Bundesliga This Week
It is another weekend of action-packed German Bundesliga action. Dortmund and Bayern still boast 100% records going into gameweek five, while Gladbach and Stuttgart are pointless after four games. New boys Ingolstadt and Darmstadt are adapting to life in the top flight very well in ninth and 11th respectively.
Meier is back with a bang for Frankfurt
Alexander Meier returned to Frankfurt’s starting XI last weekend after five months out with an impressive hat-trick in their 6-2 demolishing of Köln at the Commerzbank-Arena. It is very obvious to see why the 32-year-old was top goalscorer in the Bundesliga last season with 19 goals after he stole the show in the Eagles’ rout last Saturday to put his side fourth in the division.
Meier’s Frankfurt travel to face Bruno Labbadia’s improving Hamburg on Saturday looking for their third consecutive league win. Hamburg have made a steady start to the season with two wins and two draws so far. Top goalscorer Pierre-Michel Lasogga got himself a brace last weekend in an impressive 3-0 win away at Gladbach. The striker will be looking to add to his tally with the likes of playmakers of Lewis Holtby and new addition Aaron Hunt to supply him.
Without hitman Meier, Frankfurt have been turning to new boy Dutch forward Luc Castaignos, who himself has scored four goals in four starts for the Eagles. Both sides will be looking to continue to their respective good starts to the season.
Rodriguez holds key role at Wolfsburg
When Swiss left-back Ricardo Rodriguez arrived at Wolfsburg in 2012, he was relatively unknown in Germany but each season he has quickly developed into a strong, competitive left sided defender with an accurate cross and pace. Any opposition should be wary of the 23-year-old.
Wolfsburg host Pal Dardai’s Hertha Berlin on Saturday looking to gain ground on Bayern and Dortmund after two away draws to Köln and Ingolstadt respectively. Vedad Ibisevic and Mitchell Weiser will have a difficult afternoon containing the former Zurich man. Rodriguez is also a competent penalty taker for the Wolves — invaluable to Dieter Hecking’s side. Hertha Berlin have started brightly with two wins, a draw and a loss to their name so far. However, Wolfsburg went the whole of last season without defeat at the Volkswagen Arena, so the odds are heavily stacked against Dardai’s side.
Faltering Gladbach face tough Rhein derby test
It is the 83rd Rhine derby and a very important fixture Gladbach to get their season off and running. Lucien Favre’s side have started with four straight defeats, including a heavy defeat in the Champions league to Sevilla earlier this week as well as a very dismal display at home to Hamburg last Friday evening, with two defensive mistakes and an all round unconvincing display. The team are certainly lacking morale. Midfielder Patrick Herrmann, who is still out injured, is heavily missed in a side looking for a spark.
After last season’s strong finish of third behind Wolfsburg and Bayern it is a shock to see the North Rhine-Westphalia side struggling. A lack of goals scored and plenty scored against Gladbach, this Rhine derby couldn’t be at a worst time for the side. Köln return to the RheinEnergieStadion on the back of a 6-2 thrashing at the hands of Frankfurt, so Lucien Favre will know this is an excellent opportunity to get off and running for the season — and they really need to.
