VfB Stuttgart - Eintracht Frankfurt

After two Rounds all positive things like approach, confidence and hope for better times are gone. They had so much hope in new Coach Zorniger and his great ideas to build up the new VfB. The outcome is the same as last Season and they are already on the bottom to begin, where they was almost the whole last Season, only in the end they were able to get the results they need, under huge pressure, of course. This is the case again, because with zero Points you have no arguments on your side so far. They have to improve a lot but what should they improve? They were two times the absolute better team, dominated both opponents and showed the much better style of play. Their fresh and offensive game was very exciting to watch, but only results counts and this made them very sad. Maybe Coach Zorniger has found the right balance for his offensive style of play, they created a lot, the only thing was they wasted too much. Against Cologne they should have been up already 1,2,3-1 but they fall behind after keeper Tyton produced a penalty kick and lead his team with his mistake to the first defeat of the Season. One week later in Hamburg they played great, was up 1-0 and 2-1 but within 2 minutes the match went a different way with the yellow red card for Klein. After he was sent off, Hamburg came better into the match and was able to overcome Stuttgart 3-2 in the end.

Their style of play should be not the problem overall, they play much better as last Season but they should minimize their mistakes which brought them for success. It is also very open if some of the players are in the starting lineup against Frankfurt. One changes is sure because Klein is suspended here. Some more options returns with Die and one week later with keeper Langerak. It is not obvious what Coach Zorninger plans now. 

The start from Eintracht was only average, they advanced in Cup but got only 1 Point out of two league games. They had a good start and maybe have deserved much more but as always only the end result count. With their fresh offensive play they surprised Wolfsburg a bit and they had opportunities on their side to get here something out of the game but it was to harmless in front of the goal in the end. At home to Augsburg they were lucky to get a Point in the end with their late equalizer. In this game they should have been behind much higher as only 0-1 and it was only their keeper who held them in the game with some big saves. They had a lot of problems with Augsburg's play and also if they have make the game, this is not what they prefer maybe. They like more if they can come over their fast wings and go for some counter attacks. This can be shown in Stuttgart today, as for sure that Stuttgart control the game or try it, if they had done in the first two games. This is a team who wants to be active and this can be a good situation for Frankfurt to get some more space for their attacks. 
Compared to the last game against Augsburg where they had not the best day Coach Veh plans some changes for today. Stendera is an option after his injury and should be in the starting lineup. The other he does not mentioned so far.

After the first two matches, normally must VfB win according to their style of play and actual form but Frankfurt showed that they are very dangerous on the road already. Therefore a open game is expected.

MSV Duisburg - Greuther Fürth

This match is very important for both teams, as the result were not as expected. MSV at the bottom with not win so far has a lot of problem after returning to 2.BL. They are not able to hold the level high and maybe the players are to average for this league as well. On the other side Fürth started very well with 4 Points but lost all three last games, 2 in league and 1 in Cup. If both want to have a happy international break, they should try to win this game. Otherwise it can be 2 very hard weeks to the next game.

It is not all well in Duisburg so far, Coach is under huge pressure from the media but Manager Grilic hold to him right now. But what happened if he lose this game again? They do not think about this and they are trying bring all available power into this 90. minutes. Grilic expects an open match anyway because of the situation.
What players are available for MSV, they have a lot of problems before this game. With Janjic, Broker and Hajri they have three important players more not available for today. And all the others on their injury list with Poggenberg, Wiegel, De Wit makes it not much better for Lettieri. He has to find the right balance with the players he has available today. This can be that some players are playing on a position they never played before. If Dausch and Holland can not play according to their slight injuries it would be a disaster for MSV. Not many options are left. What should Letterie do with so many problems ..... maybe he puts all in an offensive minded team and try to overcome Fürth with the last available squad.

In Fürth they was looking forward for better times, to begin of the season it looked good but the last games showed the same old awful play from last season and they are already in danger. Coach Ruthenbeck was not very pleased with the defeat to FSV 0-2. This game makes him very angry and he was also not pleased with some players. He maybe comes to the decision to change something for today. He wants to see some reaction from his team. With Wurtz they have the back wing out, the first option there is Schröck, also Gießelmann is back from injury and returns on his position on the wing while Thesker has to be on bench then. A lot of options are possible in midfield or attack. For Berisha can play Kumbela up front and in midfield he has Weilandt and Trinks instead of Zulu and Freis.

SC Freiburg - SV Sandhausen

It was not expected that this match between Freiburg and Sandhausen is called “Top match” and maybe a big surprise right now. Of course relegated Freiburg was expected on the top but Sandhausen on the other side not. The home side collected 9 Points out of 4 games so far and is in good position although they have a very young team and had to build a new squad after their relegation crash. The biggest surprise of the Season is Sandhausen so far, they are still unbeaten and if they did not have 3 Points deducted from DFL they are on second place. 

Freiburg’s Coach Streich is warning his team because they lost already in friendly against Sandhausen 1-2 this summer. They have to take this very serious and should be as much focused as they can. With the last home game 1-3 to Bochum they are warned anyway, but they showed that this was maybe a little slip. One week later they turned things around and won at difficult place Düsseldorf 2-1. The motivation and self confidence are there in squad but as Coach Streich said: They must be ready and should try to press as fast as they can because Sandhausen is very dangerous if they can play their style with long passes out of their defensive zone.

Compared to last game has Streich more options according to the returning of Mujdza. He should take the position on the back wing while Frantz move forward and plays for youngster Hufnagel who sit on bench then. But they miss some players, Hedenstad and former Sandhausen player Kübler are out with injuries and not ready, also Kleindienst and Falahen miss this game. Torrejon is still suspended for 2 games after he was sent off against Bochum with red card. For him youngster Föhrenbach plays in central back what he did already a few games, so no worries at all there.

