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Borussia Dortmund have once more dominated the German soccer headlines this week, and sadly not for the correct causes.
The sense that Schwarzgelben are falling laborious continues apace on the again of successive defeats at FC Augsburg and VfL Wolfsburg within the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal, respectively. That, after under-fire first-year coach Nuri Åahin had been broadly criticised — together with on this house — for his second-half tactical and personnel switches at Real Madrid within the UEFA Champions League that helped flip a 2-0 benefit right into a 5-2 defeat.
Saturday’s efficiency within the Fuggerstadt lacked tempo and punch, and BVB acquired what their uninspiring play deserved after Donyell Malen had given them an early lead. To be charitable, the Wolfsburg journey at all times regarded prone to be laced with difficulties for Åahin, who may barely cobble collectively a crew of match gamers and needed to improvise by, for instance, deploying Pascal Gross at right-back and Julian Brandt as a sitting midfielder.
The reality is, although, Dortmund, after conceding to Wolfsburg substitute Jonas Wind on 117 minutes, have misplaced misplaced out on the quick path to a trophy and there may be scant proof that the longer journeys essential to win the Meisterschale or Henkelpott (the German title for the Champions League trophy) will bear any fruit.
Dortmund have put collectively a wierd sequence of outcomes this season: excellent at residence in all competitions, whereas dismal away. On-pitch management has been in brief provide, whether or not from goalkeeper Gregor Kobel and membership captain Emre Can, which speaks to a sure total Verunsicherung (uncertainty.)
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The excellent news is Saturday’s Topspiel can be in entrance of 81,365 and naturally BVB’s well-known Gelbe Wand (yellow wall). The dangerous information is Dortmund’s opponents are a really succesful RB Leipzig aspect, coached by Marco Rose. Yes, the identical Rose who oversaw the Schwarzgelben in 2021-22 earlier than being unceremoniously dismissed in a transfer that took many people without warning.
Rose, a Leipziger by start, has been on the RBL helm for greater than two years and the match — type and persona smart — simply feels proper, helped to by a substantial background working at sister membership, RB Salzburg.
Level on the high with Bayern Munich are the Bundesliga’s Bollwerk (bulwark) with solely three objectives conceded. Goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi is having fun with one in all his greatest begins to a season, whereas Willi Orban stays of essentially the most ready defensive leaders within the Bundesliga — along with providing a real attacking menace at set performs.
Even with out Xavi Simons and Xaver Schlager, each out for the medium- to long run, there are sufficient part elements to place the worry in BVB. Lois Openda, with 5 league objectives to his title this time period, was clocked because the quickest participant throughout all Bundesliga video games performed final week.
Leipzig prevailed in each conferences with Dortmund final season and have been victorious in two of their previous three visits to the Signal Iduna Park.
Injuries might once more imply a patchwork-quilt high quality to BVB, with the potential of the struggling Can having to line up at right-back instead of Julian Ryerson.
Dortmund fell to their third straight defeat throughout all competitions on Tuesday with the DFB-Pokal loss at Wolfsburg. Hendrik Deckers/Borussia Dortmund by way of Getty Images
BVB failed the primary check they confronted in opposition to a German Champions League crew when thumped 5-1 by VfB Stuttgart. If it goes utterly awry for them on Saturday night, how a lot endurance will managing director for sport Lars Ricken and CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke have with Åahin? The indicators I’m getting are that they nonetheless really feel it is nonetheless too early to make a change, however one other defeat would have the alarm bells ringing loudly.
Can Leverkusen-Stuttgart ship extra fireworks?
Ask anybody who avidly follows the Bundesliga which video games final season introduced essentially the most leisure, verve and normal pleasure, and so they’ll inform you: the epics between Bayer Leverkusen and Stuttgart.
It’s no overstatement. Die Schwaben gave the eventual champions the runaround at instances in all three aggressive conferences, and solely a late Jonathan Tah headed winner for Leverkusen within the wild DFB-Pokal quarterfinal the separated them.
Back in August, I witnessed first-hand whereas commentating for viewers around the globe on the BayArena, one other night time of DFL-Supercup depth. Again, Leverkusen left it late, this time a Patrik Schick leveller sending the curtain raiser to penalties earlier than die Werkself acquired to carry aloft their third trophy in 2024.
So, Friday night time once more underneath the Bayer-Kreuz guarantees to be a can’t-miss expertise.
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FRIDAY, NOV. 1 (all instances ET)
⢠Leverkusen vs. Stuttgart (3:20 p.m.)
SATURDAY, NOV. 2 (all instances ET)
⢠Bayern vs. Union Berlin (10:20 a.m.)
⢠Dortmund vs Leipzig (1:20 p.m.)
⢠Ajax vs. PSV (1:40 p.m.)
SUNDAY, NOV. 3 (all instances ET)
⢠Man Utd vs. Arsenal (WSL) (7:25 a.m.)
⢠Atléti vs. Las Palmas (7:50 a.m.)
⢠Barça vs. Espanyol (10:05 a.m.)
⢠Everton vs. Chelsea (WSL) (1:40 p.m.)
⢠Red Stars vs. Current (3:00 p.m.)
⢠Wave vs. Louisville (5:30 p.m.)
Xabi Alonso has closely rotated his squad not too long ago, making eight modifications forward of the previous two aggressive matches. Tuesday’s 3-0 Pokal win over Elversberg noticed Leverkusen preserve vitality within the second half, clearly with Friday in thoughts.
It’s laborious to think about this not being an evening of attacking fireworks with Florian Wirtz, Granit Xhaka and Victor Boniface on one aspect after which Deniz Undav plus the in-form Jamie Leweling and El Bilal Toure on the opposite.
Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro informed me a couple of weeks in the past, they at all times have a shortlist of potential future coaches as a matter of professionalism. If this happensto be Alonso’s final season — and that is on no account particular — it could be logical to think about Stuttgart’s Sebastian Hoeness showing on the high of that record.
Bielefeld are, in actual fact, very actual
In the previous 30 years in German life, it has develop into a matter of satire to say that town of Bielefeld would not truly exist. Well, its existence was very actual within the DFB-Pokal on Wednesday night time as Arminia Bielefeld, now within the 3. Liga, put Union Berlin, at the moment fourth within the Bundesliga, to the sword.It was my private favorite Pokal match or the week in entrance of 26,117 on the Bielefelder Alm.
Bielefeld coach Mitch Kniat promised a recreation auf Augenhöhe (at eye stage) by way of willingness to run and dealing in opposition to the ball. His gamers made an brisk begin and Marius Wörl’s outrageous long-range end, after an errant move by Andras Schäfer, put Arminia on their means. Andre Becker added a second purpose — arrange by the spectacular Wörl — with slightly below 20 minutes to go.
You would possibly bear in mind Bielefeld have been within the Bundesliga earlier than the Abstieg (demotion) struck in 2022. Thereafter they went sliding straight right down to the three. Liga.
Now they will fly the flag for the league they play in when the draw for the Pokal third spherical is made in Dortmund on Sunday by Andre Schnura, who delighted followers throughout Germany along with his saxophone music throughout Euro 2024.
Source: espn.co.uk
