Bayern Munich have finally fallen. For the first time since January, the reigning Bundesliga champions have lost a competitive match as their record 23-match winning run came to an emphatic end at the hands of Hoffenheim.
Die Kraichgauer are clearly the big winners of Matchday 2 of the Bundesliga, while the big loser is David Wagner, who finally got the sack after another disastrous Schalke defeat.
Sit back and relax as SBOTOP lists down all the winners and losers from the past weekend of Bundesliga action.
Winner: Hoffenheim
Hoffenheim have done it again. They’ve pulled off yet another shock victory against Bayern Munich, their fourth in their last eight meetings.
As the 4-1 scoreline suggests, Hoffenheim were worthy winners. They had a clear plan for how to play against the champions, and they executed it perfectly. They pressed well and exploited Bayern’s most glaring weakness: their dangerous high defensive line.
It certainly helped that their new manager, Sebastian Hoeness, is the former Bayern II coach and the nephew of former Bayern president Uli Hoeness, so he has an intimate knowledge of the opponent. But credit must also go to the players, who simply outplayed the champions.
Hoffenheim are now top of the Bundesliga table with two wins out of two. They are no strangers to having excellent young managers (see: Julian Nagelsmann), and if their match against Bayern is any indication, Hoeness looks capable of leading the club back up the table this season.
Loser: Bayern Munich
Bayern’s incredible unbeaten run had to end some time. There were already signs in the UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla, which they only won after extra-time. And that additional obligation certainly didn’t help their preparations as they looked unusually sloppy against Hoffenheim.
Bayern’s high defensive line looked like a major liability last season, particularly in the Champions League, and only now were they severely punished.
Granted, this loss will likely be a rare blip in what should otherwise be another title-winning campaign for the Bavarians.
Nevertheless, this match must serve as a wake-up call for Bayern boss Hansi Flick. Other sides will surely be eager to follow Hoffenheim’s example on how to exploit Bayern’s big flaw, so Flick must now find a solution to prevent further setbacks.
Winner: Niclas Füllkrug
The hat-tricks are coming thick and fast in the Bundesliga this season. After Serge Gnabry and Andrej Kramaric both scored three in Matchday 1, it was Werder Bremen striker Niclas Füllkrug’s turn to get three goals in a 3-1 win over Schalke.
The 27-year-old clearly has a lot of ability. He was capped for Germany in U18, U19, and U20 levels and showed flashes of his talent in his tme with Hannover. However, he has been blighted by injuries which have kept him from living up to his full potential.
That’s why it was brilliant to see Füllkrug have such a magnificent performance against one of the biggest sides in the country in Schalke at the Veltins-Arena. It’s surely one of his top Bundesliga 2020 highlights, as well as one of the top highlights in what has been a difficult career.
Loser: David Wagner
Füllkrug’s hat-trick turned out to be the final nail in David Wagner’s coffin at Schalke. The club have finally fired Wagner after going an incredible 18 games without a win dating back to last season.
It was somewhat surprising that Wagner didn’t get the sack after Schalke got shellacked 8-0 by Bayern in their season opener. But in some respects, losing 3-1 at home to Werder Bremen, who just escaped relegation last season, was worse.
After how disastrously last season ended, it could be a while before Wagner is hired for another top job.
As for Schalke, it’s now back to the drawing board once again for the club as they continue their search for the manager who will restore their former glory.
Winner: Promoted clubs
It was a good weekend for the two Bundesliga new boys — Arminia Bielefeld and Stuttgart — who both got their first win of the season. Arminia just edged out Koln 1-0 at home, while Stuttgart scored a convincing 4-1 victory away to Mainz.
Despite missing star striker Nicolas Gonzalez, Stuttgart have not had trouble scoring goals in the early going. Sasa Kalajdzic and Silas Wamangituka have two goals apiece while the team has six overall — third in the league behind only Bayern and Hoffenheim.
Scoring goals is crucial for a newly promoted side staying up, so it’s a promising sign for Stuttgart’s survival hopes that they have started well in front of goal.
Loser: Borussia Dortmund
The Bundesliga 2020 odds have Dortmund as one of Bayern’s main title challengers this season, but it looks unlikely that BVB will put up much of a fight if their 2-0 defeat away to Augsburg is any indication.
Dortmund’s 17-year-old duo of Gio Reyna and Jude Bellingham, who played so well against Gladbach, did not make nearly as big an impact. Even 20-year-olds Erling Haaland and Jadon Sancho were unusually quiet.
It’s amazing that a big club like Dortmund rely so heavily on such young players. But the downside is that those players won’t be quite as consistent, which will likely lead to more losses against inferior teams this season.
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