In attack returns top striker Petersen who was only on bench against Düsseldorf according to some slight injury problems. Coach Streich said that he counts on him today while Guede must on bench for him.

After three wins to begin was Sandhausen not able to win against Heidenheim 0-0 at home. Nevertheless they were very lucky in this game, scored Heidenheim a clear goal but it was not given by the referee. Their play was very limited and they were by far not able to create some dangerous situations, more as harmless was their play. Although they had not the best day they got a Point and Coach Schwartz was looking forward to the game in Freiburg where he expects a better Sandhausen side. Have they done much better on the road if they have not to make the game where they can go for fast counter attacks and maybe have much more space too. Additonal they want to hold their unbeaten run alive and want to get something in Freiburg.

The reason maybe for their harmless offensive play in the last game was the missing from in form Bouhaddouz who got injured before the game in training but they must find a way because he is out long term. He was replaced by Jovanovic who give his best but it was not enough so far. The next problem is Kosecki who got injured against Heidenheim and is a big doubt for today. He was also one of the active guys and had a great form as well. For Kosecki can play Bieler or Thiede on the wing but first one is doubtful after training injury too. The situation is not the best for Coach Schwartz anyway, he has to replace a lot of players like Stiefler, Zellner, Zenga, Vunguidica, Bouhaddouz and Stolz. Therefore the starting lineup is almost their last possible lineup with all these missing players. On the other side their success has put some of their players in the window for other clubs. This means they have to breath that not some of the players leave until 31.08. before the transfer window close.  

1.FC Kaiserslautern - SC Paderborn

The Monday game takes place on „Betzenberg“, between Kaiserslautern and Paderborn. The start from Kaiserslautern into the Season was euphoric with a 3-1 win against weak MSV but the following matches were not like they expected. Of course they are unbeaten so far but the outcome with only two draws against Braunschweig 0-0 and Union 2-2 were not like their ambitions above all the performances were average. Today’s opponent has much more problems right now after relegation. With many changes the team has to find themselves and this need some time. The result showed that they have a lot of work to do and a long way to go. The 0-1 was not such a disaster in the first game to Bochum because they managed to get the three Points in Düsseldorf. But the last game home game to Sandhausen 0-6 was one of the biggest disaster for Paderborn right now. They have lost this game of course but the performance was by far one of the biggest blows for them.

Apart from the first game to MSV, Kaiserslautern maybe faces the same problem as last season. They are to harmless in front of the goal and are not able to finish their offensive actions. But Coach Runjaic said that he has seen some other points he wants to work on. The defense allows too many and they defending not like he means that they are get stability in this part. The main thing is the defensive work and in this case Runjaic counts on three defensive midfield players with Karl, Ring and Ziegler who came from Paderborn. Ring is more offensive minded from these three while Ziegler should help with his fighting spirit to be as compact as they can. The defensive line remains unchanged if Zimmer and Heubach are ready to play according to their slight injuries. If not, replacements can be Mockenhaupt or Schindele.

The offensive part has to improve if they want to win matches again, above all Przybylko had only one good game in Duisburg. The other were maybe average, Halfar is the next offensive one who should start while Jenssen make some self advertising with his goal against Union. Nevertheless FCK is still searching for a new striker to get more power in their offensive play.

Paderborns Coach Gellhaus does not want to talk from the game against Sandhausen anymore. He wants to look forward and give his team the right things on hand to be successful in the upcoming matches. These are “Readiness for action, passion and fighting power”. If they bring all these to 100% on the pitch, they should be successful. If Gellhaus counts on the same starting lineup is very impossible. He plans some changes for sure, but the alternatives are less, above all in defense. After Hoheneder was sent off he is suspended for this game and Hünemeier was sold to England, therefore he has only 2 defenders left. But nevertheless he was not very pleased with Lopez trainings activity and strokes him for today’s game. Only Ruck remains, but who should play beside him? All is open and also possible. Maybe Wydra who started in midfield last time move back and get the place in central back. In this case Ndjeng can play in central midfield while Koc move on the offensive wing. Also possible is that Stoppelkamp replace Quali who was far from good recently. 

The offensive play maybe gets a new impulse with the new signing Bickel who came form Hansa Rostock and could convince already in the training sessions. For him must one of the attackers on bench. The trend goes to Saglik because Proschwitz has some open bills with Kaiserslautern and he should be huge motivated today. He wants to show Kaiserslautern that it was the wrong decision to gave him no contract some years ago.

Overall both teams are fighting hard to get out of the negative trend but of course all is possible in this close league. We think that Kaiserslautern on home soil maybe has some advantage with the crowd in back ……

VfL Bochum - 1.FC Nürnberg

This is one of the traditional games in Germany, both meet each other several times, if in 1.BL or in 2.BL. Bochum comes to this encounter as leader, they have done their work and play a very good style of football under former Nürnberg Coach Verbeek. He plays against his former club where he was sucked and this give this duel some more explosiveness additional. Nürnberg was thinking they have solved all problems from last Season but this was only in their mind. The start was awful and their play too. A lot of work to do and with the bad atmosphere there it is always hard to work. Nevertheless both clubs are among sooner or later to return in 1.BL but for this you need an excellent Season in this close 2.BL. Maybe Bochum has the better time now and they can walk their way this Season.

