Bundesliga Matchday 10 was sensational, offering an enthralling mix of jaw-dropping performances, dramatic turnarounds and captivating storylines.
From the explosive clash of the giants in Der Klassiker to Eintracht Frankfurt’s comprehensive victory over struggling Union Berlin and the nail-biting drama in Freiburg, the action in the German top flight was breathtaking.
Buckle up as we dive into the highlights of this week’s Bundesliga frenzy.
Bayern Munich thrash rivals Borussia Dortmund 4-0 in Der Klassiker
Borussia Dortmund were on a 16-game unbeaten streak and had reasons to be angry after the events of the last day of last season when Die Rekordmeister pipped them to the title.
They also had home advantage and were eager to dent Bayern Munich’s title chances this season.
Cue the Dortmund capitulation. Dayot Upamecano headed Bayern into the lead in the fourth minute from a Leroy Sane corner.
BVB tried to respond, but Bayern hit them on the counter and ruthlessly decimated them, with Sane finding Harry Kane for the second goal in the ninth minute.
Donyell Malen could have changed the dynamic just before half-time but skied a glorious chance on his weaker left foot.
The break reinvigorated Bayern, and they came out guns blazing for the second 45 minutes. Jamal Musiala forced Gregor Kobel into a save 28 seconds after the restart.
The Swiss goalkeeper tried to rally the troops, but BVB were in disarray and he had to save another Musiala effort.
There was more preposterous schoolboy defending in the 71st minute as the Dortmund backline failed to read the most obvious give-and-go, allowing Kingsley Coman to cross for Kane to score his second.
Mats Hummels’ defending in the sequence is laughable, considering his bags of experience.
Niklas Sule came on for Marius Wolf and added his quota to the calamitous defending on display, giving the ball away in a dangerous area as Kane bagged back-to-back hat-tricks in the Bundesliga.
Eintracht Frankfurt compound Union Berlin’s woes with a 3-0 beating
Eintracht Frankfurt left the Stadion An der Alten Forsterei with all three points after handing Union Berlin a crushing 3-0 defeat.
The match saw an explosive start, with the in-form Omar Marmoush netting a quick-fire brace within the opening 15 minutes.
The Egyptian forward has bagged back-to-back Bundesliga braces and has five goals in his last five games for the Eagles.
Nacho Ferri added the finishing touch with a late goal, sealing Frankfurt’s victory as they remain seventh in the league.
David Datro Fofana hit the bar and had a goal ruled out for a handball upon his return to the Union starting XI after making up with manager Urs Fischer.
This defeat further compounds Union’s early woes. They’ve now suffered 12 consecutive losses in all competitions.
The writing is on the wall for Union and Fischer. They are slipping into the relegation battle while juggling European struggles and must do something to salvage their season.
Freiburg and Borussia Monchengladbach share the spoils in 3-3 draw
Borussia Monchengladbach’s quest for a first win at Freiburg in over two decades was thwarted dramatically in a six-goal thriller.
The match delivered a spectacular affair as Vincenzo Grifo, deep into injury time, calmly converted a penalty to secure a draw for the hosts Freiburg.
Lucas Holer fired Freiburg into the lead, but Gladbach bounced back with Theoson-Jordan Siebatcheu and Alassane Plea scoring, turning the tables for the Foals.
Julian Weigl added a well-taken penalty, propelling Gladbach to a 3-1 lead.
However, just when victory seemed imminent, substitute Noah Weisshaupt pulled one back for the home side before Grifo made it 3-3.
Grifo continues his fine form that has seen him bag three goals and five assists already this term.
Mainz claim shock win over RB Leipzig
Mainz 05 manager Bo Svensson left the club this week after a tumultuous start to the season that saw them languishing at the bottom of the table, and in came Jan Siewert to replace him.
Mainz put Leipzig to the sword with goals from Lee Jae-sung and Leandro Barreiro in Siewart’s first game. The 05ers took their first win of the season over a lacklustre Leipzig to climb off the foot of the table into 17th place.
