With the dominance of the Premier League big hitters, other European clubs have had to settle for loan deals or cheaper fees for their targets.
Ivan Ilic (Hellas Verona to Torino)
With fellow Serbian Sasu Lukic leaving Torino for Premier League side Fulham, Torino pounced to get their hands on the ex Manchester City central midfielder.
Initially joining on a loan deal, Ilic will officially join in the summer for approximately £14 million. A big outlay for a club like Torino who traditionally rely on loan deals and free agents.
Ilic will provide Torino head coach Ivan Juric with a typical box to box option in the centre of the park. The Serbian is capable of progressing the ball extremely well as well as breaking up play to start attacks.
A player already accustomed to Ivan Juric and his style of play, Torino will hope to push further up the table and into the European spots for the first time in a decade with Ilic playing a pivotal role in midfield.
Ruslan Malinovski (Atalanta to Marseille)
After joining Atalanta in 2019 the playmaker became a key cog in Gian Piero Gasparini’s entertaining Serie A side. However due to a supposed fallout with the manager Malinovski has decided to join Marseille.
With coach Igor Tudor playing a similar system to Atalanta’s, Malinovski should feel right at home playing in an attacking midfield role behind Alexis Sanchez. The technical maestro will also deliver danger from set pieces, which is always a valuable asset.
The Ukrainian will aim to propel the French club into the title race as PSG continue to stall. Once again this deal is initially on a loan but expect the number ten to join in the long run if he performs well.
Philipp Max (PSV Eindhoven to Eintracht Frankfurt)
Once of Augsburg, the German left back has recently become a bench player in the Eredivisie. He therefore was eager to move back home, with the opportunity to join Bundesliga title hunters Frankfurt too big to turn down.
The left back will offer an attacking outlet down the left hand side and will be a valuable alternative to the more defensive minded Christopher Lenz.
With the title race hotting up in the Bundesliga, Max could prove to be a decisive signing for the Frankfurt based club who will also have hopes of making the Champions League quarter finals.
Hamad Junior Traore (Sassuolo to Bournemouth)
With Bournemouth’s failed attempt to sign Nicolo Zaniolo, the southern based side have instead decided to sign the energetic midfielder Traore from Sassuolo. The club have signed the player on a loan deal with an obligation to buy for up to £20 million if certain conditions are met.
The Ivory Coast international has been an important player for the green and blacks since 2019 and will inject high energy play into Bournemouth’s lacklustre midfield.
Traore will also add versatility to the squad as he is also comfortable as a number ten or playing on the left side of midfield. With a relegation scrap to come in the future, Gary O’Neil will hope Traore will bring quality to the Cherries.
Naouirou Ahamada (VFB Stuttgart to Crystal Palace)
With Crystal Palace spending little money in the summer they have decided to spend £10 million on rising star Ahamada from Bundeliga strugglers VFB Stuttgart.
The 20 year old midfielder is a supreme technician who has become an increasingly important player in Germany. With two goals and another two assists in league play this season, fans of the Die Schwaben will be disappointed to see another promising player leave.
With the other deadline day signing of Albert Sambi Lokonga from Arsenal, Patrick Vieria will be overjoyed with his midfield options coming into the second half of the season. Ahamada has all the tools to be an important part of Crystal Palace’s future.
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]]>Rafael Leao:
It may come as a surprise to some people that Rafael Leao has been included in this list as he sure made his mark in 2022, winning the Serie A MVP award as AC Milan swept to the Scudetto. However, the winger seems to have much more in his locker than he has already shown.
A quick, skillful and direct player, Leao has arguably become Milan’s most important player due to his ability to get past anyone at will. Hitting double figures in 2021/22 for both goals and assists in all competitions Leao is undoubtedly on his way to being World Class.
The 23-year-old made some superb cameos at the World Cup and bagged two goals on the biggest stage of all. A strong end to 2022 has carried over to 2023 where he scored in AC Milans first fixure of 2023 in a 2-1 victory over Salernitana.
In 2023 then Leao will be aiming to get AC Milan back on the pedestal of Italian football with his mesmerising runs and composed finishes. Come the summer we may see the Portuguese man earn a big move to a European super club with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City being heavily linked.