It was not an easy thing in Nürnberg as Coach Verbeek said already and he still follow his former club very well. He is very interested what Nürnberg is doing and how is the mood there. He is very happy to see some friends from Nürnberg but nevertheless he wants to concentrate of his team and give him the right tactic on the way. He wants to beat his former club and give all for Bochum now to have a successful future.
Squad wise he has not reason to changes his successful team from last weekend. They played a great game by big promotion favorite Freiburg and won there 3-1. The team looked very balanced right now and all are doing their job very well. They have a good squad compared to other years and the players understand the Coach style of play more and more. It is working for Bochum right now. Some rumors about Terodde who should have some offers from other clubs. Bochum's top Goalgetter has woken up some interest from other clubs due to his successful play. He is one of the strikers in the league who scores his goal every Season. His trend was very good the last years and this is the outcome now. If he leaves Bochum it is a huge blow for them and they can not replace him similar. But for this match he is in the squad and ready for the next 90. minutes for Bochum.
After two weeks Mlapa is in the squad for today's game and he should help to give Verbeek more options, the second new signing Eisfeld should play not matter for this game, he needs a few trainings session with his team mates and next week he should be in squad then.

It was a lot of luck what Nürnberg had in derby against 1860 Munich last monday. They were totally outplayed from 1860 in first half and were only 0-1 down. It should have been much more, but after the break they managed to find better into the game and they were able to come from behind and took the lead, but this was to much of luck and 1860 equalized. The outcome was maybe ok but if we take a look at all 90. minutes it was big luck. The defensive work is awful and the players have a lot of problems, in offensive they are maybe able to create some and hurt the opponent with their fast players but the whole team does not work together. Coach Weiler demands from his team that they have to play much better, independent from result. He mentioned also that he expect a very tough game in Bochum for his team.
Compared to the last game some changes are possible. Maybe some players come new into the team, some must changes their positions and so on. Some changes are expected with Bulthuis who had a really bad day in central back, he is maybe out of the starting lineup. Petrak can move back from midfield and play in central back again. While Behrens move from offensive midfield beside Polak and plays on central midfield then. This maybe give Nürnberg more stability and they can only hope that they can stop Bochum's offensive power then. In offense part is a position free who can be taken by Gislason who played really great pre-season but showed nothing in league games so far. He was maybe a bit better against 1860 after he came in but he has to prove it again. The other positions remain maybe unchanged. The only problem for Nürnberg is the wing, Füllkrug could not convince there and Burgstaller who plays this position right now was much more dangerous in the middle as attacker. This is maybe one of the offensive problems for Coach Weiler .......

If we compare all last games form both teams, it is not far away if we say that there will be goals. Above all Bochum has a lot of offensive power while Nürnberg is very shaky in defensive what speaks really for some goals. On the other side is Nürnberg able with their fast players up front to hurt Bochum a bit too.

Hamburger SV - VfB Stuttgart

An important match for both teams. Both were in big trouble last Season and both started with loses into the Season what makes it not much easier for them to begin of the Season already. The pressure on both is high but if we looked on both teams games, Stuttgart has by far the better playground. Hamburg is far away from the good style from Stuttgart. Maybe a slight advantage for Stuttgart in this game.

The start was not like they want to have but against Bayern Munich you can lose but without any self confidence and motivation. They played only their defensive style, nothing more, it was more fear of the next hard Season and if they look back to this game under the week they should have more fear about their weak performance. After the first game they stand under huge pressure already and if they walk on like in Munich it is hard to make anything positive from this Season.
The team is far from good and with a lot of problems between players which makes it not much easier to win games. Above all if not all work together it is hard in the situation and form Hamburg is. Coach Labbadia has a lot of work to do and solve a lot of problems and additional find some solutions to bring the strength of his team on the pitch. He has to work with the players who are there but if not everyone give all they are without any chance.
Maybe some changes can be made, back wing Sakai had a really bad dad and can be replaced from Diekmeier today, Djourou has some problems with injury and is doubtful, if he can play youngster Jung is in midfield but if not he must play in central back. To Ekdal is Holtby an option, and also Kacar in central midfield who had a great time in the end of last season. In attack Gregoritsch face some slight injury, he can be replaced by Olic.

It was much different in Stuttgart who played at home against Cologne. They were the far better team and they have a real advantage in their offensive play, created a lot of attempts but wasted all of them. And the match was turned around from Cologne who took the lead with a penalty, Zoller scored 2-0 a few minutes later, Didavi was able to bring Stuttgart back with his penalty goal but in the end they were to open and with a mistake from Werner Cologne scored the knock out for Stuttgart. They were in all categories the better side, shot on target, corners, and so on but they lost. This days happen but they must bring all their power to the next match and look forward to do it better against Hamburg today.
Coach Zorniger was pleased with the play from his team but not with the many chances they wasted. The formation maybe should be the same as against Cologne, the team get the next chance and they should be much more cool in front of the goal, of they finish only half of their chances from last match they win today for sure. Maybe in central midfield beside Gentner he makes a chance, Die is back from injury but if he is already at 100% is doubtful, the next option can be Guezo, therefore Rupp must on bench then.

Interesting stats: Stuttgart has won the last 3 against Hamburg and did not lose the last 4 !!! They have also a good record in Hamburg where they were not beaten form Hamburg 4 times. As I said, advantage Stuttgart here but maybe it can be a hard fight, if Hamburg understand the situation they are facing right now.

Fortuna Düsseldorf - SC Freiburg

The start was very disappointing for Fortuna Düsseldorf with only 1 Point on their side after three matches. This means the pressure on them are high before the game as they need Points immediately if they do not want to remain the following weeks at the bottom. Therefore the only outcome for them is a win today. On the other side had Freiburg a very good start but got trashed 1-3 at home last weekend. They want to bounce back today, what makes it a very interesting encounter. They should at least not lose here to fall behind much against the top. This game has normally BL style but they are far away right now. It is only a top match in 2.BL now.

