The Bundesliga returned from the international break with a bang as the top two sides – Union Berlin and Borussia Dortmund – both suffered shock defeats on the road, while Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig both rolled to 4-0 home wins.
Meanwhile, Freiburg are flying high once again as Christian Streich’s side jumped up to second spot while extending their unbeaten league run to six consecutive games.
Read on below as SBOTOP gives you the five top takeaways from the latest round of Bundesliga matches.
Union Berlin not quite unbeatable
Union Berlin are unbeaten no more as they suffered a 2-0 defeat away to Eintracht Frankfurt in their first match after the international break. Mario Gotze and Jesper Lindstrom got the goals for the Eagles, who have now won three of their last four games.
Eintracht Frankfurt had to play the last 22 minutes with just 10 men after Randal Kolo Muani was sent off, but were able to withstand Union Berlin’s late surge.
Despite the defeat, Union remain top of the Bundesliga, albeit only by goal difference. The match was a bit of a reality check for coach Urs Fischer and Union, who had been in such impressive form to start the season. As good as they have been, they are far from unbeatable.
But still, look for them to bounce back from this setback in their next match against struggling Stuttgart.
Billy Goats take a bite out of BVB once again
Koln have done it again. They have successfully avoided defeat to mighty Borussia Dortmund at the RheinEnergieSTADION for the third straight game. And after two draws, Koln came out on top this time around as they beat BVB 3-2.
Dortmund took an early lead through Julian Brandt, but Koln stormed back in the second half, with the in-form Florian Kainz and former Dortmund striker Steffen Tigges scoring in quick succession to fuel the comeback.
Dejan Ljubicic added a third, and despite a Benno Schmitz own goal, Koln held their nerve to seal the big home win over the second-place side.
The win lifted Koln to seventh as they continue to show little signs of missing their key stars, who moved to Dortmund over the summer.
Dortmund received a big boost as midfielder Salih Ozcan recovered from a foot injury to face his old club. But the absence of captain Marco Reus and Gio Reyna was keenly felt as they missed that cutting edge in attack.
Anthony Modeste, who was signed from Koln, continues to struggle as he was held to just two shots, neither one on target. The 34-year-old, who bagged 20 goals for the Billy Goats last season, has just one goal in seven Bundesliga starts for BVB.
Bayern snap winless run as Nagelsmann’s tweaks work
Bayern Munich’s stunning run of four league games without a win came to a resounding end as the champions crushed struggling Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 at the Allianz Arena.
The Bavarians were 3-0 up inside 40 minutes thanks to the brilliance of Jamal Musiala. Fresh off international duty for Germany, the 19-year-old scored a goal and provided two assists as he continued his fantastic form to start the season. He already has five goals and three assists in seven appearances.
Julian Nagelsmann made a slight tweak to his system as he moved Sadio Mane to the left, with Thomas Muller playing as the focal point of the attack, and it worked wonders. Mane ended his six-game goal drought, while Muller got a goal and an assist.
So while there was a bit of concern about Bayern’s recent disappointing Bundesliga 2022 results, this performance showed just how good the champions still are – and that Julian Nagelsmann is a top coach who can push the right buttons.
Red Bulls need more consistent results under Rose
Similarly, RB Leipzig returned from the break in ruthless form as they battered Bochum 4-0. The dynamic duo of Timo Werner and Christopher Nkunku did the damage as they both bagged braces.
There’s not much to take away from the Red Bulls beating up on the Bundesliga’s bottom-place club. But it does highlight the fact that they need to find consistency under Marco Rose.
Leipzig have now alternated wins and losses in their last six games; they’ve won all three of their home games – which included a 3-0 win over Borussia Dortmund – and lost all three away matches during that time.
Clearly, the talent is there for Leipzig to challenge at the top. But they need to begin producing those top-quality performances week in week out either at home or on the road.
Freiburg not a fluke
Freiburg were one of the big surprises of the Bundesliga last season. They flirted with the top four for most of the season before falling off and finishing sixth. And this season, they are showing that they are no fluke as they are once again back near the top of the table.
Christian Streich’s men went up to second in the standings after a 2-1 win over Mainz, with Michael Gregoritsch and Daniel-Kofi Kyereh getting the goals. Since losing their second game against Borussia Dortmund, Freiburg have now gone unbeaten in their last eight games in all competitions, six of which have been in the Bundesliga.
Streich’s side is still far from the flashiest in the league, but they defend well – they have conceded just six goals, tied with Union Berlin and Bayern for the fewest in the league – and take enough of their chances when they come.
The season is still young, but with Leipzig looking for consistency and Leverkusen in freefall, Freiburg’s Bundesliga 2022 odds of finishing in the top five – or higher – this season could be better than anticipated.
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