Alejandro Garnacho:
At 18 years of age, it is a testament to his ability that Garnacho has performed so well at senior level so far for the Red Devils. The Argentinian has already made a big impact for his side with winners in both the Europa League and the Premier League just before the break for the World Cup.
However, the winger has been publicly criticised by both his club manager, Erik Ten Hag and teammate, Bruno Fernandes for his poor attitude. Therefore in 2023 Garnacho will be aiming to put these allegations to bed and become an important player for his side.
With Jadon Sancho and Anthony Martial in periods of poor form and Cristiano Ronaldo now plying his trade in Saudi Arabia, there are plenty of opportunities for Garancho to leave his mark. With his ability to dribble past defenders, he could offer United something they are currently lacking. Garnacho will also be hoping to make his debut for his national side in the near future after already training with Lionel Messi and co in 2022.
Christopher Wooh:
Arguably the most unknown in this list, Wooh currently plays for free-scoring Rennes in Ligue 1 after making his name at Lens in 2021/22. Wooh can play anywhere in the backline but is most comfortable in central defence where his pace, game reading and on-the-ball ability are utilised best.
With only a handful of starts so far for this season for Bruno Genesio’s side, Wooh will be aiming to work his way into the starting lineup where he can present his quality for all to see. With Rennes new boys Arthur Theatre and Joe Rodon struggling at the heart of defence, fans are calling for Wooh to be included in the starting XI and Genesio seems to have taken on their advice with a start vs Nice in 2023, culminating in a 2-1 victory.
With Rennes as free-scoring as ever it is important that they sort out their defensive frailties if they want to reach the promised land of the Champions League come the end of the season. This will also be Wooh’s aim who will want to establish himself in the team and stop the defence from leaking too many soft goals to the opposition.
Yunus Musah:
After leaving Arsenal’s academy, Musah has gone on to achieve big things for La Liga side Valencia. The midfielder started his career as a winger but his position change has worked wonders for his development at the top level.
After impressing for the USMNT at the 2022 World Cup Musah will be aiming for even more achievements in the coming year. A maestro in midfield, Musah is a clever player who is highly capable of keeping possession and advancing the ball through the lines with incisive passing or mazy dribbles.
With 29 league appearances for a poor Valencia side last season, Musah was one of only a handful of bright stars in an otherwise disappointing campaign, where his side finished ninth. He has deputised excellently for the departed duo of fan favourites Dani Parejo and Francis Coquelin and gives Valencia fans hope for a better placing this time around.
Under new coach Genaro Gattuso, Valencia look somewhat like the impressive side of old with Musah playing a pivotal role in central midfield. The first name on the team sheet has taken well to the Italian’s tactics of quick attacking patterns and a solid defensive base. Valencia will have to work hard to keep their hands on their prized asset with big clubs always around the corner.
Randal Kolo Muani:
A surprise package at the World Cup (he was only included due to injuries), Muani was excellent in all his cameos and made a huge difference in the final, coming on in the first half as France fought back to claim a draw come extra time. With a goal to his name vs Morocco in the semi-final, he certainly announced himself to the World Stage.
With an outstanding tally of eight goals and eleven assists for Eintracht Frankfurt before the turn of the year, Kolo Muani looks like one of the best bargains in recent history when moving from Nantes to Germany for free. Muani is a versatile forward who has great link-up play and precise penalty box finishing as well as a mix of pace and grit which makes him a manager’s favouriote.
2023 will therefore play host to lots of opportunities for the Frenchman who has Champions League knockout football to look forward to as Frankfurt take on Serie A leaders Napoli. Now entrusted by Didier Deschamps Kolo Muani will be hungry to get back to regular football after the World Cup disappointment.
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]]>The Champions League gets back underway this week following the international break with several sides in desperate need of victories to spark their European campaign into life.
Group A
Napoli will travel to Amsterdam looking to maintain their perfect start against an Ajax side smarting from their late defeat against Liverpool. The Italians have arguably been the standout side in the competition so far and can take a giant leap towards qualification with a victory in the Dutch capital.
Elsewhere it will be a first ever meeting of Liverpool and Rangers at Anfield with both sides needing wins for different reasons. Liverpool will look to Europe to gain some form after stuttering in the league while Rangers are yet to get off the mark in their return to the top table.
