Bundesliga roundup: Augsburg shock Bayern, teenager Moukoko decided the Revierderby
Augsburg - Bayern Munich 1-0
Bayern may have earned an important victory over Barcelona in midweek, but they travelled to Augsburg in the midst of a mini-crisis in the Bundesliga after drawing three consecutive games, with the high-press and risk-free approach adopted by Augsburg resulting in a gripping opening 45 minutes. Despite failing to fully connect from the subsequent half-volley, Florian Niederlechner signalled Augsburg’s early intent by bullying Matthijs de Ligt off the ball to create the game’s first chance of note.
Sané’s near-miss did not deter the hosts, who continued to threaten in a captivating first half. In fact, Enrico Maaßen would have been disappointed that his side were not ahead at HT after Manuel Neuer pushed away Niederlechner’s fierce effort, while Maximilian Bauer was left to rue a close-range free header that flew over the crossbar.
There was a sense after the restart that the German champions had finally established control, as they began to pin Augsburg back into their defensive third. However, just as it seemed Bayern were on the verge of taking the lead, the hosts came up with a winning sucker punch. A deep free-kick fortuitously bounced off Iago’s left thigh into the path of Mërgim Berisha, who instinctively slotted home to register his first goal for the club.
In response, Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann summoned Serge Gnabry from the bench in an attempt to instigate a turnaround. And Gnabry himself was quickly thrust into the action, when a heroic double save denied Sané and the second half substitute. It proved to be the decisive moment, and Augsburg ended a seven-game home league run without a clean sheet to pull off a huge upset that may have blown the title race wide open.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Rafał Gikiewicz (Augsburg)
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Borussia Dortmund - Schalke 1-0
Schalke’s return to the Bundesliga signalled the renewal of one of Germany’s great rivalries. The opening exchanges were fast-paced and frenetic, with the hosts looking to strike early against their arch-rivals. Donyell Malen fired an early effort into the side-netting, but Schalke, who had conceded 13 goals in their first six games, were holding firm against the onslaught.
The visitors grew into the game and started to look a threat on the counter, but the contest was becoming scrappy, with quality at a premium, especially in the final third. On the half-hour mark, Dortmund suffered a huge blow, as their inspirational captain Reus was stretchered off with an ankle injury. The German was visibly emotional, with any lay-off putting his FIFA World Cup ambitions in question.
Edin Terzić’s men looked to respond to the loss of their skipper and nearly scored after the resumption, with Jude Bellingham’s looping header drawing a stunning save from Alexander Schwolow. Anthony Modeste also went close, rising highest from a corner to nod just wide as Dortmund applied serious pressure.
Die Schwarzgelben knew they needed to capitalise on their first-half superiority after HT, and Malen, arguably the standout player before the break, came close to breaking the deadlock in spectacular fashion. His mazy dribble on the left saw him move past several defenders, and was only lacking a finish with Schwolow equal to his shot.
Dortmund’s relentless pressure finally paid off in the 79th minute, breaking Schalke hearts with a history-making goal. Marius Wolf’s cross from the left was headed home by Moukoko, blowing the roof off Signal Iduna Park. A dramatic strike ended a two-match losing streak for Dortmund, beating their fierce rivals, while Frank Kramer suffered a fifth successive personal H2H loss, leaving Schalke just a point clear of the relegation zone.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Marius Wolf (Borussia Dortmund)
See stats from the match at Flashscore
Bayer Leverkusen - Werder Bremen 1-1
Looking to build on their midweek UEFA Champions League triumph over Atlético Madrid, Leverkusen set out on the front foot, with an early strike from Patrik Schick rippling the side netting. That chance was a sign of things to come as Die Werkself peppered the Bremen goal throughout the half, seemingly growing in confidence with each attack. Piero Hincapié and Edmond Tapsoba each had pops at goal before Robert Andrich clattered the crossbar with a header from a corner.
The hosts ought to have taken the lead after a terrific run from Moussa Diaby ended with his low shot being palmed into the path of Jeremie Frimpong, but the Dutchman contrived to miss the target when it appeared easier to score. Die Werderaner weren’t without opportunities in the first period, posing a threat on the counter, and coming close to taking an unlikely lead through Marvin Ducksch.
Despite Leverkusen dominating the shooting statistics, Bremen remained very much in the contest, and Niclas Füllkrug almost put them ahead when he was played through on goal, only for Tapsoba to poke the ball away as the German was about to pull the trigger. That vital intervention was then rewarded as the hosts finally took a deserved lead thanks to Kerem Demirbay’s exquisite top-corner finish from the edge of the box. With time beginning to tick away, Diaby nearly found a second for the home side, but he could only fire wide after jinking his way into the area.
However, there was a sting in the tail for Seoane’s side when a corner kick resulted in a desperate flap from Lukáš Hradecký, presenting Miloš Veljković with a chance to steal a point. The Serbian duly obliged to leave Leverkusen floundering in the relegation zone, having finished in a lofty third last season. Meanwhile, Werder Bremen claim a useful point thanks to that late equaliser - their eighth goal after the 85th minute in the Bundesliga this campaign.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Edmond Tapsoba (Bayer 04 Leverkusen)
See stats from the match at Flashscore
Stuttgart - Eintracht Frankfurt 1-3
Despite a boisterous home crowd behind them baying for their opening win of the season, Stuttgart found themselves in a hole within the first 10 minutes. Daichi Kamada’s close-range free-kick effort was parried back into the box by Florian Müller, but much to the chagrin of the keeper, Sebastian Rode was alert to the rebound in the box and headed home from 10 yards out. A late first-half surge nearly saw VfB pull themselves level through a flurry of half-chances. While they did not find the equaliser, both teams headed down the tunnel at HT with the home side in the ascendency.
Despite having momentum on their side, it was déjà vu for Stuttgart, as Kamada stepped up to take a free-kick from the edge of the box, sinking the hosts once more. The strike was well hit and took a flick off the top of the wall before wrong-footing Müller in the Stuttgart goal, seeing Eintracht double their lead 10 minutes into the second period.
Some luck finally went the way of the hosts when second-half substitute Tiago Tomás saw his shot take a big deflection and hurtle into the back of the net to cut the deficit in half with 10 minutes remaining to salvage a point. However, a heroic turnaround was not meant to be as Kristijan Jakić headed home from a corner in the dying minutes to drive the final nail in the Stuttgart coffin, and quell any potential comeback.
After narrowly avoiding relegation in the 2021/22 campaign, the decision-makers at Stuttgart will be thoroughly disappointed to start the new season without a victory in the opening seven games. As a result of their slow start, VfB find themselves stuck in the bottom three.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Daichi Kamada (Eintracht Frankfurt)