MY ACCOUNT
The Bundesliga returned with a bang on Matchday 1 as imperious Bayern Munich kicked off their title defence with a 6-1 mauling of Eintracht Frankfurt.
The perennial German champions will hope to make it two emphatic wins from two as they host Wolfsburg on Sunday.
Borussia Dortmund continue their campaign with a trip to Freiburg on Friday night. Elsewhere, Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig host Augsburg and FC Cologne respectively.
Newly-promoted Schalke will be looking for improvement after a losing start when they entertain Borussia Monchengladbach.
Game of the week: Bayern Munich vs Wolfsburg (Sunday, 4.30pm)
Reigning Bundesliga champions Bayern are already back at the summit and come up against former boss Niko Kovac, who brings his Wolfsburg side to Bavaria.
Die Roten have faced Saturday’s visitors 50 times in the league, losing only four of those. They have never been beaten at home by Die Wolfe.
Kovac has a point to prove as he returns to Bayern, where he managed 44 league matches between 2018 and 2019.
The Croatian was sacked with the lowest win percentage (66%) and points-per-game average (2.18) of any Bayern coach in the top flight since 2013.
Bayern have a formidable record in their first home league outing of the season however, winning nine and drawing one of their last 10 such fixtures.
Freiburg vs Borussia Dortmund (Friday, 7.30pm)
Given Bayern’s commanding opening-day victory, Dortmund must ensure they maintain momentum by securing successive wins.
Freiburg will provide a stern test of their credentials, having won their last two home league games against Dortmund.
These sides were the only two teams to keep clean sheets on the opening weekend — the visitors with the help of former Freiburg defender Nico Schlotterbeck.
The hosts managed an emphatic win at Augsburg with their 4-0 triumph their joint-biggest margin of victory on the opening day of a Bundesliga season — both defences will have more to contend with this time around.
Bayer Leverkusen vs Augsburg (Saturday, 2.30pm)
After a losing start to the season, Leverkusen will be eager to pick up their first win of the campaign at the second time of asking.
Augsburg represent a good opportunity for them to do just that, having never lost to them in the Bundesliga (15 wins, seven draws), scoring 52 times in the process.
No fixture has taken place more times in Bundesliga history without one side recording a single win.
The visitors were on the receiving end of a 4-0 battering by Freiburg on the opening day, conceding four times in the second half.
Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby has netted five league goals against Augsburg — more than against any other opponent — and will hope to add to that impressive tally and help his side to their first three points of the campaign.
RB Leipzig vs FC Cologne (Saturday, 2.30pm)
RB Leipzig were held at Stuttgart in their opening fixture and are also in search of a first win of the campaign.
Their meeting with FC Cologne could prove an entertaining one, given the shooting tendencies both sides have displayed thus far.
Cologne (32) and Leipzig (28) had more efforts on goal than any other side in the first round of fixtures.
The hosts will look to Christopher Nkunku for inspiration in attack, with the Frenchman involved in a league-high tally of 22 goals (14 goals, eight assists) in 2022.
He took six shots himself and set up a further seven in the 1-1 draw with Stuttgart and will likely continue in the same vein.
Nkunku could line up alongside new recruit Timo Werner, who returned to the Red Bulls on a four-year contract on Tuesday.
Werner notched 73 strikes in 124 Bundesliga games for Leipzig between 2016 and 2020 to become the club’s record goalscorer.
Schalke vs Borussia Monchengladbach (Saturday, 5.30pm)
Newly-promoted Schalke were given a rude reintroduction to Bundesliga life after losing 3-1 at Cologne on the opening weekend.
Things might not improve against Borussia Monchengladbach, who have scored 159 goals in just 96 Bundesliga games against Saturday’s hosts — only against Cologne (183) and Werder Bremen (177) have they netted more frequently.
Schalke also had less possession (25%) and played fewer passes (208) than any other team on the opening matchday — they will need to be better with the ball if they are to overcome Daniel Farke’s visitors.
Gladbach played a league-high 76 passes into the final third in their victory against Hoffenheim, while Schalke allowed 67 into their own final third — should the pattern be repeated, an away victory appears likely.
The weekend’s other games
Hertha Berlin vs Eintracht Frankfurt (Saturday, 2.30pm)
Hoffenheim vs Bochum (Saturday, 2.30pm)
Werder Bremen vs Stuttgart (Saturday, 2.30pm)
Mainz vs Union Berlin (Sunday, 2.30pm)
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