The Coach from Düsseldorf Kramer has said that this is a very difficult match for them today. They face an opponent with a lot of quality and they are one of the top promotion candidates additional. Therefore it is to see what big team arrive in Düsseldorf today.
Nevertheless they have to go for the three Points and why not be able for a surprise here, above all in their Arena where the fans are pushing them very hard the whole game. The starting lineup is a bit open right now, but possible is an 4-2-3-1. With this they played against Heidenheim 0-1 last weekend and it was not such bad. Very open is also if Liendl who has contact to 1860 Munich stay in Düsseldorf, maybe this is his last game for Fortuna. He starts central behind the attacker, behind him should Bodzek and Koch bring more stability in the midfield and also the defensive play. For Bodzek must attacker Pohjanpalo on bench last weekend. This time the training sessions were very good and he can hope for a place in starting lineup. Because Ya Konan has some problems with injury this week and allow him not to train much. This put Pohjanpalo back into the starting lineup maybe.
Both wings could not convince too, therefore Sararer and Bolly can be replaced. Some of the crowd hero Bellinghausen is ready and he is always able to push and make some noise with his actions. It should be a very good sign for Kramer here to bring the fans behind the team more and more.

The team from Freiburg arrive to Düsseldorf with some hope to recover after last weekend. But Coach Stretch said that they should be very careful against a team who has also a lot of potential, the only thing what was not their way, was the results. They must be focused on this game and have all their power ready to be an even opponent in this hot atmosphere.
The lineup is a bit different compared to the last one against Bochum. With Torrejon and Mujdza they miss two players from defensive line suspended. Half of the defensive line must be changed and this is not an easy task because with replacement Kübler is an defender not 100% ready according to his injury some weeks ago. The next replacement who played an offensive part last time Hedenstadt had also problems under the week with injury and it is a question mark if he can play here. Streich has to search for players who can help here and find the right balance with them on positions they never played before. With youngster Föhrenbach he has maybe found a guy, he should play beside Höhn in central back. Also possible is that Höfler move from midfield in central back to play there, the open place in midfield can be taken form captain Schuster who was on bench the last matches.
Their top striker Petersen was out early in the game against Bochum with slight injury but he is ready, also Philipp who had to pass against Bochum. This means the options in the offensive are there again and should help Freiburg for more power. The only miss in offensive is Kleindienst so far.

Arminia Bielefeld - Eintracht Braunschweig

Very interesting encounter on Round 4 this friday, when Bielefeld faces Braunschweig . Both teams are winless so far, what makes it more interesting anyway. But the promoted home team has also not lost a game this Season, they started with 3 draws and with a win they can get a good advantage to the bottom teams. On the other side has Braunschweig the pressure after losing both of their home games and got only a draw in Kaiserslautern. Their aim to play for more this season is really in danger after only 3 matches. They have to start winning immediately or they have really hard weeks ahead.

Bielefeld’s Coach Meier was very pleased with his team and the job they did so far. He said that they are very balanced this season and with a bit of luck they should have won all three matches. His team is very hard to beat and hard to play too but they have to show this every week in this close league. The first two games ended with 0-0, the last one was a bit disappointing after they were 2-0 up but conceded a red card what changed the match totally. MSV scored the 1-2 and were able to equalize in the end. Before the red card Bielefeld dominated the match very easy but after they were one man down it was hard for them.

According to the red card is Behrendt suspended for this games but he has been replaced anyway. With Börner is the main defender back after injury and he plays beside Salger again. Both know each other very well and this should give Bielefeld a lot of stability in central back. It is also very possible that Nöthe plays again on the wing after Görlitz and Mast could not convince the Coach in the first matches. Nöthe made his job very well in Duisburg and he scored a goal too. This was some self advertising for the man who plays normally in attack. All the other positions remain unchanged as well after the first games has Meier no reasons for changes anyway.

It is much different in Braunschweig right now, above all they lost both home games and their fortress is gone there. The fans are not very pleased also Coach Lieberknecht. They have to improve a lot and Lieberknecht has to find the right system for his team and the balance in team as well. He said that after the game against Sandhausen happened some improvements and they make a step forward but missed almost all against Leipzig at home again. They have to work better against the ball and maybe improve their pressing. He is very confident that they manage to do it better this time and they want the first win this season.

Not help can right back wing Ofosu Ayeh who got injured and must be replaced. Lieberknecht plans with youngster Sauer there. He gets the trust from Coach and has to prove itself now. More changes are possible compared to last week. After Decarli returns from injury he can be a real option to Baffo who could not convince in his performances in defensive line. Also in offensive he has some replacements in hand with Omladic and Khelifi to Zuck and Hochscheidt. The central position in midfield will be field with Matuschyk and Schönfeld again. They had average performances in the first games and a lot to improve but Coach Lieberknecht believe in both and trust them once again.

1.FC Nürnberg - 1860 München

The last game in 2.Bundesliga brings us a derby between Nürnberg and 1860. Both had not the best start into the season but aiming for the win today. The home team from Nürnberg got trashed 3-6 to Freiburg to begin and let them follow a 3-2 win to Heidenheim at home but could not convince much. Also in Cup it was an awful performance and they had a lot of luck to advance against low Division Team VfR Aalen. For 1860 it was also a very weak start, both league games were lost 0-1 but the trend is more positive above all after they Cup coup against 1899 Hoffenheim 2-0 because know one expected this. Therefore the self confidence should be very high now and they are coming to Nürnberg to collect the first Points this Season.