Leipzig are fifth but continue to show the occasional inconsistencies associated with a young team. Coach Marco Rose must rally his troops to respond against Freiburg next weekend.
Bayer Leverkusen edge past TSG Hoffenheim
Bayer Leverkusen showcased the mentality of champions as they beat Hoffenheim 3-2 in an enthralling clash at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena.
They secured a 2-0 lead in the first half through Florian Wirtz and Alejandro Grimaldo.
The German wonderkid dovetailed Victor Boniface, and the Nigerian striker found him in the box to open the scoring.
Grimaldo fired Jonas Hofmann’s corner beyond Oliver Baumann to double the lead before half-time.
However, the game took an unexpected turn in the second half as Hoffenheim roared to life.
Anton Stach, through a dreadful Lukas Hradecky error, and Wout Weghorst levelled the score.
Despite the setback, Xabi Alonso’s resilient side had the final word.
Grimaldo sealed the deal by curling in his second goal, ensuring Leverkusen continue their unbeaten streak this season and maintain a two-point lead over Bayern.
Around the grounds
The Volkswagen Arena witnessed an evenly matched encounter between Wolfsburg and Werder Bremen, which concluded in a 2-2 draw.
Marvin Ducksch’s magnificent free-kick gave Werder Bremen an early lead.
However, momentum swung as Vaclav Cerny equalised for the hosts, and American talent Kevin Paredes handed Wolfsburg the lead.
When it seemed the Wolves might snatch victory, Rafael Borre’s header ensured that both teams would share the spoils in their first draw of the season.
Wolfsburg had to withstand a late challenge as Maxence Lacroix received a red card.
FC Heidenheim caused one of the major upsets of the round, defeating high-flying VfB Stuttgart.
Jan Schoppner gave Heidenheim the early lead, and Tim Kleindienst made sure of the win with the last kick of the game, brilliantly chipping Alexander Nubel from just inside his half.
Kleindienst capitalised on a Waldemar Anton error to seal the stunning victory.
Despite the euphoria for Heidenheim, Stuttgart will lament missed opportunities.
Silas Katompa Mvumpa missed a penalty, and youngster Luca Raimund had a close-range chance in stoppage time when they were just one goal down.
Takuma Asano was the star of the show as Bochum clinched their first win of the season against Darmstadt 98.
The Japanese international netted twice, once in each half, to earn his side the victory.
Fabian Nurnberger made the game exciting when he scored for Darmstadt, momentarily levelling the tie, but Asano’s second gave Bochum the three points.
An offside call denied Darmstadt’s Christoph Klarer a potential goal, adding to the tension.
Despite Darmstadt’s Fabian Holland receiving a red card, they came close to equalising, with Nurnberger’s free-kick narrowly grazing the woodwork.
Bochum secured a precious win, propelling them above Darmstadt in the league standings.
Jess Thorup’s Augsburg could not make it three wins in three as they faced Cologne at the RheinEnergieSTADION. They hit the woodwork three times, but it was not to be.
Linton Maina had opened the scoring for Koln in the 16th minute, pouncing on a loose ball and scoring to give his side the lead.
However, Phillip Tietz bagged his third goal in as many games under the new manager to earn his side a draw.
Tietz had a golden opportunity to win the game for his side but somehow missed the gaping goal as the ball bounced off the woodwork and into him.
Ruben Vargas also hit the woodwork with a spectacular effort as the exciting match ended in a draw.
Player of the Week
Kane collects a second consecutive Player of the Week nod after bagging back-to-back hat-tricks to lead Bayern to three points.
Kane could have added another assist as he laid on a pass for Musiala to score, but it was ruled out for offside.
The England international is now up to 17 goals and seven assists in 15 appearances for the Bavarians following his big-money summer move from Tottenham Hotspur.
Matches to watch out for
Bundesliga Matchday 11 sees wounded lions Dortmund and Stuttgart clash in what should be an exciting fixture. Both teams suffered defeats and will be looking to bounce back.
Mainz will hope their new manager bounce carries on into next week when they host Darmstadt, while league leaders Leverkusen could make life miserable for Union Berlin.
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