Match day 14 is the last of November’s fixtures for the Bundesliga; it includes the Nordderby, and in-form Gladbach and Bayern going head-to-head. So far, the champions have been rather unscathed in their challenge for their fourth straight Bundesliga title after second-placed Borussia Dortmund lost away at Hamburg last time out. Stuttgart have relieved the duties of manager Alex Zorniger after only three wins in the first 13 fixtures, which was enticed by a 4-0 thrashing by fellow strugglers Augsburg last weekend.
Bundesliga This Week: Nordderby, Javi Martínez and Jürgen Kramny
Nordderby: more than bragging rights for Skrypnyk’s woeful Bremen
Inconsistent Bremen face an improving Hamburg side in the first Nordderby of the current campaign at the Weserstadion, with the Green-Whites really needing to pick up three points to gain ground on their northern rivals. Viktor Skrypnyk’s side sit in a lowly 14th place, three points above the relegation play-out spot after a bad start to the season. Bremen lost 6-0 away at Wolfsburg last Saturday, which demonstrated their weakness at the back, with four of the Wolves’ goals being scored far too easily in Felix Wiedwald’s goal. A lack of co-ordination, movement and now, poor team chemistry, is not ideal, but a win in the North Derby will quickly eradicate any poor team morale. Bremen’s rivals, Hamburg, have improved massively compared to their last two Bundesliga campaigns so far; sitting handsomely in 10th and scoring more regularly than usual, Bruno Labbadia’s side have made great strides. On the back of an impressive 3-1 home win against Dortmund, Hamburg will go into the game with confidence looking to make it three away games unbeaten. Striker, Pierre-Michel Lasogga, has been in fine scoring form, with three goals in his last four for the Bundesliga’s longest serving side, you wouldn’t bet against him adding to his six goals already this season against a leaky Bremen defence.
Long suffering Martínez is back to bolster Bayern’s Bundesliga aspirations
Before the arrival of assist king, Douglas Costa, in the summer, Javi Martínez was Bayern’s and the Bundesliga’s record transfer fee of €40 million. Since his arrival in 2012, he has impressed fans with his break-up play defensively, and finishing at the attacking end of things. Perhaps his best moment came in the 4-0 destruction of Barcelona in the Champions League, in Bayern’s 2012-13 treble winning season where the 27-year-old was praised for breaking up the tiki-taka football between Xavi and Andrés Iniesta. However, his Bayern career has been blighted with injuries; a long-term ligament kept him out of action for most of the 2013-14 season. His first appearance of the current campaign came in the 5-1 win in Der Klassiker against Dortmund, and he managed to get on the score sheet last time out in a 3-1 win in Gelsenkirchen. This weekend, Pep Guardiola’s Bayern face in-form Gladbach and Borussia Park in what could be the champions’ toughest challenge so far this season. Both German giants won in midweek in the Champions League against Olympiacos and Sevilla, respectively, so both go into this crunch match in great form, in both domestic and European competitions. Gladbach confirmed the appointment of André Schubert as permanent manager this week, after winning six straight games as interim manager. Both Guardiola and Schubert have yet to see a loss, which could change in the standout fixture on Saturday in which Martínez could perform a major role.
Jürgen Kramny thrown straight into deep end with struggling Stuttgart
Stuttgart’s season has only gone and hit a new low; a 4-0 home battering by fellow grapplers, Augsburg, spelled the end of Alex Zorniger’s reign as manager. The board have acted quickly to bring in temporary replacement, Jürgen Kramny, for his first experience as a manager in Germany’s top flight. Kramny was previously the manager of Stuttgart’s second team in the 3.Liga. The Reds face Thomas Tuchel’s Dortmund away at Signal Iduna Park in the 44-year-old’s first game in charge – not an ideal fixture. Stuttgart have struggled defensively, conceding 31 goals in the first 13 games. With an average of over two goals a game, that is a statistic that Kramny will be desperate to change. With the January transfer season over a month away, it gives the former Mainz assistant plenty of time to weigh up his options and improve his squad. This Sunday’s game may not be a hopeful one for the Stuttgart faithful, but winnable games against Bremen and Mainz before a tough home tie against Wolfsburg ahead of the winter break could see the Reds go into the Christmas period in a more positive mind frame.
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