It is not an easy working in Nürnberg above all after such average performances. Coach Weiler has marked off the awful Cup match from his team and he wants to look forward despite some rumors about financial problems of the club. If this is true, it can be that the next Cup Round against Düsseldorf in October can be very important for additional money. Nevertheless this is far away and they have to focus them on the game against 1860 today. Coach Weiler does not want to take it easy as the Cup game has showed the class and individual strength of the players from 1860. Overall he expects a very tough match and also a very motivated opponent. Compared to the Cup game returning some players with Füllkrug and Blum is also ready 100% after his infection. Füllkrug and also Möhwald can be an alternative to Gislason who could not convince in all the matches so far. Quite sure is that Blum takes the place from Sylvestr in attack who had also not the best day in Cup. In defense Coach Weiler has also a lot of options despite the missing from Sepsi again. With Stark, Bulthuis and Leibold who is in squad the first time after his muscle injury can be alternatives for the back left wing. In central back is Hovland seeded to play while his partner is very open, it can be Bulthuis or Petrak. In defense Coach Weiler makes many changes and testing players but right now he has not found the right balance.

After losing both league matches 0-1 it was big pressure on the team from 1860 and their Coach Fröhling but they managed to overcome 1899 in Cup. This allows Coach Fröhling to work without any pressure this week but they have to confirm this performance today. Otherwise it would be hard to work without problems in Munich. Also with the next lose they remain on the bottom and it needs weeks to come out of this danger zone and also put them under huge pressure early in the Season already. 1860 Coach Fröhling said that he wants to forward the euphoria from Cup into this game and he hopes that they are able to bring the same good performance. He will not change much and allow almost all players to repeat their good performance. Only the keeper, Ortega got some match praxis in Cup while Eichner returns into goal today. The other positions remain unchanged. Under the week they signed Mugosa from Kaiserslautern and gave the offense more deepness. He is not in the squad for today but next week for sure. Some youngsters travelled with the team to Nürnberg because they had a very good performance after coming in against 1899. Both Mvibudula and Mulic made some noise and last one even scored the 2-0 and winning goal. For this Coach Fröhling reward them to take both in the squad again. It looks like the team is prepared for Nürnberg and for the first Points. The only important miss is MID Stahl. 

VfL Wolfsburg - Eintracht Frankfurt

This encounter take place in Wolfsburg where two teams meet each other with different aims. The home side wants to continue the show from last Season while Frankfurt has to rebuild a new team after losing both keepers and signed a lot of new players. Normally this is a clear thing for Wolfsburg who is in form already but on the first match day all is possible anyway.

A lot of rumors in Wolfsburg by reason of two players who should have some offers from other clubs like De Bryne and Peresic. Manager Allofs said that they have not real offer for both and they do not want to let them go this Season. They are for sure in the team for this Season and what happen next summer it is very open. Nevertheless both are doing their job well and both are very focused and in form already despite the trouble around them. They are professional enough to take it serious and De Bryne said it is all about the clubs, nothing more. He has a contract in Wolfsburg and if they do not come to an arrangement he has to play for Wolfsburg. The next candidate is Peresic who is open to leave as well but the offer from Inter Mailand was not good enough maybe but they have fresh money now after selling Shakiri to Stoke City. Maybe the next attempt is coming next week from the Italian club.

If they want to have a satisfied player they must allow him to start today. Coach Hecking must count on him otherwise we know that the players get angry and they want to leave immoderately. But they have a very deep squad and the alternatives are big for Hecking. He must choose and find the right players for the match against Frankfurt today. The pre matches showed that they are on a good level already and they want to continue their run from 22 BL games unbeaten at home. It is very open if Benaglio stands in goal after having some back problems, he can be replaced by Casteels who played already in Supercup against Bayern Munich and made his job very well. So no worries for Coach Hecking who said that the defensive play must be improved a bit maybe they are to offensive minded with all the big guns there. With Vieirinha, Naldo, Klose and Rodriguez they have a good lineup there, Knoche is the back up as central defender but he has some problems with his form lately. The wings can be replaced by Jung, Träsch and Schäfer. In every part some alternatives ready, of course. Midfield with Gustavo who made a last big test against Madgeburg 3-4 or Guilavogui plays central beside Arnold, central offensive De Bryne and on the wings Kruse and Peresic while Dost is the lone striker. Of course a lot of alternatives also for this positions on bench. The only big miss is maybe Schürrle who is injured at the moment.

After Schaaf has said good bye to Frankfurt the same Coach returns who had lead them into Bundesliga some years ago and allow them to play on a higher level, welcome back Armin Veh. He has to do a lot of work above all he has to replace both keepers. They signed Lindner from Wien but where not so pleased with him so far and made an additional sign with Hradecky who should play already today although he is not long there. The defensive line has also some new faces with Abraham who came from Hoffenheim and he should build the new central defensive with Zambrano. The wings are clear with Oczipka and Chandler but the last one did not convince that Coach Veh tried to find a new option there and he was finding it with Hasebe but it is also not the best solution right now. Central midfield with Russ and new guy Reinartz is maybe a good choice but both are very tall what is a big disadvantage if you play teams like Wolfsburg who are very quick with their players. Maybe Flum and Ignjovksi is the better choice or maybe one of them but Coach Veh decides. Offensive with Inui, Seferovic and Aigner is top, and up front they have new signing Castaignos who scored already in Cup. Some problems for Veh are the injured DEF Anderson, MID Kittel or MID Stendera which are all very good alternatives for him. The biggest lose is their top scorer form last Season Meier who is still injured but he is working already on his comeback but need still some time.

