Bundesliga: Frankfurt Out to Derail Freiburg’s Top Four Aspirations
Eintracht Frankfurt vs SC Freiburg
Two clubs who are on the outside looking in the Bundesliga Top 4 are slated to go head-to-head when SC Freiburg visit Eintracht Frankfurt at Deutsche Bank Park.
SC Freiburg currently have the upper hand as they’re placed fifth with 45 points and they are eager to bounce back following their controversial defeat to Bayern Munich.
Meanwhile, Eintracht Frankfurt are at ninth with 39 points. They are keen to return to Europe football next season, but now is the time for them to make a run of positive Bundesliga 2022 results.
Despite their disparity in the standings, Eintracht Frankfurt and SC Freiburg look evenly matched on paper.
Just like in their reverse fixture few months ago, this is expected to be another competitive affair, making this one of the matches that we should look forward to this weekend.
Talking Points
More points needed for SC Freiburg
Freiburg will look to make the most out of their schedule by grabbing as much points as they can in these next few weeks. Die Breisgauer will face two bottom half teams in their next five league games.
Given RB Leipzig’s progress as they’re currently fourth at the table, Christian Streich is aiming for better results and one way to do so is by re-establishing their identity.
As it has been all season, Freiburg’s strength is on the defencive end as they’ve only surrendered 11 league goals as of this writing, with their youngsters in Philipp Lienhart and Nico Schlotterbeck forming a fruitful centre-back partnership.
Lienhart and Schlotterbeck can score when needed too with four each, and it’s not a surprise that both have been on the scouts’ radar in the transfer market. Reports claim that Schlotterbeck is likely to leave Freiburg this summer with Borussia Dortmund or Bayern Munich listed as his potential new home.
SC Freiburg’s Vincenzo Grifo in action during Bundesliga match against VfL Wolfsburg in October 2021
Leading the way up front, meanwhile, remains Vincenzo Grifo with seven goals and six assists while Lucas Holer and Nils Petersen have improved their scoring outputs with five and four after a slow start to the season.
Those veterans will be backstopped by the young front duo of Kevin Schade and Jeong Woo-Yeong, who also have four goals each so far.
Grueling schedule for Eintracht Frankfurt
Oliver Glasner is likely to rotate his squad as Eintracht Frankfurt are going to play three matches in the next seven days.
Yes, they miss the likes of Sebastian Haller, Andre Silva, and Luka Jovic, but their opponents shouldn’t count them out easily at the final third.
Rafael Borre continues to have a productive season for Die Adler with eight goals and five assists, while Daichi Kamada and Jesper Lindstrom have 12 goals and seven assists combined.
Filip Kostic is the team’s best creative outlet with four goals and 10 assists, while Djibril Sow has three goals and five assists. These two guys will lead the Eagles’ midfield.
History
Eintracht Frankfurt have not won more Bundesliga games versus any team than against SC Freiburg since the latter’s promotion to the Bundesliga in 1993 (15 wins in 35 games).
SC Freiburg may have won four of their last five against Eintracht Frankfurt before, but the visitors have won just one of their last nine Bundesliga games against their hosts (D4, L4) – a 1-0 score at home in November 2019.
Both teams have similar recent forms as Frankfurt and Freiburg have won twice, drawn twice, and lost once in their last five league matches – although neither have won in these past two matchdays.
Die Adler won against Die Breisgauer in their reverse fixture last November with a 2-0 scoreline as Jesper Lindstrom and Filip Kostic scored two goals between the 34th and 43rd minute despite having lesser total shots overall.
The Bundesliga 2022 odds are favouring the hosts to win, albeit via a slim margin. Eintracht Frankfurt are installed at 2.38, while SC Freiburg are priced at 2.94 and a draw is at 3.25 in the 1X2 market.
Predicting a winner is hard for this match. So instead, we will look into the possible goal count for this contest and we’re inclined to recommend going for Total Goals 2-3 @ 1.96.
Both sides have talented scorers no doubt, but that realistically won’t prevent either team from conceding on the other end. Regardless of the result, SBOTOP football fans are going to be in for a huge treat.
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The battle for the top four Bundesliga places rages on this weekend with the pick of the action coming in Leipzig, where fourth placed Red Bull welcome TSG Hoffenheim, who currently sit in sixth place and four points behind their hosts.
But while the gap is relatively small the form of the two teams is in much greater contrast as Red Bull have been on a spectacular run of form while Hoffenheim have struggled of late. Leipzig come into the game on the back of a thumping 4-1 win away to Borussia Dortmund in the league, and a 1-1 draw against Atalanta in the Europa League; while Hoffenheim had a setback last week, losing 2-1 at home to Bochum, and that made it back to back defeats for Sebastien Hoeness’s Champions League hopefuls.
Hoffenheim’s loss of form has allowed Red Bull to overtake them and a defeat last week for fifth placed Freiburg opened the door for the Bulls to charge through, and now they’ll be pretty hard to shift from that coveted top four place.
Talking Points
Leipzig the best team in Germany in 2022
Domenico Tedesco has led Leipzig into the top four, clear by three points, for the first time in the season, and the reason why? No team in the league has better Bundesliga2022 results than Die Roten Bullen, they have collected the most points since the turn of the year with eight wins from 11 league fixtures.
Red Bull gave second placed BVB’s title ambitions a serious blow last week as well as underlining their own vast improvement. Konrad Laimer, with two goals and an assist, and Christopher Nkunku, with one goal and two assists, simply ripped the BVB defence apart. Emre Can was given a particularly torrid time by Nkunku’s pace and trickery, as Leipzig counter attacked with devastating effect. While Dortmund took 64 per cent of possession they did very little with the ball as Leipzig registered five shots on target to BVB’s two while the prolific Erling Braut Haaland toiled.
Nkunku, top scorer with 16 goals and 11 assists and ten goal Andre Silva were both substituted in the Europa tie against Atalanta, along with midfield creator Dani Olmo, with this huge clash in mind. All three will feature, alongside Laimer, and that’s an exciting prospect for Red Bull fans in the run up to this big game.
At the start of the campaign the Bundesliga 2022 betting odds backed Leipzig to finish in the top three places, and that looked a long way away when Tedesco took over from Jesse Marsch in November with the club in the bottom half.
A win on Sunday could see Tedesco’s team jump to third place and that is some turnaround.
Hoffenheim’s defence is leaking
Hoffenheim’s scorer Munas Dabbur celebrates his goal to make it 2-0 vs RB Leipzig
Leipzig’s attack made short work of BVB’s defence and they will be licking their lips at the thought of facing Hoffenheim’s back four, who have conceded five goals in two defeats, to bottom half club Bochum and relegation threatened Hertha Berlin. The fact that Bochum had 20 shots against his team will be a concern for Hoeness. His defence was caught out too easily and to concede three goals to 17th place Hertha was a shocker.
To make matters worse, left back David Raum will be missing against Red Bull after he picked up a yellow card in the defeat to Bochum, as well as scoring TSG’s goal. With nine assists he’s the team’s most productive player and he’ll be a big miss in both defence and attack.
Hoffenheim recently held FC Bayern to a 1-1 draw recently and if they can take a point from Red Bull that will be just as big an achievement.
History
Leipzig have had the better of the head to heads, winning six of the 12 encounters with TSG, losing three and drawing three. But Hoffenheim won the return fixture 2-0 as Diadie Samassekou and former Red Bull Salzburg striker Munas Dabbur scored in either half.
Recent form favours the hosts too. Leipzig have four wins and two draws from the last six games, while Hoffenheim have had three wins, two losses and a draw over the same period.
Leipzig are at 1.51 to win, here atSBOTOP, with the draw at 4.36 and TSG at 5.03; and it is difficult to see beyond a home win. The Bulls were 2-0 up at half time against BVB last week and I expect them to come out of the traps quickly when they face TSG on Sunday.
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Bundesliga: Wolfsburg Out to End Decade-Long Winless Drought at Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund vs VfL Wolfsburg
It has been seven long years since Wolfsburg last defeated Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga and almost a decade since their last win at Dortmund.
But BVB have been so inconsistent this season and also have injury concerns at the moment, so Wolfsburg have a decent shot to finally end their long winless drought against Borussia Dortmund this weekend.
However, the Bundesliga 2022 betting odds will still back Dortmund to extend their dominance over the Wolves, who also haven’t been in the best of form this year.
Talking Points
Up-and-down Dortmund dealing with more injuries
Despite being safely in second behind Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund have had another disappointing season. Once again BVB’s league form has been much too inconsistent; they’ve won just three of their last six games, with two draws – away to middling Augsburg and Koln – and a shock 4-1 defeat to Leipzig in their first home game with a full stadium this season.
Dortmund did bounce back with a 2-0 win away at Stuttgart last time out. Julian Brandt came on early after Gio Reyna suffered another injury setback and scored a brace – his first goals since December.
Erling Haaland set up Brandt’s second goal as he looked sharper in just his second game back from a long injury layoff. Haaland has not scored in his last five Bundesliga appearances, with some speculating that his subpar form is due to the continued speculation about his future.
But while Haaland is back healthy, Dortmund have a few injury concerns to deal with. Reyna has been ruled out for the remainder of the season after his latest injury. Meanwhile, midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud and veteran defender Mats Hummels, who also got injured against Stuttgart, are expected to miss out against Wolfsburg.
Borussia Dortmund’s Mats Hummels in action during their Bundesliga game against VfB Stuttgart
Emre Can, who played at right-back against Stuttgart, could move in back to the middle to partner Manuel Akanji at centre-back. Marco Rose could also bring in Dan-Axel Zagadou if he reverts to a back three.
Wolfsburg’s top attacking weapon returning to form
Wolfsburg have taken quite a fall this season. After a fantastic fourth-place finish last term under Oliver Glasner, the Wolves are down in 13th this season. Coach Florian Kohfeldt has been unable to turn things around after taking over from Marc van Bommel in October as the Wolves even flirted with relegation.
The 23-year-old is the team’s leading scorer this season with eight goals despite missing more than three months with an ankle injury. His absence has been a big part of Wolfsburg’s poor Bundesliga 2022 results, especially after selling Wout Weghorst in the winter.
Nmecha is finally returning to top form after the international break and will look to provide Wolfsburg with another attacking threat besides veteran Max Kruse.
However, the Wolfsburg defence that was so key to their success last season has slipped significantly. They have already conceded 45 goals in 29 games, eight more than the entirety of last season.
The Wolves have also had massive struggles away from home. They have won just one of their last 10 away matches in all competitions, with seven defeats. Their lone win came against former coach Glasner’s Eintracht Frankfurt in February.
History
Recent history will be heavily against Wolfsburg in this matchup. Dortmund are unbeaten in their last 13 league meetings against the Wolves, with 12 wins.
Dortmund beat Wolfsburg 3-1 in their first meeting this season, extending their current win streak over the Wolves to seven games. Wolfsburg took a shock lead after an early Weghorst goal, but Dortmund rallied with three unanswered goals from Emre Can (from the penalty spot), Donyell Malen, and Haaland.
Coincidentally, Weghorst’s goal snapped Wolfsburg’s incredible run of nine games without a goal against BVB.
Wolfsburg’s last win over Dortmund away from home came back in 2012.
SBOTOP odds have Borussia Dortmund priced as big 1.49 favourites to continue their home dominance over Wolfsburg, who have 6.20 odds to get the win. Meanwhile, a draw is 4.30.
After getting humiliated by RB Leipzig in their first game with a full house at Signal Iduna Park, Borussia Dortmund will be keen to put on a much better performance in front of their home fans.
Luckily for them, Wolfsburg seem to be the perfect opportunity for them to get such a performance. The overwhelming historical dominance aside, Haaland’s presence should push BVB to another big win over the Wolves.
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Bundesliga: Easter-egg-citement Beckons at BayArena
Bayer Leverkusen vs RB Leipzig
From one SBOTOP football fan to another, I can think of few better ways to spend Easter night than taking in this Bundesliga clash between two of 2022’s most in-form sides.
Third against fourth and two teams with high hopes of competing in next season’s Champions League.
Bundesliga highlights could well await at the BayArena.
Talking Points
Nkunku has been impressive for Leipzig and had a direct hand in two of three efforts against Hoffenheim last Sunday to take his personal tally to 17 goals and 12 assists.
He is third in the scoring charts (17) and second for assists (12) with only the prolific Robert Lewandowski (33) having a direct hand in more goals across Germany’s top flight.
And if confidence is everything in football, then Nkunku could be unstoppable at the moment after he hit another double in Europe on Thursday night to help the Red Bulls see off Atalanta in the Europa League.
RB Leipzig manager Domenico Tedesco shouts instructions to his squad during their Europa League quarter-final match against Atalanta
Meanwhile, in the home corner is Schick who is second only to Lewandowski in the scoring charts and is averaging a league goal every 84 minutes this season.
The Czech’s 20 Bundesliga goals have helped keep Leverkusen in the top-four mix for the majority of the campaign. Although the striker hasn’t scored since picking up an injury in defeat to Mainz on Matchday 23, he managed 77 minutes of the goalless draw at Bochum last time out and should start once again.
On the team news front, centre back Jonathan Tah is a doubt for the hosts so Mitchel Bakker, his 30th-minute replacement in Bochum, should start with Piero Hincapie moving inside.
For Leipzig, left-back Angelino was among the players rested by head coach Domenico Tedesco immediately after the Europa League first leg, but it’s fair to assume rotation will be kept to a minimum in Leverkusen.
It has been a stunning few months for Leipzig, who have also scored more goals (34) and conceded fewer times (nine) than any other team in the top flight from January to April so far.
The stunning turnaround has unfolded since Tedesco took the reins from Jesse Marsch and their 29 points – from nine wins, two draws and one defeat – in 2022 are three more than leaders Bayern and Borussia Dortmund in the calendar-year table respectively.
Not that it’s been a shabby period for Leverkusen either, who boast the fourth best return in the league with 24 points and have four victories out of six at the BayArena in 2022.
This is certainly no longer the mid-table clash it was dubbed earlier in the season so, Easter night, whatever way you look at it, should be a fascinating one as two of the best and most exciting sides in Germany set about laying claim to third place.
Leverkusen have won just two of their 11 Bundesliga meetings with Leipzig (18 per cent) but did manage a 3-1 victory earlier in the season when Florian Wirtz, Moussa Diaby and Jeremie Frimpong were on target. André Silva replied for the home side.
The corresponding fixture last season finished 1-1 when Emil Forsberg fired Leipzig in front before Kerem Demirbay replied six minutes later.
Overall, Leipzig have won five and there have been four draws in their meetings, all of which have come in the last eight years.
Leverkusen have never beaten Leipzig on their own turf.
The very first meeting in 2016 saw Kevin Kampl give them a first minute lead which was swiftly followed by an own goal three minutes later.
Julian Brandt fired them back in front on the stroke of half-time but second half goals from Forsberg and Willi Orban secured a 3-2 Leipzig success.
Leipzig have the edge with our Bundesliga betting odds both 1X2 @ 2.29 and Asian Handicap -0.50, also @ 2.29, amongst the most attractive options.
You can back Leverkusen with some enticing offers too, including 1X2 @ 3.00 and Asian Handicap 0.00 @ 2.25.
If Leverkusen are going to secure a first ever home win against their opponents, then how about another 3-1 triumph, available with Correct Score @ 25.00, while a repeat of last season’s fixture – 1-1 – will pay out @ 6.20.
Certainly, this is not expected to be a low scoring encounter given the odds of total goal 0-1 @ 4.50.
I do expect it to be close, though, which is why my *** prediction is 1X2 Draw @ 3.35.
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Bundesliga: Bayern Getting to Work on Summer 2022 Deals
The 2021-2022 Bundesliga season is winding down, with Bayern Munich now one win away from clinching their 10th consecutive championship.
Bayern and top rivals Borussia Dortmund already have their sights set on next season as both clubs are now busy trying to seal various deals ahead of the summer.
The fates of superstar strikers Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland are very much on top of those clubs’ to-do lists, while Bayern have several other stars to lock up.
Read on below as SBOTO provides a full rundown of the latest Bundesliga 2022 news and updates.
Bayern still hoping to lock up Robert Lewandowski long term
Bayern Munich are cruising to their 10th championship in a row, in large part due to Robert Lewandowski’s brilliance. The Polish superstar has scored 32 goals thus far and is set to win his fifth Torjägerkanone in a row as the league’s top scorer.
However, there has been some speculation regarding his future in Bavaria, with Barcelona emerging as a potential destination.
But Bayern Munich CEO Oliver Kahn has assured Bayern fans that the club has been in contact with Lewandowski, and they are keen to keep the Pole in Bavaria.
“As of today, Robert has a contract with us. We’re currently in contact with him and we want him to stay at Bayern for as long as possible,” said Kahn.
“Of course, players like that sometimes think about trying something else and it takes time to convince them. There are also financial aspects to consider, and as a club you have to think about how to manage that because FC Bayern have suffered from the pandemic in the last two years.”
Oliver Kahn rules out Erling Haaland to Bayern
Kahn was also asked about the chances of Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland coming to Bayern, possibly as a Lewandowski replacement.
While Kahn acknowledged Bayern would consider Haaland, he admits that the financial implications make the move highly unlikely.
“Haaland? I don’t think we would be doing our job properly if we didn’t consider such a young striker,” Kahn said. “He’s an excellent striker and a very interesting player for the future. But financial dimensions are beyond our imagination”.
Aside from Lewandowski, Bayern Munich are also working on new deals for the German trio of Thomas Muller, Serge Gnabry, and captain Manuel Neuer.
Bayern Munich star Thomas Muller celebrates with fans following their 0-3 Bundesliga win over Arminia Bielefeld
Top football insider Fabrizio Romano is reporting that the agreement on Muller’s contract extension is just a “matter of time.”
Bayern president Herbert Hainer also commented that the Muller and Neuer contract talks are in an “advanced stage”.
Although, the Gnabry contract talks are still ongoing and an agreement is not quite imminent.
The 32-year-old Muller is having another terrific season for Bayern with seven goals and a league-leading 16 assists. Gnabry has also been a great contributor for the German champions with 12 goals and five assists.
Bayern closing in on deals for Ajax duo
Romano has also reported that Bayern are in the final stages of negotiations for the Ajax duo of full-back Noussair Mazraoui and midfielder Ryan Gravenberch and expects the two to join the German champions eventually.
The 19-year-old Gravenberch is one of the top midfield prospects in Europe and has been an integral part in Ajax’s success over the last two seasons. He will add some much-needed depth for Bayern at central midfield, which was exposed as a weakness amid Leon Goretzka’s lengthy injury layoff.
Meanwhile, the 24-year-old Mazraoui is set to provide some competition for Benjamin Pavard at right-back. Bouna Sarr has not impressed in his limited opportunities to play at Bayern since his arrival in 2020.
The Bundesliga 2022 odds once again had Borussia Dortmund as the closest challengers to Bayern. But they are a distant second to Bayern and have a lot of work to do in order to close the gap. But BVB are already lining up their top targets for this summer’s transfer window.
With the deal for Bayern defender Niklas Sule already sealed and Red Bull Salzburg’s Karim Adeyemi being eyed as Erling Haaland’s replacement, Dortmund are also keen on deals for two midfielders in Wolfsburg’s Xaver Schlager and RB Leipzig’s Konrad Laimer.
The 24-year-old Laimer has had a strong season at Leipzig with four goals and four assists in the Bundesliga. That includes a fantastic performance against Dortmund where he had two goals and an assist.
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Bundesliga: Will the Red Bulls See Off Die Eisernen Again?
RB Leipzig vs Union Berlin
RB Leipzig and Union Berlin meet for the second time in three days as these two protagonists will duel for more Bundesliga points on Saturday night at the Red Bull Arena.
These German top-flight sides are fighting for spots In Europe and both are well on their way, albeit in different leagues, as third-placed RB Leipzig are likely to make it back to the Champions League while sixth-placed Union Berlin hold a Europa Conference League spot as of this writing.
If their DFB-Pokal semi-final match yesterday provides any indication, it is that football fans are in for a huge treat since we’ll be seeing numerous Bundesliga 2022 highlights from both of them.
The pre-match SBOTOP betting odds were once in favour of Union Berlin since they’ve had RB Leipzig’s number. But given last night’s result, the gap between the two sides has been narrowed down.
Talking Points
More warm bodies available for RB Leipzig
Domenico Tedesco has done a superb job of guiding his squad despite their congested schedule. Other than the Bundesliga, RB Leipzig have other commitments since they’ve made deep runs both in the DFB-Pokal and Europa League.
With matches coming in thick and fast, naturally they’ve had their share of injuries, but they’ve been successful in navigating through their fixtures – making them arguably the best team in Germany so far in 2022.
There’s more good news to come as Tedesco now has a fitter group to choose from for this upcoming match.
Emil Forsberg and Marcel Halstenber celebrate RB Leipzig’s second goal during their DFB-Pokal semi-final clash against Union Berlin
Fifth-leading scorer Yussuf Poulsen was in action against Union Berlin yesterday after suffering an injury against Bayer Leverkusen last week, and he’ll bolster their attacking firepower alongside Christopher Nkunku, Andre Silva, Emil Forsberg, and Dominik Szoboszlai.
Meanwhile, Kevin Kampl and Lukas Klostermann are both listed as probable. Kampl was on the bench against Union Berlin, while Klostermann – who is one of the team’s best defenders – is on the mend after being a close contact to a COVID-positive person.
Amadou Haidara is the club’s only long-term absentee due to an MCL injury, although he could make a return before the summer break.
Union Berlin pushing for a European spot
Union Berlin got a taste of what European football is like and they’re keen on returning for next season after falling short in the group stage of the Europa Conference League – finishing at third in Group E behind Slavia Praha and Feyenoord.
But given their current trajectory and form, perhaps they wouldn’t mind going even higher – possibly to either competing in the Europa League or Champions League.
Urs Fischer’s men missed their only chance on getting silverware this season after squandering their lead against RB Leipzig yesterday, and they’re seeking redemption for their stinging loss.
Die Eisernen are to be led once more by the trio of Taiwo Awoniyi, Grischa Promel, and Sheraldo Becker. Awoniyi is their top scorer with 15 goals, while Promel has six goals and one assist. Becker – who scored their only goal yesterday at Leipzig – has three goals and six assists.
Prior to yesterday, though, RB Leipzig have lost back-to-back against Union Berlin (both 2-1) after winning three consecutive meetings against the latter since 2019.
The Red Bulls are undefeated in league games at home against Union Berlin (2 in the Bundesliga and 2 in the second-tier). Should they win on Saturday, they’ll match their longest unbeaten home run against any other German side (5 straight against Werder Bremen).
In terms of recent form, both sides are on a three-game winning streak here in the Bundesliga while conceding only one goal apiece. Union Berlin have never won four straight in German top-flight, while RB Leipzig did this last year.
RB Leipzig are favoured to win again by the Bundesliga 2022 odds. They are installed at 1.51, while Union Berlin’s winning price of 6.60 is a substantial drop off in our opinion and a draw is at 3.90 in the 1X2 market.
Total Goal 2-3 @ 1.91 is also worth considering as both sides are capable of scoring and since there haven’t been any clean sheets in their encounters lately.
Overall, we expect another riveting affair on Saturday. With momentum on their side along with their collective experience compared to their visitors, we’re backing the Red Bulls to claim the victory.
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All eyes will be on Der Klassiker this weekend as the first of the big European titles could be settled when FC Bayern welcome Borussia Dortmund to the Allianz Arena in Munich.
At SBOTOP odds of 1.35, Die Bayern are red-hot favourites to beat Borussia and even a draw would allow them to effectively plant both hands on the Bundesliga 2022 title.
Julian Nagelsmann’s champions-elect have a nine-point lead and with three games to play after this clash, they also hold an unassailable goal difference advantage of 27 goals.
Both teams come into the match on the back of a big win, Bayern taking a 3-0 victory away from Arminia Bielefeld while Die Schwarzgelben hammered struggling Wolfsburg 6-1 at the Signal Iduna Park.
Marco Rose doesn’t need to tell his Dortmund players that anything less than a victory and their wait for a first title since 2013 goes on. The Bundesliga 2022 betting odds say the chance has already disappeared and a 10th consecutive title awaits Die Bayern, but until it is mathematically confirmed, the Dortmunders will carry the fight.
Talking Points
Lewandowski vs Haaland
Bayern’s shock exit in the Champions League left Nagelsmann’s men with a sense of loss, but it is likely to power them on to another league title. Once again, it is the goals of Robert Lewandowski which have hit the headlines week after week. He will win yet another Golden Boot with 32 goals already and, with four games to play, he hasn’t yet ruled out reaching the 40 mark again.
Lewandowski is the complete striker, scoring goals with both feet, his head, and from distance or poaching at point-blank range. And no defence in club football has worked out how to stop him. He has a constant supply of chances from his old buddy Thomas Muller, who has made 17 assists and Joshua Kimmich, who has made ten.
Bayern fans would be delighted if the club could agree a new deal with the lethal Pole though, at 34 years of age, he may be tempted by a move to Barcelona.
BVB’s 6-1 destruction of Wolfsburg saw Erling Braut Haaland score his 18th goal of the campaign, and he too has been the subject of frenzied transfer speculation, with a summer move to Manchester City seeming to gain traction.
The 21-year-old has been beset by injury this term but has still managed to bag 18 goals from 20 games and, in Dortmund and previously with Red Bull Salzburg, he has been prolific.
At 6ft 4in he is more of a physical presence than Lewandowski but is equally skilful on the ground, though Bayern’s man has the edge in terms of consistency…he never misses!
Borussia Dortmund’s Marco Reus in action during a Bundesliga match against VfB Stuttgart at Mercedes-Benz Arena
Skipper Marco Reus is Haaland’s best provider and support with nine goals and nine assists, while young England star Jude Bellingham has impressed again with seven assists.
Battle for possession
Of course it’s the attacks of Bayern and BVB which grab the headlines, as top scorers in the league with 89 and 76 goals respectively. But they both build their play on a philosophy of possession and passing. They keep the ball more than any other team in the league, Bayern averaging 61 per cent possession while Dortmund have averaged 57 per cent.
With centre-back Mats Hummels and full-back Thomas Meunier also sidelined BVB will be keen to protect their defence. Julian Brandt will play a big role while, for Bayern, centre-back Dayot Upamecano is one of the best ball-winners in the business.
And keep an eye out for BVB’s latest wunderkind. At 17 years of age and a towering 6ft 4in, Tom Rothe was on target against Wolfsburg and he could play a part in German football’s biggest game.
History
With 42 victories to 19 in all competitions since 1992, the Bavarians have had much the better of the head to head encounters and have, in fact, won the last six meetings, five of which were in Dortmund.
The last time the two teams met, at the Signal Iduna Park, Lewandowski scored twice in a 3-2 win for Bayern, while Haaland scored one for BVB.
While Bayern have a nine-point advantage the two teams’ Bundesliga 2022 results have been identical since the turn of the year, both picking up 29 points from 13 league games, each with nine wins, two draws and two defeats.
With the draw at 5.41 and BVB at 6.18 to win, the run of Bayern Klassiker wins looks unlikely to end on Saturday, and the spread looks to be around 1.50 goals with Bayern at 1.96 -1.50 and BVB at 1.93 +1.50.
This should be Bayern’s big day… and I’m backing another goalfest!
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He’s one of Europe’s hottest properties and the rumours that Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Braut Haaland is on his way to Manchester City are gathering furious pace.
On Saturday it was reported in the English press that City boss Pep Guardiola and the Manchester club’s owners had reportedly agreed personal terms with Haaland and, if and when the deal is confirmed, it will be the biggest Bundesliga 2022 news we’ve seen. Die Scwharzgelben are in second place in the Bundesliga table behind champions FC Bayern and they would have pushed the Bavarians harder had their 21 year old star striker been fit throughout the campaign. And while Die Schwarzgelben look likely to take another second place they have another issue to resolve; the future of their Norwegian phenomenon.
And now it looks like they’ll have to settle for losing him too.
Manchester City are in an almighty tussle for the league title with Liverpool, and thePremier League 2022 betting odds here at SBOTOP have backed the Sky Blues all along; but the lack of a 25 goal a season striker hasn’t made their task any easier and they have already watched the Reds pick up the Carabao Cup before falling to Jurgen Klopp’s men in the FA Cup semi-final. Last summer it seemed like the transfer of England captain Harry Kane from Spurs to City was all but confirmed, but the Tottenham board held firm and refused to sell their prize asset so Guardiola went with what he had.
Man City want to sign Erling Haaland this summer after missing out on Harry Kane last year
But he won’t take that risk again.
