Werder Bremen makes the game, Dortmund scores – but then everything changes: Within six minutes, the promoted team turns 0:2 and wins in injury time of a crazy game. Goal scorer Simon Terodde from Schalke 04 fails with two penalties within a minute at the Wolfsburg goalkeeper.
Borussia Dortmund sensationally missed the best start to the season in seven years in the Bundesliga. Coach Edin Terzic’s team lost 2:3 (1:0) against newly promoted Werder Bremen after a two-goal lead up to the 88th minute and thus also missed the leap to the top of the table. BVB last managed three victories at the start of the 2015/16 season.
National players Julian Brandt (45.2) and Raphael Guerreiro (77.) gave the hosts the lead in front of 81,365 spectators, the jokers Lee Buchanan (89.), Niklas Schmidt (90.3) and Oliver Burke (90.5) turned it around Game late, but by no means undeserved. For Bremen it was the first win after returning to the Bundesliga. “I have no idea how that could have happened,” said BVB captain Marco Reus, visibly shocked. “We didn’t have any real control the whole time, then they score a goal and then come back and throw everything forward.” Schmidt spoke of the “most beautiful moment” of his career: “You can’t describe it at all.”
Terzic had to do without Donyell Malen (muscular problems) for a short time, and Karim Adeyemi was not available again after his toe injury. Brandt was in the starting eleven, as was 18-year-old Jamie Bynoe-Gittens. But after 18 minutes Terzic had to change again: Emre Can came on for Mahmoud Dahoud, who had injured his shoulder. The guests were not impressed by any BVB personalities. Coach Ole Werner’s team was well organized defensively and kept looking for a way forward. Jens Stage missed the first good opportunity with a header (21st).
While BVB made numerous ball losses in the forward movement and Anthony Modeste was hanging in the air in the center of the attack, Bremen played well. Marvin Ducksch (33rd) and Niclas Füllkrug (35th) recorded further deals. Then Ducksch failed with a free kick at the strongly reacting BVB goalkeeper Gregor Kobel. Dortmund’s half-time lead was happy. Brandt, who had been weak until then, finished well after an individual performance in added time.
Bremen also engaged the forward gear after the change. BVB had to do a surprising amount of work defensively. Nico Schlotterbeck blocked in dire need against Anthony Jung (59th). The runner-up continued to struggle offensively. Terzic reacted after an hour with a triple change. Among other things, national player Niklas Süle came into play after a muscle injury in his thigh and made his Bundesliga debut for Dortmund. Guerreiro then hit the ball perfectly at 2-0.
Three games, no win: As coach of VfL Wolfsburg, Niko Kovac has to wait for his first three. In the home game against promoted Schalke 04, the Wolves only managed a goalless draw – and were even lucky that guest attacker Simon Terodde missed two penalties.
A week after the 2-2 win against Borussia Mönchengladbach, it was Schalke’s second point win since returning to the top flight. Although VfL acted in the second round with sometimes oppressive superiority and created a few chances, the royal blue saved the 0-0 with passion over time.
It got curious in injury time in the first half, when Terodde made two misses that should appear in any season review. After the best scorer of the last second division season was awarded a penalty, he failed to VfL goalkeeper Koen Casteels. But because the Belgian was too far in front of the line, the penalty was repeated. Again Terodde aimed at the bottom right – but again Casteels parried.
The wolves were initially quite toothless without Max Kruse. Without pressure, without ideas and without creativity, VfL didn’t manage to seriously endanger the league newcomer. Except for a long-range shot by Paulo Otavio, which the guest keeper Alexander Schwolow fished out of the corner with a remarkable flight, Schalke had little trouble keeping the zero in the first half.
In front of the eyes of DFB captain Alexandra Popp, who, like 14 of their Wolfsburg team-mates, were honored during the half-time break for second place at the European Championships, the hosts increased the number of strokes in the second half – and created a few chances. First Jakub Kaminski got stuck from close range (55′), then Maxence Lacroix headed a centimeter wide of the goal (56′), before Kruse caused danger with a volley just three minutes after he was substituted on (62′) and a supposed goal from Josuha Guilavogui was disallowed for offside according to the video images (66th).