Group B
Club Brugge have arguably been the biggest surprise package in the tournament so far and will look to claim another scalp when they host Atletico Madrid.
The Belgians have made a perfect start and another victory would open a big gap between themselves and third place in the group.
Porto will be aiming to get off the mark after two defeats in their first two games when they host Bayer Leverkusen. The Germans are struggling domestically but did defeat Atletico last time out so they’ll have some belief travelling to Portugal.
Group C
Bayern Munich have once more made an impressive start to a Champions League group stage and will get the action underway on Tuesday when they host Viktoria Plzen in the early kickoff.
The German champions defeated their two biggest group rivals in September and will be expecting to dispatch of their Czech visitors to maintain their lead in the group.
Inter Milan meanwhile will host Barcelona in what is the biggest game of the week.
Both sides came up short when facing Bayern and both defeated Plzen so they’ll view these two upcoming games as the key to deciding who will follow Julien Nagelsmann’s side into the last 16.
Group D
Sporting are another side who have impressed, taking six points in what looked the most open group on paper.
They travel to Marseille on Tuesday who desperately need a win if they are to stand any hope of reaching the next round. The French side have started well in the league but have struggled badly in Europe in recent years and will be desperate to give the home support something to cheer.
Tottenham will visit Eintracht Frankfurt in the other Group D clash looking to bounce back from their weekend defeat to bitter rivals Arsenal and take steps towards qualification. It will be far from easy against the Europa League winners who will also have their sights on the latter stages.
Group E
AC Milan head what has been a very tight and unpredictable Group E and will host Chelsea on Wednesday night with injuries to key players disrupting their preparation.
French pair Mike Maignan and Theo Hernandez will miss the clash against Graham Potter’s men who needs points themselves having stuttered in their opening two games.
Salzburg are unbeaten thus far but have also yet to win but a victory over Dinamo Zagreb at home would put them in good stead heading into the turn in the group. The Croatians will be aiming for another surprise victory having stunned Chelsea last month.
Group F
Holders Real Madrid have made a serene start to their title defence and host Shakhtar on Wednesday looking to maintain their 100% record.
The visitors have also made a good start to the group and look favourites to join their hosts in the next round.
Celtic will travel to Leipzig looking to build on their credible draw against Shakhtar last time out and will need to get something to keep their qualification hopes alive as will the bottom side from East Germany.
Group G
Erling Haaland has been in utterly sensational form this season with 17 goals so far and the visit of FC Copenhagen will offer the Norwegian another chance to add to his tally.
The Danes picked up a draw against Sevilla three weeks ago but will be up against a Manchester City side brimming with confidence after sticking six goals past their local rivals Manchester United.
Sevilla have made a terrible start in La Liga and need to get something at home to Borussia Dortmund to avoid being cut adrift in terms of qualification. Victory for the Germans will see them move five points clear of their hosts with just three games to play.
Group H
Benfica have been another surprise outfit this season, winning nine of ten games in all competitions and two 100% records will go head to head in this group when they host PSG.
The Lisbon side claimed a stunning victory away at Juventus last time out and even a point here at home to the French champions will boost their chances of repeating what they did last year when they knocked Barcelona out in the group stages.
Juventus will be looking to avoid the same fate as the Spaniards and nothing less than three points against Maccabi Haifa in Turin will do, with manager Max Allegri under all sorts of pressure.
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Photo: Stephen Gormley (Red Eye Photo Agency)
Eintracht Frankfurt won their first European trophy in 42 years following their 5-4 victory on penalties over Glasgow Rangers in the Europa League Final in Seville after the match finished 1-1 after extra time.
No stadium in Europe would have been able to hold all the Rangers fans that travelled to Seville for the Europa League final. Indeed Seville opened up a second stadium in their city to show televised coverage on large screens to the vast majority of the 100,000 travelled who weren’t lucky to get hold of one of the official 9,500 tickets for the final. The last time Rangers were in a European Final was in Manchester in 2008 where they lost to Zenit St Petersburg in the UEFA Cup Final. Before that you had to go back in time 50 years to the European Cup Winners Cup Final in 1972 when they won their only European trophy to date. Everywhere you looked in Seville you saw a sea of blue and orange with fans travelling from as far away as Australia and New Zealand just to see the match.