After losing the FA Cup semi-final the Sky Blues have got back on track with wins over Brighton and Hove Albion and Watford, so they are still in pole position to win a fourth Premier League title in five years and are in the Champions League semi-final. But as Liverpool keep improving then the Sky Blues must do so too, if they are to maintain their advantage.
As and when the deal for Haaland goes through it will be the biggest transfer of the summer, alongside the potential move of Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid; and it is reported that the striker could become the Premier League’s highest paid player at a salary of over £500,000 a week.
The signing of Haaland could make the Sky Blues invincible, if he is added to the embarrassment of riches already at the Etihad, and it would send shock waves through the market. Kane may have to stay at Spurs, though the arrival of Erik Ten Hag through the doors of Old Trafford might generate some transfer activity and the England man could solve a problem in attack for the Red Devils.
Following in his father’s footsteps
Erling’s dad, Alfe Inge Haaland played in the Premier League with both Manchester City and Leeds United, making 181 appearances in the top flight as a combative defensive midfielder. Haaland senior had a long running feud with Manchester United hard man Roy Keane, culminating with a horror tackle by the Irishman when the two met in a 2001 Manchester Derby. Haaland had only recently joined the Sky Blues for a fee of £2.5m, around three percent of the price City will have to pay to meet his son’s release clause at Borussia Dortmund.
Haaland junior has suffered his fair share of injuries this season, sidelined with a hamstring strain in the early months of the campaign and then suffering a hip injury which kept him out for two months. He returned to action late in November, scoring his 50th league goal in the Bundesliga in a 3-1 win over Wolfsburg, at that gave him the record of being the youngest player ever to reach that benchmark in the German league.
Despite his injuries Haaland is still the league’s third top scorer, netting 18 goals from 21 appearances and, with 15 goals in 17 games for Norway, he is surely set to become a legend at both club and country level. He’s now scored 82 goals from 85 games for BVB in all competitions, and 23 goals in 19 Champions League appearances, and that will be very attractive to Guardiola who is determined to dominate Europe with the Etihad club.
The move makes a lot of sense for the Sky Blues off the pitch as well as on it. As well as filling the hole left by City’s long time goal scorer Sergio Aguero it would be a smart commercial move, as Haaland and Mbappe are the two most marketable assets in world football.
The move would be Borussia’s loss and City’s gain; and it seems the Dortmund club has little chance to stop the deal.
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FC Bayern are the 2022 Bundesliga champions for a record tenth time in succession after beating their closest rivals, Borussia Dortmund, 3-1, in front of a frenzied 75,000 crowd at the Allianz Arena in Munich.
A chance of winning the league title in Der Klassiker was too good to pass up for Die Bayern and it was a convincing win in the end, as first half goals from Serge Gnabry and Robert Lewandowski put the Bavarians firmly in charge. BVB’s Emre Can halved the lead from the penalty spot, early in the second half, but Jamal Musiala removed all doubt when he restored the two goal lead on 83 minutes. The pick of the goals was Gnabry’s as he took a touch on the edge of the penalty area before releasing an unstoppable volley which left Dortmund keeper Marwin Hitz rooted to the spot.
The old and trusted combination of Thomas Muller and Lewandowski doubled the lead when Muller fed the Pole who slid the ball through the legs of Hitz for his 33rd goal of the campaign as Muller became the first player to win 11 German league titles.
The Bundesliga 2022 betting oddshave backed the Bavarians from the very start of the campaign and they confirmed a decade of dominance, much to the continued frustration of Die Schwarzgelben who were the last team to deprive Bayern of the title back in 2013. Bayern have now won a record 31 Bundesliga titles since the league’s inception in 1963.
This weekend’s Bundesliga 2022 headlines were always going to be written in Munich, but there was more drama and action on Saturday at both ends of the table.
Goodbye Greuther
Patrik Schick scored his 21st goal of the campaign in Bayer Leverkusen’s 4-1 win over Greuther Furth
As the curtain falls on a tough season in the top flight Greuther Furth say goodbye to Bundesliga One after relegation was confirmed following a 4-1 defeat at home to high flying Bayer Leverkusen. Greuther have been at the bottom of the league table for much of the campaign and that is where they’ll finish as they sit nine points behind Arminia Bielefeld with three games to play. There was brief hope for the strugglers when Dutch wingback Jetro Willems gave them a fifth minute lead and Greuther’s passionate fans raised the roof. But their joy was short lived when Patrick Schick levelled just four minutes later, and goals from Sardar Azmoun, Paulinho and Exequiel Palacios made it a thumping win for Die Werkself who climbed to third in the table and now have a great chance of a top four finish. Schick is the second top scorer in the league, with 21 goals, and he should finish as runner up to Lewandowski in the chase for the Golden Boot, with Erling Braut Haaland three behind on 18.
Stefan Leitl’s Greuther were promoted in second place from Bundesliga Two last summer and they will be hopeful of a return in 12 months time, but they never recovered from a slow start this time around, losing 13 of the first 14 league games.
Greuther will be joined by one or two of Bielefeld, Stuttgart, Hertha Berlin and FC Augsburg as the second relegation spot and the play-off place are still to be filled.
Leipzig’s home fixture against Union Berlin was one of the SBOTOP matches of the week and it didn’t disappoint as Union Berlin came from behind to beat Red Bull 2-1, reversing the score from the German Cup semi final last Wednesday when the Bulls ran out 2-1 winners. It seemed like the hosts were on the way to another valuable three points in their quest to confirm Champions League football for 2022/23, when Yussuf Poulsen gave them the lead a minute after half time. And it stayed that way until Berlin launched a stunning fight back in the last five minutes. Substitute Sven Michel was the hero as he levelled on 86 minutes before setting up the 89th minute winner for Kevin Behrens with a cheeky back heel assist.
It was a bitter pull for Die Roten Bullen to swallow as it ended a 15 match unbeaten run in all competitions and they were forced to swap places with Leverkusen and drop to fourth in the last Champions League qualification place.
Luckily for Leipzig SC Freiburg were held at home in a 3-3 draw with Borussia Monchengladbach and so they are still two points behind in fifth place. Freiburg so nearly won all three points after coming back from two goals down to lead 3-2, but Lars Stindl’s injury time leveller halted SC’s top four charge.
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Mainz’s run for a Top 10 spot continues at home this weekend when they’ll host Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich at the Mewa Arena.
The 05ers are currently at 10th with 39 points, but with Borussia Monchengladbach, VfL Wolfsburg, and VfL Bochum right behind them, they must regain their form and put up a fight against the mighty Bavarians.
Bayern Munich just clinched their 10th successive domestic title following their victory against arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund. But since they’ve ticked off one of their main objectives and because they’re already out of the Champions League, they might not be in the mood to play in this no-bearing game.
Talking Points
Mainz on a major slide
Mainz have fallen off considerably after a great start to their campaign following Bo Svensson’s appointment. At one point, the 05ers were in the Top 5 and contending for a European berth, but their hopes were dashed following a poor run of Bundesliga 2022 results.
April hasn’t been kind to them as they’re winless in their last five games. During the said stretch, Bo Svensson’s side were outscored 11-4.
Their most recent loss against VfL Wolfsburg was their worst one yet as they’ve conceded five first-half goals for the second time in their Bundesliga history. The last time that this happened was when RB Leipzig demolished them with a scoreline of 8-0 back in November 2019.
Heading into this match, Mainz have nothing to lose at this point and they have the quality players who can give Julian Nagelsmann and co. problems.
The combo of Jonathan Burkardt and Karim Onisiwo are likely to lead their frontline once more. Burkardt is their top scorer with 10 goals and three assists, while Onisiwo has five goals and seven assists.
Marcus Ingvartsen is another player to look out for this weekend since he’ll assume a bigger responsibility with third-leading scorer Lee Jae-Sung set for a spell in the sidelines due to a knee ligament injury. The Danish forward has four goals so far.
Bayern Munich look ahead for the summer
From the freshly-minted championship t-shirts to the free flowing German beer – the Allianz Arena last Sunday had the hallmarks of a title celebration. After all, it’s unheard of to see a club win the league title for 10 consecutive seasons.
And now that their main job is done, Bayern Munich can look ahead for the summer where they’ll face some uncertainty – particularly about Robert Lewandowski’s current contract that will expire in 2023.
Bayern Munich superstar Robert Lewandowski celebrates after scoring a goal during Bundesliga match against Borussia Dortmund
The Polish striker has made it clear that he wants a new long-term deal signed with the club now, rather than thinking about moving elsewhere if that doesn’t happen.
He’ll look to prove himself worthy of such deal in these next few games, starting against Mainz, although it’s no longer necessary. The same can be said for Thomas Muller, Manuel Neuer, and Serge Gnabry – whose contracts also expire next summer.
Leroy Sane, Niklas Sule, Jamal Musiala, and Marcel Sabitzer are also the names to watch for in the away team as all of them will contend for their spots in the starting lineup after coming off the bench last game.
History
Bayern Munich have won eight of their last nine Bundesliga matches against Mainz and they have a solid win percentage away from home against them (73-per cent, 11 of 15 won).
The defending champions have also won five Bundesliga games in a row – pushing their tally to 24 total league wins this term.
Mainz have always scored the first goal in their last three encounters against Bayern Munich, which is not done by any other team among the current German top-flight sides.
However, the 05ers have only won once in those three instances (W1, L2), and the said victory was in April 2021 at home via a 2-1 scoreline where goals from Jonathan Burkardt and Robin Quaison were enough to counter Robert Lewandowski’s added time goal.
Their reverse fixture was in December 2021 where Bayern Munich came out 2-1 winners too as Kingsley Coman and Jamal Musiala gave the Bavarian giants the advantage for good following Karim Onisiwo’s 22nd-minute goal.
Bayern Munich are undoubtedly the favourites to win here as per the SBOTOP Bundesliga 2022 odds. They are priced at 1.52, while Mainz are installed at 5.20 and a draw is at 4.50 in the 1×2 market.
Since there’s not much incentive to go all out for this game, we expect Julian Nagelsmann to bring in several youth players or seldom-used players to play, and it would still be too much for Mainz to overcome.
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Bundesliga: Bayern Blasted for Ibiza ‘Team-Building’ Trip
Bayern Munich are not making too many fans lately, and it’s not because they continued their dominance of Bundesliga by claiming their 10th straight title.
In fact, Bayern lost their first match after clinching the championship as they were thumped 3-1 by Mainz. They went to a ‘team-building’ trip to Ibiza just hours later.
The whole situation has not pleased club legend Lothar Matthaus, as well as a former title-winning Bayern coach, who have publicly criticised the newly crowned champions.
Meanwhile, the Robert Lewandowski situation continues to rumble on, with Barcelona’s director responding to rumours of a meeting with Lewy’s agent.
And in non-Bayern Bundesliga 2022 news, Borussia Dortmund just landed one of the most promising young defenders in the country as they look to mount a legitimate challenge to Bayern’s dominance next season.
Read on as SBOTOP rounds up all the latest bits of news surrounding the Bundesliga.
Bayern blasted for party trip after Mainz loss
Bayern Munich are in hot water with a club legend after they suffered a shock 3-1 defeat to Mainz in their first game since clinching their 10th consecutive Bundesliga championship.
Despite their disappointing performance, Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann still allowed his players to take Sunday and Monday off for what the club called a “team building measure,” and most of the team went off to the Spanish party island of Ibiza.
That decision did not sit well with former Bayern great Lothar Matthaus, who ripped Nagelsmann on German TV for not being “tougher” and not cancelling the trip.
“It’s not on at all, especially after such a game,” Matthaus told Sky TV. “If I were Julian Nagelsmann, I would have taken tougher action — the days off would have been scrapped after such a game.”
Aside from Matthaus, former Bayern coach Felix Magath, who led Bayern to back-to-back league titles in 2004-05 and 2005-06, also took exception to the trip.
“I would not have allowed a trip like that,” he said. “I don’t know how a team can say: ‘For us the season doesn’t go to the end, we finish three weeks early.’”
Magath, who is currently in charge of struggling Hertha Berlin, had also ripped Bayern’s lack of motivation in their loss to Mainz.
Barcelona chief responds to Lewandowski rumours
Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski celebrates scoring their first goal
There’s more drama for Bayern off the pitch as the Robert Lewandowski saga rolls on. Barcelona director Mateu Alemany recently denied reports that the club has been in touch with Lewandowski’s agent over a potential transfer in the summer.
“There was no meeting with Lewandowski’s agent. Also, I don’t like to speak about the negotiations process – it’s something private.
“We don’t like to discuss players who are under contract with other clubs”.
Lewandowski is having another outstanding season with 49 goals to help Bayern to their 10th straight title. He has been linked with a move away from the Bavarian giants, and Barca reportedly have a keen interest to land him on a three-year deal.
The 22-year-old has been instrumental to Freiburg’s success this season as they’ve defied the Bundesliga 2022 odds and are currently in fourth and final Champions League spot. His fine form has also seen him called up to the German national team.
Schlotterbeck is set to form a new-look Dortmund backline that will also feature Niklas Sule, who has already joined BVB on a free transfer from Bayern Munich.
“Nico is a young Germany international who’s had great development. His profile is perfect for BVB,” said outgoing sporting director Michael Zorc.
In related news, top football insider Fabrizio Romano reports that former Dortmund defender Matthias Ginter is set to replace Schlotterbeck at Freiburg. The 28-year-old Ginter will join Freiburg on a free transfer from Borussia Monchengladbach.
Romano also adds that with the Schlotterbeck deal done, Red Bull Salzburg striker Karim Adeyemi will be BVB’s next priority signing this summer.
And in on-the-pitch news, the Bundesliga’s two Europa League semi-finalists – Eintracht Frankfurt and RB Leipzig – both lost in the league ahead of their big European second legs in midweek.
Frankfurt lost 2-0 away to Bayer Leverkusen, who went three points clear in third place. Meanwhile, Leipzig lost 3-1 away to Borussia Monchengladbach. It was the Red Bulls’ second defeat in a row as they dropped to fifth in the table, one point behind Freiburg. Frankfurt will host West Ham in the second leg of their Europa League semi-final after winning the first leg in London 2-1. As for Leipzig, they will have a narrow 1-0 lead to protect after beating Rangers at home.
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From the start the Bavarians set the pace and, although neutrals were willing on Dortmund to make a challenge, it rarely looked like materialising.
Of course, that is not a criticism of a club which has seen Bayern pick off its best players for almost a decade now and the gap is clear.
In fact, it will probably increase next season with Dortmund’s hottest property, Erling Braut Haaland, reportedly closing in on a move to Manchester City.
The 21-year-old starlet has hit 21 league goals in 22 top-flight matches this season and, if he departs, it will only increase the gap to a team who would need an almighty collapse not to begin next term as title favourites with the SBOTOP Bundesliga betting odds.
A word also for Thomas Muller, who became the first player to win 11 Bundesliga titles.
In all, Bayern have won their previous five championships by a combined 64 points and this latest success underlines a gulf in class their challengers must somehow find a way to close.
Domestically, Bayern remain untouchable, although they are still unable to replicate the success they enjoyed in winning Europe’s elite club competition in 2020.
With the title wrapped up in good time and Dortmund comfortably in second place, the race for the two remaining Champions League spots has heated up and three goals in the final 17 minutes on Saturday secured a berth for Bayer Leverkusen – surprise finalists in 2002.
They trailed Hoffenheim 2-1 before two goals in four minutes from Moussa Diaby and Patrik Schick turned the contest on its head
However, avoid defeat against Augsburg n Sunday and they will be back in the top four with one match remaining.
Cologne’s chances are over, however, after a 1-0 reverse at home to Wolfsburg, earned by Yannick Gerhardt’s close-range finish a minute before the break.
All is not lost though as Cologne’s place in Europe next season has been confirmed after their Rhine rivals Leverkusen defeated Hoffenheim to ensure the Billy Goats are certain to finish inside the top seven.
Patrik Schick celebrates after scoring Bayer Leverkusen’s second goal against Eintracht Frankfurt during their recent Bundesliga game
It’s potentially just as close at the bottom.
An 89th-minute own goal pushed Arminia Bielefeld closer to the trapdoor on Friday night as they went down 2-1 at Bochum.
That sealed second-from-bottom Bielefeld’s 10th consecutive game without a victory – eight of those defeats – to leave the team relying on a favour from Bayern Munich against Stuttgart to have any chance of survival going into the final weekend.
A Stuttgart win in Munich would confirm Bielefeld’s eighth relegation from the top tier, joining already relegated Greuther Fürth in the second division.
The unfortunate George Bello could do little to avoid scoring the decisive goal after Stefan Moreno saved Simon Zoller’s shot before the rebound came off the American defender’s left leg and over the line.
The final word of the day – and another congratulations – goes to Schalke who will be back in the top flight next season after a one-year absence.
Their relegation from the Bundesliga last term was a painful moment for the fiercely loyal fans of a club that developed the likes of World Cup winners Manuel Neuer, Mesut Özil and Julian Draxler, flying winger Leroy Sane and midfielder Leon Goretzka.
This is a very different side now to the one which went down with 13 of the top 18 appearance-makers for Schalke in Bundesliga 2 this term enjoying a maiden season at the club.
They came from behind against fellow promotion chasers St. Pauli as a Simon Terodde double and a further strike from Rodrigo Zalazar sending Die Knappen up with a 3-2 success.
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Freiburg’s hopes of finishing fourth in the Bundesliga – and qualifying for the Champions League – are no longer in their own hands.
After their big loss last weekend, they are two points behind RB Leipzig heading into the final round of Bundesliga matches.
Freiburg must now beat Bayer Leverkusen, who have already secured third, away from home and hope Leipzig lose their last match away to second-from-bottom Arminia Bielefeld to finish in fourth.
The Bundesliga 2022 betting odds for this top-five clash are quite close. Can Freiburg hold up their end of the bargain in their chase for Champions League football?
Talking Points
Leverkusen ending season strong
Bayer Leverkusen are ending a successful Bundesliga season on a high note. They have won three games in a row and have already wrapped up their first third-place finish in the league in six years.
Patrik Schick has been a massive reason for Leverkusen’s success this season. The Czech striker carried his fine form from Euro 2020 into this campaign, where he has scored an impressive 24 goals – second only to Robert Lewandowski in the goal charts.
Bayer Leverkusen star Patrik Schick celebrates after scoring a goal during a Bundesliga match against Eintracht Frankfurt
Schick has scored four goals during Leverkusen’s three-game win streak, while Moussa Diaby has added a goal and three assists.
Like his former Paris Saint-Germain teammate Christopher Nkunku, Diaby has enjoyed a breakout campaign with plenty of Bundesliga 2022 highlights this year. The 22-year-old has 13 goals and 12 assists, the only player aside from Nkunku with double-digit goals and assists in the Bundesliga.
Leverkusen lost teenage wunderkind Florian Wirtz to a knee injury back in March, but another young star in Paulinho has emerged during Wirtz’s absence. The young Brazilian has scored four goals in his last seven games and will add another threat beyond Schick and Diaby.
Apart from Wirtz, Leverkusen are also without Karim Bellarabi, Jeremie Frimpong, and Amine Adli for the remainder of the season, which has limited coach Gerardo Seaone’s options.
But the Argentine duo of Exequiel Palacios (a goal and an assist in his last two games) and Lucas Alario, who scored against Hoffenheim, are capable weapons off the bench.
Freiburg games suddenly full of goals
Freiburg have had a fantastic 2021-22 season. They have been in the top five in the Bundesliga for most of the season and are in the final of the DFB Pokal for the first time ever. But they face the possibility of falling just short of making the Champions League for the first time in their history.
Christian Streich’s side had been one of the best defensive units this season, but they have slipped significantly in recent weeks. They have now conceded three or more goals in three consecutive games after doing so just twice all season (against Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich).
Although, Freiburg had also transformed into a more free-scoring team as they’d scored three or more goals in four straight games prior to their defeat to Union.
Roland Sallai is having a strong end to the season with three goals and two assists in his last six games in all competitions. Striker Lucas Holer has also been in fine form as he’s bagged two goals in his last two games.
Freiburg remain a formidable side away from home; they are unbeaten in their last five games outside the Europa-Park Stadium, with three wins and two draws.
Leverkusen have had the upper hand against Freiburg in recent years with an 11-5 edge in wins and seven draws.
However, Freiburg have won each of their last two meetings 2-1. They won this fixture last season thanks to goals from Ermedin Demirovic and Lucas Holer. And they did it again in their first meeting at home as Kevin Schade scored the winner six minutes from time.
SBOTOP odds have Leverkusen installed as very slight 2.36 favourites to end their season with a home win. Freiburg are pegged at 2.57, while a draw is 3.90.
Although Leverkusen don’t have much left to play for, they will nevertheless be keen to end the season winning in front of their home fans.
On the other end, Freiburg will put up a tough fight as they look to return to form ahead of their cup final against RB Leipzig next week. However, their Champions League hopes may fall just short as Leverkusen likely prevent them from winning.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR () BETS ARE WORTH:
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Bundesliga: Bayern Visit Improving Wolfsburg in Final Matchday
VfL Wolfsburg vs Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich are probably still in championship hangover mode, which is understandable after they’ve won their 10thconsecutive Bundesliga title recently.
However, they still have one more match to play before wrapping up their 2021/22 season, and they can cap off their campaign on a high note when they’ll take on VfL Wolfsburg this Saturday at the Volkswagen Arena.
VfL Wolfsburg are currently 13th in the standings with 41 points, which is a huge drop off from where they finished last term. But they’ve improved lately and getting one over the reigning champions isn’t a bad idea.
Die Wolfe have a bone to pick against the Bavarians after their humiliating outing during their reverse fixture, but the SBOTOP pre-match betting odds predict a similar outcome as the last time.
Talking Points
Bayern’s Kimmich and Lewandowski poised to make history
The Bavarians will look to move past the headache from their Ibiza trip with a victory against VfL Wolfsburg this weekend. It can be noted that Bayern Munich were criticised for allowing most of their players to party at Ibiza immediately after their loss to Mainz.
Since that excursion, Bayern have lost once and drawn once, and now they need a good performance to get back on track.
Bayern Munich may not be in the mood to play in this no-bearing game, but there’s much to look forward to against Die Wolfe – particularly if you’re Joshua Kimmich or Robert Lewandowski.
Kimmich is going to play his 300th competitive game for Bayern Munich since joining them back in 2015. This season, he has been a vital cog for the Bavarians since he has played the most passes and had the most periods of possessing the ball among Bundesliga players.
Lewandowski, on the other hand, has scored 24 goals in 21 Bundesliga games against VfL Wolfsburg and he can tie Gerd Muller’s record for most goals against one team in the history of German top-flight assuming he gets a hat-trick on Saturday.
At the same time, the Polish striker is expected to win his seventh golden boot to tie another Gerd Muller record given his double-digit goal lead over closest challenger Patrik Schick.
VfL Wolfsburg’s campaign comes to a disappointing end
VfL Wolfsburg coach Florian Kohfeldt before the match against Koln
Following their humiliating defeat at Dortmund, Die Wolfe have been playing better as of late as they’ve kept two clean sheets and outscored their last three opponents with an aggregate tally of 7-1.
Max Kruse has found his footing as he scored a hat-trick against Mainz to improve his scoring total to six goals this season – good for second alongside Wout Weghorst.
Luka Nmecha, who has been scoreless in these past few games, remains their top attacking threat with 10 goals and he’s one of the league’s top young prospects.
After the sacking of Mark van Bommel, head coach Florian Kohfeldt has done a decent job in steadying VfL Wolfsburg’s ship and it’ll be interesting to see how they’ll plan ahead for next season.
History
Bayern Munich hold the clear advantage in their head-to-heads against VfL Wolfsburg. In their last 34 encounters, the Bavarians have won 28 times, whereas the Die Wolfe have won thrice and drawn thrice.
The Bavarians have scored in each of their last 27 Bundesliga games against Die Wolfe since their 0-0 draw in 2008 (78 goals total). Scoring once again here will set a new record at 28 games.
In terms of recent form, both sides had three wins, one draw, and one loss in their last five – although VfL Wolfsburg are unbeaten in their last three, while Bayern Munich haven’t won since late April.
Julian Nagelsmann’s side crushed Die Wolfe in their earlier meeting with a score of 4-0 as Thomas Muller, Dayot Upamecano, Leroy Sane, and Robert Lewandowski all found the back of the net.
VfL Wolfsburg’s last Bundesliga victory over Bayern Munich dates back to 2015 with a tally of 4-1.
Despite not being sharp lately, Bayern Munich remain as the Bundesliga 2022 odds favourites to win in this contest. They are priced at 1.52, while a victory for VfL Wolfsburg is at 4.40 and chances for a draw are at 5.20 in the 1X2 market.
Goals and Bundesliga 2022 highlights are to be expected from these two sides. However, we feel that this game won’t be as lopsided as in their previous meeting.
With that said, think about Total Goal 2-3 @ 2.73 and Under 4.25 @ 1.74 since they are viable alternative bets as well.
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Bundesliga: Lewandowski Delivers Bombshell on Last Day
The final matchday of the 2021-22 Bundesliga season delivered its fair share of bombshells, the biggest of which came from Robert Lewandowski. The Bayern Munich star confirmed that he wants to leave the club amid speculation about his future.
Elsewhere, Erling Haaland is already on his way out of the Bundesliga, and the Manchester City-bound star had a fitting end to his Dortmund stint as he scored to help BVB get the win on his last game for the club.
Meanwhile, RB Leipzig secured their spot in the Champions League with their draw against relegated Arminia Bielefeld as Freiburg fell to sixth after a late defeat to Bayer Leverkusen.
And on the other end of the table, Stuttgart successfully avoided the relegation play-off as they leapfrogged Hertha Berlin, who will now play in the play-off after losing to Dortmund.
Read on below as SBOTOP rounds up the Bundesliga 2022 news and updates from the last round of matches.
Lewandowski confirms he won’t sign new Bayern contract
Robert Lewandowski has confirmed that he does not want to sign a new contract at Bayern Munich.
Lewandowski, whose contract expires at the end of next season, had recently told club director Hasan Salihamidzic that he wants to leave the club.
“I told the club that if an offer comes in, then we have to think about it – also for the club. We have to find the best solution for both sides,” Lewandowski said.
He added: “I won’t sign a new contract.”
Lewandowski scored in Bayern’s final match of the Bundesliga season, a 2-2 draw away to Wolfsburg. That gave hm a total of 35 goals on the season to win his fifth Bundesliga top scorer award in a row.
After eight highly successful years at Bayern where he has scored 344 goals in 375 appearances, the 33-year-old Lewandowski has been linked with a move away from Bavaria, with Barcelona emerging as a potential landing spot.
But when he was asked whether Barcelona have approached Bayern with an offer for Lewandowski, Salihamidzic responded:
“No. ‘Lewa’ has a contract here until the summer of next year, that’s a fact. Our stance has always been clear.”
Haaland scores in Dortmund farewell
Erling Haaland scored in his final game at Borussia Dortmund as he helped them beat Hertha Berlin 2-1.
The Manchester City-bound striker scored BVB’s equalising goal from the penalty spot before 17-year-old Youssoufa Moukoko got the winning goal six minutes from time.
Haaland finishes with 62 goals in 67 Bundesliga games and 89 goals in 86 appearances overall since joining Dortmund at the start of 2020.
Haaland took to social media after the match to pen his farewell message to Dortmund and the club’s fans.
“It has been nothing but a pleasure and an honour to wear this shirt. At @bvb09, I’ve spent memorable moments, met special people and extraordinaire team-mates, not to mention a fanbase that has been always our extra man on the pitch. The Yellow Wall is truly incredible and something that you need to witness at least once in your life. I’ll never forget any of this! Thank you all!,” Haaland said.
Leipzig finish fourth as Freiburg fall to sixth
RB Leipzig coach Domenico Tedesco during their Europa League match against Rangers FC
RB Leipzig have secured the fourth and final Champions League place as they salvaged a late 1-1 with relegated Arminia Bielefeld. Willi Orban scored the equalising goal in stoppage time to give the Red Bulls a point.
Domenico Tedesco’s side only needed a point to seal fourth spot over Freiburg, who started the day two points behind and needed to beat third-placed Bayer Leverkusen in their last game.
But Freiburg failed to get the win they needed to stand any chance of overtaking Leipzig as they lost 2-1 to Bayer Leverkusen. Freiburg had equalised through Janik Haberer two minutes from time, but Leverkusen grabbed a 97th-minute winner through Exequiel Palacios.
Freiburg’s loss, coupled with Union Berlin beating Bochum 3-2, means Freiburg fell to sixth in the table.
Stuttgart successfully avoid relegation
Stuttgart defied the Bundesliga 2022 odds as they successfully escaped relegation thanks to a late 2-1 win over FC Koln. Wataru Endo’s stoppage-time goal saw them draw level with Hertha Berlin on 33 points, but they finished above the capital club thanks to a better goal difference.
