The last four goals for Bremen have been scored by either Leonardo Bittencourt or Niclas Fullkrug

HERTHA BERLIN vs. VfB STUTTGART (Saturday at 8:30am)

Hertha made a loan signing on deadline day acquiring Matteo Guendouzi from Arsenal. However, he will not feature on Saturday. Hertha did almost everything right against Bayern on Matchday 3—except they failed to prevent Robert Lewandowski from scoring. Despite playing for Brazil during the international weekend, Matheus Cunha is still expected to feature along with Jhon Cordoba. 

The top scorer from last season Nicolas Gonzalez may not have featured yet for Die Schwaben, but they are not lacking for goals as Sasa Kalajdzic and Silas Wamangituka have filled in admirably.  At the back,however, Konstanino Mavrapanos is out and Waldemar Anton is doubtful. Pascal Stenzel and Marcin Kaminski could slot into a three-man backline in their stead while loan signee from Juventus Naouirou Ahamada could feature as well. 

MAINZ 05 vs. BAYER LEVERKUSEN (Saturday at 8:30am)

Jan-Moritz Lichte’s reign at Mainz got off to a bad start, losing 4-0 to Union Berlin. They are one of two teams to have already shipped ten or more goals so far this season. New signing Kevin Stöger is pushing for a place in midfield, while Robin Quaison and Jean-Philippe Mateta are expected to lead the attack once more. It’s been 15 years since Mainz opened a season with four straight losses when Jurgen Klopp was coach of the 05ers.

Die Werkself have opened with three draws so far this season and have never opened their first four matches without a win. Leon Bailey is looking to make his first start for Leverkusen. Patrick Schick is still out with a thigh injury. Summer signing Santiago Arias has been ruled out for several months after sustaining a serious ankle injury in international duty with Colombia.

FC AUGSBURG vs. RB LEIPZIG (Saturday at 8:30am)

Our first vs. second match of the season, though few would have guessed which Bavarian side is part of the match. Augsburg have started with two wins and a draw (which occurred on Matchday 3 against Wolfsburg). Die Fuggerstadter have allowed just one goal so far and none in their last two matches. Head coach Heiko Herrlich will be back on the touchline after recovering from a collapsed lung that forced him to miss the match against Wolfsburg.

Augsburg will be going up against the second most dangerous attack. Leipzig’s defense has been as stingy allowing just two goals. In addition, Die Roten Bullen are unbeaten in their last eight away from the Red Bull Arena. Tyler Adams is set to return to the fold after a back issue while Marcel Sabitzer is a doubt due to a thigh injury. 

ARMINIA BIELEFELD vs. BAYERN MUNICH (Saturday at 11:30am)

Goalkeeper Stefan Ortega looks to be in for a busy afternoon in goal against the league’s top scorers in Bayern. However, the Schuco Arena has been home sweet home for Bielefeld as they have not lost there in over a calendar year. Faroese international Joan Simun Edmundsson may start in this one after Cebio Soukou suffered a muscular tear while on international duty with Benin.  

Bayern squeaked past Hertha on Matchday 3 thanks to Robert Lewandowski. They did have an easy time with FC Düren in the DFB Pokal on Thursday while they managed to blood in their new signings such as Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting who scored twice against Düren, goalkeeper Alexander Nübel, and the returning Douglas Costa. This is the start of a really busy time for Bayern where they will have two matches a week from now until January. 

BORUSSIA MÖNCHENGLADBACH vs. VfL WOLFSBURG (Saturday at 1:30pm):

The Foals got back to winning ways following a 3-1 win against Rhine rivals FC Cologne. Florian Neuhaus will be coming off of a maiden goal for Germany after a maiden cap while Jonas Hoffman has assisted in three of the four goals for Gladbach this season. Three of Monchengladbach’s four goals have also come from set-pieces. They have the second-best home record (behind Bayern).

Wolfsburg have also opened with three draws this season and two of them were goalless. The Wolves bolstered their squad during the recent transfer window, with Maximilian Philipp arriving from Dynamo Moscow and Ridle Baku from Mainz. However, Philipp is unlikely to feature, so expect Wout Weghorst to be upfront of a five-man midfield. 

FC COLOGNE vs. EINTRACHT FRANKFURT (Sunday at 8:30am)

The Billy Goats have opened with three straight losses and are winless in their last 13 in league play. However, they will be boosted on Sunday by the returns of attacking duo Ismael Jakobs and Anthony Modeste from injury. On the other side, Florian Kainz and Jonas Hector are out injured.

Die Adler find themselves in third position after a strong start to their season, capped off by a 2-1 win over Hoffenheim on Matchday 3. Andre Silva and Bas Dost have led the attack combining for four goals and three assists. Frankfurt have had their best start in eight years and are unbeaten in their last five away from the Deutsche Bank Park. 

SCHALKE vs. UNION BERLIN (Sunday at 11am) 

To say that Schalke have gotten off to a rough start is to put it mildly. Not only are they bottom of the Bundesliga, but they have also by far the most charitable defense allowing 15 goals and are just one of two teams who have scored just once so far. Deadline-day signing Killian Ludewig is expected to go straight into the starting line-up and help plug the gaps as will goalkeeper Frederik Rönnow after Ralf Fährmann got injured.

Union are pleased with their start to the season which sees them ninth at present. They got their first win on Matchday 3 over Mainz. Max Kruse got his first goal for Union in the win over Mainz. Lorus Karius participated in a friendly during the international break, but it remains to be seen Andreas Luthe retains his place between the sticks.

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