Dazzling VfB Stuttgart Mannesmannumes Begleitung etwas Verspätet
Under new manager Sahin, Dortmund experiences a setback with ten men in the second league match. Werder only manages a draw. Frankfurt impresses, Bochum struggles, Kiel waits for its first Bundesliga point, and the runner-up allows Mainz to snatch a point late on.
SV Werder Bremen - Borussia Dortmund 0:0 (0:0)
First stumble for the new boss: Dortmund missed out on their second win under new manager Nuri Sahin in the second Bundesliga game. Against Sahin's ex-club Werder Bremen, the underperforming Dortmund could only secure a 0:0 draw on Saturday and barely escaped with a point. In a heartfelt event dedicated to Werder legend Willi Lemke, defensive strategies took center stage in front of 42,100 spectators at the fully sold-out Weser Stadium. Sahin, who experienced an early-season setback, has plenty of work ahead after a disappointing offensive play. National player Nico Schlotterbeck received a yellow-red card in the 73rd minute.
The sunny football event started with immense emotions. A week after the official mourning ceremony, fans bid farewell to the club icon Lemke once more. The long-serving trainer of the club passed away at the age of 77 about three weeks ago, and he was honored with a stunning choreography.
With unique jerseys and the inscription "THANK YOU WILLI", Werder started the game aggressively. Justin Njinmah and Jens Stage had opportunities to score against Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel and their own inaccuracies (11.). After that, the match evened out, and the few attacks the skillful Dortmunders managed in the initial phase fizzled out.
BVB manager Sahin, who played for the home team between 2018 and 2020 and eagerly awaited his reunion with his former club, saw little offensive action until the break. Defender Waldemar Anton displayed his inner offensive flair in the 33rd minute, but shot wide from about 16 meters - Werder striker Ducksch failed to beat Kobel from a promising position (43.).
After the break, Bremen remained the better team, but failed to create any significant chances against a shaky Dortmund. A week after their team's bumpy but ultimately victorious debut against Eintracht Frankfurt (2:0), Sahin reacted and brought in some fresh energy from the bench. Substitute Karim Adeyemi tested Michael Zetterer in the Werder goal (59.), then Schlotterbeck came too late against Njinmah and received his second yellow card.
VfB Stuttgart - 1. FSV Mainz 05 3:3 (2:1)
Mainz spoiled Stuttgart's successful home opener with a wild game. Maxim Leitsch scored in the fourth minute of additional time to make it 3:3 (2:1), as Fabien Rieder had seemingly scored the winning goal for the Swabians just moments earlier. Stuttgart had a 2:0 lead after 15 minutes.
In the first 15 minutes, Mainz struggled. The guests were fortunate to only be down 2:0 with goals from Enzo Millot (8.) and Jamie Leweling (15.). Before Nadiem Amiri equalized from the penalty spot (43.), Stuttgart could have gone up by more - but Jonathan Burkardt still managed an equalizer (62.). The VfB's relentless pressure did not cease, and Rieder struck the post with a free kick, the ball ricocheting off the back of goalkeeper Robin Zentner and into the Mainz net.
After a minute of silence for the late Christoph Daum, who unexpectedly led Stuttgart to the championship in 1992, only VfB played initially. After two excellent chances for Deniz Undav, Millot scored on the rebound. Zentner couldn't decisively parry the powerful shot from Chris Fuhrich beforehand.
The guests appeared disorganized in defense at the start. Once VfB started playing at full speed, the coordination in the defensive line faltered, leaving large gaps. Leweling took advantage of the lack of coordination and a mistake by Andreas Hanche-Olsen with a powerful shot for the second goal. The injury break after 21 minutes came at just the right time for Mainz: while Stuttgart's Pascal Stenzel was being treated, Henriksen called his players together and quickly set up a tactics board. The orders helped, and Mainz looked more organized and even managed some offensive actions.
The Mainz equalizer from the penalty spot required some outside assistance: Millot had clumsily brought down Burkardt in the penalty area, albeit unintentionally. Stuttgart, however, seemed unfazed, as they continued their pursuit of another goal after the break. They also had to deal with Mainz's increased attempts to level the score.
As expected from VfB's perspective, the ball was obstructed despite intense pressure up front, but it ended up in their own net after a header from the powerful Burkardt. Another goall by the striker (70') was disallowed after a VAR review for offside. Then, the chaotic final phase began.
Eintracht Frankfurt - TSG Hoffenheim 3:1 (2:0)
Fresh, full-throttle football instead of a false start: Eintracht Frankfurt celebrated their first victory of the young season after a 0:2 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the opening game. They rightfully beat TSG Hoffenheim 3:1 (2:0) and could thus conclude a weekend that started with Omar Marmoush announcing his commitment to the team and Mahmoud Dahoud signing.
Hugo Ekitike (24th minute), Hugo Larsson (33rd), and Marmoush (56th) paved the way for victory in the encounter between two German Europa League competitors. Hoffenheim managed to score only through Andrej Kramaric (54th). Frankfurt remains a formidable challenge for Hoffenheim, who have yet to win in nine Bundesliga games at their ground. Following their 3-2 victory over Holstein Kiel, Coach Pellegrino Matarazzo's team suffered their first setback of the new season, and Kramaric's four goals this season were unable to change that.
"The buildup is palpable," Eintracht coach Dino Toppmöller expressed his feelings a day before the team's first home game of the season. "58,000 fans present means we need to give it our all from the start!" Toppmöller's words were heeded - not just by the players, but also by the highly energetic fans.