Because of Hertha’s loss to Borussia Dortmund, they will now play in the relegation play-off, where they will face Hamburg.
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Bundesliga: The Biggest Surprises and Busts of 2022
The 2021-222 Bundesliga season had a predictable feel to it as Bayern Munich won their 10th title in a row, while Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig again lagged far behind.
However, the just-concluded season did provide its fair share of surprises as some players had unexpectedly excellent seasons, while a few disappointed amid high expectations.
Read on below as SBOTOP lists down the biggest surprises and busts of the past Bundesliga season.
Surprise: Christopher Nkunku, RB Leipzig
Christopher Nkunku’s talent has never been in doubt, but few could have foreseen a breakout season of this magnitude from the RB Leipzig star. Nkunku finished tied for fourth in the goalscoring charts with 20 goals – he had scored just 11 in his first two Bundesliga campaigns combined – and also added 13 assists with plenty of other Bundesliga 2022 highlights. With his surprising season, Nkunku has unsurprisingly caught the attention of Europe’s top clubs and could very well be getting a big-money move this summer.
Bust: Dani Olmo, RB Leipzig
While Nkunku was busy lighting up the Bundesliga this season, his Leipzig team-mate, Dani Olmo, had quite a disappointing campaign. The young Spanish midfielder’s star was undoubtedly on the rise with his great performance in Euro 2020. But his long summer saw him miss the start of the season due to injury, and he never discovered his best form as he finished with just goals and three assists in 26 appearances. But Olmo is nevertheless a terrific talent and he will look to bounce back next season with the Red Bulls.
Surprise: Patrik Schick, Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen’s Patrik Schick celebrates with teammates after the match against Eintracht Frankfurt
Speaking of Euro 2020 stars, Patrik Schick had a terrific tournament as he scored five goals and just missed out on the Golden Boot. And the Czech striker successfully carried his fine form over to this Bundesliga campaign as he scored 24 goals, the same number of league goals he’d scored since his big move to Roma back in 2017. Schick finished second in the Bundesliga goal charts behind only Robert Lewandowski and helped Leverkusen to a surprise third-place finish – their highest finish in six years.
Bust: Marcus Thuram, Borussia Monchengladbach
Thuram looked set for big things after impressing in his first two Bundesliga seasons with Borussia Monchengladbach. But the French international forward turned out to be a massive flop this season in large part due to a knee injury. He finished with just three goals in 21 appearances, only nine of which were starts. But despite his disappointing campaign, the talented Thuram will likely be in high demand in the summer with Gladbach likely to sell him on as he enters the final year of his contract.
Surprise: Nico Schlotterbeck, SC Freiburg
Freiburg were one of the Bundesliga’s most surprising teams this season, and Nico Schlotterbeck was a big reason for their success. The young centre-back was consistently brilliant as he helped marshal a defence that had been one of the best in the league for most of the year. Schlotterbeck’s sudden rise has already earned him a Germany call-up and a move to Borussia Dortmund, so it shouldn’t be a surprise if he makes the German World Cup squad later this year.
As shown by their signings of Schlotterbeck and Niklas Sule, Dortmund are desperate to upgrade their defence, which was once again disastrous and has prevented them from competing for the title. Just about all of their defensive players disappointed to some degree this season, but Emre Can might be the most disappointing one of them all. Can split time between playing as a centre-back in a back three and in midfield, and he did not look particularly impressive in either role. Despite being just 28 years of age, he has hardly shown the promise that he flashed in his earlier years with Bayern and Liverpool, to Dortmund’s detriment.
Surprise: Anthony Modeste, FC Koln
After scoring 40 goals in 68 games in his first stint at Koln back in 2015-17, Modeste’s best years appeared to be behind him. But the 34-year-old unexpectedly turned back the clock with another surprising season this year as he scored 20 goals, tied for fourth in the league. The French forward’s goals helped Koln defy the Bundesliga 2022 odds as they finished seventh to qualify for the Europa Conference League.
Bust: Dayot Upamecano, Bayern Munich
Upamecano was Bayern Munich’s big offseason signing, and with his familiarity playing under Julian Nagelsmann at Leipzig, he was expected to fit in seamlessly into Bayern’s system. But that was not the case as Upamecano had an underwhelming season that was a far cry from his outstanding performances in Leipzig. The pressure will now be on Upamecano to improve from his disappointing debut campaign next season.
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Bundesliga: Two big Finals and a Summer of Transfer Action
The Bundesliga 2021/22 season is done and dusted and there’s a familiar name on the trophy as Bayern Munich won the German top-flight for a record 32nd time.
Bayern’s 10th consecutive title was never in doubt according to the Bundesliga 2022 betting odds and the Bavarians finished the job with ease – eight points clear of Borussia Dortmund – which is a fine start for boss Julian Nagelsmann in his first season.
With 97 goals in the league, Bayern have the best attack in Europe, but there are strong rumours that their prolific striker Robert Lewandowski is on his way.
The transfer rumour mill is starting to turn, but while fans of 16 Bundesliga clubs can now concentrate on incomings and outgoings, there are big games to come for two of the 18.
Two-time German league winners Hertha Berlin are in peril of dropping to the second tier and they must now negotiate a tricky two-leg tie against Hamburg, who finished third in Bundesliga 2 and missed out on promotion by three points.
Hertha finished 16th in the Bundesliga, falling into the bottom three on the last day of the campaign, on goal difference alone after Stuttgart beat Cologne 2-1 as Wataru Endo scored a 92nd-minute winner.
That meant heartbreak for Hertha who led away to Borussia Dortmund at halftime, only to lose to a late goal. But, quite simply, Felix Magath’s team’s Bundesliga 2022 results haven’t been good enough and now they may pay the price.
The Berlin side will hope former Monaco striker Stevan Jovetic can add to his seven goals for the campaign when the first leg kicks off in Berlin on Wednesday, with the return in Hamburg scheduled for next Monday 23rd May.
Schalke and Werder Bremen secured an immediate return to the top-flight and Hertha will be determined to stop a third Bundesliga 2 side from celebrating, and they have experienced midfielders Kevin Prince-Boateng and Vladimir Darida to settle the nerves.
But with 71 goals conceded, they have the second worst defence in the top-flight and that may well be their downfall.
Eintracht shooting for glory
West Ham United’s Manuel Lanzini in action with Eintracht Frankfurt’s Filip Kostic during their Europa League semi-final clash at London Stadium
While the nerves are shredding in Berlin, in Frankfurt, the fans have much more to cheer about as their club is one step away from European glory with a Europa League final against Glasgow Rangers this Wednesday.
We previewed this game here at SBOTOP and the Eagles are in the box seat. They finished 11th in the Bundesliga while Rangers finished second in the Scottish Premier League, but Eintracht fans can be assured their league is tougher than Rangers’.
The Eagles played some fine football on the way to the final, beating Real Betis, Barcelona, and West Ham as flying winger Filip Kostic starred while Daichi Kamada top scored.
They certainly won’t take the Gers lightly though. The Scottish side beat Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig en route to the final and their passionate fans will travel in numbers to Seville for a great night under the floodlights.
Is Lewa on his way?
After a stellar career in Munich, it seems that Lewandowski is finally heading towards the exit door. He has broken every record in Germany and now he is looking for a new challenge, probably at Barcelona in La Liga according to recent reports.
The Bayern board is digging its heels in at the moment and they’re insisting that the Pole will respect his contract which runs until 2023. But money talks and nobody wants an unhappy player in the dressing room so I suspect Lewa’s eight-year stay in Bavaria is coming to a close.
The club is clearly planning for his departure and has been tracking Liverpool’s Sadio Mane and Everton’s Richarlison as a possible replacement.
Elsewhere in the Bundesliga, Erling Braut Haaland is off to Manchester City in the summer, but Borussia fans will be delighted by the news that England midfielder Jude Bellingham has pledged his loyalty to the club for at least another campaign.
And the club moved rapidly to replace the departing Haaland, announcing the signing of 20-year-old striker Karim Adeyemi as soon as the dust had settled.
Already a Germany international, Adeyemi replaced Haaland at RB Salzburg when the Norwegian moved to Dortmund and he scored 23 goals in 42 appearances for the Austrian side last term, including three in the Champions League.
Meanwhile, over at Leipzig, the ambitious club will have a battle on its hands to keep hold of hot property Christopher Nkunku. The French striker has been a revelation in the Bundesliga this season and he has attracted attention at Manchester United, though Paris Saint-Germain may be a more likely destination if, as expected, Kylian Mbappe makes his way to Real Madrid.
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Bundesliga: Bayern Munich in a Quandary Following Lewandowski’s Revelation
Bayern Munich’s summer is already off to an atrocious start following Robert Lewandowski’s bombshell during the last Bundesliga matchday.
The Pole, whose contract expires at the end of next season, just confirmed that he won’t sign a new extension at Bayern Munich and that he is apparently planning to leave the club as early as this summer.
This piece of Bundesliga 2022 news may have shocked the fans in Bavaria, but this development has brewing for quite some time as neither side failed to meet halfway.
Several suitors have already lined up to try and secure Lewandowski’s services because of this. And with Erling Haaland – who is the only available player who could somewhat fill his big boots – moving to Manchester City, Bayern Munich are in danger of coming out empty-handed if they don’t do something about it.
But how did we get here in the first place and who is at fault? Today, SBOTOP examines the saga surrounding Robert Lewandowski and the reigning Bundesliga champions.
Lewa wants long-term financial security
Robert Lewandowski is seeking for one more huge payday before he rides off into the sunset and he was banking on his form to do just that.
Lewa carried on his fine form this term as he scored 35 goals in all competitions, and he was basically the main reason why Bayern Munich won their 10th straight domestic trophy.
Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann talks to the media before the match
At the start of this season, Lewa fired his old agent and hired Pini Zahavi – who is known as a tough negotiator – and perhaps it was an overlooked indicator of things to come for both the Pole and the Bavarians.
Many were aware about Robert Lewandowski’s expiring contract and they were monitoring his situation. Other than Lewandowski, Bayern Munich also had to deal with similar cases in Manuel Neuer, Joshua Kimmich, Thomas Muller, Leon Goretzka, Serge Gnabry, and Niklas Sule.
Niklas Sule’s case was a cautionary tale since he’ll move to Borussia Dortmund next season after failing to agree to terms with Bayern. The 26-year-old centre-back reportedly felt that he was disrespected and taken for granted – something that the management should’ve learned.
But Bayern Munich were complacent as they took their time – probably too much to their detriment – since they were confident that Robert Lewandowski will see out his contract and stay through the end of the 2022/23 season.
There were reports from Germany where it was claimed that Bayern Munich were working hard to secure the signing of Erling Haaland as a potential replacement for Robert Lewandowski, which is probably one of the Pole’s main sources of frustration.
The ball is in Bayern Munich’s hands
Given his stature and tenure with the club, it’s safe to say that all Robert Lewandowski wanted was to feel loved and appreciated, and one gesture for such is to give him one more lucrative extension that he deserves.
Barcelona and Chelsea are both ready to give that to Lewandowski, with the La Liga side in pole position according to the most recent transfer market rumours.
Since Lewa is likely to leave Bavaria sooner than expected, Bayern Munich have already created a shortlist of candidates to possibly replace the Pole.
VfB Stuttgart’s Sasa Kalajdzic has been linked to Bayern given his affordable €20-M price tag, while they’ll also have other targets in Sadio Mane, Christopher Nkunku, and Patrik Schick.
Robert Lewandowski will always be a Bayern Munich legend
Regardless of what happens in these next few weeks, there’s one thing that’s certain: Robert Lewandowski is going to be recognised as one of the greatest players ever to represent the Bavarians.
The Pole had eight successful years at Bayern Munich where he has scored 344 goals in 375 appearances, and he has accumulated seven Bundesliga titles, three German Cups, four German Super Cups, a Champions League trophy, and a UEFA Super Cup.
This is certainly a major bargain for Bayern Munich since they got him on a free after his BVB contract expired at the end of the 2013/14 season.
With that said, it is ironic that Lewa might leave Bayern on a free sooner or later. Replacing the Pole is going to be a daunting task for the Bavarians, and the pain of doing so is going to be felt by their supporters in a huge way.
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Red Bull Leipzig meet SC Freiburg at the Olympiastadion on Saturday in the final of the 2022 DFB Pokal, and it’s a chance for each team to win this silverware for the first time.
It would be a fitting end to Freiburg’s season after they narrowly missed out on Champions League competition, while Red Bull are still waiting to win a major competition since their explosive arrival in the Bundesliga top flight in 2016.
Die Roten Bullen are favourites to win the final, at SBOTOP odds of 1.60 while SC Freiburg are at 2.61, but there has been very little to choose between the two teams this season. Only two places and two and three points separated fourth placed Red Bull from sixth placed Freiburg at the final count, while neither team finished the campaign with a bang, Leipzig drawing 1-1 away to relegated Arminia Bielefeld, while Freiburg lost 2-1 away to Bayer Leverkusen.
Talking Points
Route to final
Domenico Tedesco’s Leipzig have coasted through the competition so far, with away victories over SV Sandhausen and Babelsberg followed by a 2-0 home win over Hansa Rostock in the Round of 16.
Die Roten Bullen then put in a dominant display to win 4-0 away to Hanover in the quarter finals before beating Union Berlin 2-1 in Leipzig to make it to the final.
Meanwhile, Freiburg pulled off a very impressive set of DFB Pokal 2022 results particularly when you consider they have played every game away from home. But after beating Wurzburger Kickers 1-0 in their opener, they needed penalties to get past Osnabruck in the second round. A 4-1 win away to Hoffenheim was Freiburg’s biggest win; then after navigating past VfL Bochum in extra time in the quarter final Christian Streich’s team were convincing 3-1 victors over Hamburg to reach their first DFB Pokal final.
Third time lucky for Leipzig?
This is the third time Red Bull have reached the final in four years. They lost in 2019 to FC Bayern and then took a 4-1 thumping from Borussia Dortmund in last year’s final, as Dani Olmo’s late strike was a poor consolation after Jadon Sancho and Erling Braut Haaland each scored a brace for BVB.
36 year old Tedesco has a young team which he has improved week on week, since he took over at the club in December when they were floundering in mid table. And a fourth placed finish, with a +34 goal difference, as well as a cup final appearance is the best Red Bull fans could have hoped for.
Leipzig are desperate to keep hold of their prize jewel Christopher Nkunku. The French attacking midfielder has three goals and two assists in this competition and he now has admirers throughout Europe’s top clubs. He will line up alongside Portuguese striker Andre Silva and, when they are on song, the partnership is a sight to behold.
Freiburg know who they are
SC Freiburg’s Vincenzo Grifo celebrates after scoring their third goal against Hamburg
So the DFB Pokal 2022 betting odds say Freiburg have an uphill task, but they will not be fazed by that as Freiburg is a club which is very comfortable in its own skin. 56 year old head coach Streich has been the boss at Freiburg since 2011 and most of his backroom staff have been with him throughout the last decade.
They have had an outstanding campaign but Freiburg’s quest to get into the top four hit the skids when they lost 4-1 at home to Union Berlin in the 33rd Round, and they followed that up with a 2-1 loss away to Bayer Leverkusen on the final day. The Black Forest club show no fear, and even in the dying seconds of defeat to Leverkusen, keeper Mark Flekken went up for a corner at 1-1 and was lobbed from the half way line to hand the win to Bayer.
Top scorer Vincenzo Grifo was philosophical about the loss, saying: “Ah, of course you dream of certain things: Champions League, Juventus, Real Madrid. But after a season like this we’re all just incredibly proud. We’re in the cup final next week and we’re in the Europa League next season. What more could you want?
History
The two teams have met just 14 times in history and Red Bull have a small edge, with six wins to Freiburg’s four and there have been four draws, while both meetings this season have resulted in a 1-1 draw.
Freiburg have the edge in terms of recent form with three wins, one draw and two defeats, compared to Leipzig’s two wins, one draw and three defeats
Red Bull are slightly odds on to win in 90 minutes at a price of 1.91 while Freiburg are at 3.64 and the Draw is at 3.25.
Over and Under 2.50 goals are both at 1.93 and that suggests a tight game, a 1-1 draw or a winner by the odd goal in three. How about a third 1-1 draw of the season then?
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR () BETS ARE WORTH:
= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
= €10 (CONFIDENT)
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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It wasn’t exactly a procession, but then there was little doubt that the 2022 Bundesliga title was on its way back to Munich once Julian Nagelsmann’s champions pulled away in the new year to win a 10th successive title.
And the Bavarians had a rich pool of talent in their squad which eventually proved to be simply too good for the rest. But there were some players who shone brightly in the also-rans and some clubs which over-achieved.
So, friends, lets take a look at some of the players who ripped it up in the German top-flight over the past 10 months and yes there are some of Bayern’s finest in my list.
Best Goalie: Manuel Neuer – Bayern Munich
I can’t really start with anyone other than the champions’ imperious stopper Manuel Neuer, the mainstay of the Bundesliga’s best team and the national side over the past decade and more. Now at 36 years of age, the Bayern custodian arrived at the club from Schalke 04 in 2011 and he has been a played a big part in the club’s phenomenal achievements ever since.
This season, Bayern have conceded the joint fewest goals at 37 alongside RB Leipzig and Neuer has kept 14 clean sheets. He’s gone through the entire campaign without earning a card and his brilliant positional sense means he rarely gets caught out, and Bayern is not a club prone to time-wasting.
22-year-old Nico Schlotterbeck put in a series of standout performances for sixth-placed SC Freiburg and, as a result, he’s earned two full caps for Germany and a 25-M Euros move to Borussia Dortmund.
Schlotterbeck is calm in possession, strong in the air, and a great ball-winner. He’s also a threat in attack, scoring four goals and making one assist while registering 18 shots on target through the campaign.
Freiburg made it to the DFB Pokal final this year and face RB Leipzig on Saturday night – a game we’re reporting on here at SBOTOP. If Freiburg are to upset the favourites, then Schlotterbeck will need to pull out another top performance for SC.
Best Midfielder: Joshua Kimmich – Bayern Munich
The Bundesliga 2022 betting oddsbacked Bayern Munich from the off and with players of the calibre of Kimmich in the side there is little wonder. While Bayern’s strikers often write the headlines, the performances of the 27-year-old Kimmich have been outstanding week by week. In 28 games, he has scored three goals and made 11 assists and the German international is one of the best passers in the game.
Equally efficient in attack or supporting his defence, Kimmich is the complete midfielder. And as he gains experience, he could emerge as one of the best deep-lying playmakers in world football.
Best Attacker: Christopher Nkunku – RB Leipzig
Yes, yes, I know. This is a touch controversial to choose anyone other than the imperious Robert Lewandowski, especially as Bayern’s lethal Pole might well have played his last game in the Bundesliga. But I’m picking Nkunku as the most improved striker and, at 24 years of age, one who will continue to write the headlines in European football for years to come.
The France striker has recently been awarded the title of “Bundesliga Player of the Year” having won the monthly award four times. Nkunku has scored 20 goals in the Bundesliga this term, bettered only by Lewa, Bayer Leverkusen’s Patrik Schick, and BVB’s Erling Braut Haaland.
And with Lewandowski and Haaland both destined for new pastures, Nkunku could have a tilt at the Golden Boot in the 2022/23 campaign. And only Lewandowski has had more goal involvements this season with 38 than Nkunku’s 20 goals and 13 assists.
Union Berlin coach Urs Fischer acknowledges fans after qualifying for the Europa League
Best Head Coach: Urs Fischer – Union Berlin
Julian Nagelsmann coached Bayern Munich to the title, but then he had the best players. So for my coach of the season, I’m going for Urs Fischer, who led Union Berlin to a fifth-place finish, which is some achievement for a team which only arrived in the Bundesliga in 2019.
Die Eisernen reached the semi-final of the DFB Pokal Cup, losing to RB Leipzig, and their Bundesliga 2022 resultswere simply sensational in the run in as they won six of the last seven – including victories over Eintracht Frankfurt and Leipzig, as well as thumping Hertha 4-1 in the Berlin derby.
The 56-year-old Swiss coach is ready to take the Eisernen on a European adventure and he is rightly adored by the fans.
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The 2022 DFB-Pokal trophy is headingto Leipzigafter 75,000 fans crammed into the Olympiastadion and witnessed an incredible 120 minutes and a penalty shootout.
Domenico Tedesco’s Leipzig ran out winners on penalties but that isn’t half the story as they had two players sent off and Freiburg hit the woodwork three times in extra time.
This was the third time the Red Bulls have reached the final in four years and they finally picked up a major trophy when their players kept their cool from 12 yards as an unlucky Freiburg finally wilted.
TheDFB-Pokal 2022 betting oddsbacked a Leipzig win but when they went behind in the first half and lost a man early in the second, it looked like the trophy was heading towards Christian Streich’s Freiburg. But Leipzig’s star man Christopher Nkunku struck late in the second half and, while Freiburg battered the Leipzig woodwork, Die Roten Bullen are now celebrating long into the night.
Highlights of the game
Freiburg bossed the first half and were ahead with just 19 minutes on the clock, but their was a whiff of controversy about the opening goal. Christian Gunter crossed to Roland Sallai and he directed the ball on to Maximilian Eggestein, who fired into the bottom corner from the edge of the penalty area. The ball seemed to have touched Sallai’s hand, but the ref allowed the goal and Leipzig were furious.
Maximilian Eggestein celebrates after he scores an opener for Freiburg in their DFB-Pokal match against RB Leipzig
The Red Bulls almost hit back immediately when Nkunku’s shot hit the keeper and rolled towards the goal, but Nico Schlotterbeck cleared the ball off the line.
Leipzig looked brighter after the break and were pushing for an equaliser, but when Freiburg lobbed a long ball forward Marcel Halstenberg pulled down Lucas Holer and the ref waved a red card in his direction. And soon after, Sallai had a great chance to double Freiburg’s lead when he was clean through but he smashed his shot into the side netting.
Nkunku was always going to be a big player in the DFB-Pokal 2022 highlights, and it was no surprise when he levelled for Die Roten Bullen with just 15 minutes left on the clock. Orban did well to meet a speculative ball and nod across to give the French striker a tap-in. Nkunku has recently added a place in the Europa League Team of the Season to his Bundesliga Player of the Year award and he is destined to be a great star in world football.
And this goal turned out to be priceless.
Extra time saw Freiburg press for a winner against the ten men, and Ermedin Demirovic hit the post on 93 minutes, and ten minutes later Janik Haberer hit the post and Demirovic fired over. And Haberer was unlucky again when his 25-yard volley crashed off the crossbar.
In the dying moments, Leipzig substitute Kevin Kampl was red-carded, but Freiburg’s chances for a clean win had disappeared.
And as the Leipzig players planted home their four penalties, Gunter fired over and, almost inevitably, Demirovic’s spot kick hit the woodwork!
And for a team which played over half of the 120 minutes with ten men, Leipzig did well to have 52 per cent possession. While Freiburg won the shot count by 21 to 15, Leipzig had eight to five on target but then, of course, Freiburg hit the woodwork three times!
What’s next?
Both teams can be pleased with their efforts this season, Freiburg finishing sixth and Red Bull fourth after a dreadful start to their campaign. And next season they both have European football to look forward to.
Leipzig are in the 2022/23 Champions League, joining FC Bayern, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen, while Freiburg will enter the Europa League.
There is still plenty of action to come over the next week though, as two of Europe’s top leagues reach a climax and the Champions League final looms large. Liverpool meet Real Madrid in Paris as they battle for Europe’s biggest prize, but before that Jurgen Klopp’s Reds have a final day shootout in the Premier League where they hope to overtake Manchester City at the final hurdle.
And while La Liga, the Bundesliga and Ligue 1 have all been resolved, in Italy, the two Milan giants will decide the 2022 Scudetto. AC Milan need to win away to Sassuolo to hold off Inter, who have a home game against Sampdoria.
Will there be any more twists on the final day?If there are, here at SBOTOPwe’ll be all over the action but, for tonight, it’s the time to say ‘Gluckwunsch’ to the mighty Red Bulls!
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But who stood out across the piece; who created the most Bundesliga highlights; who defied the Bundesliga betting odds?
Here is my team (albeit one a bit lopsided with four forwards) of the season:
Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich)
To win a 10th consecutive title shows how Julian Nagelsmann’s side have once again dominated domestic rivals.
From the start the Bavarians set the pace and, although neutrals were willing on Borussia Dortmund to make a challenge, it rarely looked like materialising.
While their talent further forward was crucial, so was their last line of defence as Neuer underlined his status as the league’s top goalkeeper and one of the best in the world.
Indeed, the captain conceded a league-low 24 goals when in the starting line-up and recorded a joint league-best 10 shut-outs. He also repelled 72.7 percent of shots on his goal, whilst usurping legendary predecessor and current club CEO Oliver Kahn in the Bundesliga record books as the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets and player with the most wins.
Nico Schlotterbeck (SC Freiburg)
If Freiburg were one of the teams of the season, so 22 year-old Schlotterbeck was one of the players of the season.
Schlotterbeck is calm in possession, strong in the air, and a great ball-winner. He’s also a threat in attack, scoring four goals and making one assist while registering 18 shots on target through the campaign.
It’s easy to forget Canadian Davies is still only 21, so important was he to the champions, marrying defensive diligence with incendiary attacking forays. His input was extra impressive given he missed the first 11 matches of the calendar year due to a mild heart condition. A rising star if ever there was one.
While Bayern’s strikers often write the headlines, the performances of Kimmich have been consistently outstanding with excellent passing combined with three goals and 11 assists in 28 matches.
Equally efficient in attack or supporting his defence, Kimmich is the complete midfielder and was described by my SBOTOP colleague as the complete midfielder – Bayern’s pocket-rocket.
Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen)
To finish third was a triumph for Bayer Leverkusen.
One reason they did so well was Wirtz who had 10 assists to complement his seven goals by the beginning of February when a serious knee injury brought a premature end to another eye-catching campaign.
Last December he became the youngest player in history to reach 50 Bundesliga appearances. To think he only made his top-flight debut in May 2020. Let’s hope he makes a full recovery.
Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich)
No footballer has ever won the Meisterschale 11 times in their career. No player in Germany has ever been champion so many times before. That, in itself, sums up his contribution not just this term but over many seasons. A special player.
Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund)
A phenomenal talent; what else can be said about one of football’s hottest properties.
He is no stranger to Bundesliga records. Earlier this season, he became the quickest player ever to reach 50 Bundesliga goals, doing so in as many appearances, and at one point was hitting the back of the net once every 56 minutes. The Manchester City-bound Norwegian concludes his time at Dortmund with 61 strikes in 66 top-flight games, including 21 in 23 this term – seven doubles and a hat-trick among his haul.
But for injuries, the 21 year-old would likely have run Robert Lewandowksi closer in the top scorer’s race.
Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Another player who could not be left out.
The Pole netted a league-leading 34 times for the record champions, averaging a goal every 84 minutes whilst only failing to score in 10 of his 33 appearances. LewanGOALski also broke the Bundesliga record for most single-season away goals (18) to put him on the brink of becoming the first player in Bundesliga history to win five top scorer’s cannons in a row, as well as seven outright.
If this is his Bundesliga swansong, then what a swansong – 35 goals in all competitions and the main reason why Bayern won their 10th straight domestic trophy.
Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig)
A breakout season for the Leipzig man who finished joint fourth in the goalscoring charts with 20 goals and 13 assists.
The France striker has recently been awarded the title of “Bundesliga Player of the Year” having won the monthly award four times. Nkunku’s tally is bettered only by three others in my team of the year, the final one of which is…
Patrik Schick (Bayer Leverkusen)
Patrik Schick celebrates after scoring for Bayer Leverkusen against Eintracht Frankfurt
The Czech striker impressed me during Euro 2020 last summer, where he narrowly missed out on the Golden Boot, and has done so again.
He successfully carried his fine form over to this Bundesliga campaign as he scored 24 goals, the same number he’d managed since his big move to Roma back in 2017. Schick finished second in the Bundesliga goal charts behind only Lewandowski and helped Leverkusen to a surprise third-place finish – their highest finish in six years.
A final word to Cologne’s Anthony Modeste who only just misses out after his 20 goals helped Koln defy the Bundesliga 2022 odds as they finished seventh to qualify for the Europa Conference League. Not bad for a 34 year-old deemed to have had his best days behind him.
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The 2021-22 Bundesliga season had its fair share of barnburners. Champions Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen were involved in high-scoring shootouts as they are wont to do, while European champions Eintracht Frankfurt and surprise package Freiburg were also involved in some fantastic fixtures.
And there was also a high-stakes match in the relegation battle that delivered some incredible final-day drama.