SC Freiburg gave their coach Christian Streich the right gift in his anniversary game. The people of Breisgau won the hard-fought Baden-Württemberg derby 1-0 (1-0) against VfB Stuttgart, who were still without a win, and continued their winning streak against the Swabians. Vincenzo Grifo gave SC an early lead in front of 47,500 spectators (11th) and secured their second win of the season. It was the seventh Freiburg league game in a row without a defeat against VfB (five wins). For Streich it was the 400th game as coach of the SC. “It’s nice, it also cost its price. I’ve experienced a lot of nice things, that also takes strength over the years,” the 47-year-old said before the game on Sky.
Borna Sosa was in the starting eleven for the first time after a long injury break at VfB. He replaced Tiago Tomas, who had a cold. The injured Konstantinos Mavropanos and Josha Vagnoman could play against it. Streich made no changes after the 3-1 draw against Dortmund. Both coaches had expressed great respect for their opponents before the game. Streich expected a game at eye level. But initially VfB had more of the game, the Swabians were more active than SC.
The lead was all the more surprising when the guests immediately took advantage of the first attack. After a cross from Kiliann Sildillia, Grifo dusted the far post. The VfB defense didn’t look good. VfB’s initial momentum was gone for the time being. Freiburg now acted in a superior manner and could have followed up with Michael Gregoritsch (30th). Only then did VfB come up again. The best chance to equalize before the break was thwarted by SC keeper Mark Flekken, who brilliantly parried a Mavropanos header (35′).
Flekken, who had recently blundered badly against Dortmund, was immediately in the spotlight after the change when he made a strong save against Sosa (48th). As a result, Stuttgart made an effort, but found hardly any gaps. Freiburg was largely stable and usually waited for counterattacks.
Harmless, unimaginative – and further without a point: Bayer Leverkusen’s false start is still a case for the club’s history. The highly ambitious team coached by Gerardo Seoane also lost 3-0 (0-2) against TSG Hoffenheim on matchday three, and in the fourth competitive game of the season it was Leverkusen’s fourth defeat, something that has never happened before. Christoph Baumgartner (9th), Andrej Kramari? (35th) and Georginio Rutter (78th) scored the TSG goals. Champions League participants Bayer are still at the bottom of the table, the Werkself also failed in the first round of the DFB Cup – the season has barely started when the highly rated Seoane is already under pressure to explain.
The performance of his eleven at the start of the season, the coach had previously said, was actually no reason to panic – but the lack of results was a problem. And the opening phase against Hoffenheim became the blueprint for this young season: Bayer started well, but after just over half an hour it was 0-2. Because Leverkusen did little, but the opponent everything. Moussa Diaby steered towards the opposing goal early on with plenty of space, but allowed the angle to become a bit too acute and failed at Oliver Baumann (7th). Only two minutes later, the guest scored, it was a “that too” moment for the Bayer fans: Baumgartner stood with his back to the goal quite safely – and then completed the back-heel.
From now on, TSG stood deep and hardly did anything for the game, but Bayer often tried too hard and rarely got through. Occasional whistles could be heard from the stands when Hoffenheim once again launched a rare counterattack: Ozan Kabak had a lot of time on the right, Bayer goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky ran under the cross and Kramaric only had to push in. Even the return of the veterans Hradecky (after a red suspension) and Robert Andrich (contusion) had not stabilized the Bayer Leverkusen structure. The second half was almost the same picture. For a long time now, the game was played almost exclusively in Hoffenheim’s half, but both teams were hardly ever dangerous. Rutter then made everything clear for the Kraichgauer.
Three games, seven points – FSV Mainz 05 seems to be on the right track in the Bundesliga. Bo Svensson’s team scored their second win of the season at FC Augsburg with a 2-1 (1-1). Jae-Sung Lee’s goal (90.3) was decisive. Aaron Martin had previously awarded a penalty kick for Mainz (62nd).
Karim Onisiwo had given the guests, who had previously lost five games in Augsburg, the lead with his third goal of the season (31st). In what was initially a bland but varied game, Ermedin Demirovic scored the visual highlight in front of 25,755 spectators with a back-heel goal to equalize in the meantime (35′). The Rheinhessen ended a series of five defeats in Augsburg.