Overall the squad is much more balanced and this Season with much more options in attack, last Season it was only Meier !!!

After Bayern, Dortmund, Leverkusen and Schalke started with wins Wolfsburg has to follow them if they do not want to be behind from beginning on. The home games must be won above all to begin of the Season to get a good feeling for the upcoming games. The potential and strength should be there for sure but you never know what tactic fox Veh is trying to stop the guns from Wolfsburg. He counts for sure on a good and compact defense while Inui and Aigner can hurt them with their fast breaks and give Frankfurt some chances to score with.

Union Berlin - 1.FC Kaiserslautern

It was not the best start for Union into the Season and with their high expectations they had on themselves it was more a big disappointment so far. They stand under pressure in their second home game already what make things not much easier. After only one Point and two defeats in league and Cup against a low division team Viktoria Kiln 1-2 they should not lose again if they do not want to have more trouble in and around the club. Their opponent did a big better because they were able to collect 4 Points from their two games and also advanced in Cup very lucky after penalty shoot out against Hansa Rostock. It was not all well but they had more success but anyway, they had only 30 excellent minutes and this was to begin against really harmless MSV Duisburg. Therefore they want to be as focused as they can and hope that they are able to bring the performance from these 30 minutes in Duisburg on the pitch again today.

It was not a big surprise that Coach Düwel said in the press conference that they had a very weak start into the season but he hopes that today's 90 minutes bring the turnaround and the atmosphere is a bit more relaxed as at the moment. He wants to correct some things and he must find the right balance between offensive and defensive as well but at home they are always a bit more strong.

Squad wise he can choose from almost all players because Nebihi, Quaner and Skrzybski are all back in team training since wednesday and have no problems anymore. Since thursday Coach Düwel is working hard with the team for the game against Kaiserslautern and he does this behind closed doors. Compared to the Cup game it is not far away that he changes again, with Daube who is back from injury he has an option also Schönheim was not in the squad in Cup but should be in the starting lineup immediately and replace Parensen. More options are there in midfield where he can rotate huge. With Daube, Quaner, Skruzybski and Wood he can move some players if in the starting lineup or maybe one or two out it is not really out due to the closed doors of the training sessions. Also Quiring can be an option as wing who has the speed and can create a lot of good actions anyway. The next man who must tremble for his place is Thiel who had not the best performances lately. He can be replaced form the guys mentioned above or also a new face with Redondo.

The Team from Kaiserslautern can drive very relaxed to Berlin after their good start but they should take this not to easy because they did almost always very hard there. Coach Runjaic was warning his team already that this can be a very tough match and Union has to play for something after the bad start. They want to show that they are able to compete with the teams in 2.BL and the fans will push them additional. But he said also that they know this situation already, also from Cup in Rostock. They have to be as focused as they can and should try to play as compact as they can and allow not to much, and not to many mistakes too.

Coach Runjaic said that the performance was ok so far but he wants to see some improvement from all parts of the team. It seems that he makes some changes, Zimmer was rested against Rostock, he can return and replace Mockenhaupt on the back wing again. Also Karl should be back in the starting lineup and plays beside Ring. Both Halfar and Przybylko are seeded to play while the other offensive positions are still open. Runjaic has not found the right players so far, therefore he is testing once again. Players like Jenssen, Thommy or Kilch could not convince so far and he is think to change the system a bit to a more offensive minded one with two attackers. This brings new signing Colak from 1.FC Nürnberg in a good position according to the slight injury from Görtler. 

We can expect an interesting game and maybe how the teams react after the Cup game.

Borussia Dortmund - Bor. M'Gladbach

The first Top match on Saturday evening between the two Borussia's. This match has a lot of power and if you are able to watch this game you should, it can be a really exiting one.

The era Klopp is over, since summer makes Tuchel the noise there. It was a good start because he could bring the team more and more back on track and they did very well in all the pre-games. Also in the EL Quali matches against the austrian side Wolfsberger AC they had no real problem. They had 11 matches so far and won 10 of them under the new Coach Tuchel. The players are very pleased with the new Coach and they said that he gives them much more solutions as Klopp. Maybe not the best statement against Klopp but many said it already that Klopp has only one system and nothing more. After Tuchel took over in Mainz he managed to get the team running and this time he has done it in Dortmund. Players like Micky who had an awful last Season are back and with a lot of self confidence and motivation he was difference in some games.
Tuchel did not make many changes only a few like new signed keeper Bürki (from Freiburg) is the first keeper now, Weidenfeller has to accept the place on bench. In defensive row they play with the same player like Piszczek, Sokratis, Hummels and Schmelzer. Central midfield is with new signing Weigl (from 1860 Munich) and Gündogan well balanced. Weigl has some advantage against Bender here. In offensive midfield he has a lot to choose with Castro, Hofmann, Kagawa and Kampl but only one or two of these are playing because Reus and Mkhitaryan are set to play, of course. In attack is Auba the man, his replacement can be Ramos but this man has to improve a lot and maybe this position is a bit with less alternatives and can be a problem for Dortmund.

