First day of the Bundesliga: leaders Stuttgart – BVB happy – sports

Borussia Dortmund – 1. FC Cologne 1:0 (0:0), Goal: 1-0 Donyell Malen (88′)

84 days later, BVB returns to the place of the big defeat. BVB coach Edin Terzic, who was still inconsolable in front of the south stand on May 27 after losing the championship trophy, did what he is very good at before the game against Cologne: gave an encouraging speech. You now have a new chance that you want to seize, said Terzic. And analytically: you left too many points in the first half of the season last season. That shouldn’t happen this time.

A little more than 90 minutes after this statement, BVB had just averted the first loss of points of the season. After a chewing gum game, Dortmund got another corner kick in the 88th minute – and Donyell Malen maneuvered the ball into the goal at the back post after he had actually stepped over it. The goal was symbolic for the Dortmund game. Cologne defended deeply and disciplined, the first half ended with only two chances to score (Julian Brandt for Dortmund, Davie Selke for Cologne). After the break, Cologne increasingly got more out of the game, Gregor Kobel saved the 0-0 with a strong foot reflex. Then came Malen – and only thanks to another rescue tackle from Mats Hummels did Edin Terzic not have to bury his good intentions immediately.

VfB Stuttgart – VfL Bochum 5: 0 (2: 0), Goals: 1-0 Serhou Guirassy (18′), 2-0 Dan-Axel Zagadou (38′), 3-0 and 4-0 Silas (60′ and 67′), 5-0 Serhou Guirassy (77′)

A so-called Holding Six isn’t called that because it’s easy to hold, on the contrary. This is now also known in Stuttgart. As soon as someone at Liverpool FC noticed that such a rare specimen could be found in Swabia, it was sold off faster than anyone could have said “Klopp”. And so VfB, because they absolutely didn’t want to block their leaving six Wataru Endo’s path to the Premier League, confirmed the day before the opening game against Bochum that they would have to start the season without their captain – and for the time being without an adequate replacement . Or with Atakan Karazor, the only one in the squad who doesn’t just know the position from hearsay – and who had to be treated after half an hour.

And what do you do if you fear a gaping hole in your own defence? One storms. Serhou Guirassy, ​​alone in front of the goalkeeper, scored the massive 1-0 (18th), in a similarly clear final position as right at the beginning on the other side of Bochum’s Christopher Antwi-Adjei, who, however, had shot wide of Alexander Nübel’s goal. Dan-Axel Zagadou raised his head (38′) and if Bochum goalkeeper Manuel Riemann hadn’t deflected a shot from the outside of Jeong Woo-Yeong onto the crossbar with a fantastic reflex, the game would have been decided at the break. Still, it wasn’t exciting anymore. The guests ignored Silas twice after the change of sides, once they let Guirassy escape, in the end it was 5-0 and VfB are the leaders of the Bundesliga for the time being.

Bayer 04 Leverkusen – RB Leipzig 3: 2 (2: 1), Goals: 1-0 Jeremie Frimpong (24′), 2-0 Jonathan Tah (35′), 2-1 Dani Olmo (39′), 3-1 Florian Wirtz (64′), 3-2 Lois Openda (71′) )

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First match day, first top game: On the one hand RB Leipzig, who just missed FC Bayern in the Supercup with the fabulous Dani Olmo. And once Leverkusen, already strong since Xabi Alonso took over the coaching post and in the shadow of Harry Kane something like the secret transfer champion of the league. Alonso put four new players in the starting eleven with Grimaldo, Boniface, Hofmann and Xhaka. And they first put the established ones in the limelight.

Victor Boniface, coming from Belgium, put the lead on Jeremie Frimpong. Shortly thereafter, Jonas Hofmann, who came from Gladbach, crossed a corner to Jonathan Tah’s head. Leverkusen were dominant, which can be a risk against Leipzig’s notorious pressing, but Bayer 04 had the game remarkably well under control. It was Olmo again who scored for Leipzig, this time in a profane way: after a corner he snuck up to the first post and headed in from there.

Florian Wirtz again ensured the two-goal gap. The only question is whether he wanted the arc lamp, which sailed untenably over Leipzig goalkeeper Janis Blaswich, or whether he simply didn’t hit the ball exactly. It could have been easier for Bayer 04 after that, but the team again failed to defend a set piece: Lois Openda headed his debut goal and missed the 3-3 shortly afterwards – he stepped over the ball in front of the empty goal and hit the post on the second try. In the final phase, Leverkusen defended with ten men – and saved the victory at the finish.

