Borussia Monchengladbach vs Borussia Dortmund
The big game of the weekend in the Bundesliga will see Marco Rose take his current team, Borussia Dortmund, to his previous home ground in Gladbach. But, will Rose be able to steer his new team past his old one on Saturday evening?
Dortmund didn’t get off to the best possible start, having won once and lost once in their opening two games. However, they come into this fixture in a purple patch, having won their last three games in the Bundesliga. It has been their attacking displays in these fixtures that has certainly grabbed the attention, as they have scored eleven goals in three fixtures. Four of those goals came in their most recent victory at Signal Iduna Park against Union Berlin. Erling Haaland was once again the name on the lips of every fan, as the Norwegian scored twice to take his Bundesliga tally for the season to seven. Raphael Guerreiro was also among the scorers.
Step by step. Game by game. Let’s keep this going! pic.twitter.com/LKVfbH8D3g
— Jude Bellingham (@BellinghamJude) September 19, 2021
Transitioning to life after Rose has been a struggle for Monchengladbach, as they currently sit in the relegation playoff spot at this early stage. They have lost three of the five games that they have played, and were beaten once again last weekend. Augsburg took the points courtesy of a 1-0 win, as Gladbach failed to register a single shot on target despite having 72% of the possession at the WWK Arena.
Gladbach claimed a first win against Dortmund in 12 meetings in January, which ended a run of wins in each of those fixtures for the visitors this weekend. Dortmund’s attacking prowess could once again prove to be the difference against a Gladbach side that have scored just five goals this campaign.
Furth vs Bayern Munich
The first game of the Bundesliga weekend could be a daunting challenge for Furth, as they look to move off the foot of the table when they come up against the reigning champions, Bayern Munich.
Bayern have clicked into gear over the past week or so, claiming wins against RB Leipzig and Barcelona. That strong form continued at the weekend with a dominant display at the Allianz Arena against Bochum. The Bavarian giants claimed a massive 7-0 victory in front of their home fans, with Robert Lewandowski, Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry all getting a goal. Joshua Kimmich also continued his strong start to the season by scoring twice.
Today's mood: 😃⚽#MiaSanMia #FCBayern pic.twitter.com/hkT5gLc840
— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) September 20, 2021
It has been a baptism of fire for Furth, as they are currently bottom of the Bundesliga, having been promoted to the top-flight at the end of last season. They have scored just three goals, and have conceded 13. Furth have picked up just one point so far this season, and were beaten for a fourth time last Friday night against Hertha Berlin.
Furth were last in the Bundesliga in the 2012-13 season, and were beaten by Bayern both home and away. They were also handed a 6-2 defeat in the DFB Pokal in the 2009-10 season. A repeat big win looks like the most likely outcome on Friday.
Hoffenheim vs Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg are currently locked in between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in second place. They will be looking to maintain their excellent start to the Bundesliga season on the road against Hoffenheim on Saturday afternoon.
Wolfsburg’s 100% record to start the Bundesliga season came to an end last time out, as they could only manage a 1-1 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt. Wout Weghorst needed to score 20 minutes from time to salvage a point, but the result now means that they haven’t won in two competitive fixtures. However, confidence will still be high after a very impressive start to the season, as Sam Lammers goal for Frankfurt in that draw was only the second that they have conceded so far this term.
📸 Some images from our 1-1 draw against @eintracht_eng #WOBSGE #VfLWolfsburg 🟢⚪️ pic.twitter.com/KXteaQ9CFZ
— VfL Wolfsburg EN/US 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 (@VfLWolfsburg_EN) September 19, 2021
Hoffenheim have been slightly leakier, as they have conceded seven goals in the five games that they have played. However, they have picked up five points so far this term in the Bundesliga. They were at least able to celebrate a second clean sheet of the season last weekend, but they weren’t able to find a breakthrough goal, as Hoffenheim were held to a 0-0 draw on the road against Arminia.
Wolfsburg’s positive record of three wins in four against Hoffenheim came to an end last season, as they were beaten 2-1 at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena. Their excellent defensive record this season could be crucial in this fixture on Saturday though, as they get back to winning ways.
