This is a therapeutic text for people who find the Bundesliga boring and cannot properly grasp the complexity of football. We want to help – with disturbing statistics on current events.
So on Saturday, 1. FC Union celebrated the biggest away win in its Bundesliga history at Hertha BSC – in Berlin, of all places. Arminia Bielefeld went without a goal in five consecutive away games for the first time since 1983. VfL Wolfsburg has been unbeaten against Bielefeld for eight competitive games. And Gladbach has never lost to Fürth. If you’re getting excited now: bundesliga.de has a lot more to offer.
Bayern Munich’s Thomas Müller was the first outfield player in the Bundesliga to achieve his 300th victory. Colleague Joshua Kimmich managed his 150th victory in the 196th Bundesliga game. Wolfsburg keeper Koen Casteels is now the record man from Belgium with 220 Bundesliga games – ahead of Daniel Van Buyten and Thorgan Hazard. Dortmund’s Julian Brandt scored the earliest substitute goal in Bundesliga history (12th minute) in Stuttgart as the earliest substitute of the season (2nd minute). In addition: Jonathan Burkardt’s deflected embarrassment shot to Mainz 1-0 lead in Cologne had a goal probability of only 3.1 percent. And Union’s Sheraldo Becker accelerated to 35.3 km/h before scoring against Hertha.
What would football be without “the science of counting” (Duden)? Nothing. just a game No wonder there are many legendary football sayings dedicated to data euphoria. Voilà: “Let’s go out and get the statistics” (Beckenbauer). “The ball is round with a maximum circumference of 70 centimeters, a weight of at least 410 grams and a pressure of up to 1.1 bar” (Herberger). “You should be eleven friends – in the formation 1-4-4-2, 1-3-4-3 or 1-5-2-3” (popular saying).
Finally some very exquisite data – please only for absolute connoisseurs! Maximilian Arnold’s seventh Bundesliga free-kick goal to make it 3-0 against Bielefeld was the most filigree left-footed shot ever after a stationary ball in the sign of Aries. Ellyes Skhiris 1: 2 against Mainz was not only the 14th Cologne header of the season, but also the first, while Billy Goat Hennes choked on a stalk off the field. And the fact that coach Felix Magath experienced his 250th home game in the Bundesliga, that’s… well that… leaves the statistics freak, Ulrich Hartmann, deeply touched