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Welcome back. Last season, it went down to the final day between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund for title.
In the end Bayern won their seventh straight title, and later the double with the DFB Pokal. Bayer Leverkusen got the final Champions League spot to join the top two and RB Leipzig while Mönchengladbach, Wolfsburg, and Eintracht Frankfurt are going to the Europa League. We say hello again to FC Köln and SC Paderborn and hello for the first time to FC Union Berlin. Welcome to Matchday 1 of the 2019-2020 Bundesliga Season (all times CT).
BAYERN MUNICH vs. HERTHA BERLIN (Friday at 1:30pm, FS2):
Gone are Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, and James Rodriguez; but in are Benjamin Pavard, Lucas Rodriguez, and Fiete Arp. Bayern did suffer defeat in the Supercup to BVB last weekend, but were comfortable 3-1 winners in the first round of the Pokal against Energie Cottbus. New loan signing Ivan Perisic is suspended as he has to serve a match for yellow card accumulation from last season. Bayern have won their last seven opening day fixtures.
Hertha have not won at Bayern in 24 matches (19 losses, five draws). However, Hertha have taken points after Bayern each of the last three seasons. The Capital Club also were comfortable winners in the Pokal—5-1 over Eichstätt. Former Fortuna man Dodi Lukebakio scored a hat trick against Bayern last season.
BORUSSIA DORTMUND vs. FC AUGSBURG (Saturday at 8:30am, FS1)
BVB had a nine-point lead at one point, but that went away and they lost the title on the last day. This year, they borrowed a page out of Bayern’s book by raiding fellow Bundesliga clubs and getting Thorgan Hazard (Gladbach), Julian Brandt (Leverkusen), Nico Schulz (Hoffenheim), and prodigal son Mats Hummels (Bayern). Paco Alcacer already has two goals with one in the Supercup and one in the 2-0 Pokal win over Uerdingen.
Augsburg pulled the upset in March over BVB, 2-1, in Augsburg. However, that would be the scoreline in a reverse against fourth-tier Verl in the Pokal. Tomas Koubek will most likely have his hands full in goal against BVB. They will also need Florian Niederlechner to be a compliment to Alfred Finnbogason this season.
WERDER BREMEN vs. FORTUNA DUSSELDORF (Saturday at 8:30am, FS2)
Josh Sargent may see more time this season after the departure of Max Kruse to Fenerbache. Sargent scored his first Bundesliga goal against Fortuna last season. Claudio Pizzaro is still with the Green-Whites and scored twice in the 6-1 Pokal win over fifth-tier Atlas Delmenhorst. Omer Topak is here on loan from BVB.
Sargent is not the only American to look for in this match. Zack Steffen is expected to make his debut in goal for Fortuna. Steffen arrives on loan from Manchester City after being the number one from Columbus Crew. Fortuna were comfortably mid-table last season, but are now minus Dodi Lukebakio and Benito Raman (Schalke). Fortuna required extra time to defeat Villingen in the Pokal last weekend.
WOLFSBURG vs. FC KÖLN (Saturday at 8:30am, Fox Soccer Plus)
The Wolves finished top six and ended last season with an emphatic 8-1 win over Augsburg. This year, they needed extra time to defeat Hallescher FC in the Pokal. Wout Weghorst scored 17 goals last season and hopes to get off on the right foot this season.
Achim Beierlorzer is tasked to make sure FC Köln do not make an instant return to the second tier. Belgian pair Sebastian Bournauw and Birger Verstraete, plus Dutch fullback Kingsley Ehizibue, are here to help the Billy Goats stay up. They will also have strikers Simon Terodde and Anthony Modeste up front.
BAYER LEVERKUSEN vs. SC PADERBORN (Saturday at 8:30am, Fox Soccer Matchpass)
Die Werkself won five of their last six to get into the top four and the Champions League. No more Julian Brandt, but Kai Havertz, Kevin Volland, and Leon Bailey are still at the BayArena. All three scored in the 4-1 Pokal win over Alemannia Aachen.
Two seasons ago, SC Paderborn were in 3.Liga. They have made the jump back to the top flight two seasons later clinching automatic promotion by goals scored over Union. They needed penalties to down Rödinghausen in the Pokal. They are also without last season’s top scorer Philipp Klement who went to VfB Stuttgart. Former NYCFC striker Khiry Shelton is hoping to make an impact with SCP and hopes to put injury problems behind him.
SC FREIBURG vs. MAINZ (Saturday at 8:30am, Fox Soccer Matchpass)
Freiburg were very good at home last season. However, they will start this season with a bit of an injury crisis. Marco Terrazzino (knee) Jannik Haberer (ankle), Chang-Hoon Kwon (calf), and Gian-Luca Itter (ankle) all look set to miss the opener at the Schwarzwald-Stadion.
The 05ers have injury problems of their own as Jean-Philippe Mateta is set to miss some time with a knee injury. Another Jean-Philippe, Gbamin, left for Everton over the summer. Their time in the Pokal is also over after falling to Kaiserslautern.
BORUSSIA MÖNCHENGLADBACH vs. SCHALKE (Saturday at 11:30am, FS1)
After being in the top four for most of last season, they slipped into fifth place and into the Europa League. Marcus Thuram (son of Lillian) is set to make his debut after scoring in the 1-0 Pokal win over Sandhausen. Marco Rose comes to Borussia Park after guiding Salzburg to back-to-back titles in Austria.
Former Huddersfield manager and US international David Wagner is tasked with restoring the Royal Blues back to the top half of the table after a wretched 2018-19. He will have Benito Raman up front who comes from Fortuna. Jonjoe Kenny joins on loan from Everton and there is US international Weston McKennie as well.
EINTRACHT FRANKFURT vs. HOFFENHEIM (Sunday at 8:30am, FS1)
Two of Frankfurt’s power trio—Luka Jovic and Sebastien Haller—went to Real Madrid and West Ham, respectively. The third, Ante Rebic, is still at Frankfurt and scored a hat trick in the 5-3 win over Waldhof Mannheim in the Pokal. He could be joined on Sunday by Dejan Joveljic. Goalkeeper Kevin Trapp, defender Martin Hinteregger, and winger Filip Kostic are now permanent members of the Eagles as well.
Hoffenheim needed penalties to defeat Würzburger Kickers in the Pokal. Alfred Schreuder has taken over for Julian Naglesmann who left for RB Leipzig. Also gone are Joelinton (Newcastle), Kerem Demirbay (Leverkusen), Nico Schulz (Dortmund), Nadiem Amiri (Leverkusen), and Reiss Nelson (Arsenal). The hope is that Ihlas Bebou, Robert Skov, and Sebastian Rudy will find their feet quickly.
FC UNION BERLIN vs. RB LEIPZIG (Sunday at 11am, FS1)
Union are in the Bundesliga for the first time ever after defeating Stuttgart in the playoff last season. Neven Subotic will be in goal for “Iron Union” who had the stingiest defense in 2.Bundesliga last season. They are going to be tough to be in “The Forest”, but they are in a much tougher league.
Timo Werner and Yussuf Poulsen combined for 31 goals last season which saw the Red Bulls finish third. They are looking to be the third team in the title race this season under Julian Naglesmann. Tyler Adams remains a doubt with a groin problem that forced him to miss the CONCACAF Gold Cup this summer.
