The Bundesliga continued: Week 2

         Since the Bundesliga was given the green light to return to action, football fans across the world have waited with bated breath for the next instalment of ‘Der Klassiker’. Tonight, Borussia Dortmund play host to Bayern Munich as the fierce rivalry between Germany’s top two continues with just four points separating the sides. Before then, however, we had another round of fixtures to feast upon. Dortmund travelled East to Wolfsburg for a Saturday afternoon kick-off but as BVB kept the pressure on top of the table Munich with a 2-0 victory, I spent my Saturday afternoon engrossed in a match 250 miles West between Borussia Monchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen.

Monchengladbach have been a permanent fixture in the top half since their relegation scare in 2010/11, a period which has seen them place as high as 3^rd (2014/15), often clinching European football. Leverkusen themselves are no stranger to continental competition. Missing out on a European berth just once in the last ten seasons. With both clubs currently locked in a battle for 4^th place and Champions League qualification, Saturday’s contest did not disappoint. Leverkusen started the afternoon two-points adrift of their opponents in 5^th place but with another Havertz inspired performance, ran away 3-1 winners, leapfrogging Gladbach in the standings. Leverkusen impressed in their 4-1 thumping of 17^th placed Werder Bremen last Monday evening and with several changes to the side they picked up from where they’d left off. Havertz continued his fine form with the opening goal of the afternoon. Less than ten minutes in he beat the offside trap and slid the ball under Sommer in the Gladbach goal following a great through ball by midfielder Karim Bellarabi. Gladbach showed their opponents too much respect, leading to the midfield dominance of Leverkusen and freedom down the wings for the full backs to exploit. Leverkusen grasped their opportunity and kept a majority of the possession. The advantage should have been doubled just before the break when Demirbay’s close-range shot was cleared off the line by Elvedi following a Havertz strike off the bar. Gladbach came out firing and found a way back into the game a little over five minutes of play restarting. The strike partnership of Alassane Plea and Marcus Thuram paying dividends as Plea clipped a delightful ball over the defence to the awaiting Thuram who tucked in the equaliser. The home side didn’t have long to celebrate the leveller before the referee gave Leverkusen a great chance to regain their advantage. Two minutes after Thuram’s goal, Bellarabi, one-on-one, scuffed his shot wide of Sommer. In the process of shooting however, defender Elvedi recklessly slid into the midfielder from behind and with some clarification from V.A.R a penalty was awarded. Sommer got fingertips to it but Havertz’s penalty proved just too strong and his 4^th goal since the league’s return, gave Leverkusen their lead back. Thuram’s pace and strength troubled the Leverkusen defence, the French forward manufactured another opportunity with a clever backheel, but Neuhaus was smothered by Hradecky in goal. With fifteen remaining Leverkusen the visitors almost put the game to bed. Diaby carved open the defence before his shot was parried wide by Sommer into the direction of Demirbay who smashed it over the bar with the goal gaping. Just as Bremen discovered a week ago, Leverkusen’s quick, skilful wide men as well as Havertz’s ability to drop back and dictate play proved too much to contain. Demirbay may have squandered two clear-cut chances but it was he who had the last laugh. With ten remaining, the midfielder’s perfect delivery on a wide free-kick connected with Sven Bender and beyond Sommer to seal all three-points. Leverkusen have been one of the most entertaining sides to watch this year but face some stiff competition before the conclusion of the campaign. They go toe-to-toe with 1^st, 6^th, 7^th and 8^th place all within the next three weeks. Gladbach’s run in doesn’t appear as tricky on paper but with performances like Saturday they’ll need to lift it a gear if they want to keep pace with Leverkusen for that final Champions League spot.