Eintracht Frankfurt fans also travelled in significant numbers to Seville as their fans hoped to emulate their team of 1980 who won the UEFA Cup on away goals in the two-legged final against fellow German side Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Rangers did not seem daunted about playing Frankfurt who finished 11th Bundesliga, especially as they had already knocked out two German sides en route to the final who had finished considerably higher in the league, namely Borussia Dortmund in second place and RB Leipzig in fourth.
Seville lived up to its nickname as the “Frying Pan of Spain” with temperatures reaching a scorching 40 degrees during the day of the match. Even by the time the final kicked off at 21:00 local time the temperature was still in the high 20s. The final was a tense affair played in very sticky conditions and of course the atmosphere from both sets of fans in the stadium was immense.
Frankfurt looked the better team in the first half but there were not many clear cut chances. The match remained at stalemate until a slick move was finished off by Joe Aribo in the 57th minute which stunned Frankfurt and would have taken the roof off the stadium if it had one! The Rangers fans went mad and knew the dream of a first major title in 50 years was on.
Photo: Stephen Gormley (Red Eye Photo Agency)
The dream lived on for about 12 minutes until Colombian striker Rafael Borré hammered home in the 69th minute to make it 1-1 on the night. The heat was draining on both sets of players as well as on the fans in the stadium -UEFA had to apologize after the match for there not being enough water available in the stadium for fans who were watching the game in extremely hot conditions.
The match went over into 30 minutes of extra time and the trophy looked set to be heading to Glasgow when just two minutes from time the Scottish side had a glorious chance to seal the victory. However Frankfurt keeper Kevin Trapp dived across his goal and managed to save a point black shot with his legs from Kevin Trapp.
Trapp became the hero again in the penalty shoot-out by saving again with his legs when Aaron Ramsey hit his shot straight down the middle.
Photo: Stephen Gormley (Red Eye Photo Agency)
An ecstatic Trapp said after the match:
“It was karma for past heartbreak and tonight was just written for us to lift the trophy”
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Chelsea will prepare their search for central defenders this summer with the pending departures of Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, and Cesar Azpilicueta.
Although Christensen and Azpilicueta will decrease Chelsea’s depth in this position, the task of replacing Rudiger will be the toughest part. The German has played over 800 minutes more than teammates in the same position and has been one of the best defenders in the league this season.
Here are four potential defenders who could replace Rudiger next season.
Jules Kounde
Kounde has been the favoured replacement for many Chelsea fans as the Frenchman has been on the radar of many top clubs over the last two seasons.
The 23-year-old has made 28 league appearances this season, helping Sevilla keep 11 clean sheets in their battle for a Champions League spot.
When compared to Rudiger, Kounde matches up very well defensively. They both have won a similar number of tackles and win the majority of them in the defensive third. Rudiger attempts more tackles against players dribbling at him than Kounde, but they are both successful 60% of the time.
The Sevilla defender has made the same number of clearances that Rudiger but is more successful in winning possession after pressing his opponent. Kounde is comfortable passing from the back and wins 63% of his duels.
Due to his age and potential, Kounde is likely to have a high value in the current market. It has been reported that he has a release clause worth £80 million but Sevilla could accept a fee between £60 million and £70 million.
Levi Colwill
Chelsea could avoid paying a fee at all for a defender as Levi Colwill, who is currently on loan at Huddersfield, has shown he can play in Rudiger’s role.
Colwill has operated on the left side of a back three and a back four this season in his 28 Championship appearances. His quality and positioning skills have helped Huddersfield in their fight for promotion back to the Premier League.
The 19-year-old has a pass completion of 78% and 86% in his own half. He averages 1.3 interceptions per game, 1.7 tackles, and 4.2 clearances on his way to 11 clean sheets so far this season.
The Englishman wins 65% of both ground and aerial duels and has only made one error leading to a shot.
Huddersfield have taken many young English players on loan from the Premier League before with the likes of Emile Smith Rowe, Trevor Chalobah and Ben Chilwell all having stints at the club.
Current manager Carlos Corberan has predicted a bold future for Colwill.
“I think he is going to be one of the most important centre-backs for this country in the future. I am seeing a player with a lot of potential and a lot of personality.”