Read on below as SBOTOP lists down the five best matches of the recently concluded 2021-22 Bundesliga season.
Bayer Leverkusen 3-4 Borussia Dortmund
Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund, who finished second and third in the Bundesliga, were also the second and third-leading scorers in the league behind champions Bayern Munich. And both of their fixtures this season were absolute goal-fests that resulted in seven-goal thrillers.
The first of those games in September was easily the more exciting of the two. Despite going in front on three different occasions, Leverkusen just could not shake Dortmund, who equalised three times before grabbing the winner 13 minutes from time. Haaland was the star of the show with two goals, including the winner, as well as an assist.
Borussia Dortmund 2-3 Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich have dominated Der Klassiker in recent years. And even with Borussia Dortmund grabbing the lead in both matches last season, Die Roten stil found a way beat their fierce rivals on both occasions.
Their first meeting of this season in Dortmund followed a similar script. Julian Brandt gave Dortmund a great start as he scored after just five minutes. However, that joy was short-lived as Bayern equalised just four minutes later through Thomas Muller. And they would take the lead on the stroke of half-time thanks to Kingsley Coman.
Dortmund battled back to equalise three minutes after the break through Haaland. But the home side could not quite break their Bayern hoodoo as the visitors went on to score the winner with a Robert Lewandowski penalty.
Eintracht Frankfurt 5-2 Bayer Leverkusen
Eintracht Frankfurt manager Oliver Glasner during a Europa League match
While they won the Europa League in a dramatic penalty shootout, Eintracht Frankfurt had quite a disappointing Bundesliga campaign as they finished a mere 11th in the table. But the Eagles still had their highs in the league, with their most memorable game coming at home against Bayer Leverkusen.
The Bundesliga 2022 betting odds had Leverkusen as heavy favourites to claim the away win after two early goals from Czech striker Patrik Schick gave the visitors a commanding lead.
But Oliver Glasner’s Eagles roared back in a big way. They equalised within just eight minutes, then scored three more goals in the second half to complete a remarkable comeback. Five different players scored Frankfurt’s five goals, which was a classic example of the impressive teamwork that saw them achieve European glory this season.
Freiburg 3-3 Borussia Monchengladbach
Freiburg were the surprise package of the Bundesliga season as they flirted with the top four for the majority of the campaign.
Unfortunately, Christian Streich’s side just fell short of clinching a Champions League spot after dropping crucial points late in the season. One of those matches was an absolute thriller as they drew 3-3 with Borussia Monchengladbach.
Gladbach had gone 2-0 up just 13 minutes into the match after goals from Ramy Bensebaini and Breel Embolo. But Freiburg responded with three goals in the second half, including Philipp Leinhart’s go-ahead goal 10 minutes from time.
Freiburg were moments away from getting the crucial win to keep their Champions League hopes alive, but Gladbach captain Lars Stindl popped up with a stoppage-time equaliser to deny the hosts.
The final-day showdown between Stuttgart and Koln does not have nearly the number of goals that the other games on this list have. But it sure packed more than enough stakes and drama to warrant its inclusion.
Stuttgart needed a win – as well as a Hertha Berlin loss at Dortmund – to escape from the relegation play-off place and ensure survival this season.
They were on their way to holding up their end of the bargain as Sasa Kalajdzic gave them an early lead. However, Koln striker Anthony Modeste – who was one of the biggest Bundesliga surprises this season – equalised on the hour mark with his 20th goal of the campaign.
Stuttgart looked play-off-bound as the match headed to stoppage time still level, but Wataru Endo popped up with a 92nd-minute winner to give Stuttgart all three points. That win, coupled with Hertha’s defeat to Dortmund, ensured Stuttgart top-flight status for next season in the most dramatic way possible.
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Bundesliga: BVB to Deal With a Lot of Moving Parts Post-Haaland
Borussia Dortmund are back to the drawing board after falling short of winning the Bundesliga title again and they will undergo an exodus in these next few weeks.
Their final matchday against Hertha Berlin had an emotional atmosphere even before kick-off since several team members will leave this summer including Erling Haaland.
Following the Norwegian’s departure, BVB’s Bundesliga 2022 odds of winning the title next season have taken a massive hit because they will be stinging from their loss – which is somewhat similar to what Bayern Munich are going through as of the moment.
Today at SBOTOP, let’s examine what’s next for the Yellow Wall as they usher in a new era.
Erling Haaland’s time with BVB was short but sweet
Not many players left their imprint in the club and in the league as fast as Erling Haaland did. He came from RB Salzburg in January 2020 oozing with potential, and he did what he’s supposed to do right away, which is to score a bunch of goals on a consistent basis.
His first match against Augsburg where he scored a hat-trick off the bench was a sign of things to come for the Yellow Wall. All in all, Haaland netted an incredible total of 86 goals in 89 games in all competitions.
At the rate he was going, he could’ve easily topped Borussia Dortmund’s all-time scoring charts sooner than later where Alfred Preissler still holds the 63-year club record for most total goals with 174.
Haaland’s time in Dortmund also yielded some silverware since he helped them win the DFB-Pokal in 2021 – which was their first major trophy in four years – and one can argue that he would’ve won more if he stayed a little bit longer.
He gave BVB fans hope because of his world-class quality. And although his relationship with the club was on borrowed time, it’ll be hard to forget the countless Bundesliga 2022 highlights he has gifted them with.
Other key players will also depart the Yellow Wall
Along with Erling Haaland, Borussia Dortmund also bid farewell to club legend Michael Zorc and also to their tenured players in Marcel Schmelzer, Roman Burki, Dan Axel-Zagadou and Axel Witsel.
Zorc helped them win the Champions League back in 1997 and he stuck with the club when they were on the verge of bankruptcy back then. Schmelzer, meanwhile, made his debut with the first team back in 2008 and played there for almost two decades.
Roman Burki has been their first-choice goalkeeper for much of this season, while Dan-Axel Zagadou has been one of the top young prospects and Axel Witsel is one of their most-used defencive midfielders.
With multiple players leaving this summer, Borussia Dortmund must bring in top reinforcements if they are to mount a significant challenge against Bayern Munich next season.
Borussia Dortmund welcomes back an old friend
Newly-appointed coach Edin Terzic is calling on Borussia Dortmund to take things up a level next season
Following the sudden departure of Marco Rose, Borussia Dortmund went out and appointed Edin Terzic as their head coach until 2025. Terzic isn’t exactly a new hiring for BVB since he was their interim manager from December 2020 to May 2021 after Lucien Favre was sacked.
The German-Croatian coach was the one who guided Dortmund to the DFB Pokal in 2021, so he was the best choice available given his familiarity with the club.
“We held several intensive discussions with Edin Terzic last weekend and are convinced that this personnel decision is the right one for BVB,” said current sporting director Sebastian Kehl.
“Edin knows our club, the environment, a large part of the team and the areas we would like to fine-tune to be able to offer successful football to our fans. The 2022/23 season constitutes a fresh sporting start,” he added.
Edin Terzic now faces the daunting task of taking the team to new heights next season, but he won’t necessarily return with an empty slate.
BVB have been busy in the transfer market as they’ve acquired the likes of Niklas Sule, Nico Schlotterbeck, Salih Ozcan, and Karim Adeyemi, although none of them can fill the void that Erling Haaland has left just yet.
Furthermore, Dortmund have been linked with several forwards in recent weeks, such as Ajax’s Sebastien Haller, VfB Stuttgart’s Sasa Kalajdzic, and Stade Reims’ Hugo Ekitike.
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FC Bayern stormed to yet another league title in May but the Bavarians aren’t having it all their own way in the close season. Things took an unwelcome turn when annual top scorer Lewandowski announced his intention to leave, with Barcelona his preferred destination. The club will struggle to prepare for the 2022/23 campaign the longer this situation lingers on and head coach Julian Nagelsmann has the morale of his other players to consider, as well as lining up a potential replacement.
Things have become a little tense between player and club but Bayern midfielder Leon Goretzka refused to be drawn into the discussion when he was asked about his team-mate’s intentions, saying: “I think it does not help to give my two cents regarding this topic. Enough people have already spoken about it. Bayern and Lewy had a success story together, so I’d be happy if both sides take out a bit of their emotionality and find a good solution.”
Lewandowski’s potential move to the Camp Nou seems to be progressing but it is not yet near the signing stage. The Blaugrana chiefs are already thinking about a Plan B, should the move fall through; with Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku on their radar. The prolific Belgian striker is reported to be ready to leave Stamford Bridge after an unhappy return to the club. But he was excellent at his previous side, Inter Milan, and would be a good fit for Barca if the Catalans can’t complete the Lewandowski transfer.
The off-field saga at Chelsea is as good as over, following the announcement of new owners, and head coach Thomas Tuchel can now prepare his squad for next season and he will help Lukaku move if that’s what his man wants.
The Bundesliga 2022 betting oddswill back Die Bayern for another title of course, but the likely loss of Lewandowski will give other teams cause for some optimism. We’ll be all over the story here at SBOTOP and the next few days promise to be intriguing.
It seems that Bayern are almost ready to let Lewy go and there may be an incoming to replace the Polish striker in the form of Liverpool striker Sadio Mane. The Reds’ hit man is reported to be ready to leave Anfield and he has been heavily linked with FC Bayern. But the Bavarians aren’t having it all their own way in this potential deal either, as it seems that moneybags Paris Saint-Germain are beginning to sniff around, and the Ligue 1 side can pay a bigger fee and higher wages than Bayern.
Hertha hire Schwarz
Sandro Schwarz has joined Hertha Berlin as head coach
In otherBundesliga 2022 newsthe latest managerial change has been announced in Berlin where Sandro Schwarz has been appointed head coach of Hertha following a stint in Russia with Dynamo Moscow.
The 43 year old succeeds Felix Magath after the club finished 16th in the 2021/22 campaign and narrowly escaped relegation, beating Hamburg 2-1 in the two leg play-off. Despite the backing of wealthy businessman Lars Windhorst, Hertha have underperformed badly and morale at the club is low. A former Mainz player and head coach Schwarz is well equipped to lift the players and fans can look forward to next season with more optimism.
Expectations will be high at Hertha, particularly as their city rivals, Union Berlin, managed to finish the campaign in fifth despite working with a small budget. And Fredi Bobic, managing director at the club is certain he has got the right man. “With his personality and his positive and forward-thinking style of football, Sandro can create a connection between what happens out on the pitch and the club culture,” he said. “That is what we need at Hertha BSC.”
Another big name is back in the Bundesliga after Werder Bremen secured promotion from Bundesliga 2 on the final day of the season, beating Jahn Regensburg 2-0 to return to the top flight at the first attempt. Head coach Ole Werner is another young manager to take the reigns in the Bundesliga, at the age of 34, and he showed great leadership to lead Werder back to where their passionate fans believe they belong.
The four times winners of the Bundesliga and five times winners of the DFB Pokal have been a powerhouse in German football quite recently, winning both competitions in the 21st century, and Werner has plans to bring the good times back to the 42,000 capacity Weserstadion.
And he has made a good start in the transfer window, bringing in commanding defender Amos Pieper from Arminia Bielefeld and Hertha’s defensive midfielder Niklas Stark.
With this week’s positive news, neither Werder nor Hertha should feature in the 2023 relegation battle.
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Daniel Farke is the latest Bundesliga managerial appointment having landed the Borussia Monchengladbach head coach role, as Die Fohlen prepare for the 2022/23 campaign.
After struggling during the 2021/22 season Die Fohlen potted their head coach, Adi Hutter, at the end of the campaign and they have been quick to appoint Farke on a three-year contract, after he had already been linked with Championship club Blackburn Rovers.
The former Norwich manager has been successful in England’s second tier but he struggled to get the Canaries singing in the Premier League. In his two seasons managing in the top flight his side won just six of 49 games, drawing eight and losing 35 with a goal difference of 31 for and 101 against. But he led the Norfolk side to the Premier League twice, with hugely impressive promotion campaigns in the Championship.
Gladbach finished tenth in the Bundesliga last season and Farke will be tasked with winning European football again for the famous old side. The 45-year-old boss has been keen to move to his homeland and jumped at the chance to move to Monchengladbach. He was a free agent after leaving Russian club Krasnador in March where he’d been since being sacked by the Canaries in November and this is his first chance to manage in the Bundesliga top division, having coached Borussia Dortmund before moving to Norwich in 2017.
Mane keeps the fans guessing
The saga surrounding the potential departure of Robert Lewandowski and who might replace him rumbles on, and his potential replacement, Sadio Mane, is still uncertain about his own future; or so he says. Following his hat-trick in Senegal’s win over Benin at the weekend, reporters asked Mane where he was heading, FC Bayern, Real Madrid or Barcelona, if he does indeed leave Anfield, and he replied: “Hey, you know I’m not a fan of these teams. My club is Marseille. I would rather say Marseille.”
Liverpool and Bayern Munich are getting closer to a deal for Sadio Mane
That’s not exactly what Bayern fans would be happy to hear but they may take heart from the reports in Liverpool that Thiago Alcantara has offered his house in Munich for Mane to stay in. Bayern have already made one bid of £25m which Liverpool declined, and the Bavarians might be ready to table a second bid any time now.
Dortmund man Nico is ready for action
Borussia Dortmund are about to embark on a pre-season trip to Ghana and, on their return they will be joined by new signing Nico Schlotterbeck after the 22-year-old centre-back made the switch from SC Freiburg.
Here at SBOTOP we picked out Schlotterbeck as the standout defender in the Bundesliga. The 22-year-old was Freiburg’s best defensive player in a successful campaign which ended with Europa League qualification, and he also scored four goals and made an assist as he became one of the most sought-after players in the German league. Die Schwarzgelben quickly made their move, shelling out 25m Euros for the player.
Schlotterbeck is delighted with the transfer, saying: “They simply gave me the impression I can take the next step here. I’ve heard a lot about the club, you see a lot about the fans. That impresses me and I’m really up for it now.”
The Bundesliga 2022 betting odds will likely install BVB as second favourites once again, and they will hope to push FC Bayern a little closer next season. Schlotterbeck will be a key player in that aim.
Everybody loves Nkunku
In other Bundesliga 2022 news, speculation is mounting that RB Leipzig star Christopher Nkunku is being tracked by a host of top European clubs. He made his first competitive start for France against Croatia in a Nations League draw on Monday and will hope to star for Les Bleus as they defend their world title in Qatar this year. The 24-year-old has scored 35 goals and provided 20 assists in 51 appearances for Die Roten Bullen and is rated at £50m.
Leipzig will be keen to hold on to their hottest property but that won’t put off the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool, FC Bayern and his home club Paris Saint-Germain from tracking the player. He played 78 games for PSG, scoring 11 goals before making his move to the Bundesliga, where he has quickly become one of the best strikers in the world. Chelsea might fancy their chances of luring Nkunku to London as head coach Thomas Tuchel managed him at PSG, but he can take his pick and he may prefer a move to France, or to stay in the Bundesliga with Leipzig where he is worshipped by the fans.
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Who’s Coming in to Replace the Bundesliga Hotshots?
One down and, it would appear, one to go.
Players have come and gone before, of course, and the loss of any stars can be quickly forgotten whenever the next one comes along.
Except the two Bundesliga players in question are rather special.
One has been the leading striker in European football over the last decade, while the other is a phenomenal young talent who, along with France’s rising star, Kylian Mbappe, is the heir to the throne held for so long in the Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi galaxy!
So, what is the latest situation? And who can possibly fill the Bundesliga highlights void left by the departing Erling Braut Haaland and, probably, Robert Lewandowski.
Fans during Manchester City’s match against Aston Villa at Etihad Stadium
Whatever happens, Bayern Munich will still start next season as firm favourites with the SBOTOP Bundesliga betting odds.
But it seems the prolific Pole has made his views known and he no longer wants to be a part of the Bavarian journey.
As you would expect, Bayern is an ever-evolving door and earlier this week the club announced the capture of Dutch midfielder Ryan Gravenberch from Ajax on a five-year deal.
Bayern have paid €18.5 million (£16m), which could rise to €24m (£20m), to sign one of Europe’s most coveted young players.
The 20 year-old has helped the Dutch champions to win three league titles and has 10 caps for his country.
Back to the man spearheading their attack though and Bayern will not want to let their prized asset leave until they have found a replacement which is where speculation comes in.
While Sadio Mane appears to be a realistic swoop from Liverpool, he would not be a like-for-like replacement.
And if ever a club’s history cried out for a number nine, it is Bayern.
The late, great Gerd Müller, Karl Heinz Rummenigge, Giovane Élber, Luca Toni, Jurgen Klinsmann, Roy Makaay, Miroslav Klose, and Lewandowski are just some of the distinguished names that come to mind when you think of their great strikers.
Perhaps a replacement is closer to home than first thought and, if that is the case, then look no further than RB Leipzig’s Christopher Nkunku.
The France striker has also recently been awarded the title of “Bundesliga Player of the Year” having won the monthly award four times. Nkunku’s tally is bettered only by three others – Haaland and Lewandowski being two of them.
Another option may be Jonathan Burkardt who has impressed for Mainz in the Bundesliga and contributed 14 goals and four assists in his breakthrough season with the club.
More of a risk, but still a Bundesliga-proven option, is Sasa Kalajdzic.
A German speaker, super tall and emphatic in the air, he could potentially lead the line with Bayern as well as he has with Stuttgart.
The Austrian contributed directly to 23 Bundesliga goals in 20/21, a figure that was reduced to just eight last term as a result of a long-term injury.
Also linked with a move is Gianluca Scamacca who plies his trade for Sassuolo in Serie A.
The 23 year-old Italian forward netted 16 goals in 36 league appearances, putting together a mature and consistent campaign under Alessio Dionisi. Indeed, his strong work saw him inherit Ciro Immobile’s spot in the Azzurri squad in this international break and he’ll be hoping to permanently oust the Lazio star in the starting line-up in the coming months.
Could he be Bayern’s secret weapon?
While the focus is firmly on the Lewandowski saga, we must also remember some new faces have already been confirmed.
Borussia Dortmund’s transfer activity has included the signing of promising young German striker Karim Adeyemi – a triple Austrian league and cup double winner with Red Bull Salzburg and, at 20, a full Germany international with a goal and three senior international appearances to his name
Gravenberch will have a friendly face on his arrival in Munich with the record Bundesliga champions’ capture of Morocco international Noussair Mazraoui from Ajax already confirmed.
Bayer Leverkusen, last season’s third-highest goalscorers, have added young Czech jewel Adam Hlozek to their potent forward line, while Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt have raided Nantes to bolster their squad with the highly versatile French forward Kolo Muani.
With the Bundesliga fixture list out on Friday – something which always sets the pulse racing for a return to action – watch this space for all the latest Bundesliga news.
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Big Bundesliga Dates to Remember in 2022-23 Schedule
The complete schedule for the 2022-23 Bundesliga campaign has been released. This season will be a unique one with World Cup 2022 sandwiched in between.
Nevertheless, the German top flight should still serve up its usual dose of drama and excitement, especially in the big games.
And so you don’t miss any of the action, SBOTOP has listed down the dates to remember in the 2022-23 Bundesliga season.
Tough starts for Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund
The new season will officially kick off on Friday, Aug 15, with 10-time defending Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich taking on reigning Europa League champions Eintracht Frankfurt.
Needless to say, this fixture will be quite a tricky one for Julian Nagelsmann’s side, especially since they could very well be without superstar striker Robert Lewandowski, who has made his intention to leave quite clear.
Moreover, Frankfurt have played Bayern quite tough in recent years. The Eagles handed Bayern their first defeat of the season last year as they won 2-1 at the Allianz Arena.
Borussia Dortmund fans cheering during their team’s victory against Hoffenheim
Meanwhile, it will also be a tough start to the season for Borussia Dortmund, who will host third-placed Bayer Leverkusen at Signal Iduna Park.
The two matches between the two sides were among the most action-packed in the Bundesliga. After Dortmund beat Leverkusen 3-4 away in one of the games of the season, Leverkusen returned the favour with a 5-2 thumping of BVB at Signal Iduna Park.
Returning Dortmund coach Edin Terzic will no longer have Erling Haaland at his disposal, so he must make sure the BVB defence do a better job of keeping the prolific Leverkusen attack – led by the prolific Patrik Schick – in check.
Revierderby returns to list of Bundesliga rivalries
Der Klassiker is the biggest match on the Bundesliga calendar every season, and while it has been a bit one-sided in recent years (Bayern have won the last seven in a row), there is great drama and quality every time Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund meet. The two German giants are set to meet on Matchday 9 (Oct. 7-9) and Matchday 26 (Mar. 31-Apr. 2), and both are can’t-miss matches.
But as compelling as Der Klassiker is, it does not quite have the same level of passion and emotion as the Revierderby between Borussia Dortmund and fierce rivals Schalke, which will make its much-awaited return to the Bundesliga after the Royal Blues earned promotion back to the top flight.
The two sides will collide for the first time on Matchday 7 (Sept. 16-18) at Signal Iduna Park, then meet at the Veltins-Arena on Matchday 24 (March 10-12).
The Bundesliga also features a number of other derbies, including the Berlin derby between Union and Hertha, as well as the Rhine derby between Borussia Monchengladbach and Koln. However, the Revierderby is on a different level given the years of animosity between the clubs.
Schalke still have some way to go to reach Dortmund’s level of quality. But anything can happen in derbies, and Schalke will be especially motivated to mark their first season back in the top flight with a couple of good Bundesliga 2022 results in the Revierderby.
Bayern-Leipzig bookends post-World Cup schedule
The Bundesliga 2022 betting odds have Bayern as favourites to win an unprecedented 11th consecutive Bundesliga title. However, RB Leipzig could be the team that could finally end the Bavarians’ run of dominance.
After some early-season struggles under Jesse Marsch, the Red Bulls returned to form under Domenico Tedesco as they still finished in the Champions League places.
Since Tedesco’s appointment in December, only Bayern scored more points in the Bundesliga than Leipzig during that 20-game stretch. With Christopher Nkunku enjoying an amazing breakout season, the hope is that Leipzig can finally mount a legitimate title challenge.
Although, it will still take a lot to knock Bayern off their perch. Even if Robert Lewandowski gets his wish to leave, Bayern still have quite a formidable squad. They already have Liverpool’s Sadio Mane lined up to help ease the potential loss of Lewandowski, and they still have a terrific array of attacking midfielders that can score loads of goals.
After meeting in the German Supercup, the two sides will meet for the first time in the league in January to headline the return of the Bundesliga from the World Cup break. And the two clubs will face off again in the penultimate round of the season, hopefully with the title still on the line, so be sure not to miss any of their massive matchups this season.
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With the 2022/23 Bundesliga season creeping ever closer, we’re about to see a flurry of transfer activity and the top clubs are battling to bring in the best goal scorers available, while some top strikers could well be on the way out of the German league.
It appears that champions Bayern Munich have struck first with the signing of Sadio Mane nearing completion. The Senegalese striker is due to have his medical and is set to be unveiled to the Bayern fans on Wednesday, having penned a £35-M deal to take him from Liverpool to Bavaria.
Since arriving at Anfield from Southampton, Mane has scored 120 goals in 269 appearances and has been part of a fearsome front three alongside Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino and latterly Diogo Jota – picking up Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, and League Cup winners medals along the way.
At Bayern, he is more likely to play as a lone striker ahead of a No. 10 and with two wide-men or he may even be pushed out wide, depending on who else comes through the door.
Wherever he plays, Mane will be a hit with the Bayern fans as his lighting pace and fantastic array of shooting is sure to reap hefty dividends in a side which already scores for fun.
Former Bayern and Germany midfield legend Lothar Matthaus believes Mane will be a sensation in Germany, saying: “The signing of Sadio Mane is fantastic – not just for FC Bayern, but for the entire league. The fact that such a great footballer will play in our league is just class. He has provided goals and assists with Liverpool in a way and with regularity that few other players in the world have been able to match.”
That’s some welcome.
We’ve been following this story here at SBOTOP and I suspect the pre-season Bundesliga 2022 betting odds just got a little shorter on the prospect of the title returning to Bavaria.
Haller set for Dortmund switch
The fixtures for the 2022/22 season are out and Borussia Dortmund have a tough assignment on the opening weekend when Champions League qualifiers Bayer Leverkusen are the visitors to the Signal Iduna Park.
BVB will have to kick-off without their former star striker Erling Haaland, but bosses at the club hope they will have the big Norwegian’s replacement in, ready for pre-season training.
Ajax star Sebastien Haller in action against Benfica’s Gilberto during their Champions League Round of 16 match
Die Schwarzgelben are reported to have agreed personal terms with Ajax forward Sebastien Haller to bring him to Dortmund. The club has tabled an offer of €33-M plus add- ons to sign the former Eintracht striker who, at 27 years of age, is the right profile of player to lead the line.
Ajax are holding out for a fee in the region of €40-M to make Haller BVB’s most expensive signing of all time. And it would be money well-spent on a player who is banging in form.
He scored 11 goals in the 2021/22 Champions League, bettered only by Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski and ahead of the likes of Salah, Kylian Mbappe, and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Haller is among the finest strikers in Europe. But if he moves to BVB, he has big shoes to fill.
Stuttgart striker attracting interest
BVB have also been tracking VFB Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic, who looks set to move on after impressing a number of top clubs over the past two campaigns.
The 24-year-old Austria international has scored 23 goals in 54 games for VFB and, at 6’7”, he is a giant of a player, strong in the air, and likened to former England striker Peter Crouch as a fine target man.
If Dortmund are ready to make a bid, they will be in competition with a host of English clubs, including Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Leicester City, and even Bayern Munich are reported to be keeping tabs on the player.
Lewi saga rumbles on
The biggest Bundesliga 2022 news of the summer has been Robert Lewandowski’s announcement that he is ready to leave Bayern Munich, his subsequent fallout with the club, and the protracted negotiations to engineer a move to Barcelona.
The 2021 FIFA Player of the Year has seemingly been on his way to Barcelona since the last ball was kicked in the 2021/22 campaign, but there is no big announcement on the cards just yet.
And that has prompted journalists at the French news outlet Foot Mercato to make a cheeky suggestion that, if Barca can’t meet the €50-M asking price, then maybe Paris Saint-Germain will step in.
Following a furious row with Ligue 1 over the conduct of Kylian Mbappe in turning down Real Madrid, Lewi moving to Paris would be the last thing La Liga bosses would want to see.
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Die Bayern insist that the Pole will see out the remainder of his current contract, but you never want an unhappy camper in your team since it’ll affect your Bundesliga 2022 odds for a repeat next term in a negative way.
They’ve won the Bundesliga for the 10th straight time, but it was otherwise a disappointing 2021-22 season for the Bavarians by their standards since they failed to win the DFB-Pokal and they exited the Champions League earlier than usual at the hands of Villarreal.
Changes are on the horizon and getting fresh faces could be the key to bolster Julian Nagelsmann’s side, so continue to read on below as SBOTOP lists down their top transfer needs.
Backup goalkeeper
Manuel Neuer is still one of the best shot stoppers out there and he just signed a two-year extension last May, but he’s not getting any younger at 36 years of age.
To his credit, he has always been available for his club, but he’s becoming more injured these past few seasons – including a knee surgery months ago – so a succession plan is something that Bayern Munich should consider in the long-term.
Sven Ulreich is also approaching the wrong side of his 30’s and he hasn’t played that much, while their youngster in Alexander Nubel is currently out on loan playing for AS Monaco in Ligue 1.
With Christian Fruchtl and Ron-Thorben Hoffmann sold, the Bavarians need another body between the posts, ideally a youngster who can be a viable backup goalkeeper at least until Alexander Nubel returns from France.
Unfortunately for Bayern Munich, there are limited options out there in the transfer market to fill this particular need.
One of them is Stefan Ortega, who has been at Arminia Bielefeld since 2017. The 29-year-old was once linked with a move to Bavaria earlier this year, but he is now being pursued by Manchester City.
Bayern Munich’s defence could also use some fine-tuning by adding more depth at centre-half.
The Bavarians have a strong core of defenders especially with the addition of Noussair Mazraoui, but Dayot Upamecano is their only bona fide centre-back since Niklas Sule is leaving for Borussia Dortmund. Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez can also play centre-back, but they might be called upon to play as full-backs from time to time.
Youngsters Tanguy Nianzou and Josip Stanisic are viable prospects for Julian Nagelsmann, but both are still raw and they might get loaned out in order to gain more experience.
Chris Richards, on the other hand, was loaned to Hoffenheim last season and he may choose to make his move there permanent or he may join another club. The USMNT star has several suitors from La Liga and in the Premier League.
Julian Nagelsmann is looking for an experienced defender who can contribute and lead right away, but they haven’t had much luck on that regard thus far.