Saturday’s dinner time kick-off gave us one final look at the league leaders before their meeting with title challengers Dortmund. The champions looked far from their best in last week’s 2-0 win at Union Berlin but prevailed with three crucial points to reinstate their four-point gap over Dortmund in 2^nd place. Any apprehension surrounding Bayern Munich’s preparation was quickly resolved once they returned to Bavarian soil. In a thrilling encounter Bayern Munich exhibited their strengths and flaws as they saw off Eintracht Frankfurt 5-2 at the Allianz Arena. Munich began the more dominant side and emphasised this just seventeen minutes into the match when Thomas Muller made his way down the left wing before spotting the incoming Leon Goretzka who bounded into the box, stretched open his right leg and guided the ball into the top corner. Veteran Thomas Muller rolled back the years on Saturday evening with a lively presentation. Bayern continued to assault Frankfurt who struggled to keep hold of possession. Fernandes and Rode, two seasoned central midfielders, lacked composure that Frankfurt needed if they were to take anything from their outing. Five minutes before the half Bayern added to their lead, Muller yet again at the heart of the move. The versatile playmaker found himself charging down the right wing. His attempt to square it to Lewandowski failed but some poor control from Frankfurt’s Gacinovic helped Alphonso Davies onto the scene. The Canadian whipped in a fantastic cross to a Muller in space who took a touch before regaining his balance and drilling in a second for the home team. Not even a minute after the 2^nd half began Bayern added a third. Lewandowski nodded in his 27^th goal of the season after Munich caught their opponents napping. Muller lofted the ball over the back line into Kingsley Coman’s path, unmarked, Coman found an airborne Lewandowski who easily headed home. Just as Bayern started to exert their superiority, some suspect defending gave Frankfurt a lifeline. Within three minutes 3-0 became 3-2. Sebastian Rode, the ex-Munich man, notched two more assists for the season. Both from corner kicks, both knocked in by Martin Hinteregger. Alphonso Davies and David Alaba joint culprits for Frankfurt’s first goal, allowing the ball to drop inside the six-yard box, a schoolboy error which Hinteregger lapped up. This defensive unit look prone to mistakes with Jerome Boateng the only natural centre back in the starting line-up. Just as Frankfurt appeared to gather momentum, they shot themselves in the foot once again. Davies made one of his signature bursts down the left wing, Fernandes stepped in to halt his progress but upon winning the ball played it beyond his teammate on a plate for Davies who couldn’t miss. Bayern’s 4^th knocked the stuffing out of Frankfurt and Martin Hinteregger rounded off a different type of hat-trick to complete the evening’s scoring. Alaba picked out Gnabry with a long ball up field, Gnabry closed in on the keeper and an unfortunate rebound got caught between Hinteregger’s feet and into his own goal. Bayern manager Hansi Flick will have mixed emotions following the 5-2 victory. Muller’s inspiring showing and Lewandowski continuing his scoring run will fill Flick with optimism, yet the sloppy defending was there for all to see. Bayern Munich’s pursuit for title number eight in a row is going according to plan for the time being, however, there is another roadblock in site.

Sunday offered up a better look at the RB Leipzig experiment. Leipzig scraped a draw at home to Freiburg last Saturday, only V.A.R saved them from an embarrassing defeat late on. This weekend gave us a more accurate analysis of each Bundesliga side, with more time on the training pitch and a game under their belts. No team showed a vaster improvement from last week’s affairs than Leipzig. Mainz spent the lion share of their afternoon chasing shadows. An 8-0 defeat in the reverse fixture gave us a glimpse of what to expect, and quite frankly, it could have been more. In the end it was ‘only’ five trips Mainz goalkeeper Florian Mueller made to the back of his net to fish the ball out. Liverpool target Timo Werner closed the gap in the race for the golden boot with a well taken hat-trick, bringing him to 24 on the year. This young squad work extremely hard for each other and can turn defence to attack in seconds. Middlemen Marcel Sabitzer and Kevin Kampl are an energetic duo and the catalyst to Leipzig’s counter attacking style. It’s rare to see teams of this stature operate a 4-4-2 in this era of football but Leipzig are a prime example of how the formation can still deliver success. Striker Yussuf Poulsen is a great target-man who can hold up play, allowing the wide men and his strike partner Werner plenty of time to find gaps in the defence. Werner’s electrifying pace and natural instinct of where the goal is are just a couple of qualities that have the Germany forward amongst Europe’s most wanted. Leipzig rely on their pace and moving forward in waves. Often there are multiple players lining-up in the box waiting their turn to get on the score sheet. Each player works their socks off for each other, covering when out of position and sharing possession. Werner got Leipzig off the mark ten minutes in, Sabitzer sprayed the ball wide stretching Mainz. Right back Konrad Laimer bullied his way down the wing and found Werner who’s shot bobbled over the keeper into the corner. Ten minutes later roles reversed. Laimer fed Sabitzer out wide who picked out Poulsen unmarked in the centre, his header doubled the lead. Leipzig teased a third as Werner forced a save with his wonderful header before Poulsen sliced at a great opportunity minutes later. Eventually the away side were celebrating a third. Sabitzer, the workhorse, stole the ball from Edimilson Fernandes in midfield then sent Poulsen through on goal. The striker squared it to Nkunku, his shot was blocked and fell back to Poulsen who put it on a plate for Sabitzer, the man who started the move curled his effort into the top corner. Leipzig showed no mercy and within two minutes of the second half Werner edged closer to picking up the match ball. Kampl literally ran a circle round the Mainz midfield, bounced the ball off Nkunku then fed Werner for an easy tap in. Kampl thought he’d gotten in on the action around the hour mark finessing a long-ranged strike into the corner but Poulsen obstructed the keepers’ view and the linesman raised his flag. As 75 minutes approached Werner sealed the hat-trick in terrific fashion. An alert Poulsen launched a quick free kick over the Mainz back four where Werner was waiting to pounce. One bounce then the German international lobbed it over the keeper where it nestled in the corner. Julian Nagelsmann’s side put on a relentless display to remind Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund that there is very little margin for error in this enticing title race.

Tonight’s ‘Der Klassiker’ will be watched by millions across the world, but even so, Bayern boss Hansi Flick insists this is not the title decider. Although his statement seems like an attempt at mind games, Flick knows just how crucial every remaining fixture is and respects his title challengers whom he knows are waiting for any slip-up.