The team form Gladbach is doing very well since last Season. Coach Favre and Manager Eberl has formed a really great squad where almost all positions doubly occupied. This makes it very hard for some players but the fight for the places are very hard and allow Coach Favre to choose from the best. He is very pleased with the team and they are very balanced although they lost with Kramer and Kruse two important starters. But nevertheless they managed to get some alternatives signed again.
What we can expect form Gladbach was seen on Monday when they were 0-1 down after an average first half against St. Pauli but after the break they controlled the game and overcome Pauli very easy. They have so much potential in their rows and almost all players are very young and they are not yet at the end of development. Favre field maybe this lineup: Sommer in goal is clear, the defensive line above all the central back should have problems because with Stranzl and Dominguez are both starters out, they have to count on youngsters like in Cup. Therefore Schulz and Christensen gets the next chance, Jantschke and Wendt on the wings. Central midfield is clear with imp. Xhaka and Stindl. The offensive is very open as the options are huge there, they can choose between Traore, Johnson, Herrmann, Hazard and Hahn if he is back from injury. In attack they have Raffael and Drimic also Hrgota is an option there.

If both teams can bring all their power and offensive potential on the pitch it can be an really great game. I hope that they do not be so fearful and let the game be an tactical one. Hopefully the Coaches allow the players to be more offensive thinking as on the tactical instructions. If they allow we can see some goals here as both offensive lines has a lot of potential.

1.Bundesliga (Match update)

Werder Bremen - FC Schalke 04

It is almost the same, both clubs want to aim for more this Season above all Schalke has high ambition. Bremen's biggest problem is the attack, they lost both of their excellent Striker with Selke (to RB Leipzig) and Di Santo (to Schalke). All the other positions are well balanced, the only problem is the attack. They have signed some new strikers like Ujah and Johannsson but they are they ready to replace them even or maybe better right now. This is one of the biggest question in Bremen, the other is solved with keeper Wiedwald should be more stability in goal as under Wolf.

After big trouble last Season Schalke started well with 5-0 against MSV in Cup the self confidence is high but also the expectations. Additional they are aiming for more this Season under new coach Breitenreiter who want to play much more offensive minded as former Coach Di Matteo did. He has a lot of good and excellent players in his squad and can field a good lineup. But this make the pressure high from beginning on, if they start with 1-2 defeats the rumors around the club are there for sure immediately.

Both sides are facing their first big test with this game because both Cup opponents has not the class to give a real statement about the strength of both teams. So this is an important one for both.
Some stats in the end: Bremen could not take a win in the last 10 games against Schalke, only against Bayern Munich they still waiting longer (13).


Bayer Leverkusen - 1899 Hoffenheim

An easy start for Leverkusen in Cup, never in danger. They should be much more prepared as to other Seasons because they lost not to much players above all from starting lineup. This is maybe an advantage to begin of the Season for them. With Drmic they lost a striker to Gladbach but he was only behind Kießling last Season and therefore not a big miss. The next one was Castro to Dortmund but he had also not the best Season anyway. With Mehmedi, Kramer and Aranguiz they got a lot of quality to their squad. It looks like that Schmidt field maybe almost the same lineup compared to last Season. The only problem has Schmidt in central back because with the injury from Toprak he has to replace an important player there. With Tah they have some in back but he is young and not solid enough right now. In midfield Kramer plays after returning from Gladbach, maybe alone in central midfield or beside Bender. It is up to Coach Schmidt if he fields an offensive minded lineup he counts on Calhanoglu and Mehmedi, if not, one of them must on bench.

Wow 1899 Hoffenheim got a lot of Mios on their side after selling Firmino to Liverpool for 41. They plan to have a very talented but young team and this is the problem right now. They have not the experience in their rows what brings some average performances. They lost in Cup against average team from 1860 who was nothing special in the first two league rounds what makes Hoffenheim's problems clear. Coach Gisdol has a lot of work to do with his team and he has to work on the style of play. The team do not know what the Coach want so far. The new offensive miss some power and they are still searching for alternatives on the market after losing Firmino, Modeste, Schipplock there. Of course they signed some new with Schmid, Uth and Kuranyi but they need still some time.

This encounter was almost always a clear thing for Leverkusen, from 14 games they won 12. If Hoffenheim have to play against Leverkusen they arrive always with some fear and this is the problem too today.

SC Freiburg - VfL Bochum

This is maybe the Top-Match of the Round if you take a look at the table but overall it is very early in the season and only 2 Rounds are played. Therefore we have to calm down a bit with out statements and look forward what both teams are able to bring on the pitch today. With Freiburg and Bochum face two teams each other which has won both matches to begin, the only team who has managed this too was Sandhausen. The ambition from Freiburg are clear, they want to get back immediately to 1.Bundesliga after they were relegated last Season. The team from Bochum was also a good team who was close to Bundesliga and so on former days but they had a lot of problems recently and they were in relegation trouble some Seasons now. They want to be solid this Season and maybe look what they are able to get this Season. But first they want to keep it up to walk on.

After Freiburg was relegated it was a big task for them to build a new team as many of their regulars left the club and they have to work with young and unexperienced players. The outcome of the first two matches were good and also the Cup game showed that they are in a position to play for promotion immediately. Coach Streich was also very pleased with his team so far. He is very happy to work with such a good and hungry squad and he sees a lot of potential anyway.
Nevertheless he has to replace some players like Kleindienst and Kübler with injuries and also Mitrovic is out today but he is a candidate who left to club in the next weeks anyway. But compared to the Cup game he has some players ready again. Torrejon, Abrashi and Grifo are back from some injury worries and give the starting lineup much more potential now. For these three mates Föhrenbach, Schuster and Hedenstad must back on bench while Schwolow returns into the goal after Klandt got some match praxis in Cup against Barmbek-Uhlenhorst.