Frankfurt had their initial scoring opportunities through Omar Marmoush (7th) and the active Ekitike (14th). Initially, Hoffenheim held their ground fairly well, but they were soon counterattacked: Marmoush set up Ekitike in a counterattack, allowing him to shake off competitor Anton Stach, round TSG goalkeeper Oliver Baumann, and take the lead. The air vibrated again just two minutes later in blistering heat and 29 degrees Celsius, but Marmoush's long-range shot narrowly missed its target. Shortly after, the goal celebration was well-deserved: a free kick from Larsson was beautifully delivered by Ekitike for the second goal.
Eintracht Frankfurt - Hoffenheim 2:1 (1:1)
Frankfurt launched a dynamic attack into the second half, breaking into their opponent's half at high speed. Hoffenheim's equalizer through Kramaric, who slotted the ball into an empty net, came out of the blue. However, Marmoush came up with the perfect response just two minutes later. Despite that, Frankfurt remained the dominant team.
VfL Bochum - Borussia Mönchengladbach 0:2 (0:0)
Borussia Mönchengladbach notched up their first win since early April by defeating VfL Bochum 2:0 (0:0) away. Borussia's new coach Gerardo Seoane's team capitalized on their superior play to secure the victory. For Bochum's new coach Peter Zeidler, it was his third consecutive defeat in the third of his competitive matches. Unlike last week's bitter defeat to Leverkusen (2:3), Borussia were rewarded this time: Tim Kleindienst (67th) headed in the ball to end their seven-game winless streak in the Bundesliga. Franck Honorat (78th) added another. Bochum, however, are yet to score their first goal of the season.
Before the match, Zeidler had predicted that the home atmosphere would inspire and boost the Bochum players. Even at the start of the game, Herbert Grönemeyer's "Bochum" was still playing - and the home team, fueled by their fans, seized control of the game. Borussia, however, struggled against Bochum's aggressive tackling, with Philipp Hofmann's shot narrowly missing the target (16th). Nevertheless, Borussia's superior play, particularly through returning player Kevin Stöger, became evident: Bochum's new signing Ibrahima Sissoko cleared Stöger's first shot off the line (25th).
In defensive midfield alongside Julian Weigl, Seoane started new acquisition Philipp Sander, making his Bundesliga debut. Sander impressed with his tenacity and passing accuracy and could potentially replace Manu Kone, who joined AS Roma for a reported €20 million. The coaching benches presented a contrasting picture: Seoane constantly directed and corrected his players, while Zeidler remained calm with his hands in his pockets. In the second half, Zeidler brought on Aliou Balde, who immediately made an impact with a long-range shot after a solo run (46th).
Honorat's goal was disallowed due to a VAR offside call involving Tim Kleindienst (52nd). Then, Honorat struck the post, and Sander's rebound narrowly missed the target (55th). Borussia continued to press, with Honorat's cross finished by Kleindienst. Afterwards, the new signee from Heidenheim provided the assist for the second goal.
Holstein Kiel - VfL Wolfsburg 0:2 (0:2)
A historic day in the north, but another defeat: Holstein Kiel lost their first home game in the Bundesliga, falling 0:2 to VfL Wolfsburg. Maximilian Arnold (27th) and Sebastiaan Bornauw (30th) spoiled the party with their quick goals. Kiel gave their all, playing with heart and determination, but it wasn't enough against the experienced Wolves. Coach Marcel Rapp, who was shown a red card in the 90th+6th minute, has yet to secure a point for his team in the Bundesliga after two games. In the meantime, Ralph Hasenhüttl secured his first win after a 2:3 loss to Bayern Munich, but must now address Lovro Majer's injury, who was substituted just before halftime.
The small Kiel had waited 62 years for this big day, and 15,034 spectators in the charming Holstein Stadium bore witness to the first Bundesliga match ever played in Schleswig-Holstein. The club had been preparing for this moment for three months, particularly the stadium had to be modernized and equipped with Bundesliga-ready technology. The pride of finally being a legitimate Bundesliga team was palpable among the fans - they celebrated as if it were a festival.
"Beyond what you'd thought possible - Schleswig-Holstein boasts a Bundesliga squad!", declared a massive supporter banner. And propelled by their home crowd, Kiel took the field with confidence, thriving in prime weather conditions. From midfield, captain Lewis Holtby and Timo Becker relentlessly aimed to supply Shuto Machino and Benedikt Pichler. However, their attempts frequently lacked the crucial finesse, with Becker missing a golden opportunity (42.).
Wolfsburg, by contrast, capitalized on their initial opportunities, with Arnold's deflected free-kick from roughly 28 meters and Bornauw's header finding the back of the net. This advantage worked to Wolfsburg's advantage, and they commanded the game thereafter. Yet, Kiel refused to yield, continuing to fight even as Pichler and Machino both squandered good chances (60., 73.). The crowd remained loyal and vocal, cheering for their team all the way to the final whistle.
Following their disappointing draw against Dortmund, Dortmund's new manager Nuri Sahin revealed plans to make changes, stating, "The following shall be added: more attacking flair and improved offensive play."
In the Bundesliga match between Holstein Kiel and VfL Wolfsburg, coach Marcel Rapp was shown a red card in the 90th+6th minute, which he expressed his displeasure with, stating, "The following shall be addressed: proper behavior and sportsmanship on the part of coaches and players."