FC Augsburg – Borussia Mönchengladbach 4: 4 (3: 3), Goals: 0-1 Ko Itakura (13′), 0-2 Tomas Cvancara (27′), 1-2 Elvis Rexhbecaj (29′), 1-3 Nathan Ngoumou (37′), 2-3 Maximilian Bauer (41′) ), 3: 3 Sven Michel (45 + 7, penalty), 4: 3 Ruben Vargas (76), 4: 4 Tomas Cvancara (90 + 7, penalty)

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Wild start to the season in Augsburg: Gladbach didn’t start dominantly, but efficiently. Ko Itakura after a corner and newcomer Tomas Cvancara after a mistake in Augsburg’s set-up ensured a 2-0 lead. Just minutes after conceding the second goal, Elvis Rexhbecaj shot into the near corner. Gladbach almost got the next goal as a gift: Nathan Ngoumou snagged a tee shot from Borussia goalkeeper Jonas Omlin, left the entire FCA defense and increased to 3:1. Nonetheless, sovereignty was sought in vain among the guests. The Augsburgers used a rehearsed corner ball variant to reconnect. And in stoppage time in the first half, referee Daniel Schlager gave a penalty kick, which New-Augsburg player Sven Michel converted to make it 3-3.

Gladbach played better again after the break, but could not capitalize on several mistakes in the FCA defense. After losing the cup, the Bavarian Swabians were still vulnerable defensively, but they were significantly improved in attack. A quarter of an hour before the end, Ruben Vargas apparently turned the game completely, a powerful shot but not untenable for Omlin. But the final punchline came: In the 97th minute, Tomas Cvancara slammed a penalty kick into the goal. The Augsburgers thus miss the first win in the 13th attempt.

VfL Wolfsburg – 1. FC Heidenheim 2-0 (2-0), Goals: 1-0 and 2-0 Jonas Wind (6th, 27th)

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And with that, welcome to the Bundesliga: 1. FC Heidenheim was the 57th club in history to start in 1846 in the German bel étage. A lot will have to come together if the stay there is to last longer than a season – above-average goalkeeping would help. But instead, FCH keeper Kevin Müller went wrong. After just six minutes, a harmless cross slipped out of Wolfsburg’s right attacking side, VfL striker Jonas Wind dusted off to take the lead. Around 20 minutes later, Wolfsburg played low again from the right into the penalty area, and the wind was there again.

Heidenheim coach Frank Schmidt indicated with his fingers on the sideline: Twice the same move, two goals conceded. Nevertheless, the promoted team did not hide and was the better team after the break. Lennard Maloney put the ball just inches wide of the goal. After a good 70 minutes, substitute Kevin Sessa failed to score a precise cross on the second post in the empty goal – opportunities that an underdog should urgently use. The Heidenheimers remained more dangerous, but did not finish promisingly. A solid first half against a competitive league newcomer was enough for Wolfsburg.

TSG Hoffenheim – SC Freiburg 1: 2 (0: 2), Goals: 0-1 Attila Szalai (39′, own goal), 0-2 Roland Sallai (45+3′), 1-2 Ozan Kabak (50′)

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What a debut that would have been. Freiburg’s new number one Noah Atubolu had just survived four Bundesliga minutes when he let the ball bounce forward after a moderately dangerous shot by Angelo Stiller, right at the feet of Hoffenheim’s Andrej Kramaric, who scored effortlessly – although both of his feet were in the stood apart. So lucky for Atubolu. Born in Freiburg, who is to succeed Mark Flekken, who has switched to FC Brentford, is only 21 years old. So it wasn’t until the 50th minute that he conceded his first Bundesliga goal, and he couldn’t do anything about it.

This 1:2 was achieved by Hoffenheim’s defender Ozan Kabak, who shortly before had prevented the 0:3 on the other side through Michael Gregoritsch. Freiburg initially happily took the lead after two opposing shins skilfully caressed a Christian Günter cross into their own goal. First John Antony Brooks deflected, then Attila Szalai. Freiburg’s Roland Sallai increased before the break. Hoffenheim’s new striker Wout Weghorst was out due to muscular problems. Because Gregoritsch later messed up a whole series of big chances for Freiburg and Vincenzo Grifo only hit the post, things remained exciting well into injury time.