Previous reports indicate that Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger, and Matthias Ginter were all listed as their centre-back targets. However, the Bavarians can no longer get them since Christensen is set to join Barcelona, while Rudiger and Ginter have signed with Real Madrid and SC Freiburg respectively.
Ajax defender Jurrien Timber is another possible candidate, but Bayern Munich might put themselves in a bidding war with Manchester United for his services.
Forward
Bayern Munich presentation of new signing Sadio Mane
The Bavarians should continue to be a fixture in the Bundesliga 2022 highlights reel with a new-look frontline that they’ll have next term.
Sadio Mane’s arrival undoubtedly adds another big gun to their attacking arsenal – which already has the likes of Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane, Thomas Muller, and Kingsley Coman.
The former Liverpool man may not score goals at the same rate as Robert Lewandowski, but he’s an equally consistent star who should be able to adjust to the Bundesliga right away.
The 30-year-old forward had a successful six-year stint with Liverpool with 120 goals in 269 games across all competitions. He was also a key cog for the Reds’ Champions League triumph in 2019, as well as their Premier League win in 2020.
But despite his addition, bringing in one more capable scorer would surely come in handy for Die Bayern in light of Lewandowski’s saga. Sasa Kalajdzic is one target that the Bavarians are actively pursuing. Stuttgart reportedly want €25 to €30-M for the Austrian hitman – which is considered by many as a bargain.
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Borussia Dortmund are on the verge of signing Ajax centre-forward Sebastian Haller in a deal worth around 36m Euros as BVB continue to strengthen in preparation for the 2022/23 Bundesliga campaign.
The 27-year-old Ivory Coast striker has been lined up as a replacement for Erling Braut Haaland who departed for Manchester City earlier this month. He has big boots to fill but Haller could be the man to lead the BVB line, after enjoying a stellar season with Ajax in the league and Champions League.
He scored 34 goals for the Dutch champions last term, top-scoring with 21 in the league, and his 11 in the Champions League put him in third position, behind only Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski, and he appears to have comprehensively shaken off the disappointing stint he had in the Premier League while at West Ham United. As well as finding the net with impressive regularity Haller has also provided 16 assists in his 66 appearances for Ajax.
While Haller is not a like-for-like replacement for Haaland, there are some similarities. At 6ft 3in he’s a powerful unit, but for a big man he has a skilful touch with both feet and is not over-reliant on an ability to outmuscle defenders, though it comes in handy at times.
Haller is likely to line up alongside another new recruit, the 20-year-old Karim Adeyemi, who has made the switch from Red Bull Salzburg having scored 18 goals and made seven assists for the Austrians last term. Adeyemi has bags of pace and a cool head in front of goal and these two could form a lethal partnership.
With the excellent Marco Reus and Dutch striker Donyell Malen in the attacking group BVB are well placed to score goals aplenty in 2022.
Exciting new centre-back pairing
The pre-season Bundesliga 2022 betting odds are backing FC Bayern to retain the title, but Dortmund’s new head coach Edin Terzic has worked hard in the transfer market to enable his team to mount a serious challenge. While FC Bayern continue to toil under the strain of the Lewandowski saga, as well as recruiting up front BVB have put together a new look centre-back pairing which looks capable of holding off the best attacks.
22-year-old Nico Schlotterbeck had a standout campaign last term with SC Freiburg ahead of a 25m move to Dortmund. He’s a cultured centre-back, strong in the air and confident on the ball, and he will potentially line up alongside the 26-year-old Niklas Sule, who has made the switch from Bayern after five campaigns with the champions. With 40 caps for Germany, Sule has the experience to marshal the defence while being an attacking threat at set pieces.
Schlotterbeck and Sule will have competition from the present incumbents, Manuel Akanji and Mats Hummels, so the BVB centre back position is also in good health.
Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic during their match against Manchester City at Signal Iduna Park
If Terzic can pull of the signing of TSG Hoffenheim left-back David Raum then he’ll be happy with his business on the backline, but there is plenty of work to do there, with competition from Premier League clubs. Raum is the type of attacking full-back BVB fans love, making 11 assists and scoring three goals last season and Terzic will do all he can to bring him to the Signal Iduna Stadium.
Reyna working towards fitness and Bellingham in Dortmund for another year
BVB could have two of their best teenagers linking up again before long if USA attacking midfielder Gio Reyna continues to make progress after suffering an injury-hit campaign last term. He won’t make the start of the new campaign but the 19-year-old will be back in light training soon and Terzic will be keen to get him in amongst the fist team squad as early as possible.
And while Liverpool fans are getting excited about the prospect of Jude Bellingham arriving at Anfield next summer, the 18-year-old is happy to stay in Dortmund for the 2022/23 season. That is good news for Die Schwarzgelben as they will have a young talent as good as any in the Bundesliga for another 12 months. And with the prospect of Reyna back on the pitch before long the creative muscle of BVB is getting stronger.
The 2022/23 campaign is inching closer day by day and, here at SBOTOP, we’ll keep you up to date with all the Bundesliga 2022 news as it happens. But, in the meantime, it looks like the new BVB team is starting to take shape.
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Bundesliga: Bayern Still Won’t Budge over Lewandowski
The 2022-23 Bundesliga season is set to begin in just over a month’s time, but there is still no end in sight to the Robert Lewandowski transfer saga.
The Bayern Munich star has made it clear that he wants to leave the Bundesliga, with Barcelona as his preferred destination, but the German champions are not budging on their preferred price for the prolific Pole.
Meanwhile, there is more striker news in Germany as Lewandowski’s likely replacement at Bayern, Sadio Mane, will wear the No 17 for the Bavarians. And Bayern’s rivals Borussia Dortmund have sealed the move to sign their replacement for Erling Haaland, Sebastien Haller.
Elsewhere, one of the breakout stars of last season, Union Berlin’s Taiwo Awoniyi, has made the switch to the Premier League as he has signed with newly promoted Nottingham Forest for a club-record fee.
So read on as SBOTOP rounds up all the biggest and latest Bundesliga 2022 news.
Bayern Munich hold firm on Lewandowski
Bayern Munich have no intention of letting Robert Lewandowski leave to Barcelona without getting what they believe he’s worth.
Bayern reportedly want €75 million for the Polish striker, which is far off from the €40m plus add-ons that Barca are willing to pay.
The 33-year-old Lewandowski has just one year left on his contract and has publicly stated his desire to depart Bayern. However, the German champions appear determined to get the best deal for them, so this transfer saga is nowhere near through.
Bayern prepared to sit Gnabry?
Apart from Lewandowski, Bayern also have another unsettled forward whose future remains up in the air: Serge Gnabry.
The 26-year-old is also on the final year of his contract and has yet to come to terms on an extension.
Bayern are reluctant to let Gnabry run out his contract, to the extent that if Gnabry declines to sign an extension, Bayern could opt not to play him this upcoming season, according to kicker.
Of course, that would be an extreme move by Bayern, who, despite their impressive depth up front, still need Gnabry’s production. The German international scored 14 goals – second on the team behind Lewandowski – and provided 5 assists in 34 Bundesliga appearances last season.
Sadio Mane picks new number
Sadio Mane with Bayern Munich CEO Oliver Kahn, President Herbert Hainer and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic during the presentation
“I picked out 17 from the free jersey numbers at FC Bayern and aim to celebrate many successes with my team and this number,” Mane said per the club’s official website.
“Now I’m really looking forward to starting preparations for the season with my new team-mates very soon.”
Mane had worn No. 10 in his previous stops at Liverpool, Southampton, and Red Bull Salzburg, but Leroy Sane already wears that number for Bayern. Mane also wore No. 19 after joining the Reds from Saints, but Alphonso Davies currently wears that.
Haller, 28, spent one and a half seasons with Ajax, scoring 47 goals in just 66 appearances. He also netted 11 goals in 8 Champions League games last season.
Haller spent two seasons in the Bundesliga with Eintracht Frankfurt, scoring 33 goals in 77 appearances. He will help fill the sizable void left by Erling Haaland, who left this summer to sign with Manchester City.
Aside from Haller, BVB have already signed the centre-back pairing of Niklas Sule and Nico Schlotterbeck, Turkish midfielder Salih Özcan, and 20-year-old striker Karim Adeyemi as they look to improve their Bundesliga 2022 odds of winning the title.
Taiwo Awoniyi signs for Nottingham Forest
Premier League new boys Nottingham Forest have broken their club-record transfer fee to sign Union Berlin’s Taiwo Awoniyi for a reported £17 million.
After a loan spell in 2000, Union signed the 24-year-old Awoniyi on a permanent basis last summer from Liverpool and he became one of the breakout stars of the Bundesliga season. He scored 15 goals – sixth in the league – to help Union to a surprise fifth-place finish.
Union, who have already signed young striker Jamie Leweling from relegated Greuther Furth, have also been linked with another Nigerian in Stephen Odey to replace Awoniyi’s goal production for next season. Odey, 24, scored 7 goals in 23 games while on loan with Danish Superliga club Randers FC last season.
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“I’m really happy to be at FC Bayern in Munich,” he said. “It’s the right time for this challenge. I want to achieve a lot for this club, in Europe too. During my time at Salzburg I watched a lot of Bayern games – I really like this club.”
He’s sure to make plenty of Bundesliga 2022 highlightsin the coming months and Bayern president Herbert Hainer is convinced Mane can lift the Bavarian club to even greater heights.
“Sadio Mane is a global star, who underlines the appeal of FC Bayern and will increase the attractiveness of the Bundesliga as a whole,” he said. “Fans come to the stadiums to see such unique players. It’s great that our board have managed to sign a player like Sadio Mane.”
Bayern are getting a player who has got fans on their feet for years with his electric pace, brilliant finishing, mesmerising dribbling and tactical genius. He scores goals with both feet and is a clever header of the ball, finding space in the most congested of penalty areas.
Mane’s Premier League record with the Reds was nothing short of sensational, scoring 120 goals from 269 competitive appearances as part of a front three, comprising Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino. He has also scored 31 goals in 89 games for Senegal and lifted the African Cup on Nations in 2021, after being named African Player of the Year in 2019.
Not everyone has praised the player’s move though.
Former Liverpool forward Dean Saunders, now a pundit in England, said the striker was ‘ruining the best two years of his career’ and suggested he would find it too easy in the German league, comments which drew stinging criticism from Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke who retorted: “There are always some arrogant idiots like this one! As a member of the board of Europe’s club association ECA, I know that German football still has a good reputation.”
To be fair to Watzke, who also pointed out that no English clubs won a European competition this year while Eintracht Frankfurt lifted the Europa League, Saunders may not be in the best place to speak on matters of elite football. The Welsh winger picked up just one FA Cup winners medal and one League Cup winners medal in his two decades as a player in England.
Back to Mane, he can play in a speedy front three, as he did at Liverpool, and the choice for head coach Julian Nagelsmann is who to play alongside him.
Bayern still aren’t budging on their asking price for Robert Lewandowski, holding out for 75M Euros which is way above Barcelona’s present offer at 40M Euros plus add-ons. But nobody wants an unhappy player in the dressing room so we can assume Lewi is unlikely to feature.
Germany’s Serge Gnabry warming-up ahead of their Nations League match against Italy
And there are rumours circulating that another of Bayern’s top strikers might be on his way out. Serge Gnabry has emerged a surprise target for Manchester City who are facing the loss of Raheem Sterling and will see Gnabry as a perfect replacement.
The Germany star has scored 20 goals in 34 appearances for his country and 45 in 122 games for Die Bayern, but he has, so far, refused to sign a new deal with the club who have offered him a wage of £200k a week. The champions are keen to keep the striker who has just one year left on his contract, but they will be tempted to cash in if he refuses to sign, and a fee of around £35m would be well in reach for the English champions.
If Gnabry and Lewandowski make their exits then France winger Kingsley Coman and former Manchester City star Leroy Sane could make up a fleet of foot front three alongside Mane.
The Bundesliga 2022 betting oddsare backing Bayern to win an 11th successive title and Mane will be at the forefront of Nagelsmann’s plans.
Meanwhile…back at Anfield, the gap left by Mane in Liverpool’s front three has been filled by summer recruit Darwin Nunez. And reports have just emerged from Merseyside that Mo Salah has signed a deal to stay at the club for another three seasons.
The SBOTOPodds on the Premier League title reckon Liverpool will push Manchester City close for the 2022/23 title, and it remains to be seen whether the decision to sell Mane turns out to be a good call…or a mistake.
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Bundesliga: Five Players Ready To Take On The Best
Every year we get to see some breakthrough stars in this beautiful game and the Bundesliga is one of the best leagues to nurture young talent and welcome new entrants.
Last season Christopher Nkunku wrote the Bundesliga 2022 news headlines with a string of man-of-the-match performances for Red Bull Leipzig. He scored 20 goals and made 13 assists as he well and truly exploded onto the European stage, earning six caps for France and winning the 2021/22 Bundesliga Player of the Year award.
Over in Leverkusen, Florian Wirtz had a brilliant campaign cut short by an anterior cruciate ligament injury in March, but before that he had become the first player under 19 years of age to score ten Bundesliga goals and earned four caps for the German national side.
This season there will be plenty of new faces appearing in the German top flight, notably Sadio Mane who will be taking his bow for Bayern, and he’s one of five players the SBOTOP team has picked out to keep an eye on.
Karim Adeyemi – Borussia Dortmund
One of the most exciting signings of the German summer so far has been the arrival of 20-year-old Karim Adeyemi from Austrian champions Red Bull Salzburg. The Germany international has signed for a fee of 30m Euros and has a five year contract at the club which is well known for developing young stars.
He joined Salzburg in 2018 and had an outstanding campaign last term, scoring 23 goals and making eights assists as his club marched to the title and the knockout phase of the Champions League. Die Schwarzgelben beat Liverpool and Barcelona to his signature and the club clearly believes Adeyemi can step up from Salzburg as Erling Braut Haaland did before him.
Benjamin Henrichs – Red Bull
At 25 years of age Benjamin Henrichs has settled at Red Bull after a period of finding his feet. A product of the Bayer Leverkusen academy he won seven caps for Germany in 2016 and 2017 but then didn’t really kick on over the next two seasons. He transferred to Monaco but didn’t settle in France and was loaned to Leipzig in 2020.
The German giants were impressed enough to trigger a buy out clause and signed Henrichs for 15 million Euros last summer, and he had a good first full season, making 27 appearances and scoring three goals. Now that he looks settled again Henrichs will be pushing for a place in the Germany team and hoping to star at wingback for Red Bull.
Jamal Musiala – FC Bayern
Still only 19, Jamal Musiala already looks comfortable in the German top flight with 11 goals in 57 appearances for Die Bayern over the past two campaigns. He can play as a winger or an attacking midfielder and has already earned 15 caps for his country. Musiala learned his craft at Premier League club Chelsea before moving to Munich in 2019.
His breakthrough season was 2020/21, but 2022/23 could be the year he becomes an established world star and we could have another Nkunku on our hands. The Bundesliga 2022 betting odds reckon Die Bayern will win the league again; and Musiala is ready to play his part.
Paulinho – Bayer Leverkusen
21-year-old striker Paulinho signed for Bayer Leverkusen in 2018 for a record fee of 20m Euros for his former club Vasco da Gama. A Brazil under 17 and under 23 player, he starred alongside Vinicius Junior and Alan as the Selecao won the South American U17 trophy. An undoubtedly talented forward, very quick and with confidence on the ball, Paulinho will hope this could be his breakthrough campaign.
He has scored seven goals in 53 appearances for Die Werkself, many of them from the bench, and Paulinho will aim to build up a partnership alongside the prolific Czech Patrick Schick in the coming campaign.
Sadio Mane – FC Bayern
Sadio Mane during the press conference with Bayern Munich at Allianz Arena
And then, of course there is Mane. He’s a new face in the Bundesliga and the world will be watching to see if, as expected, he takes the German league by storm. He has superb pedigree, winning African Player of the Year in 2020, a year after coming fourth in the Ballon D’Or.
With an African Cup of Nations medal to go with his Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup medals with Liverpool Mane has won it all. And now, the big question is…can he break through as the star of the Bundesliga in 2022?
The seemingly imminent departure of Robert Lewandowski will mean Mane is the main man in Munich and he must be a decent bet for the Golden Boot, particularly if Lewi heads off to Spain.
Top scorer would be Mane’s idea of a breakthrough!
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The Bundesliga has lost one of its two star names and the other is set to depart.
Erling Braut Haaland’s time at Borussia Dortmund was always going to be limited and fans of the club will forever remember fondly his two and a half years at the Signal Iduna Park.
Likewise, there has been no better front man than Robert Lewandowski over the past eight years and his goals and record-breaking time at champions Bayern Munich will not be forgotten even if it appears to be coming to an end – despite the club’s protestations.
This SBOTOP writer actually believes the Bavarians will allow the Pole to leave but only if Barcelona, seemingly his preferred destination, have the funds to match Bayern’s valuation.
And so, with or without Lewandowski and Haaland, attention turns to the next season of Bundesliga highlights.
Then there’s what is surely one of the most exciting signings of the German summer so far with Karim Adeyemi recruited by Dortmund from Austrian champions Red Bull Salzburg.
The club clearly believes Adeyemi can step up from Salzburg as Haaland did before him.
Ajax forward Sebastien Haller celebrates scoring their second goal
With other new signings in forward Sebastien Haller and centre backs Niklas Süle and Nico Schlotterbeck, not to mention Edin Terzic replacing Marco Rose as coach, it promises to be an exciting time for Dortmund and possibly the start of a rebuild.
Haller has come in as the man to fill Haaland’s boots and does so on the back of a blistering 34 goals in 42 games for Ajax last season. That included 11 in eight Champions League outings, with two coming against Dortmund.
Perhaps Dortmund will end up with more depth and variability so they can give the champions a run for their money after finishing well adrift last term.
The Bundesliga betting odds still heavily favour Bayern though – and I would back them every step of the way.
Amid their European disappointment where they were surprisingly ousted by Villarreal in the Champions League quarter-final stage, it’s hard to forget Julian Nagelsmann’s side were just four short of Bayern’s bar-raising 101 Bundesliga goal return in 1971/72, continuing a recent trend of near misses as they hunt down their league best from half a century ago.
Hansi Flick’s 2019/20 team became only the second team to hit 100 goals in a sole Bundesliga campaign too and were just one away from the record, while they pulled up two shy of that 1972 vintage the following season
Then, of course there is Sadio Mane who arrives with a superb pedigree after six years with Liverpool.
The 2019 African Player of the Year, this year he has also won the League Cup and FA Cup double and the African Cup of Nations.
Gerd Müller’s 40 goals powered Udo Lattek’s side to both the title and the record all those years ago and it’s been Lewandowski – who bettered Müller’s 40-goal best in 2020/21 by registering 41 strikes – who has fired Bayern’s string of recent challenges.
There is also Thomas Müller who provided 18 Bundesliga assists last time out and will relish the opportunity to tee up his new teammate.
Mane’s presence – and ability across the front line – at the Allianz Arena should also bring out the best of Kingsley Coman, Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane, who know they will have to be at the top of their game to get minutes ahead of the club’s latest marquee arrival, especially with places in World Cup squads to secure.
Who else to look out for?
Well, Hertha Berlin have pulled off a significant loan in enticing the experienced goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow to Gelsenkirchen on a one-year loan deal from Hertha Berlin who, themselves, have brought in full-back Jonjoe Kenny from Everton.
Bayern’s double acquisition from Ajax in right-back Noussair Mazraoui and midfielder Ryan Gravenberch have also caught my eye.
Gravenberch may be 20 but he seems ready to compete for a place in a Bayern engine room.
It is signings like these which, for me, will keep Bayern out in front in what should be a highly entertaining league once again.
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Bundesliga: Is Bayern’s 11th Straight Title Inevitable?
Just like mighty Thanos, Bayern Munich are inevitable. For the last decade, they have absolutely dominated the Bundesliga, winning an unprecedented 10 titles in a row.
So, is an 11th straight title an inevitability? Maybe not, since there are some new challenges that the Bavarians must face this upcoming season.
SBOTOP shares these three factors that could see Bayern’s amazing run of consecutive Bundesliga championships come to an end.
The Robert Lewandowski situation
Bayern Munich could very well come into the new Bundesliga season without their superstar striker Robert Lewandowski, who has been angling for a move to Barcelona this summer.
The prolific Pole, who arrived at Bayern in 2014, has been instrumental in the Bavarians winning the Bundesliga title in all eight years he’s been with the club. He has scored a remarkable 238 Bundesliga goals in 253 appearances, including 35 last year to win his record-tying seventh Kicker-Torjägerkanone as the league’s top scorer.
Despite Bayern securing the services of Sadio Mane, Lewandowski’s potential exit would still be a major blow to Bayern’s Bundesliga 2022 odds to win their 11th straight title. Even for a club that possesses a wealth of attacking weapons like Bayern do, replacing Lewi’s remarkably consistent production of 30-odd league goals per season will be quite a challenge.
But on the other side of the coin, if Lewandowski doesn’t get the Barcelona move he so desperately wants, him staying at Bayern could have a potentially damaging effect on the entire team’s morale. He has not exactly handled the whole situation delicately as he’s pushed hard for Bayern to let him leave, and it remains to be seen whether the bridges he burned can still be repaired.
Granted, Harry Kane – who has recently been linked with a shock move to Bayern as a potential Lewandowksi replacement – recovered from his unsuccessful Man City transfer saga to star at Tottenham last season. But at 34 years of age, a less-motivated Lewandowski could suffer a significant decline in performance, which could then open the door for some of Bayern’s top competitors at the top.
Bayern Munich have not been legitimately challenged for the title in recent years, with their two main rivals – Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig – both falling short of Die Roten’s level.
But this season could be a different story. Borussia Dortmund have had a busy summer transfer market as they’ve brought in Sebastien Haller and Karim Adeyemi to make up for the massive loss of Erling Haaland in attack.
Meanwhile, they’ve brought in two new centre-backs – Niklas Sule and Nico Schlotterbeck, who emerged as one of the most promising German defenders last season – to help shore up their major weakness in defence.
And Edin Terzic is back in charge as he takes over for Marco Rose, who had a disappointing lone season at Dortmund. Terzic had a decent spell as a caretaker boss in the 2020-21 season after Lucien Favre was sacked and will have a squad capable of challenging at the top.
RB Leipzig manager Domenico Tedesco before a match against VfL Wolfsburg
And over in Leipzig, the Red Bulls showed much promise last season under Domenico Tedesco, who got the club back on track after the failed Jesse Marsch experiment.
Leipzig have not been nearly as active as Dortmund in the transfer market, but they did lock up young star Christopher Nkunku to a new long-term deal, which is massive. The French forward had a breakout campaign as he had 20 goals and 13 assists while creating many more Bundesliga 2022 highlights.
With both Dortmund and Leipzig looking in decent shape, any slip-up from Bayern could lead to a legitimate title race for the first time in a while.
World Cup hangover
And last but not least, there is the small matter of the mid-season World Cup, which will be a unique wrinkle that Bayern have not had to worry about in their previous 10 title triumphs.
Bayern will be by far the most affected of all the Bundesliga clubs as their squad is composed almost entirely of international stars – many of whom play for Germany – who will be representing their respective national teams in Qatar.
Granted, Bayern have some impressive depth up and down the squad, so they are capable of overcoming the inevitable fatigue that will set in during the second half of the season.
But if one or two injuries to key players pop up amid the gruelling schedule, then Bayern’s status as the undisputed Bundesliga title favourites suddenly looks a lot shakier, which should make this Bundesliga season that much more interesting and exciting.
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Absolute Beginners And Absolute Veterans Can Shine In Bundesliga
Being asked to select quality players who have been somewhat under-utilised by their teams in the Bundesliga was no easy task.
Indeed, it led me to a fairly extensive search because it’s hardly rocket science that, as long as they are available, the majority of football managers tend to pick their best players most of the time!
So, who were the exceptions to the rule last term in the German top flight?
To begin with, there weren’t any obvious ones who stood out – certainly not as obvious as, say, in the English Premier League where the regular omission of Donny van de Beek was a mystery to many Manchester United supporters.
I did find two though, both at very different ends of the age spectrum.
For that very reason it’s hardly surprising a teenager and a veteran aren’t played too regularly and, in truth, injury more than being out of favour is the main reason for their inclusion.
However, the statistics show they make a significant contribution when involved and could be utilised even more in 2022-23.
Let me begin with a veteran who came very close to making my Bundesliga team of the season last time out.
At the age of 34, Cologne’s Anthony Modeste was understandably deemed to have had his best days behind him.
But, given his input, and the fact he only played eight the campaign before due to knee problems, you can see he is a player whose age should not prevent him from being used too sparingly.
At the other end is someone half his age.
When I saw he was born in May 2003, I realised how well this young man is doing.
Now there was good reason Florian Wirtz only played 24 league matches (22 as a starter) for Bayer Leverkusen last term.
What an impact he had though and it is doubtful, once recovered fully, he will be used quite as sparingly.
The under-21 European champion with Germany enjoyed his best ever start to a campaign last season, racking up four goals and six assists in his first seven league games.
The first player under 19 to net 11 Bundesliga goals, Wirtz was also at one point the division’s youngest ever scorer at 17.
After featuring in just nine top-flight matches in 2022, it’s understandable his name may have been placed somewhat to one side for the moment.
In other words, when Wirtz plays, Leverkusen often thrive and he makes things happen.
Despite only turning 19 in May, Wirtz was one of the major reasons why his side secured a third-place finish and he has now committed his future to the club by adding another year to his previous long-term deal.
Bayer Leverkusen’s Patrik Schick celebrates after scoring against Eintracht Frankfurt
One of the things I’m most looking forward to is seeing how he and Patrik Schick combine next term.
So, after a summer in which one star man has departed Germany and another is likely to follow, the Bundesliga will still have the capacity to thrill next term. And what’s the betting – don’t forget to study the SBOTOP Bundesliga betting odds by the way – that Wirtz and Modeste (injuries permitting) will feature more than ever.
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The 2022/23 Bundesliga campaign is scheduled to start in just three weeks when champions Bayern Munich kick off with a visit to Eintracht Frankfurt.
And there is still plenty of uncertainty around who will line up for Die Bayern as they begin their title defence in Frankfurt, and they have a SuperCup match against RB Leipzig to prepare for a week earlier.
From the final whistle of the last campaign, the Bundesliga 2022 news has been dominated by the plight of Bayern’s star striker Robert Lewandowski, who announced his intention to depart immediately but his proposed move to Barcelona is still in the balance.
And now there may be more news of outgoings in the champions’ camp as it seems Leroy Sane’s agent has offered the winger’s services to Real Madrid.
News reports in the Spanish capital have suggested the arrival of Sadio Mane in Munich has cast some doubt over the former Manchester City player’s future after he made just 22 starts for Bayern last season. The 26-year-old moved to Munich in 2020 for a fee of £45-M after making his name at the Etihad, but Sane’s contract may be cut short if the two clubs can strike a deal.
Back to Lewandowski. Time is running out for the Pole and his Spanish suitors. Lewy is in training with his Bundesliga colleagues while the two clubs try to come to an arrangement.
Bayern are looking for something in the region of €50-M for the 33-year-old, but the Catalans want to pay significantly less. And with Paris Saint-Germain always likely to make a move for a big player, the situation is precarious at least.
According to the pre-seasonBundesliga 2022 betting odds, Borussia Dortmund are second favourites for the title and they have been active in the market, bringing in a new striker to replace Erling Haaland in the shape of Sebastian Haller and a central defencive partnership of Nico Schlotterbeck and Niklas Sule.
20-year-old attacker Karim Adeyemi has also arrived from RB Salzburg so head coach Edin Terzic is making room in his squad by telling four players they are free to leave.
Creative duo Thorgan Hazard and Julian Brandt have been told they can find new clubs, while current centre-back Manuel Akanji is happy to leave Dortmund.
Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schulz in action during a Bundesliga match against Bayer Leverkusen
The fourth man to be told he isn’t in BVB’s plans is Nico Schulz and reports have emerged that the Germany wing-back will not be joining BVB in the club’s pre-season in Switzerland.
In other news, Juventus are reported to be interested in Eintracht’s highly-rated centre-back Evan Ndicka. The French star impressed as a central defender, who can also play at left back, during Frankfurt’s successful Europa League campaign and he scored four goals and made four assists in 32 league games for the Eagles.
Having secured promotion back to the Bundesliga 2, FC Kaiserslautern have a great chance of opening their campaign with a win atSBOTOP odds of 2.58, while their visitors are ever so slightly lower at a price of 2.56.
Hannover have a good record against these opponents, winning 10 of the last 14 meetings, losing three, and drawing one. But they will face a hostile reception from fans at the 50,000 capacity Fritz- Walter Stadion.
