Borussia Dortmund – FC Augsburg 2: 1 (1: 1), Goals: 1-0 Raphael Guerreiro (10th), 1: 1 Andi Zeqiri (35th), 2-1 Julian Brandt (51st)
Erling Haaland sat injured and in a white sweater in the stands and, like probably many of the 40,000 spectators in the stadium, asked himself the question: How good are the others without me? Answer: They sway, but they don’t fall. BVB took the lead with a very casually converted penalty from Raphael Guerreiro, who, as a shooter in Haaland’s absence, apparently has priority over Marco Reus. Augsburg’s Jeffrey Gouweleeuw stepped (on the generally lively) Donyell Malen on the foot that he took off his shoe. After that, BVB became inexplicably passive, Arne Maier grabbed the ball, hammered it on the crossbar and Andi Zeqiri converted the rebound.
A wild game developed that BVB no longer had any control and in this back and forth, Borussia met at home against Augsburg after a counterattack – Julian Brandt sank to 2-1. Zeqiri met by return of post to equalize – but fouled in the formation. Then what happened to Dortmund happened so often: They missed the early decision. Thorgan Hazard and several times Marco Reus awarded the 3: 1 and so BVB shivered to three deserved, but still shaky points.
VfL Wolfsburg – Borussia Mönchengladbach 1: 3 (1: 2), Goals 0: 1 Breel Embolo (5th), 0: 2 Jonas Hofmann (7th), 1: 2 Luca Waldschmidt (25th), 1: 3 Joe Scally (90th + 5)
Overhead kick number 1: Breel Embolo scores against Wolfsburg.
(Photo: TOBIAS SCHWARZ / AFP)
The Gladbachers achieved something historical in the afternoon. Not because Breel Embolo, often decried as a chance death, hit Embolo spectacularly with an overhead kick. That is extraordinary – just like the other performance of the striker on this match day – but Borussia crowned the performance with their first victory in 18 years in Wolfsburg.
Seconds after Embolo’s feat, Jonas Hofmann had rounded VfL goalkeeper Koen Casteels and pushed in. In the lively game, Wolfsburg striker Luca Waldschmidt dusted off, his teammate Maxence Lacroix went off with yellow and red, Lars Stindl missed a penalty for Gladbach and Joe Scally scored to make it 3-1. First the success against Dortmund, now the one in the Autostadt: After the mixed start of the season, Borussia is pushing the accelerator.
VfB Stuttgart – TSG 1899 Hoffenheim 3: 1 (1: 0), Goals 1: 0 Marc-Oliver Kempf (18th), 2-0 Konstantinos Mavropanos (60th), 3-0 Roberto Massimo (81st), 3-1 Jacob Bruun Larsen (84th)
Goal of the day: Konstantinos Mavropanos
(Photo: Pressefoto Rudel / Robin Rudel via www.imago-images.de/imago images / Sportfoto Rudel)
VfB Stuttgart and TSG Hoffenheim not only share the state but also the uncertainty of not knowing where this season is going. Relegation battle? European Cup? Calm midfield? After the game, they are smarter in that VfB scored more goals in a direct duel and thus ended their series of five games without a win. Marc-Oliver Kempf headed the lead after a wonderfully twisted corner from Omar Marmoush and after a long ball from TSG goalkeeper Oliver Baumann central defender Konstantinos Mavropanos first involved Hoffenheim’s Sargis Adamyan in a duel, grabbed the ball, just ran through and shot in wonderful solo goal.
The hits from Joker Roberto Massimo and Jacob Bruun Larsen didn’t change anything in the overall impression. Hoffenheim was not without a chance, in places the more active team and hit the bar with Ihlas Bebou shortly before the Stuttgart 1-0. Both teams are in tenth and eleventh place with eight points – and see where the journey is headed.
Hertha BSC – SC Freiburg 1: 2 (0: 1), Goals 0: 1 Philipp Lienhart (17th), 1: 1 Krzysztof Piatek (70th), 1: 2 Nils Petersen (78th)
Overhead kick number 2: Nils Petersen scores against Hertha.
(Photo: Matthias Koch via www.imago-images.de/imago images / Matthias Koch)
Oh yes, Hertha. She wants to be so much and is so little at the moment. That was also evident against Freiburg. After the zero six in Leipzig, Hertha coach Pal Dardai had to start again with the basics, “almost like the A-youth”, as he revealed before the game. This is of course an unfortunate situation for a Bundesliga game. Especially when it comes to Freiburg, one of the most adult teams in the league. The SC was also not worried about the interim equalization. After two corners, the Freiburg team cheered, Nils Petersen of course scored a joker goal in his 250th Bundesliga game with a fall back. Hertha, on the other hand, are already flowing through happiness hormones if they ever get into the penalty area dangerously. So it will be difficult to win.