Evan N’Dicka
N’Dicka has the potential to be a like-for-like replacement for Rudiger after being a shining light for Frankfurt in a disappointing domestic campaign.
The Frenchman has played 30 of Frankfurt’s 32 league games as the club currently sits in 12th. Defensively, he averages over four clearances per game along with 1.9 tackles and 1.5 interceptions. He has made more tackles, interceptions, blocks, and clearances than Rudiger this season, and is more effective when pressing the opponent.
The 22-year-old has also shown that he can progress the ball in a similar fashion to Rudiger. Both defenders have a dribble success percentage of 71%, with N’Dicka attempting twice as many dribbles, and completing over 84% of their passes. He has also scored four times and picked up four assists in the Bundesliga this season.
Frankfurt had better luck in their European campaign as they made their way to the Europa League final after beating West Ham. N’Dicka had a special game in the second leg as he managed to win three tackles, made three interceptions, four clearances including one off the line, won eight of his 12 duels, and completed 87.1% of his passes.
Jokso Gvardiol
Gvardiol, much like Kounde, has been linked with many clubs over the last 12 months. Manchester City, Tottenham, and Bayern Munich have all shown interest in the centre-back, who has shown he is very comfortable on the left side of a back three.
The Croatian intercepts far more often than the aforementioned defenders and averages a similar number of tackles per game. He is also very efficient when pressing in the midfield third but does not clear the ball as often as other centre-backs.
The 20-year-old has attempted almost six times as many dribbles as Rudiger and only has a slightly lower success percentage at 68.3%. He has also progressed the ball the same distance as Rudiger this season while attempting 80 fewer carries.
After a poor start to the season, RB Leipzig are currently fifth and one point off a Champions League spot. Their Europa League campaign came to end in the semi-finals after losing to Rangers.
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]]>West Ham 1 : 2 Eintracht Frankfurt
It ain’t over til it’s over as Yogi Berra once famously said. West Ham’s hopes of a Champions League place by dint of a top four finish may have come to an end with a home defeat by local rivals Arsenal.
However, their Europa League hopes are very much alive despite a 1-2 loss at home to Eintracht Frankfurt. The Hesse side were very good but not unbeatable. Filip Kostic was their star man and his skilful control of Eintracht’s progress down the left wing gave Ben Johnson as difficult a test as he is likely to see all season.
Japanese international Daichi Kamada was an able assistant but it was one of the less heralded individuals, Ansgar Knauff who stamped or rather headed his imprint on the game with Frankfurt’s opener after just 52 seconds. Kamada was however to remerge as both the scorer of Eintracht’s winning goal as well as the player most like to score a third or a fourth.
For a while the London side were wobbly but their guests were not quite clinical enough to take advantage and their more measured approach did work for them over the length of the 90 minutes. West Ham began to overcome any inferiority complex and matched their opposition.
When the equaliser came, it was well earned. Kurt Zouma won a magnificent aerial header and found Michail Antonio whose prompt reaction meant he had little to do but finish.
Like the hosts, the visitors did not panic at conceding a goal and the game then found an equilibrium. The quality passing was coming from Eintracht but West Ham’s attacks were more incisive however they found the less heralded, probably because he plays his international football for Austria rather than Germany, Martin Hinteregger in majestic form.
The German club has only won once in five attempts at Waldstadion in this tournament but the other four have been draws. West Ham have the talent to go one better but their second home defeat in four days suggests they may have run out of steam
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]]>West Ham United take on German side Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of the Europa League semi-final clash with the Irons aiming to make the most of their home advantage at the London Stadium.
Defeating Frankfurt will be no easy feat for David Moyes’ side, however, after a dramatic display at the Nou Camp saw them knock out Barcelona 4-3 on aggregate in the previous round.
A European night gives West Ham the opportunity to get back to winning ways following two poor league results. A disappointing point at home to Burnley followed by late heartbreak against rivals Chelsea with Christian Pulisic’s 90th-minute winner has hindered recent hopes of securing another year of European football.
This will also be the case for Oliver Glasner’s side with their Europa League journey the highlight of the season so far with league form leaving something to be desired. The Eagles have picked up just three points in their last five games, dropping points to Union Berlin and Hoffenheim since their heroics in Spain. Frankfurt find themselves in ninth place as a result of such form, 10 points adrift of a European spot.