In the third division, Kaiserslautern averaged over 47,000 fans for their final three games and the sleeping giants will fancy their chances of challenging for back-to-back promotions.
The Red Devils were a yo-yo club between the top two divisions in the noughties before sliding down to the third tier, five years after missing out in the 2013 play-offs.
Their fans believe they belong in the top-flight, but opening day opponent Hannover is another proud club and the visitors will provide stiff opposition on Friday night.
The smart money may be on a draw at a price of 3.20.
Kaiserslautern are still ranked as Germany’s ninth-most successful club in history and the second division is one of the best supported leagues in world football, so the atmosphere will be bouncing at the Fritz-Walter Stadion for the entire campaign.
And elsewhere in Bundesliga 2, there will be big matches with electric atmospheres. The average capacity across the 18 grounds is 29,251, slightly down from last season following the promotions of Schalke and Werder Bremen. Make no mistake about it, Bundesliga 2 is big business and great entertainment with Kaiserlautern a welcome addition
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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Bundesliga: Welcome Back, Werder Bremen and Schalke
Schalke and Werder Bremen may be the two newly promoted Bundesliga clubs heading into the 2022-23 season, but the two clubs are far from new to the league. In fact, they had been among the most ever-present clubs in the Bundesliga prior to their relegation the previous year.
So after a one-year absence, two of the most successful clubs in the country have made their way back to the German top flight.
Read on below as SBOTOP shares everything you need to know about the returning Schalke and Werder Bremen.
Schalke 04
Schalke are perhaps the third-biggest club in Germany behind only Bayern Munich and fierce rivals Borussia Dortmund. They are seven-time German champions (although their last triumph was back in 1958) and have been in the Bundesliga for 54 out of its 60 seasons.
And that’s what makes their relegation from the Bundesliga in 2021 all the more unbelievable.
Schalke were historically horrendous during the 2020-21 season. They failed to win their first 14 matches and cycled through five different managers, the first Bundesliga team to ever have that many bosses in a single season.
Schalke 04 star Simon Terodde celebrates following their promotion to the 2022/23 Bundesliga season
Dating back to the previous season, Schalke went an incredible 30 games – nearly a full calendar year – in between wins, which was a truly unfathomable feat for a club of their size and stature.
But despite a major squad upheaval following their shock relegation, the Royal Blues made sure their time out of the Bundesliga would be brief as they were crowned 2. Bundesliga champions to gain automatic promotion.
Schalke started the season a bit slow under coach Dimitros Grammozis and were not even sure of a play-off place for most of the season. But then they replaced Grammozis with Mike Buskens and they suddenly went on a tremendous run of eight wins in the last nine games which saw them claim the title.
Simon Terodde was Schalke’s undisputed star man as he scored a sensational 30 goals in 30 appearances – including 11 during their amazing winning run – to win the Torjägerkanone and power Schalke to promotion.
However, the 34-year-old is a career 2. Bundesliga journeyman who is unlikely to make a difference in the Bundesliga, which is why Schalke must invest heavily in a new striker. They’ve already added Sebastian Polter (10 goals in 33 games last season from Bochum), but they will need more firepower to stay up.
Meanwhile, new coach Frank Kramer must also find a way to solidify their defence. Schalke conceded 44 goals last season, which was only tied for fourth in the league. They’ve added Japanese veteran centre-back Maya Yoshida to provide some much-needed experience to the defensive line, but more investments must be done on the squad if they are to improve their Bundesliga 2022 odds of survival.
Werder Bremen
Werder Bremen may not be as big a club as Schalke, but they have had their fair share of success over the years. They have won the Bundesliga on four occasions – the most recent being in 2003-04 – and are tied with Bayern Munich in being in the Bundesliga in 58 out of its 60 years in existence.
Bremen bounced back immediately from their shock relegation as they finished second in 2. Bundesliga, just two points behind Schalke.
After the resignation of Markus Anfang, Ole Werner took over a midtable Bremen and led them to a run of seven straight wins. He would go unbeaten in his first 10 games in charge and would lose just twice in 19 games in charge as Werder won promotion.
A number of key Bremen players who were in the Bundesliga side that was relegated – Omer Toprak, Leonardo Bittencourt, Niclas Fullkrug – are still with the club. Meanwhile, the addition of striker Marvin Ducksch was crucial in them securing promotion. The 27-year-old led the team in both goals (20) and assists (7) as he formed a lethal strike partnership with Fullkrug (19 goals, 6 assists).
Bremen have focussed on defence during this transfer window, signing Niklas Stark, Amos Pieper, Lee Buchanan, and Mitchell Weiser on free transfers. They also splurged €4 million on central midfielder Jens Stage.
But like Schalke, Werder will be wise to look for another striker. Ducksch does not have a strong track record in the Bundesliga, scoring just twice in 31 career appearances.
Fullkrug has a slightly better record with 28 goals in 98 Bundesliga games over his career and seems capable of delivering more Bundesliga 2022 highlights. But the fact remains Werder will need more weapons if they are to avoid relegation.
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DFL Supercup: Bayern Plan to Kick Off Post-Lewandowski Era With Silverware
RB Leipzig vs Bayern Munich
It’s the dawn of a new era for Bayern Munich as wantaway star Robert Lewandowski has already left town. With the Pole leaving for Camp Nou after a long standoff, both parties can now move on and look forward for the 2022/23 campaign.
But before they’ll commence their Bundesliga title defence for the 10th consecutive time, the new-look Bavarians’ first challenge is to face RB Leipzig in the DFL Supercup Final on July 31.
The DFL Supercup is a one-off match, which is basically the equivalent of the Community Shield at England, where the winners of the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal from last season go head-to-head.
Bayern Munich are unsurprisingly the winningest team in this competition with nine trophies, but RB Leipzig are no pushovers and they’ll be gunning for the major upset.
Talking Points
Bayern Munich to parade their newest acquisitions
The Bavarians’ biggest additions so far this summer are Sadio Mane and Matthijs de Ligt, and both of these standouts can prove their worth here in the DFL Supercup Final.
So what will Sadio Mane bring to Bayern Munich? He certainly adds a different dynamic for them, and although he isn’t as prolific as Lewandowski scoring-wise, the former Liverpool star can produce through his electric pace and mesmerising dribbling.
Just imagine once he links up with Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry up front. That would surely give opposing defences nightmares since they’ll be running circles around them.
Meanwhile, de Ligt just became the second Dutchman (and fourth signing overall) to join Bayern Munich this offseason after Ryan Gravenberch. The 22-year-old centre-back was bought for a fee of €80-M to Juventus.
Other than Bayern Munich, de Ligt was also heavily linked to Chelsea since he was seen as a suitable replacement for Antonio Rudiger, who left for Real Madrid on a free earlier this summer. He will surely play a key role in Bayern Munich’s defence for years to come.
In other news, Bayern Munich will miss Leon Goretzka’s services since he’s still recovering from his knee surgery on Monday. He’s expected to be out for around four to six weeks, leaving Julian Nagelsmann short of midfield options for the early part of the 2022/23 season.
RB Leipzig gunning for their second trophy in franchise history
After winning the DFB-Pokal last term, RB Leipzig’s confidence is high and they’ve carried over their solid form thus far in pre-season when they beat Southampton on Saturday with a score of 3-1.
RB Leipzig star Emil Forsberg celebrates after scoring a goal during a Champions League clash against PSG in 2020
Angelino, Emil Forsberg, and Ilaix Moriba all scored vs. the Saints and they’ll look to shine once more for Domenico Tedesco’s side in this upcoming final.
Other than those three, Bayern Munich will have their hands full in trying to keep the likes of Christopher Nkunku, Andre Silva, Dominik Szoboszlai, Konrad Laimer, and Yussuf Poulsen at bay. And RB Leipzig have a strong backline too, which is manned by Willi Orban, Lukas Klostermann, and Josko Gvardiol.
Another trophy for the Red Bulls should help them in changing perceptions about themselves as a club and as an entity since they’re continuously aiming to further close the gap to the likes of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
History
The DFL Supercup was established in 1987 where Bayern Munich won their first after beating Hamburger SV 2-1 in the final.
Since then, the Bavarians have won eight more – including five in the last six years. In stark contrast, this will be RB Leipzig’s first-ever DFL Supercup Final.
Furthermore, Borussia Dortmund are the second winningest team with six and they’re the last club to beat Bayern Munich in this competition, which happened in 2019 with a score of 2-0.
Last season, Bayern Munich achieved a league double over RB Leipzig with an aggregate tally of 7-3.
The Red Bulls have yet to beat the Bavarians for the second time ever since their 2-1 home triumph on Matchday 27 of the 2017/18 season when they were still coached by current Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann.
Bayern Munich are backed by the SBOTOP DFL Supercup 2022 odds to win on July 31. They are priced at 1.91, while a victory for RB Leipzig is installed at 3.45 and a draw after 90 minutes is at 3.75 in the 1×2 market.
Both teams weren’t gun-shy in their two encounters last season and we anticipate more of the same for this upcoming final.
So regardless of who wins, we’re expecting numerous DFL Supercup 2022 highlights to come our way – making Over 1.50 @ 2.28 our recommended bet.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR () BETS ARE WORTH:
= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
= €10 (CONFIDENT)
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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Bundesliga: Frankfurt vs Bayern…How’s That for Starters?
Not long to go now folks.
Europe’s big leagues are just around the corner, starting a little earlier this year to accommodate the Qatar World Cup, and still in the midst of some frantic transfer activity.
And as the 2022/23 Bundesliga is just two weeks away let’s take a look at the opening round of fixtures and pick out the best match-ups. I’ll stick in the current odds of who I believe should emerge with three points and there might be a nice ACCA there!
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Bayern Munich
What a way top open the campaign. The Europa League champions against the 2022 Bundesliga winners on a balmy Friday night in Frankfurt.
For the hosts it’s a chance to show they can continue to compete with the very best, and that they are a team to be reckoned with, while the visitors begin life without Robert Lewandowski.
Oliver Glasner’s Eagles finished 11th in the 2021/22 Bundesliga season but they thrived in Europe, beating West Ham on the way to a Europa League final win over Scottish club Rangers. 29 year old Serbian winger Filip Kostic has been Frankfurt’s best player over the past four seasons, while young central defender Evan Ndicka has attracted plenty of interest in the summer market.
All eyes will be on Bayern’s new striker Sadio Mane and defensive recruit Matthijs de Ligt as Julian Nagelsmanns’s side begin another title campaign.
Bayern @ 1.39
Borussia Dortmund vs Bayer Leverkusen
Marco Reus remains a class act for Dortmund, making the third highest number of assists last season with 12
The pre-seasonBundesliga 2022 betting odds are backing Bayern to win an 11th consecutive title and Borussia Dortmund to run them the closest and, after losing their star striker Erling Braut Haaland, BVB have conducted some sound business, bringing in young striker Karim Adeyemi and Nico Schlotterbeck in defence. This could be a big season for English wonderkid Jude Bellingham while skipper Marco Reus remains a class act, making the third highest number of assists last season with 12.
Bayer Leverkusen finished third last season and the five times Bundesliga runners up will be there or thereabouts again. They have their own young star in 19 year old midfielder Florian Wirtz who has already earned four full caps for Germany. And Czech striker Patrik Schick has been one of the most consistent strikers in Europe in recent years.
Of these four games, here at SBOTOP we believe this is the tightest to call; but Dortmund have the slight edge.
The Berlin Derby is still on after Hertha stayed in the top flight last term by the skin of their teeth. After finishing 16th in the table, they squeezed through a relegation play-off by a 2-1 score line against Hamburg. Trailing by a goal after the first leg, Dedryck Boyata and Marvin Plattenhardt fired Hertha to safety and new coach Sandro Schwarz will try to avoid another scare this term.
In contrast Urs Fischer led Union Berlin to a fifth placed finish in their third season in the top flight and they are about to embark on a Europa adventure. Fischer has just strengthened his team’s midfield, bringing in 26 year old Norwegian midfielder Morten Thorsby, signed from Serie A club Sampdoria this week.
Union Berlin @ 1.77
Stuttgart vs Red Bull Leipzig
After a poor first half of the 2021/22 campaign Domenico Tedesco took over as Red Bull boss and steered the club to its minimum expectation, a top four finish. He’ll want to do better again this year as well as his side going deep into the Champions League.
Leipzig attacking midfielder Christopher Nkunku had an outstanding season and he’s been the subject of transfer speculation all summer. But the Frenchman has said he won’t be leaving Red Bull any time soon and we’re expecting him to provide plenty more Bundesliga 2022 highlights.The experienced pair of Yussuf Poulsen and Emil Forsberg will provide creative support as Red Bull look to continue their expansive style of play.
After a period in the second tier VfB Stuttgart were promoted in 2020 and they narrowly earned a third successive season in the top flight, a win over Koln giving them a 15th placed finish last term. Survival is the aim again, but as recently as 2007 Stuttgart were Bundesliga champions and fans at their 60,000 seater stadium are hoping for a return to top flight stability.
Every now and then a major sale happens with almost no build up and if FC Bayern somehow lured the England striker to Munich this would be one such case. The question has been asked in the hot gossip section of Bundesliga 2022 news, and if there is anything in it we can prepare for shock waves around Europe!
Last summer it looked like the prolific striker was on his way to Manchester City but, as he sat in the stands watching his Tottenham Hotspur team-mates kick off the new campaign without him, the deal was unravelling behind him. Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has always been a tough cookie to deal with and the Sky Blues lost heart.
This summer Manchester City have taken on Erling Braut Haaland and so they don’t need another big hitter in the number nine role, but Spurs have now been disturbed by overtones from abroad.
Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann was asked about the striker in a press conference last week and, instead of refusing to talk about another team’s player he was surprisingly forthcoming, almost gushing in his admiration and slyly suggesting that if the money is available he’d make a swoop. “He’s very expensive, that’s the problem,” he said. “But a brilliant player, one of two or three who can play as a centre forward or a Number 10, he’s very strong, brilliant with head and both feet.
“He could score a lot in the Bundesliga, I don’t know the price, but it’s really tough for Bayern Munich. We’ll see what happens in the future.”
Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte during their pre-season match against Rangers
It may be that Nagelsmann is preparing the ground for a move next summer or even trying to attract the attention of the player’s agent; either way Spurs boss Antonio Conte has not been impressed. After a slow start to last season Kane was soon back to his best when Conte arrived and the former Inter Milan boss has been quick to hit back at Nagelsmann.
“For sure, I am a coach who does not speak about players at other teams,” said Conte. “The situation at Tottenham is very clear. The plan is very clear with the club. He is part of the project, an important part of the project. At the same time, I don’t like to speak about the players of other clubs. If I want to do something, I’ll go and speak with the club and not go through the media. Maybe it is a little disrespectful for the other club.”
Spurs finished last season in fourth place, guaranteeing Champions League football and that might be enough to convince Kane, who ended up with 17 goals last term, to stay for at least another year.
Here at SBOTOP we’ve picked the England skipper out as a potential Golden Boot winner at the Qatar World Cup and, if he did make the move to Bayern the Bundesliga 2022 betting odds on Nagelsmann’s side to win the 2022/23 league title might disappear without trace!
In the meantime, the teams hoping to stop Bayern had some encouragement at the weekend as the Bavarians lost a friendly game to Manchester City when former Borussia Dortmund hitman Haaland scored his first goal for the Sky Blues.
Eintracht ready for Milan swoop
Premier League
ASTON VILLA
EVERTON
1X2 Everton @ 3.30
Aston Villa First Half Asian Handicap -0.25 @ 2.17
Bayern start the new campaign with a clash away to Eintracht Frankfurt on Friday 5th August and it looks like the Eagles may be without one of their best defenders as Serie A giants AC Milan have emerged as a suitor for centre back Evan Ndicka. The Rossoneri have been looking to strengthen their back line to bolster their Scudetto defence and have been tracking Spurs youngster Japhet Tanganga, but they have now turned their attention to Ndicka.
According to the Italian media Eintracht would be willing to sell the 22 year old at around 20m Euros as he has just a year left to run on his contract. Milan head coach Stefano Pioli is working out his next step, but time is running out with the new campaign’s fast approaching.
Another talented young defender who looks like he’s on the way out of the Bundesliga is Red Bull Leipzig’s highly rated right back Nordi Mukiele. The 24 year old France international is set to sign a five year deal with Paris Saint-Germain and Red Bull are set to receive a fee of 12m Euros with add-ons. It loos like this deal could happen in the next few days.
The quest to stop FC Bayern winning a record 11th successive Bundesliga title will fall on the shoulders of Borussia Dortmund, Red Bull Leipzig and maybe Bayer Leverkusen. The loss of Mukiele isn’t necessarily a major blow to Red Bull, but they will look to strengthen in defence before the season starts.
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For on Friday night the German top flight will roar into life for the start of another Bundesliga season and what promises to be one of the most exciting in any of Europe’s leading divisions.
Among the many questions, one stands out?
Can anyone really stop Bayern Munich from winning an 11th successive title?
After a decade of dominance, the Bundesliga betting odds do not expect the Bavarians to relinquish their grip on the title and neither does this SBOTOP observer.
Indeed, why should anyone?
Well, for a start they have just sold the best marksman in Europe for the past seven years.
With the departure of prolific Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, who netted an incredible 238 goals in 253 appearances for Bayern, there could well be a feeling that the champions are weaker.
And in one sense they are.
But this is a team which, after failing in Europe last term, now seems stronger all round.
Even this opening weekend alone, there’s enough potential to have fans salivating.
It all starts on Friday night when Bayern travel to the German club which did secure European success last term.
Oliver Glasner’s Europa League winners have added world champion Mario Götze to their ranks this summer and should offer a stern test. Let’s remember, Eintracht Frankfurt have actually won two of their last four meetings with Bayern.
Then there’s perennial runners-up in the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund, now minus the services of Erling Braut Halland.
Sebastien Haller has come in as the man to fill Haaland’s boots and does so on the back of a blistering 34 goals in 42 games for Ajax last season, including 11 in eight Champions League outings, with two coming against Dortmund.
However, his unfortunate health news last week means he will not be playing for a while.
New coach Edin Terzic, who replaces Marco Rose, has also brought in centre backs Niklas Süle and Nico Schlotterbeck and exciting forward talent Karim Adeyemi so it could be an exciting time for Dortmund and possibly the start of a rebuild.
Yet it is hard to see them sustaining a title challenge and they could even struggle to stay ahead in the race for second.
In fact, their two meetings last term produced a total of 14 goals so don’t put any money on this being a goalless encounter.
They have strengthened with Czech forward Adam Hlozek arriving to join his compatriot Patrik Schick – the Bundesliga’s second highest scorer with 24 goals in 2021/22 – and they should possess one of the division’s most potent attacks.
Patrik Schick during Bayer Leverkusen’s match against Eintracht Frankfurt last season
With Moussa Diaby, 17 goals and 14 assists in all competitions last season, still on board and the captivating Florian Wirtz making solid progress in his comeback from injury, Leverkusen’s prospects are full of promise.
What else to look for this weekend?
A derby in the capital with Hertha Berlin facing the challenge of neighbours Union and a chance to gain some revenge.
The Old Lady survived a play-off fright against Hamburg before clinging to Bundesliga survival last time out, but what will have hurt most during a difficult season were the three losses against Union.
Along with successive defeats in the top flight – which included Union’s biggest away win in their Bundesliga history (4-1 at the Olympiastadion) – Hertha also went down to Die Eisernen in the German Cup.
Bundesliga highlights elsewhere could involve newly promoted clubs Schalke (who visit Cologne) and Werder Bremen who face Wolfsburg, now managed by Niko Kovac whose showed his pedigree when he guided Bayern to a domestic double and Frankfurt to the German Cup in recent campaigns.
Meanwhile, German Cup holders RB Leipzig face survival specialists VfB Stuttgart with last season’s Bundesliga Player of the Year, Christopher Nkunku, in their ranks.
The Bundesliga has boasted the highest goals-per-game rate among Europe’s top five leagues in four of the last five seasons. Even without Lewandowski and Haaland, I don’t expect that to change.
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Bundesliga: Champions Bayern, Frankfurt Collide in Season Opener
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Bayern Munich
The Bundesliga will kick off another exciting campaign this weekend, and the first match of the season will see reigning Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich travelling to Deutsche Bank Park to face Europa League champions Eintracht Frankfurt.
But Frankfurt have had their share of success against the Bavarians in recent meetings and will be eager to defy the Bundesliga 2022 betting odds once again.
After successfully claiming silverware in his first season, manager Oliver Glasner will now look to get the Eagles back up to the top half of the table in his second campaign in charge. And he will have a couple of new weapons to help him do so.
Frankfurt signed striker Lucas Alario as well as former Bayern star Mario Gotze this summer to bolster an attack that was a bit lacking in firepower last season. They scored a mere 45 goals, with Rafael Borre’s eight goals leading the team.
Alario, who has spent the last five seasons with Bayer Leverkusen, scored 6 goals in 27 appearances last season. And Gotze – who famously scored the winning goal for Germany in the 2014 World Cup – spent the past two years at PSV, where he had 9 goals and 10 assists in 47 league appearances.
Meanwhile, Filip Kostic’s future remains unclear. The Serbian wing-back, who has been Frankfurt’s main creative force in recent years, continues to be linked with several clubs. Although, it looks as if he will still be around to start against Bayern.
Kostic got the start in Frankfurt’s 4-0 win over Magdeburg in the DFB-Pokal earlier this week and set up the first of Daichi Kamada’s two goals after just four minutes. Meanwhile, newcomer Alario came on as a substitute and scored in the 90th minute to wrap up the win.
Lewandowski-less Bayern look good in win over Leipzig
Bayern Munich are all set to begin their quest for an incredible 11th Bundesliga title in a row. But for the first time in nine years, they will look to do so without superstar striker Robert Lewandowski after his move to Barcelona.
Eintracht Frankfurt boss Oliver Glasner gestures from the sideline during a DFB-Pokal match against FC Magdeburg
But the Bavarians did not seem to miss Lewy all that much in the German Super Cup, as they thumped RB Leipzig 5-3. Sadio Mane got on the scoresheet for his new club and led the line well in a more flexible and dynamic-looking Bayern attack.
Meanwhile, midfielder Jamal Musiala starred as he scored the opener and set up another goal. The talented teen got the start over veteran wingers Leroy Sane and Kingsley Coman, and he may have earned another start after his excellent performance, which received rave reviews from his manager Julian Nagelsmann.
Nagelsmann could also move Musiala to central midfield to partner Joshua Kimmich, with Marcel Sabitzer – who got the start for the injured Leon Goretzka – possibly giving way.
New signings Matthijs de Ligt, Ryan Gravenberch, and Noussair Mazraoui all came in as substitutes against Leipzig, but none of them is likely to start the season opener.
History
Bayern Munich have dominated Frankfurt over the years in the Bundesliga. The Bavarians have been victorious in 20 of their last 27 league meetings, with Frankfurt winning just three times.
However, two of the Eagles’ three triumphs have come in the last two seasons. They beat Bayern 2-1 at home on February 2021, then they went to Munich to beat Bayern 2-1 again in their first meeting of the following season.
Bayern finally snapped their surprising losing skid to Frankfurt with a 1-0 win at the Deutsche Bank Park last February. Leroy Sane scored the lone goal in a 1-0 victory.
SBOTOP odds have Bayern Munich priced as 1.41 favourites for the season opener away from home. Frankfurt are 6.00 home underdogs, while a draw is 5.00.
While Bayern looked mighty impressive against Leipzig, facing European champions Eintracht Frankfurt will not be a walk in the park. The Eagles will bring back a mostly similar side to the one that claimed the Europa League title, and the home crowd should provide some much-needed energy against Bayern.
Bayern still look like a decent bet to go on and win the opener, but look for Eintracht Frankfurt to keep things competitive against the champions once again.
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The Bundesliga is back with a bang, folks, and it’s business as usual for the champions as Bayern’s trip to Frankfurt ended in a 6-1 rout for Julian Nagelsmann’s title favourites.
Sadio Mane scored his first goal for the Bavarians as they wiped away any fears that the sale of Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona would make it more difficult for them to score goals. Bayern, in search of a record 11th successive Bundesliga title, simply shared the fun around as they tore into the Eagles’ shell-shocked defence.
Frankfurt face Real Madrid in the Super Cup next week and their own fans will fear the worst after watching their team decimated, as the champions put down a clear and brutal marker in the first 90 minutes of the new season.
Here at SBOTOP we’ve watched Mane’s move to Bayern with interest, and while his former club Liverpool struggled to a 2-2 draw with Premier League new boys Fulham, the Senegalese striker scored Bayern’s third in an explosive opening half. It took just five minutes for them to open their account when Joshua Kimmich struck, his clever free-kick going in off the post.
Five minutes into the season and the teams expected to make up the chasing pack, as one, breathed a heavy sigh!
Benjamin Pavard has been linked with a move away from Munich following the arrival of Matthijs de Ligt, but Nagelsmann wants to keep him and the French utility defender showed just why as he drilled in the second goal. Chelsea, Juventus and Atletico Madrid have all been linked with Pavard, but he started games against Leipzig and Eintracht at right-back it looks like he’s the boss’s number one choice in that position.
Mane got on the score sheet when he headed in a cross from Serge Gnabry on the half hour, before 19-year-old Jamal Musiala tapped in the fourth. Gnabry made it five just before the break when the Eintracht players had a chance to go in and work out what happened while the Bayern stars had a cup of tea.
The second half was much gentler for the hosts and they scored their consolation when French centre-forward Randal Muani struck early in the second half. But, with the clock mercifully ticking down, Musiala scored his second and Bayern’s sixth when he latched on to Leroy Sane’s pass.
With two goals already in the bag the young striker looks ready to play a big part in Bayern’s campaign and sees no reason why he should bulk up, happy to make use of his slender frame and his speed and agility: “For me, it’s important to take another step going forward into next season,” he said. “I don’t think I need a lot of upper body strength. That might slow me down, so I would work on more explosive stuff that will keep me quick and agile.”
Borussia Dortmund grind out a big win over Bayer
Borussia Dortmund’s Marco Reus during their match against Bayer Leverkusen
BVB boss Edin Terzic is determined to ensure his team is the hardest working in the Bundesliga and they certainly put a shift in to beat title rivals Bayer Leverkusen, thanks to Marco Reus’s winner. Terzic said: “We did not start really well, lost possession a few times but recovered well. They were better after the break but we defended our lead well.”
Leverkusen had 55 per cent possession while Dortmund had four shots on target to their three, and Reus’s early strike turned out to be the only goal of the game. Bayer keeper and skipper, Lukas Hradecky, was sent off in injury time as the game became bad-tempered. But there was bad news too for BVB who saw their new signing Karim Adeyemi limp off with a foot injury with just a quarter of the game gone.
It was a gutsy win for Borussia, but they will need to show more quality and attacking intent if they are to keep pace with Die Bayern.
The loss of Erling Braut Haaland, the cancer diagnosis for new striker Sebastien Haller which will sideline him for a few months, and now the injury to Adeyemi means Die Schwarzgelben are short of numbers up front. So they are closing in on a deal to bring experienced striker Antony Modeste from Koln to Dortmund. The 34-year-old scored 20 goals in 32 appearances for Koln last year but his cash-strapped club would be willing to cash in, and an offer of a fee of around 5m is on the table.
Among the rest of the first weekend Bundesliga 2022 results, FC Union won the Berlin derby with a 3-1 victory over Hertha, while Freiburg started impressively with a 4-0 win away to Augsburg. Borussia Monchengladbach started with a home victory over Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig open their campaign away to Stuttgart on Sunday.
The early-season Bundesliga 2022 betting odds are heavily backing Bayern to lift the title again, and they will sit at the top of the table at the end of Round One, unless Leipzig can hit Stuttgart for six too!
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Bundesliga: Freiburg Go for Hat-Trick of Home Wins over Dortmund
SC Freiburg vs Borussia Dortmund
Freiburg find themselves in second place in the Bundesliga through one matchday after their dominant 4-0 win over Augsburg in the season opener. The Brazilians of Breisgau had a brilliant campaign last season and will be looking to finish even higher in the table this year.
Christian Streich’s side will face their first real test of the new season as they take on Borussia Dortmund, but they will not be afraid of their big-name visitors.
Freiburg have won back-to-back home games against BVB and will be going for the hat-trick this weekend as they face a Dortmund side with their fair share of injury concerns.
Talking Points
Freiburg’s new faces fire on their debut
After their fine sixth-place finish last season, Freiburg are off to a fantastic start this year as they smashed Augsburg 4-0, with all four goals coming in the second half.
