The Bundesliga is back after a dramatic opening weekend, with history firmly on Bayern Munich’s side as they seek a first league win against visiting Koln.
The curtain-raising fixtures brought joy for incoming Borussia Dortmund helmsman Marco Rose, his side blowing away Eintracht Frankfurt with a five-goal salute. Elsewhere, fellow newcomer Jesse Marsch’s reign at RB Leipzig began in underwhelming fashion, courtesy of a 1-0 defeat to Mainz.
As winners look to build all-important momentum and losers dig in to halt the slide, the coming round of fixtures signals promise aplenty.
Bayern Back in Business?
The Bavarians’ match-up with Borussia Monchengladbach was about as enticing as opening encounters come; the clash did not disappoint. Bayern’s start to the new campaign – one could bring them an unprecedented tenth title in succession – hit an unforeseen bump in the road in Germany’s far west, but Julien Nagelsmann’s charges are fully expected to iron out any kinks when Koln arrive at the Allianz Arena on Sunday night.
The reigning champions have won the last seven meetings between the two sides, the most recent culminating in a 5-1 drubbing in February. Odds of 1/8 say Bayern make it an eighth straight win, while a showing of five goals or more can be backed at an attractive 7/4.
Momentum the Key for Marco
Having made light work of Eintracht in week one, Marco Rose’s Dortmund aim to prolong the winning feeling away at Freiburg, whose own term began with a goalless draw at Bielefeld.
Any immediate fears of a Dortmund wobble following the departure of Jadon Sancho for Manchester United seemed to have been allayed, particularly given the swashbuckling performance of hat-trick man Erling Braut Haaland against Frankfurt, well-rested after a summer without international football. A brace for the Norwegian this weekend is priced at 59/20.
On the roaaaaad again, we’re on the road againnnn!
pic.twitter.com/hg1RgQrOK0
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) August 20, 2021
This week, Thomas Meunier and Julian Brandt’s return to the training field provides Dortmund with a further boost, though Thorgan Hazard remains out of contention.
BVB are available at 8/15 for the Saturday afternoon match-up, though Rose and his players will do well to remember the mettle their hosts showed in seeing off the Black and Yellows 2-1, back when the teams met in February. A win for Dortmund by the same scoreline can be found at 39/4, with a 3-1 victory at 10/1.
Hoffenheim Aiming High
Cruising past Augsburg last weekend with four unanswered goals, Hoffenheim burst into life and pose a veritable danger to their guests on Sunday, Union Berlin. The club from the capital were in action as recently as Thursday in the Europa Conference League playoffs; as emphatic as their 4-0 win over KuPS might have been, their exploits in Finland mean Hoffenheim go into the league clash by far the fresher of the two sides.
A home win to zero is available at 59/20, while Andrej Kramaric – providing two assists in the win over Augsburg – is at 7/5 to open his own account for the season with a goal at any time.
*All odds correct at time of writing