Both sides will appreciate what is at stake with the dream of silverware potentially becoming a reality for one of these clubs. A win on Thursday would mean one step closer to the final, where they will face either RB Leipzig or Rangers in Seville.
Team News
David Moyes will be wary of the lack of defensive options at his disposal with Issa Diop unavailable for the midweek clash as he joins fellow defenders Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma on the sidelines.
The visitors will also be forced into a defensive change of their own following Evan Ndicka’s late red card against Barcelona. The Frenchman will miss the tie with Makoto Hasebe most likely to take his place in the back three.
Views from the managers
David Moyes
The Scottish manager believes he can count on his squad again to deliver in the big moments with the final firmly in sight.
“We did a really good job in the group – the whole squad did a brilliant job – and then we’ve had two huge ties.
“We’re in a semi-final. You would always like the second leg at home, but we have to deal with that, and I think we’re in a good place and have to challenge to get to the final.”
Oliver Glasner
Frankfurt head coach Oliver Glasner has highlighted the importance of such a special match for the two sides and counts on their travelling support to be a major factor for success in London.
“The biggest motivation is that we’re in the semi-final of a European competition. Unless you play for the major clubs, that’s something extraordinary for Frankfurt – we were in the semi-finals three years ago but before that hadn’t been there in a long time – and extraordinary for a coach, a player and for a club. We can feel how special a game it is.
“Our 3,000 supporters tomorrow will make a lot of noise, and so will the 57,000 West Ham fans, who will also make a lot of noise and a wonderful atmosphere for a semi-final.
Head-to-Head
Thursday’s meeting will be the first of two legs between these clubs in what is a rare encounter between the Premier League and Bundesliga sides.
West Ham and Frankfurt last faced each other 46 years ago in the European Cup Winners Cup, where the Irons came out 4-3 winners on aggregate in the semi-final – a result the London side will be hoping to replicate with European glory in touching distance now.
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VfB STUTTGART vs. FC COLOGNE
Die Schwaben are a surprising fifth thanks in large part to the exploits of Sasa Kalajdzic. The Austrian international has been in the starting XI since Matchday 2 and has scored three goals and an assist. Nicolas Gonzalez is fit again, but could yet again be on the bench as Kalajdzic continues to perform.
The Billy Goats are winless in their last 14 matches (second only to Schalke), though they did earn a point against Eintracht Frankfurt. Another match winless will represent a club record. Neck whiplash will continue to sideline captain Jonas Hector while Marius Wolf and Ismael Jakobs got through their first matches unscathed.
BAYERN MUNICH vs. EINTRACHT FRANFURT
Four past Arminia Bielefeld and then four past Atletico Madrid for Bayern in the past week. the former saw both Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller each bag a brace while Kingsley Coman was the star for Bayern against the latter. They are not without personnel issues for this match. Corentin Tolisso is suspended for two matches after a red card while Serge Gnabry is in isolation after testing positive for the coronavirus.
Frankfurt are in fourth and one of four undefeated teams in the Bundesliga. Kevin Trapp is second in the league with 17 saves made. The attacking triumvirate for Die Adler now consists of Andre Silva, Bas Dost, and Daichi Kamada—one of each have at least been involved in all seven goals this season for Frankfurt. Silva has 11 goals in the last 14 league matches.
RB LEIPZIG vs. HERTHA BERLIN
Leipzig are top of the table and will be coming off a 2-0 win over Istanbul Baksehir in the Champions League on Tuesday night. Angelino had the brace for Die Roten Bullen who were semifinalists in the previous campaign. Yussuf Poulsen had a wonder goal against Augsburg last Saturday and is expected to start ahead of Dani Olmo and Christopher Nkunku.
If Leipzig are off to a dream start, it’s been a nightmare for Hertha since Matchday 2 as they have lost three on the trot. Matheus Cunha will face his former team in this one. He had just two goals in 35 league appearances for Leipzig, but has seven in 15 for Hertha. The next win for the Old Lady against a Julian Naglesmann side will be their first.
UNION BERLIN vs. SC FREIBURG
Andreas Luthe has kept his place between the sticks so far in spite of the arrival of Loris Karius from Liverpool. Die Eisernen got a draw at the Veltins-Arena. Union have scored a league-high four headed goals so far this season. However, four of their five goals conceded have also been headers.