Freiburg owed much of their success last season to their strong defence, but they lost one of the key pieces of that formidable backline this summer as Nico Schlotterbeck – who was one of the top defenders in the Bundesliga last season – was sold to Dortmund.
However, they got back German international Matthias Ginter, who should serve as a capable replacement for Schlotterbeck. Ginter scored on his Freiburg return against Augsburg, as did fellow debutants Michael Gregoritsch and Ritsu Doan.
With their other summer signings – Gregoritsch, Doan, and attacking midfielder Daniel-Kofi Kyereh – Freiburg prioritised improving their attack, which was quite mediocre last season. They ranked a distant 10th in expected goals (49.9) but they overperformed that and scored 58 goals. Vincenzo Grifo led the team with 9 league goals, although five of them were from the penalty spot.
Doan and Gregoritsch both started against Augsburg in Streich’s more adventurous 4-2-3-1 formation, and they have likely done enough to keep their places against Dortmund.
Borussia Dortmund battling injury concerns
Borussia Dortmund had a busy summer as they made a handful of key signings – Sebastien Haller, Karim Adeyemi, Nico Schlotterbeck, Salih Ozcan, and Nicklas Sule – to help boost their Bundesliga 2022 odds of dethroning champions Bayern Munich.
Borussia Dortmund star Marco Reus kicks the ball during DFB Cup First Round against TSV 1860 Munich
Meanwhile, Adeyemi left in the first half of Dortmund’s season opener against Bayer Leverkusen – which BVB won 1-0 thanks to a Marco Reus goal – after picking up a foot injury. And Schlotterbeck says he suffered a dislocated shoulder, which he played through.
It’s doubtful Adeyemi will be able to recover in time to play this weekend, but Schlotterbeck should be able to face his former side despite his shoulder problem.
Moreover, BVB will likely have new signing Anthony Modeste available to make his debut. The 34-year-old striker, who was brought in to help make up for Haller’s absence, is a proven Bundesliga goalscorer. He is coming off a career-best campaign where he scored 20 goals in 32 league appearances for Koln.
Modeste will look to make some Bundesliga 2022 highlights against Freiburg, against whom he scored in both matches last season and has scored 7 goals in 10 career matches.
History
Dortmund have dominated Freiburg in the Bundesliga in recent years. BVB have a massive 18-3 advantage in terms of wins, with three draws.
However, Freiburg have finally begun to fight back in the last couple of seasons. They scored back-to-back wins over BVB in 2021, with both of those wins coming at home. Overall, Freiburg have lost just once in their last five home games against BVB.
But Dortmund got their revenge in the return fixture at Signal Iduna Park as they smashed Freiburg 5-1. Thomas Meunier and Erling Haaland bagged braces for BVB in that game, while Mahmoud Dahoud added a fifth four minutes from time.
SBOTOP odds have Borussia Dortmund installed as slight 2.26 favourites over Freiburg, who are priced at 2.96 to win their home opener. A draw is 3.45.
As the tight odds suggest, this is quite a tough match to call. Either side is fully capable of winning, and it could also just as easily be a draw.
However, Freiburg do have a slight edge in my eyes. They will be at home, an advantage that has served them well against Dortmund recently. Moreover, they figure to have a more cohesive system under Christian Streich while BVB still seem to be finding their way with Edin Terzic.
With those factors in mind, look for Freiburg to give Dortmund all they can handle and avoid defeat on their home opener.
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Bundesliga: Koln Out to Wreck Werner’s Red Bulls Return
RB Leipzig vs Koln
Despite taking an early lead, RB Leipzig were unable to get off to a winning start in the new Bundesliga season as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Stuttgart last weekend.
But with a certain Timo Werner expected to make his return, the Red Bulls will be ready to get their first win of the season in front of their home fans as they host Koln this weekend.
Koln got their season off to a fine start as they smashed newly promoted Schalke 3-1. But the Bundesliga 2022 betting odds will have the Billy Goats as big underdogs when they visit Red Bull Arena.
Talking Points
Werner in line to make Leipzig return
RB Leipzig will be kicking themselves that they did not start the season with a win over Stuttgart. They took an early lead through star forward Christopher Nkunku and absolutely bossed the match with 68 per cent possession and 28 total shots. But despite that domination, they were still held to a 1-1 draw.
However, the last week’s Bundesliga 2022 news should help relieve some of the Red Bulls fans’ disappointment.
RB Leipzig boss Domenico Tedesco stands in the sideline during a Bundesliga match against Wolfsburg in January 2022
Werner had an underwhelming time in the Premier League as he scored just 10 goals in 56 total games, but his goalscoring credentials in the Bundesliga are bonafide. Werner banged in an impressive 78 goals in his 127 league appearances in his first stint at Leipzig and will be keen to add more this season.
It remains to be seen whether Leipzig coach Domenico Tedesco will opt to start Werner against Koln after just a couple of days’ training. But at the very least, Werner should be available to come on as a substitute, adding to Leipzig’s already loaded bench that could also include Dominik Szoboszlai, Emil Forsberg, and Alexander Sorloth.
Koln look to overcome Modeste, Ozcan loss
Koln are coming off a fine Bundesliga campaign which saw them finish in seventh, their highest finish since coming in fifth in 2016-17.
Just like in that 16-17 season, striker Anthony Modeste was a massive part of that success as he led the team with 20 goals; the team’s second-leading scorer – Mark Uth – finished with just five.
However, Koln sold Modeste as well as another key player in defensive midfielder Salih Ozcan to Borussia Dortmund this summer, which have severely weakened the squad on paper.
It certainly helped that Schalke went down to 10 men just after half an hour when Dominick Drexler was sent off. But Steffen Baumgart’s side fully capitalised on their man advantage as they attempted an astounding 32 shots.
The starting front two of Jan Thielmann and Florian Dietz impressed as they combined for nine shots. Attacking midfielder Dejan Ljubicic added five, including a goal.
However, Koln will not see nearly as much of the ball in Leipzig and will instead be mostly on the defensive away against the Red Bulls.
Leipzig and Koln have squared off 10 times in total in the Bundesliga. The Red Bulls hold a 5-2 edge in wins, while there have been three draws.
Leipzig went unbeaten against Koln in their two meetings last season. After a 1-1 draw in the first match at Koln, the Red Bulls ran riot at home as they own 3-1.
SBOTOP odds have RB Leipzig installed as significant 1.42 favourites to win their home opener. A Koln win is priced at 6.80 while a draw is 4.60.
After failing to beat Stuttgart last weekend, look for Leipzig to come out with a greater sense of urgency in their home opener – with or without Werner in the starting lineup.
And while Koln looked decent against a 10-man Schalke, it seems unlikely that they will be able to handle a top side like Leipzig quite as well without either Modeste or Ozcan in the side.
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Bundesliga: New-Look Bayern Munich Welcome a Familiar Face
Bayern Munich vs VfL Wolfsburg
Former Bayern Munich boss Niko Kovac has found himself back in the Bundesliga, this time at VfL Wolfsburg, and he’ll face the daunting task of trying to beat his old employers this Sunday at the Allianz Arena.
The Croatian tactician coached the Bavarians from 2018 to 2019 but was unceremoniously sacked after a stretch of poor results and he went to Ligue 1 to coach AS Monaco for two seasons.
Kovac will certainly look to get one over his former club, but it’s easier said than done since the defending champions are off to a flying start following their outstanding season opener.
In contrast, his side is fresh from a disappointing performance against Werder Bremen and they wouldn’t want to have the same outcome this weekend.
Talking Points
Bayern Munich not skipping a beat
Questions surrounding Bayern Munich as to how they’ll compensate for Robert Lewandowski’s departure were answered emphatically by their impressive display during their 6-1 mauling of Eintracht Frankfurt.
Sadio Mane opened his Bundesliga scoring account six days after striking in their DFL Supercup victory over RB Leipzig, which was the team’s third goal after Joshua Kimmich and Benjamin Pavard’s efforts.
Bayern Munich’s Sadio Mane applauds fans after their Bundesliga match against Eintracht Frankfurt
Jamal Musiala notched a brace while Serge Gnabry added one for good measure, while Randal Kolo Muani could only muster one for Die Adler to prevent a clean sheet.
Given that his men are in form, Julian Nagelsmann is likely to retain the same starting lineup, although he may consider giving his other new signings spots in the starting XI in order to get their feet wet.
Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, and Ryan Gravenberch all came off the bench last weekend, and at some point, they will all play key roles in their pursuit of their 11th straight Bundesliga championship.
Leon Goretzka is Bayern Munich’s only major injury concern as he continues to recover from his knee surgery, but they should be fine since Marcel Sabitzer has been filling in well for the German midfielder.
VfL Wolfsburg still adjusting to their new coach
Die Wolfe will need more time to get acclimated to Niko Kovac’s tactics as shown in their 2-2 draw against Werder Bremen.
The newly-promoted visitors were eager to upstage their hosts and they were solid at the start, up until Lukas Nmecha scored for the Wolves at the 11th minute.
But Ole Werner’s men stuck to their gameplan and they reclaimed the advantage as Niclas Fullkrug and Leonardo Bittencourt both found the back of the net in just a span of three minutes.
Both sides exchanged chances in the second half, and it was super sub Josuha Guilavogui who scored the equaliser for Die Wolfe through Max Kruse’s cross during the 84th minute.
VfL Wolfsburg have a couple of injury worries to deal with ahead of Saturday as Jonas Wind and Yannick Gerhardt are doubtful to play after their opener.
So Niko Kovac will continue to rely heavily on the trio of Lukas Nmecha, Max Kruse, and Omar Marmoush to provide Bundesliga 2022 highlights, while Josuha Guilavogui might get the nod to start as well.
Bayern Munich have been dominant against VfL Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga, losing only four of their last 50 meetings (8-per cent), which is their second-lowest losing percentage against any German counterpart only behind KFC Uerdingen (7-per cent).
Their last league defeat to VfL Wolfsburg happened in January 2015 where the Wolves won with a scoreline of 4-1.
The Bavarians have yet to lose in their last 25 league home matches against Die Wolfe (W23, D2), which is their longest undefeated home streak against any other side. They’ve also scored in each of their last 28 league matches against VfL Wolfsburg since their goalless draw back in May 2008 (80 goals total).
Die Wolfe held Bayern Munich to a 2-2 draw in their previous encounter last May as Jonas Wind and Max Kruse netted after trailing early in the first half.
The SBOTOP Bundesliga 2022 odds have Bayern Munich as the favourites to win. They are installed at 1.14, while VfL Wolfsburg are huge underdogs at 17.50 and a draw is priced at 7.60 in the 1X2 market.
Over 4.00 @ 1.92 might be a bet to consider especially after looking at their encounters last season, although Bayern Munich are likely to provide majority of the goals.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the hosts should get their second consecutive win, which will heighten their confidence even more as they continue to defend their crown.
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Two weeks into the Bundesliga and the fledging league table has a familiar look.
The champions are top and right on their heels are the perennial bridesmaids.
It is very early days but, with a respectful nod to RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen, it is hard to see Bayern Munich being dislodged from top spot or Borussia Dortmund being pushed away from the top four anytime soon.
After winning the German Super Cup in style and then hitting Europa League winner Eintracht Frankfurt for six in their opener, Bayern Munich settled for two against Wolfsburg on Sunday.
It was actually one of the teenage stars plying his trade in the German top flight who set them on their way as veteran Thomas Muller found Jamal Musiala and the 19 year-old got a lucky break off his marker and steered home the opener.
He now has 14 league goals in a Bayern shirt.
Just before the break, Alphonso Davies broke down the left and cut the ball back for Joshua Kimmich whose first-time shot appeared to be heading wide until the evergreen Muller stuck out a boot and diverted in the second.
Job done, game over.
If Bayern have young talent, so do Borussia Dortmund.
And if the Yellow and Blacks from the Rhine genuinely believe they can mount a title challenge this term, they will need every ounce of the character they displayed at Freiburg on Friday night.
Two teenagers, in fact, in the shape of Youssoufa Moukoko and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens.
The latter levelled up matters by firing a speculative long-range shot that slipped through the home keeper Mark Flekken’s fingers and into the net and the mood music quickly changed.
Bynoe-Gittens was involved again shortly afterwards when his mazy dribble dragged defenders out of position before slipping a pass into fellow substitute Julian Brandt, who flicked it to Moukoko to fire home.
A quick-fire turnaround was completed moments later when Marius Wolf scampered down the right wing, cut inside and drilled a shot inside the far post.
Leipzig are a team who excite me.
The Red Bulls have caught my eye, or more specifically the talents of the “Bundesliga Player of the Year” have, with rave reviews from my 10 year-old grandson!
Now the France striker has been joined by the returning Timo Werner who never properly settled in English football.
After frustration at a poor scoring return at Chelsea, you can guess what happened as it took him just 36 minutes to score on his return to Germany!
RB Leipzig’s Timo Werner after their match against FC Koln at Red Bull Arena
After Florian Dietz equalised, Nkunku restored the home team’s advantage but Josko Gvardiol levelled again for the battling visitors 18 minutes from time as Cologne managed to take the gloss off the homecoming party.
For a team I tipped to be potential runners-up this term, it has been a poor start for Bayer Leverkusen with two defeats out of two.
An opening loss against rivals Dortmund is one thing but to lose at home to FC Augsburg, who finished 14th last term, was not in the script.
Andre Hahn’s winner seven minutes from time would have frustrated home coach Gerardo Seoane and sealed Augsburg’s first ever victory against Leverkusen, who have started the season with three straight defeats when you include elimination from the German Cup.
Leverkusen had never previously lost to Augsburg in 22 matches in what had been the longest remaining unbeaten head-to-head record in Bundesliga history.
Hahn’s goal was late but far from the latest of the weekend.
Just how important Marius Bulter’s 93rd minute penalty will be remains to be seen but, for Schalke, back in the top flight after a 12-month absence, it is a foundation to build on.
Rodrigo Zalazar’s 29th minute opener had the home fans in raptures until two goals in six minutes threatened to turn the game in favour of Borussia Monchengladach.
But, deep in stoppage time, Patrick Herrmann handled in his own area following a set piece and Bulter sent Yann Sommer the wrong way from the spot.
After an 11 year absence, Bochum are also back in the top flight and hoping to deliver Bundesliga highlights.
Yet they were left to rue conceding an 88th minute goal to Munas Dabbur which proved to be the winner for Hoffenheim.
There was a blistering start to the encounter with four goals traded in the opening 23 minutes.
Simon Zoller scored twice in three minutes to fire Bochum into an early two-goal lead before Christoph Baumgartner turned in a rebound and Ozan Kabak flicked in a header in quick succession.
As the Bundesliga betting odds fluctuated one way then the other, it was left to Dabbur to be granted too much time and space to rifle in the winner. It was a welcome win for the hosts who had gone 10 Bundesliga matches without a win, dating back to a 1-0 success over Cologne in early March.
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Bundesliga: Last-Place Leverkusen Look for First Points
Bayer Leverkusen vs TSG Hoffenheim
Bayer Leverkusen’s new Bundesliga campaign is off to a lousy start. Die Werkself find themselves bottom of the table after back-to-back defeats in the first two rounds.
Gerardo Seoane will be hoping the third time’s the charm in terms of getting their first win as his side host Hoffenheim this weekend.
Hoffenheim are in eighth place and are coming off a dramatic comeback win over Bochum last week. Die Kraichgauer’s first few games have been high-scoring affairs, and they could be in for another shootout against a Leverkusen side that still has some capable attacking weapons.
After their strong third-place finish last season, Bayer Leverkusen have started this new campaign on a losing streak. They dropped their first match 1-0 away to Borussia Dortmund, then lost 2-1 to Augsburg in their home opener despite being heavy favourites according to the Bundesliga 2022 betting odds.
Leverkusen absolutely dominated Augsburg as they finished with a 24-6 advantage in shots, but they were unable to convert their chances.
Patrik Schick, who was one of the surprises of last season with 24 goals in just 27 games, has had a slow start in front of goal. Despite seven shots in his first two games, the Czech striker has yet to find the back of the net. Similarly, winger Moussa Diaby (13 goals, 12 assists last season) still hasn’t gotten off the mark.
The continued absence of playmaker Florian Wirtz has also played a part in Leverkusen’s slow start. The 19-year-old wunderkind, who had a wonderful campaign last season with 7 goals and 10 assists, is still recovering from a serious knee injury.
Seoane started Sardar Azmoun and new signing Adam Hlozek against Augsburg in the absence of Wirtz and Bellarabi, and they could keep their places against Hoffenheim after producing their share of Bundesliga 2022 highlights.
Hoffenheim still entertaining under new head coach
Hoffenheim bounced back from their 3-1 opening-day defeat to Borussia Monchengladbach by beating Bochum 3-2 at home.
Hoffenheim found themselves two goals down after just 13 minutes, but they made a brilliant comeback, which was capped off by Mu’nas Dabbur’s goal two minutes from time to give new coach Andre Breitenreiter his first win in charge.
Hoffenheim new boss Andre Breitenreiter watches from the sidelines during a Bundesliga match between former club Hannover 96 and Bayern Munich last 2018
With a total of nine goals in their first two games, Hoffenheim are still as entertaining as ever under Breitenreiter. Last season under Sebastian Hoeness, they scored 58 goals – tied for fifth in the league – and conceded 60, which was the fourth-most in the division.
The departure of left-back David Raum to RB Leipzig this summer looked to be a significant blow for Hoffenheim. Raum was one of their main creative sparks as he provided 11 assists last season. But Angelino, who came over from Leipzig on loan, is a capable attacking outlet from the wing-back position.
Hoffenheim also have another wing-back who is looking quite dangerous going forward. Robert Skov has had a stellar start to the season; he scored in the opener against Gladbach and had five shots (two on target) against Bochum.
Meanwhile, Andrej Kramaric will look to bounce back after his rough outing against Bochum. The Croatian striker had five shots but none were on target, and he also had a penalty saved.
History
Leverkusen have had the edge over Hoffenheim in recent years. They have a 16-6 advantage in wins, with six draws.
Leverkusen are four games unbeaten against Hoffenheim, with two wins and two draws. Both matches last season were high-scoring barnburners. After a 2-2 draw at the BayArena, Leverkusen beat Hoffenheim 4-2 in the reverse fixture. Patrik Schick scored a brace in both matches.
SBOTOP odds have Bayer Leverkusen as big 1.68 favourites to get their first win of the season at home. Hoffenheim are priced at 4.40 while a draw is 4.00.
Without a doubt, Leverkusen will be desperate to get their first points of the season and emerge from the bottom of the Bundesliga standings. While Wirtz’s continued absence hurts, Schick and Diaby are still around and are more than capable of causing Hoffenheim’s shaky defence some problems.
Based on recent history and Hoffenheim’s start to the season, this could yet be another high-scoring affair. But home advantage, coupled with their quality up front, should see Leverkusen come out on top.
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Early pacesetters Borussia Dortmund are aiming for a third win on the bounce when they entertain newcomers Werder Bremen at the Signal Iduna Park on Saturday.
This Bundesliga gamebrings together a leading contender for the 2022/23 title and a team which was promoted to the top-flight last term and could easily be dragged into a relegation scrap.
Dortmund have picked up a maximum six points from their opening two games to keep pace with the other 100-per centers FC Bayern, thanks to victories over Bayer Leverkusen and SC Freiburg, while Werder Bremen have played out two 2-2 draws against Wolfsburg and Stuttgart.
That represents a decent start for Ole Werner’s team, but they will need to pick up wins against the teams around them.
The Bundesliga 2022 betting odds price a home win at 1.36 and another draw for the Die Werderaner would be a great result, while handing BVB an unwanted early season setback.
Talking Points
BVB’s latest wonderkid signs a new deal
Dortmund has been a hotbed of young talent in recent years, with stars such as Christian Pulisic, Jadon Sancho and, most recently, Erling Haaland earning big money moves after making their names with Die Schwarzgelben.
Young England star Jude Bellingham was the breakout sensation last season and he is still at the club, and now a new kid has landed on the block.
The opening day win over Bayer was followed by a difficult trip to Freiburg where Borussia Dortmund have fallen in their last two visits. And it looked like another defeat might have been on the way when U19s star Jamie Bynoe-Gittens entered the fray three quarters way through the game with the score at 1-0 to Freiburg.
But just 12 minutes after he came on, Bynoe-Gittens scored a 76th minute leveller and Dortmund went on to win 3-1 as Youssoufa Moukoko and Marius Wolf breached the Freiburg defence.
Following the match on Tuesday, Borussia announced they had given the 18-year-old Bynoe-Gittens a new contract to June 2025 to ensure they get the best deal if and when their latest star moves on.
He has been likened to Sancho and has already shown he has the composure and skill to change a game, and we’re going to see a lot more Bundesliga 2022 highlights from this young man.
Dortmund are second favourites to lift the 2022/23 Bundesliga title at SBOTOP odds of 8.00 and new head coach Edin Terzic knows he will need to find the right blend of youth and experience as captain Marco Reus illustrated with his goal which took all three points against Bayer Leverkusen.
Werder’s squad players have a big role to play
Bremen head coach Werner has some injury concerns early in the campaign and he will be pleased with the response of his fringe players who are being asked to step up at a time the club is stepping up too.
Werder Bremen head coach Ole Werner on the sidelines during their Bundesliga clash against VfL Wolfsburg
Star striker Niklas Fullkrug has scored a goal in each match so far, though he was doubtful for the VfB Stuttgart game having picked up a knock against Wolfsburg and Werner is watching him closely.
Another striker, Eren Dincki, is near to fitness after a four-week absence due to a muscle injury and Togan midfielder Dikeni Salifou is also sidelined.
The injuries meant that 25-year-old Scottish midfielder Oliver Burke played in the home match against Stuttgart, which the Green and Whites started superbly. However, after spurning the chance to go 2-0 up, they faded and found themselves 2-1 down late in the game.
But Burke saved the day with his equaliser which was the last kick of the game. The Scot’s pace gave the VfB defence a hard time and he could be pushing for a start against BVB.
With players coming back, the competition for places will surely help Werder in their search for enough points to avoid trouble.
The head-to-heads between Borussia Dortmund and Werder Bremenover the past three decades have been well-contested with BVB winning 31 matches to Werder’s 21 and their have been 12 draws.
The last meeting, a 4-1 win for Borussia at the Signal Iduna Park in April 2021, speeded up Werder Bremen’s decent into the Bundesliga 2 while BVB once again trailed FC Bayern at the top of the table. Both teams are hoping for better outcomes this season.
A draw at 4.64, or even a Werder Bremen win at odds of 6.76, are not entirely out of the question here. But I do think Dortmund look in good shape to make it three wins from three.
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RB Leipzig’s hopes of potentially challenging for the Bundesliga title have been dealt a blow after back-to-back draws to start the season.
And Domenico Tedesco’s side face the very real possibility of going winless in their first three games as they travel to the capital to face Union Berlin.
Die Eisernen are up in fifth through the first two rounds after a big derby win and a draw away to Mainz.
Union Berlin are playing their fourth straight season in the Bundesliga, where they have enjoyed a steady upward trajectory. After a strong 11th-place finish in their debut campaign, they have gone seventh and fifth the last two years, qualifying for Europe both times.
And Union are off to another strong start this season with a win and a draw in their first two games. Dating back to last season, they are now unbeaten in nine consecutive Bundesliga matches (7 wins, 2 draws), which is a club record.
Urs Fischer has led Union throughout this remarkable run. The 56-year-old coach has done a masterful job maximising his squad amid limited resources.
Fischer’s success at Union is made even more impressive by the fact that they have sold their leading Bundesliga scorer from the previous season each time. After Sebastian Andersson and Max Kruse, it was Taiwo Awoniyi’s turn to move on as he was sold to Nottingham Forest this summer following his breakout campaign where he scored 15 goals.
Union brought in American centre-forward Jordan Pefok to fill Awoniyi’s boots, and he has looked good thus far. He scored in his debut against city rivals Hertha and has five shots in his first two games. Meanwhile, strike partner Sheraldo Becker has also had a bright start with a goal and an assist.
But Julian Ryerson has been perhaps the biggest surprise thus far. The 24-year-old wing-back leads the team with six shots; he had attempted just 16 in his 28 appearances last season.
Leipzig still looking for first win
Timo Werner playing for Germany during a UEFA Nations League’s match against Italy last June
The Bundesliga 2022 odds had RB Leipzig as one of Bayern Munich’s main title challengers heading into the season after their dramatic turnaround under coach Domenico Tedesco.
But the Red Bulls have come out of the gates slowly as they’ve been held to back-to-back draws against Stuttgart and Koln.
Timo Werner made Bundesliga 2022 highlights on his return to Red Bull Arena as he scored the opener in his against Koln. However, Leipzig were down to ten men for the second half after Dominik Szoboszlai’s straight red card, and they were held to a 2-2 draw even after Christopher Nkunku had given them back the lead.
Nkunku has picked up from where he left off from last season as he’s scored in each of the first two games. He and Werner figure to be quite a prolific partnership moving forward.
With Szoboszlai suspended, Emil Forsberg could make his way back into to the starting lineup alongside Dani Olmo. After a disappointing injury-hit season last term, Olmo is returning to his best form and already has two assists in two games.
But while the Red Bulls have some exciting weapons in attack, they still have work to do at the back. Mohamad Simakan is likely to continue deputising in defence if Lukas Klostermann is unable to recover from his latest injury.
History
Despite being relative newcomers to the Bundesliga, Union Berlin have been surprisingly competitive against RB Leipzig, who have been one of the division’s top teams over the last few years.
Union and Leipzig have three wins each in their six Bundesliga matchups, although Union have won three in a row over the Red Bulls. Union did the double over Leipzig last season with two 2-1 wins.
Although, Leipzig did get one over on Union as they won 2-1 in the DFB-Pokal semi-finals. Emil Forsberg scored a dramatic winner in stoppage time to break the Berliners’ hearts.
SBOTOP odds have RB Leipzig installed as 2.11 favourites, with Union Berlin priced at 3.40 to pick up the home win. A draw is 3.30.
Leipzig are certainly much better than they’ve shown thus far this season, and the addition of Werner should be a big boost. But going to Berlin and picking up a win against an in-form Union side will be a tough task.
As Union’s undefeated run has shown, they are a difficult side to face, and even without a bona fide star in their squad, they are still capable of bringing down the best teams. Look for them to give Leipzig more problems en route to picking up a positive result at home.
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Bundesliga: VfL Bochum are Not a Walk in the Park for Bayern Munich
VfL Bochum vs Bayern Munich
VfL Bochum and Bayern Munich had two of the craziest results from the 2021-22 season, so Bundesliga fans should mark this match on their calendars.
The Bavarian giants drew first blood in dominant fashion, but Die Unabsteigbaren replied with a blowout win of their own in the reverse fixture, and they’ll be ambitious for the same outcome this Sunday.
However, Die Unabsteigbaren’s confidence is low after consecutive defeats against Mainz and Hoffenheim, while Bayern Munich aren’t skipping a beat with convincing Bundesliga 2022 results versus Eintracht Frankfurt and VfL Wolfsburg.
With another fun encounter ahead, read on below as SBOTOP offers certain talking points for this upcoming matchup.
Talking Points
VfL Bochum facing lineup concerns
Die Unabsteigbaren did well in their top-flight return last season when they finished 13th in the Bundesliga table – which is nine points clear of the relegation zone. But repeating or outdoing the same result this season might be too much to ask from them given their slow start.
Mainz took the early lead courtesy of Karim Onisiwo’s 26th minute goal, but Kevin Stoger answered back for VfL Bochum 13 minutes later. In the end, the 05ers secured the three points because Onisiwo scored again in the second half.
It was a similar situation for VfL Bochum when they took on Hoffenheim, but Simon Zoller’s brilliance in three minutes where he recorded a brace weren’t enough to topple their hosts.
VfL Bochum boss Thomas Reis can point to his depleted lineup as the main reason for their slow start, although you can’t fault them for trying.
His absentee list includes Jacek Goralski, Patrick Osterhage, Danilo Soares, and Kostas Stafylidis, while their talismanic wide-man Gerrit Holtmann was also sidelined due to a knee injury and remains a major doubt.
Zoller and Stoger are tasked to shoulder the heavy load once more, but the others have to do their part too in order to have a chance.
Jamal Musiala is becoming a star for Bayern Munich
Julian Nagelsmann expects to make 2-3 changes to Bayern Munich’s starting XI vs Bochum
Jamal Musiala is slowly realising his potential as he’s been Bayern Munich’s most productive player so far. In their opening three games this term, the 19-year-old forward has tallied four goals and one assist.
With Serge Gnabry, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, and Leon Goretzka dealing with injuries, Musiala will have more opportunities to shine and Bayern Munich might just have their new golden boy at their disposal.
