15:30 Kickoffs: Reus and Werner score winners for sides, Kane records first Bundesliga hat-trick
Three of German football's four Champions' League representatives were able to win their first fixtures back in the domestic league on Saturday afternoon. FC Bayern München routed VfL Bochum while Borussia Dortmund (over Wolfsburg) and RB Leipzig (over Gladbach) only crept past their opponents 1-0.
Union Berlin regrettably lost their fourth match on-the-trot, falling 0-2 at home against Hoffenheim. In the "Battle of the Basement Dwellers", FC Augsburg emerged victorious 2-1 over FSV Mainz 05.
Union Berlin regrettably lost their fourth match on-the-trot, falling 0-2 at home against Hoffenheim. In the "Battle of the Basement Dwellers", FC Augsburg emerged victorious 2-1 over FSV Mainz 05.
| Photo: Sandro Halank, Wikimedia Commons, CC-BY-SA 4.0 |
The visiting Lower Saxons began with plenty of pace and ran high up both flanks in the opening ten minutes. Clear cut chances nevertheless didn't materialize for Kovac's Wolves until Joakim Maehle forced a save out of Gregor Kobel in the 12th. The hosting Westphalians came close on a three dead-balls situations. Reus, Bynoe-Gittens, and Nmecha all sent the ball wide off free-kicks and corners. Approximately one quarter-of-an-hour in, matters calmed down considerable with both sides having difficulty finding a way through.
Fouls and sloppy play in the final third impeded much of any sort of flow developing during the opening 45. Both head-coaches still saw fit to stick with their initial XIs. Play improved slightly and Füllkrug missed a splendid chance at the opener in the 54th. Hummels telegraphed Dortmund's lead-striker through with one of his trademark "quarterback" verticals. Füllkrug couldn't locate the proper take-down touch, however, and Wolfsburg were able to clear. Dortmund took a few more risks as the hour mark approached and Terzic brought on Malen for Bynoe-Gittens in the 63rd.
Not long after Malen's introduction, Dortmund were able to net a well-earned 1-0. After a series of quality attack builds involving the new introduction, Malen sent Julian Brandt clear on the left. Reus arrived just in front of the Dutch international to meet Brandt's return square for the 69th-minute opener. To their credit, Wolfsburg woke up for the first time in the match in search of an equalizer. A couple of charges down the left involving Tomas still fizzled out. Danish striker Jonas Wind nearly completed a fine finish off the turn in the 77th, but missed by a hair's breadth.
A hail of substitutes from both coaches took the air of the match and matters flattened out significantly as full-time approached. Wolfsburg never really threatened again, with Brandt and Reus coming closer to doubling the advantage in the closing minutes. Elsewhere in the Bundesliga's 15:30 kickoffs, there was another low-scoring affair involving a German Champions' League side coming off of midweek action. Marco Rose's German Red Bulls only narrowly topped Borussia Mönchengladbach 1-0. Of some interest, Timo Werner scored the winner off the bench.
German record champions FC Bayern München were able to dispatch VfL Bochum easily at the Allianz. Harry Kane, with one conversion from the spot, recorded his first Bundesliga hat trick in the 7-0 blowout. Kane also collected two assists, including one on another Mathys Tel goal off the bench. Kingsley Coman, Matthijs de Ligt, and Leroy Sané also scored goals.
The trouble for new German Champions' League representatives 1. FC Union Berlin continues. Two rounds after RB Leipzig ended Urs Fischer's team's long unbeaten run at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim downed die Eisernen 2-0 at home. Union have now lost four fixtures on-the-spin and dropped down to ninth place in the table. Young Hoffenheim prodigy Maximilian Beier extended his scoring streak in the win.
In the battle of the basement dwellers, Enrico Maaßen's FC Augsburg were able to bag their first win of the season with a 2-1 home win over FSV Mainz 05. Bo Svennson's Rheinhessen - who couldn't capitalize on a man-advantage in the final half hour - will finish up the weekend in last place. Mainz, Bochum, Darmstadt, and Köln (to play against Bremen later) are still seeking their first wins of the season.