Phillipp Lienhart got his first goal for Freiburg in last week’s draw against Werder Bremen. Freiburg are looking for a win on the road—something they have done just twice in their last 15 away from the Schwarzwald-Stadion. Christian Streich may keep an unchanged side with no new injury concerns. Ermedin Demirovic could push for his first Bundesliga start with Nils Petersen and Lucas Höler failing to find the net in each of their last two Bundesliga outings.
MAINZ 05 vs. BORUSSIA MÖNCHENGLADBACH
Mainz are the only team in the Bundesliga not to get a point yet this season. The 05ers have the joint-tamest attack (two goals) and the second-most charitable defense (12 shipped). Robin Quaison could make his 100th Bundesliga appearance on Saturday, but he would like his first league goal of the season to go with that. Jean-Philippe Mateta has not scored since back-to-back goals on Matchdays 1 and 2.
Gladbach nearly got victory at the San Siro, but had to settle for a 2-2 draw at Inter Milan. They are unbeaten since the opening loss against Borussia Dortmund. However, lapses in concentration have cost them points against Union and Wolfsburg. They have also conceded five of their six goals against in the second half in league play. They will look for more performances like the 3-1 win over Cologne last week and more from Jonas Hofmann.
BORUSSIA DORTMUND vs. FC SCHALKE 04
BVB will be looking to revert back to their league form against their near rivals following a 3-1 defeat to Lazio in the Champions League. Marco Reus scored against Hoffenheim last week and started against Lazio, but will likely start on the bench behind Gio Reyna. Haaland has 22 goals in 25 competitive outings for BVB, including 17 in 19 games in the Bundesliga. He scored in the 4-0 win over Schalke in this fixture last season.
The Royal Blues got their first point of the season with a draw against Union thanks to Frankfurt loanee Goncalo Paciencia. There would be no better opponent for Schalke to end their 20-match winless streak against their main rivals in the Revierderby. The last five have seen each win twice.
VfL WOLFSBURG vs. ARMINIA BIELEFELD
Wolfsburg are one of four teams that have just two goals so far. They are also one of three teams who have scored just twice. In four matches, they have four draws this season and are winless in their last seven at the Volkswagen Arena dating back to last season. Wout Weghorst got a point for Wolfsburg last week against Gladbach. However, Josip Brekalo is in isolation and is unavailable this week.
Bielefeld gave up four to Bayern Munich last Saturday. The performance was not bad, but it leaves them in 14th after back-to-back defeats. Ritsu Doan and Fabian Klos should retain their places in attack. Arne Maier could get a start after coming in on loan from Hertha Berlin.
WERDER BREMEN vs. HOFFENHEIM
The Green-Whites are enjoying a better start to this season as they are currently seventh. Milot Rashica returned to action after a long layoff due to a knee injury. However, he may still have to compete for minutes with Josh Sargent and Niclas Fullkrug who has four goals this season. Fullkrug has also scored three goals in the last four meetings against Hoffenheim.
Hoffenheim fell at home to Dortmund last weekend, but bounced back in the Europa League with a win over Crvena Zvezda (aka Red Star Belgrade). Andrej Kramaric was in isolation for the loss to Dortmund after the international break and is doubtful for this match. Where the goals will come from is the question as Kramaric has scored 10 of the Sinsheimers’ 12 goals.
BAYER LEVERKUSEN vs. FC AUGSBURG
Leverkusen ended a run of three straight draws with a win over Mainz and then followed that with a 6-2 win over Nice in the Europa League. Lucas Alario got the goal against Mainz while Karim Bellarabi got a pair against Nice. Die Werkself are now unbeaten in six in all competitions this season. They are also unbeaten in 18 against Augsburg.
Augsburg’s unbeaten run ended last week with a home loss to RB Leipzig. The Bavarians lost five away games in a row prior to the appointment of Heiko Herrlich; but have won three, drawn three, and lost one on the road since. Florian Niederlechner is still looking to open his account this season for Die Fuggerstädter.
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]]>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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I asked fellow Bundesliga observer Brian Sanders for his thoughts about the Bundesliga campaign so far:
1. Which team has impressed the most in the first three matches of the season?
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