But he recently picked up a knock, though, and hopefully it isn’t serious. If Musiala sits this one out, then expect Leroy Sane or the returning Kingsley Coman to take his place in the starting lineup.
History
Last season, Bayern Munich had the edge over VfL Bochum with an aggregate tally of 9-5 – where the Bavarians won 7-1 in the first, and Die Unabsteigbaren took a 4-2 victory in the next one.
The said 4-2 result was VfL Bochum’s first league win against Bayern Munich since 2004. They’ve never won back-to-back against the record Bundesliga champions, although they’ve beaten them twice at home in 1974 and 1975.
The last time that VfL Bochum were undefeated against Bayern Munich in two straight matches dates back to 1998.
For the first time in four years, the Bavarians have won both of their first two games in the season, which is good omen in their pursuit of their 11th straight Bundesliga crown.
In the last 11 campaigns that this happened, Bayern Munich only once failed to win the domestic silverware at the end of the season (4th place in 2006/07).
Same as last season, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are the only two sides with maximum points after two games.
The Bundesliga 2022 odds have Bayern Munich as the overwhelming favourites this Sunday. The Bavarians are pegged at1.17, while VfL Bochum are priced at 12.50 and a draw is at 7.40 in the 1X2 market.
Bayern Munich and VfL Bochum supporters may have shared a friendship over the last 50 years. But on the pitch, the visitors aren’t expected to take it easy against the hosts.
Over 3.50 @ 1.62 and Total Goal 4-6 @ 1.86 are possible alternatives to think about since recent encounters between these two have been goal fests.
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At the time of writing FC Bayern haven’t even played their third game of the 2022/23 Bundesliga campaign but it’s already been a good weekend for the reigning champions.
If they can avoid defeat away to Bochum Die Bayern will return to the top of the table, while a victory will take them two points clear, thanks to a dramatic turn of events in Dortmund where BVB gave away three points in six minutes of madness. And elsewhere, title hopefuls Red Bull Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen both fell to defeats while Borussia Monchengladbach’s strong start to the new season continues.
BVB must learn to play the full 95
When the Bundesliga 2022 betting odds say you have an uphill battle to wrestle the title away from Bavaria the last thing you need to do is lose your third match of the campaign; and particularly at the Signal Iduna Stadium in front of the legendary Yellow Wall.
But, after winning their first two, that’s exactly what Dortmund did when Werder Bremen came to town. Here at SBOTOP we backed the hosts to make it three wins from three but they failed spectacularly, surrendering a two goal lead which they held as the 90 minute mark approached. Goals from Raphael Guerreiro and Julian Brandt put the hosts in a comfortable position heading into injury time but when former Derby trainee Lee Buchanan pulled a goal back on 89 minutes the home side fell apart.
Niklas Schmidt stunned the home crowd with a 93rd minute header and then, with just seconds left on the clock Oliver Burke shrugged off two lame challenges to fire home the winner. Dortmund had beaten Leverkusen and Freiburg before this game which, on paper, was the easiest; but the result was no more than Werder deserved after matching their hosts for possession and winning the shot count by 14 to six, and seven to four on target.
Leverkusen in disarray
After three games Bayer Leverkusen are rock bottom of the table and the manner of their latest defeat will set alarm bells ringing in the North Rhine region. A 3-0 loss at home to Hoffenheim was a third consecutive defeat for Die Werkself who have also been dumped out of the German Cup in the first round.
Hoffenheim were lethal in attack as Christoph Baumgartner, Andrej Kramaric and Georginio Rutter, with a brilliant long range effort, all breached the Bayer defence while the closest the hosts came was when a free kick from Kerem Demirbay hit the post. These are fine margins but the harsh fact remains that Leverkusen are pointless after three.
Die Fohlen looking bright
Alassane Plea during Borussia Monchengladbach’s match against Schalke 04
While Leverkusen struggle, Borussia Monchengladbach opened the weekend’s football with a Friday night victory over Hertha Berlin, a result which took them to the top of the table on seven points.
Alassane Plea scored the only goal of the game with a 34th minute penalty, the French striker coolly slotted home his spot kick after Max Mittelstadt had handled in the area. An identical opportunity presented itself mid way through the second half when Filip Uremovic handled and was sent off having already received a yellow card in the first half. This time Jonas Hofmann stepped up but his penalty was saved in the bottom corner.
With over 60 per cent possession and six shots to four on target Die Fohlen deserved their win, which followed an impressive home victory over a strong Hoffenheim and a draw away to Schalke.
Siebatcheu and Becker on fire for Union
Red Bull Leipzig’s trip to Berlin turned out to be another disappointing event for Domenico Tedesco’s team after they followed up two draws with a defeat to FC Union Berlin, leaving them winless after three games. Die Roten Bullen were undone by a partnership which is bang in form, as Jordan Siebatcheu and Sheraldo Becker both scored for the second time in three games.
Becker fed Siebatcheu for the opener after a fast break, and then they reversed roles for Becker to score with a top class finish. Both players had scored in Union’s derby win over Hertha Berlin and they will take some stopping on this form.
Willi Orban halved the deficit with seven minutes remaining but Red Bull failed to break down Union’s defence in a late onslaught. So Leipzig is stuck on two points while Union’s second win took them up to second place on Saturday night.
With the Bundesliga 2022 results pretty much going to plan, Die Bayern can go top providing they avoid defeat away to Bochum on Sunday.
It’s a huge ask, but the BVB players will be hoping for Bochum to give as big a shock to Bayern, as they themselves received in the final six minutes against Bremen!
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Bundesliga: Sense of Urgency for Both Hertha and BVB
Hertha Berlin vs Borussia Dortmund
Two clubs who are fresh from disappointing losses are set to go head-to-head as Hertha Berlin host Borussia Dortmund at the Olympiastadion this Saturday evening.
Hertha Berlin remain winless three weeks into the 2022-23 Bundesliga season after recently losing to Borussia Monchengladbach, while the other Borussia team in Dortmund suffered a shocking capitulation against newly-promoted Werder Bremen.
Both sides look to set things right for different reasons. For the hosts, a win here would finally put an end to their winless run which stretches back to their preseason in July, while for the visitors, a victory would put them back into the title mix alongside perennial archrivals Bayern Munich.
Without further ado, continue to read on below as SBOTOP offers a preview of this fun matchup.
Die Alte Dame have consistently flirted with relegation in these past few seasons and they’re bound to have another difficult campaign if things don’t improve in these next few weeks.
It’s hard to blame head coach Sandro Schwarz since he’s been dealt with a bad hand.
Heading into this contest, Hertha Berlin are to miss several players in Dong-Jun Lee, Jessic Ngankam, and Kelian Nsona due to knee injuries, while Rune Jarstein is suspended indefinitely by the club and Filip Uremovic was given the red card last game.
Schwarz, though, does have some quality players who can give Borussia Dortmund’s malleable backline some problems.
Dodi Lukebakio is their top attacking threat with his athleticism and physicality, while midfielder Suat Serdar is a heady playmaker who continues to improve game by game.
Jean-Paul Boetius and Stevan Jovetic can also contribute up front, but neither have been in their best form so far this term.
Borussia Dortmund can’t afford another slip-up
Borussia Dortmund’s Marco Reus looks dejected after Werder Bremen’s Oliver Burke scores their third goal
The honeymoon period for Edin Terzic is over and the returning BVB coach is back to the drawing board following their implosion against Werder Bremen.
When Borussia Dortmund had a two-goal lead after 89 minutes, all they needed to do was to hold on to claim the three points. But instead, those three points disappeared in a blink of an eye.
Lee Buchanan kicked in a nice left-foot volley into the top corner, which looked like a consolation goal for the visitors, or so everybody at the Signal Iduna Park thought.
During the third minute of stoppage time, Werder Bremen kept pushing and Niklas Schmidt headed in the equaliser. Then the crowd was left in disarray two minutes later when Oliver Burke hit the dagger to the hosts’ hearts with his thumping angled shot.
The said result was a massive step back for Borussia Dortmund as it opened the door for Bayern Munich to extend their lead over everyone in the standings.
Perhaps these are growing pains for a relatively fresh Borussia Dortmund squad. The good thing for them is that football seasons are long and they still have time to figure things out.
History
Hertha Berlin and Borussia Dortmund have split their league meetings last season, with the former winning at home last December 3-2, while the latter won 2-1 during their reverse fixture in May.
The said win by Die Alte Dame was their only league victory against BVB since the start of the 2017/18 season. Before that, the hosts endured seven defeats against their visitors.
Die Alte Dame are winless in their first four games of the season in all competitions (D1, L3) for the first time since 2003/04. Sandro Schwarz became the first Hertha Berlin boss to have this unwanted record since Michael Skibbe in 2011/12 where they were eventually relegated to the second division.
Borussia Dortmund, meanwhile, are on the brink of winning their first two away games of a season for the first time since 2015/16. They were the best team on the road last term with seven wins, two draws, and one loss.
The Bundesliga 2022 odds are picking Borussia Dortmund to win on the road. BVB are pegged at 1.72, while Hertha Berlin are priced at 3.90 and a draw is installed at 4.30 in the 1X2 market.
We expect a wire-to-wire victory for the Yellow Wall because they’re the better team overall. Hertha Berlin’s growing injury list and lack of firepower compared to their visitors are going to be too much for them to handle. However, Hertha Berlin can score a goal here, although Borussia Dortmund will ultimately have more contributions in the Bundesliga 2022 highlights reel. Total Goal 2-3 @ 2.10 is another bet to consider if the hosts somehow find the back of the net.
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Bundesliga: In-form Bayern Out to Tame the Resurgent Foals
Bayern Munich vs Borussia Monchengladbach
Bayern Munich’s march to their 11th straight Bundesliga title is off to a perfect start. The defending champions have won their first three games and are looking as dominant as ever despite the departure of talisman Robert Lewandowski.
The Bavarians will be out to record their fourth win in a row when they host Borussia Monchengladbach this weekend.
After a disappointing season in 2021-22, the Foals have made a fast start under new coach Daniel Farke and are currently right behind Bayern in the table.
Gladbach have had a good record against Bayern in recent years, so can they defy the Bundesliga 2022 betting odds and come away from the Allianz Arena with all three points?
Talking Points
Bayern looking better than ever
Is it possible that Bayern have gotten even better without Robert Lewandowski? It’s too early to say definitively, but their incredible statistics through three Bundesliga games certainly make a strong case that they are not missing the prolific Pole.
Julian Nagelsmann’s side are off to a fantastic start with three wins out of three, including a whopping 15 goals scored and only one conceded.
They are coming off a 7-0 demolition of Bochum last weekend, with new star striker Sadio Mane bagging a brace. The former Liverpool man is loving life in the Bundesliga, with three league goals already in three games.
Mane is the focal point of a more fluid Bayern attack that Nagelsmann has installed, which is thriving with the increased movement and interplay sans Lewandowski.
And what’s even scarier for the rest of the Bundesliga is that Bayern utterly battered Bochum without arguably their best player thus far this season, Jamal Musiala. The teenage phenom had been brilliant in the first two games and scored three goals, but he missed out on the Bochum match due to a muscle injury.
However, he got back on the training pitch this week and could potentially make it back against Gladbach.
Foals off to fast start under Farke
Coach Daniel Farke is delighted with the results of his coaching in their recent Bundesliga encounter
Borussia Monchengladbach are back – at least that’s what their fans are hoping. After back-to-back disappointing seasons where they finished 10th and 8th, the Foals are looking to get back to challenging for a top-five place.
And they’ve started this season strong under new coach Daniel Farke, with two wins from their first three games. They beat both Hoffenheim and Hertha Berlin at home and were held to a 2-2 draw by Schalke after conceding a last-gasp penalty.
Gladbach have gotten off to a good start despite being without captain Lars Stindl, who has missed the first three games due to a thigh injury.
Luckily, the Foals’ French forwards – Marcus Thuram and Alassane Plea – have stepped up in their skipper’s absence.
After an injury-hit campaign last season, Thuram already has two goals and an assist as he looks to get back to the form that made him one of the most exciting young forwards in the Bundesliga. Meanwhile, Plea has chipped in with a goal and two assists.
The latest Bundesliga 2022 updates say Stindl has made a quick recovery and could be back to face Bayern, which would be a big boost for Gladbach.
History
Borussia Monchengladbach have been among the most competitive clubs against Bayern, who have dominated the Bundesliga over the last decade. They have beaten Bayern nine times in their last 28 league meetings, although Bayern have had 12, while there have been seven draws.
However, the Bavarians were unable to beat Gladbach last season. The Foals held Bayern to a 1-1 draw at home before beating the champions 2-1 in Munich thanks to goals by Florian Neuhaus and Stefan Lainer.
Despite Gladbach’s recent resurgence, SBOTOP odds still have Bayern installed as massive 1.19 favourites to preserve their perfect record at home. The Foals are priced at 9.75, while a draw is 8.00.
With Bayern in such dominant form, it’s hard not to see them coming away with all three points once again at home.
Although, Gladbach have shown signs that might have turned things around under Farke and have the potential to at least make things competitive against the champions.
Thuram’s pace makes them a big threat to catch Bayern out on the counter, and while the Foals are unlikely to beat Bayern, I fancy that they can stay within two goals.
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Bundesliga: Super Sommer Stops Bayern’s Perfect Start
Bayern Munich’s perfect start to the Bundesliga season has come to an end as they were held to a 1-1 draw at home by bogey team Borussia Monchengladbach.
The Foals have been a thorn in Bayern’s side in recent years, and they needed a record-setting performance by Swiss international goalkeeper Yann Sommer to keep the free-scoring Bavarians at bay.
Bayern’s setback has allowed Union Berlin to pull level with the champions at the top of the table. Die Eisernen continued their impressive start to the season with a 6-1 smashing of newly promoted Schalke.
Elsewhere, RB Leipzig and Bayern Leverkusen finally got off the mark this season, as did Borussia Dortmund’s brand new marksman.
Read on as SBOTOP breaks down the biggest takeaways from the latest round of Bundesliga fixtures.
Gladbach resurgence continues as Sommer stymies Bayern
After Marcus Thuram capitalised on a Dayot Upamecano error to put Gladbach 1-0 up before half-time, Sommer produced a number of Bundesliga 2022 highlights to preserve their lead as his goal was besieged by Bayern for most of the second half.
However, Sommer and Gladbach’s resistance was finally broken as Leroy Sane scored the equalising goal seven minutes from time.
Still, Sommer’s heroics saw Bayern’s perfect start to the season come to an end. He also ensured that Gladbach extended their unbeaten run to four games (two wins, two draws).
After two down seasons, Gladbach are looking much improved under new coach Daniel Farke. With Marcus Thuram getting back to his best after some injury issues and captain Lars Stindl still set to return, the Foals will be hoping to rediscover their old form and challenge for a top-four place once again.
Unbelievable Union Berlin keep going up
With Bayern held to a draw at home, Union Berlin tied the reigning champions with a league-best 10 points after they smashed newly promoted Schalke 6-1 at Veltins Arena.
Despite selling star striker Taiwo Awoniyi this summer, Union have hardly missed a beat, with the front two of Jordan Pefok and Sheraldo Becker starting the season in sensational form. Becker bagged a brace against Schalke to push his tally up to four goals – tied with Christopher Nkunku for the league lead. And Pefok had a pair of assists and is up to two goals and three assists on the season.
Union Berlin head coach Urs Fisher gives instructions from the sideline during Bundesliga clash against Hertha Berlin
Head coach Urs Fischer has done a tremendous job in leading Union from promotion to the Bundesliga to challenging for a European place over the last two seasons despite their limited resources.
Union Berlin’s Bundesliga 2022 odds of them breaking into the top four are quite remote, but they have consistently defied the odds during their stay in the Bundesliga, and their early-season form is another reminder that you should not count them out by any means.
Leipzig, Leverkusen finally get first win of the season
After a disappointing start to the season, both RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen stopped the bleeding as they both got their first three points.
Leipzig beat Wolfsburg 2-0 thanks to a brace by star striker Christopher Nkunku. Meanwhile, previously pointless Leverkusen thumped previously unbeaten Mainz 3-0 in a match where they finished with just nine men.
Despite their somewhat disappointing start to the season, Leipzig should be pleased with Nkunku’s start to the campaign. The Frenchman already has four goals, which is tied with Union Berlin’s Sheraldo Becker for the Bundesliga lead. When Timo Werner gets back up to speed in the Bundesliga, the Red Bulls’ attack will be tough to stop.
On the other hand, Leverkusen still haven’t seen much production from their prolific striker, Patrik Schick, who had a breakout campaign with 24 goals last season. It’s still too early to panic about Schick’s lack of goals, but it’s clear that Leverkusen will need their top goal-getter going rise back up the standings.
Dortmund need new duo to deliver more
After their inexplicable collapse against Werder Bremen where they lost 3-2 at home despite being up 2-0 after 89 minutes, Borussia Dortmund bounced back with a 1-0 victory against Hertha Berlin.
Anthony Modeste and Salih Ozcan – who were both signed from Koln this summer – were both impressive. Modeste had his best outing to date for Dortmund as he had three shots and scored his first BVB goal, which Ozcan set up. And aside from his assist, Ozcan also hit the woodwork in his first appearance for the club.
Those two figure to be key players for Dortmund this season if they are to compete at the top of the Bundesliga table. BVB will need Modeste’s goals as Sebastien Haller recovers from his cancer. Meanwhile, Dortmund desperately need Ozcan to provide more steel in midfield alongside Jude Bellingham.
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Bundesliga: Union Berlin Seek to Unseat Bayern from Top Spot
Union Berlin vs Bayern Munich
There’s a big battle at the top of the Bundesliga table this weekend as second-place Union Berlin host leaders Bayern Munich at Stadion An der Alten Försterei.
They now face an Union Berlin side that has made a tremendous start to their campaign and will have their sights set on defying the Bundesliga 2022 odds even further by unseating Bayern from top spot.
Talking Points
Union Berlin’s unbeaten run continues
Union Berlin are in the midst of their best-ever start to a Bundesliga season with 10 points from their first four games (3 wins, 1 draw) and will head into a matchday in the top two in the top-flight standings for the first time.
Urs Fischer’s side are coming off a 6-1 demolition of newly promoted Schalke last time out, which extended their club-record Bundesliga unbeaten run to 11 games (9 wins, 2 draws). Coincidentally, their last loss was a 4-0 hammering away to Bayern Munich back in March.
The new front two of Sheraldo Becker and Jordan Pefok has begun the season in brilliant form. Becker, who scored a brace against Schalke, is tied with Christopher Nkunku for the league lead with four goals, and he also has two assists. And Pefok, who just arrived this summer, has already provided plenty of Bundesliga 2022 highlights with two goals and two assists.
Meanwhile, the excellent Union Berlin defence that was among the best last season is still going strong. They have conceded just three goals thus far; one was a penalty and the other two were late consolation goals.
They had a particularly resolute defensive performance in their 2-1 home win over RB Leipzig. Despite the Red Bulls controlling 74 per cent of possession, only two of their 16 shots were on target.
Bayern keen to bounce back from Gladbach setback
Bayern Munich suffered their first setback of the season as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Borussia Monchengladbach.
After scoring a remarkable 15 goals through their first three Bundesliga games – all wins – Bayern struggled to get past Gladbach’s inspired keeper Yann Sommer, who set a new Bundesliga record with 19 saves. Luckily, though, Leroy Sane got a late equaliser to salvage a point for the champions.
Bayern Munich’s Leroy Sane during their recent Bundesliga match against Borussia Moenchengladbach
Jamal Musiala, who has been arguably Bayern’s best player during the first month of the season, came off the bench after his recent injury to set up Sane’s equalising goal. The 19-year-old now has four goals and an assist on the season and should be ready to reclaim his starting spot against Union.
Despite their inability to convert their chances against Gladbach, there’s not much to be concerned about Bayern, who have been absolutely dominant to start the season. Robert Lewandowski’s departure has helped unlock a new dimension to Julian Nagelsmann’s side, which is playing a more dynamic and free-flowing style of football.
Although, there is still a bit of question mark in defence. Dayot Upamecano made a costly error that led to Gladbach’s goal, so he could potentially be dropped in favour of Matthijs de Ligt.
History
While Union Berlin have done remarkably well since their promotion to the Bundesliga, they have – like most clubs do – struggled against Bayern. The Bavarians are unbeaten in six meetings against Union, with four wins and two draws. Bayern are the only team that Union have been unable to beat in their three years back in the top flight.
Bayern were particularly dominant last season as they thumped Union 9-2 on aggregate. After beating them 5-2 in Berlin, they strolled to a 4-0 win at the Allianz Arena, which was the last time Union have lost a Bundesliga match. Robert Lewandowski scored four goals in those two games, while Kingsley Coman got two.
Despite Union Berlin’s strong start, SBOTOP odds still have Bayern Munich installed as massive 1.35 favourites away from home. Union are priced at 8.00, while a draw is 4.90.
Based on their impressive form this season coupled with their strong history against Union, it’s hard to bet against Bayern. Musiala set to return to the starting lineup, so they should regain much of the cutting edge they were missing against Gladbach.
With all the attacking weapons at Nagelsmann’s disposal, look for the champions to bounce back by claiming a comfortable win in Berlin.
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Bundesliga: Hoffenheim Can Pose Danger to Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund vs TSG Hoffenheim
Two of the top Bundesliga clubs in Borussia Dortmund and Hoffenheim are set to square off at Signal Iduna Park to give us some Friday night football action.
After a rough setback against Werder Bremen a fortnight ago, Borussia Dortmund bounced back with a tight win against Hertha Berlin, while Hoffenheim are on a three-game winning streak following their opening loss at Borussia Monchengladbach.
Fourth place Hoffenheim may be above fifth place Borussia Dortmund at the moment, but the visitors haven’t beaten their hosts in quite some time now in league play.
The pre-match SBOTOP betting odds reflect that, so Die Kraichgauer will have their work cut out for them if they are to end their losing streak this weekend.
Talking Points
Anthony Modeste on a mission for Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund’s Anthony Modeste applauds fans after winning against Hertha BSC in Bundesliga
Former Koln star Anthony Modeste has finally hit the ground running this season as he opened his Borussia Dortmund scoring account against Hertha Berlin, which was enough for them to claim all three points.
Salih Ozcan – who also happens to be a teammate of Modeste before at Koln – received a brilliant pass from Marius Wolf and then he launched a cross from the right hand side for Modeste to head it in the back of the net at the 32nd minute.
It was a great moment for Modeste and Borussia Dortmund are hopeful that he’ll stay in great form all season long. They’ll need it since summer signing Sebastien Haller is out indefinitely due to a testicular tumour.
He did lead Koln in scoring last term with 20 goals, with 10 of them being headers. Given Modeste’s physical profile, he should excel in BVB as a target man for crosses towards the penalty box.
Modeste’s difficult start can be attributed to him acclimating to Edin Terzic’s system, but he will adjust and produce more Bundesliga 2022 highlights in these next few weeks.
And once Borussia Dortmund’s injury list eases up, they should be able to challenge Bayern Munich for the Bundesliga crown once more.
Die Kraichgauer’s tally of nine points from their first four games is their second-best start to a Bundesliga campaign since 2010/11 (10 points). Andre Breitenreiter’s arrival last May has improved the team’s morale following their disappointing end to their 2021-22 season with three losses on the bounce.
Despite their spate of injuries, Hoffenheim are fighting and everyone is contributing. As of this writing, they already have seven players who have scored at least once this season.
Leading the way is Christoph Baumgartner with two, while Andrej Kramaric is their top playmaker with two assists thus far. They occupy the same side of the pitch and their connection is what fuels their attack.
Hoffenheim’s defence has also improved a ton under Breitenreiter since they’ve posted back-to-back clean sheets in the league for the first time since April 2021.
If they can hold BVB scoreless this weekend, they would equal a club record for the longest streak of shutouts in the Bundesliga, which was previously achieved in January 2021.
History
Hoffenheim are winless in their last four meetings against Borussia Dortmund. BVB did the league double over Hoffenheim last term for the first time ever and they could enjoy three consecutive victories against Die Kraichgauer for the first time in the Bundesliga this Friday evening.
BVB, though, have only won once in their last four league home matches against Hoffenheim (D2, L1) and they’ve conceded at least twice in each of those four games.
Since 2018/19, Borussia Dortmund have conceded 11 goals on home soil against Hoffenheim – which is more than against any other team in that stretch.
Their shocking defeat to Werder Bremen in their last home game meant that they’ve dropped points in at least one of their first two home matches of a top-flight campaign for the first time since 2014/15.
The Bundesliga 2022 odds like Borussia Dortmund’s chances to win this contest. BVB are installed at 1.63, while Hoffenheim are pegged at 4.80 and a draw is at 4.00 in the 1X2 market.
While we anticipate this to be a tight affair, we’re picking the hosts to win because of their resilience and stronger quality overall. However, the visitors are going to make sure that they’ll earn it.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR () BETS ARE WORTH:
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Bundesliga: Mainz are a Big Test for Upwardly Mobile Foals
Borussia Monchengladbach vs Mainz
Borussia Park is the placed to be on Sunday for a cracking Bundesliga clash between sixth and seventh, as Borussia Monchengladbach welcome FSV Mainz in the fifth game of the campaign.
With eight points, Die Fohlen are just one clear of their opponents and a win could easily take either team into the top four. And the hosts come into the game on the back of an impressive draw away to FC Bayern, while Mainz are hoping to erase the memory of a drubbing on their home soil at the hands of Bayer Leverkusen.
This promises to be a tight game between the hosts, who finished tenth last term and two places below Mainz, and they couldn’t be separated in either of their two league meetings last season.
Talking Points
Borussia aiming for a return to Europe
The Bundesliga 2022 betting odds place Die Fohlen as fifth favourites to win the title behind the big four of Bayern, Red Bull, BVB and Bayer Leverkusen, and that’s a position their fans will be delighted to be in following a fallow period. Former Norwich City head coach Daniel Farke has led Die Fohlen to a fast start after disappointing mid table finishes over the past two campaigns and, while it could be a honeymoon period for the new boss, the manner of their performances has been undeniably impressive.
Borussia Monchengladbach’s Marcus Thuram celebrates scoring their opening goal against Bayern Munich
Die Fohlen kicked off the campaign with a 3-1 victory over highly rated TSG Hoffenheim who have gone on to win the next three and sit in fourth. A second home win over Hertha Berlin and a draw away to Schalke were both good results, but Die Fohlen’s draw away to FC Bayern last week was the pick of the lot. Keeper Yann Sommer was the hero of the night as he set a new Bundesliga record by making an astonishing 19 saves to keep the Bavarians at bay, and spoil their perfect start to their title defence. With three goals in the bag Marcus Thuram is leading Borussia’s attack and it even looked like his 43rd minute strike would give the underdogs all three points until Leroy Sane levelled for Bayern with just seven minutes remaining.
Captain Lars Stindl has been out with a thigh injury and is doubtful for this game so the experienced French forward Alassane Plea will continue in the hope of adding to his two assists and one goal, while midfield general Jonas Hofmann remains a key figure at both ends of the pitch.
Mainz’ happy travels
Mainz have only picked up one point at home, a goalless draw with Union Berlin, and last week they were thumped 0-3 at home to Bayer Leverkusen despite their opponents finishing the game with nine men. But on the road it has been a different story with two 2-1 victories, against Bochum and Augsburg, landing them six very useful points. Head coach Bo Svensson wants to see his team’s home form pick up but as far as the away Bundesliga 2022 results go, it will be more of the same on the agenda for Die Nulfunfer.
Austrian forward Karim Onisiwo has been the biggest goal threat, with three so far, and he will play alongside the highly promising Jonathan Burkhardt, while commanding centre back Maxim Leitch will have a busy afternoon against the Gladbach attack.
In the 41 encounters between these two teams this century, Borussia Monchengladbach have had more success with 17 victories to Mainz’ 12 and there have been 12 draws.
Last season both games ended in a 1-1 draw: the most recent, an April meeting at Borussia Park, was an end to end affair with 17 shots on target, seven for Borussia and ten for Mainz. Breel Embolo gave the hosts a first half lead before Onisiwo levelled for the visitors.
In terms of recent form Die Fohlen have the edge having won three and drawn three of the last six games, while Mainz have won three, drawn two and lost one.
And Gladbach are unbeaten in 12 matches in all competitions.
With Borussia at odds of 2.18 and Mainz at 3.06 this is a wide open game; and the draw, at a SBOTOP price of 3.20, will attract a lot of interest among neutrals. It’s a tough test for the hosts but I think they will end the day with their unbeaten run intact.
And, for an outside bet, how about a third successive 1-1 scoreline at odds of 5.80? I suspect that won’t be far off the mark.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR () BETS ARE WORTH:
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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