It was a big story in the press some years ago when Streich meet Verbeek who was Coach from Nürnberg and it was a very hard one. Both do not like it other so it is nice to see that both are on the sideline once again. Some ask Verbeek to this story this week but he said that he has not problem to come back here and for him it is gone. He wants to take the focus more on the 90. minutes against Freiburg and his team. He was very confident that his team is able to find some solutions to overcome Freiburg today. The team has improved a lot compared to last Season above all in defensive where they conceded none so far. Up front they are always able with their fast wings to create and finish with top striker Terodde. The team looks very solid this days and they are very creative too.
Bochum wants to start with the same lineup as in Cup against Salmrohr 5-0, the only change is in goal where Luthe returns while Riemann must on bench after getting some match praxis there. It is the same lineup which managed the first 3 wins this Season. Therefore we can expect a very balanced team again.
Under the week they signed striker Mlapa who is not in the squad for this game, also Novikovas and Gündüz are not ready while Weis is almost at 100% now and should be an option later in the game. But he is not the only one in hand, they have with Simunek and Rafael two players ready to help. We can say for every part of the squad they have some good replacements on the bench.

This can be a very close game but Bochum is a team who prefers to play very offensive 4-3-3 what allows Freiburg some space. Maybe the goals can flow a bit here if both are trying to bring their offensive power on the pitch. But the eyes are more on the Coaches today !!!

Bayern München - Hamburger SV

It is always the case that the Champion of the last Season open the Season with the match in his Stadium. This is the third time now that Bayern Munich opens the new Season. All are very hot in German and they are really excited what the new Season will bring. Most of all are still the same because the former Champion Bayern Munich has made his home work and made a few great signs. On the other side the problems from some Teams are the same as last Season, the opponent form Bayern Hamburger SV is already big involved in the trouble right now again.

Statistic:

- Hamburg is winless since 13 games to Bayern Munich (0-3-10).

- In all the last 6 matches from Hamburg in Munich they drive home with a defeat (3-32 goals).

- Since the Champion open the Season (since 2002) there were 10 wins and 3 draws (6 time Champ).

- If Bayern won the title and they start into the next Season they have an record from 6-1-0.

- The last time they started not with a win was 2008 against Hamburg 2-2.

- Bayern Munich is unbeaten in 42 BL home games (first half of the Season only 34-8-0) Longest run.

Things are really clear and Bayern Munich is again the absolutely contender for the title this Season. They made some good singing with Vidal and Costa which both should be in the starting lineup immediately. The other new guys are Kimmich and Ulreich. They lost three players with Schweinstieger who was very important for the team, Pizzarro the back up for Lewandowski and second keeper Reina who left to Neapel. Coach Guardiola has manage all his top stars and this can be a very hard job this season because he has on every position two players available with a lot of individual class and all are supposed starters. Despite the many injured players with Ribery, Martinez, Badstuber and Kirchhoff has Guardiola a lot of experienced and excellent players available. Some of the problems may be Götze, Thiago, Dante, Bernat, Kimmich, Rode and Höjbjerg who are all on bench and not in the starting lineup. At all other BL clubs these guys are for sure starters. In Munich it is different and they have to fight hard for their place. 

The expected lineup can be Neuer - Lahm - Bernatia - Boateng - Alonso - Robben - Müller - Vidal - Costa - Lewandowski

The biggest problem for Bayern is the central position in midfield where Alonso plays at the moment. He is much to slow and also he has already past his best level but this is an important position. Why not give one of the youngsters a chance here. They have with Kimmich, Rode and Höjberg a lot of players in their squad but they need some match praxis and learn from match to match. But this is Guardiola's own decision what is a bad one maybe.

The team from Hamburg managed the relegation play off games in the last season otherwise they are playing 2.Bundesliga. But maybe they have not learnt much from the last two Seasons. All are talking from a good preparation and aiming for more this Season. Also some are talking from an international place but if we have seen the first match in Cup it was far away from good. They were knocked out from a 4. Division Team from Jena and conceded 3 goals against them. This is very bad above all if you have the aim for higher ambitions. The team looked not like Coach Labbadia was expecting and therefore he has a lot of work to do with his staff. Many experts are saying that this will be the third hard Season in a row for the BL-Dino.

They have to improve in almost all parts. The defensive line is working very shaky, the midfield creates almost nothing and has no ideas and maybe solutions for some actions and the attack is the same as last season without any danger. They was the weakest offensive team last season and they scored very less. It can be the same this Season.

They trying to get some quality in their squad with DEF Spahic (former Leverkusen), Sakai (former Stuttgart) and Ekdal but it looks that this is not enough. All 3 were starters in Cup but they was no really boost for their play. Of course they lost with Behrami, Jansen and Westermann some faces of the team but really, they are also only average last Season. No really improvement to see and it can be the next big disaster for Hamburg after the Cup and the trouble with Manager Knäbel and some other things who are not acceptable for a club like Hamburg.

The position of both teams are very clear and the outcome of the game is normally clear too. This can be a very difficult start for Hamburg. If Bayern is able to score early, they get rolling and overcome Hamburg like the last matches with 5,6,7-0. Maybe the weather is not like for such a result because it is very hot but you never know.

SC Paderborn - SV Sandhausen

Both teams who meet each other today were very luck to advance in Cup against a 4.Division Team last weekend. Also both teams have 3 Points on their side after 2 games and they aiming for more this day. Of course I know, Sandhausen had two wins but they got 3 Points removed from the DFL before the Season due to some irregularity. If they had not this 3 Points lost due to this bad things they should be on top with Bochum and Freiburg with 6 Points. Nevertheless they want to walk on and hold their good record this Season with the next win in Paderborn.

The Coach from Paderborn was very offensive this week and he said that he wants the first home win against a defensive very strong team from Sandhausen. They failed first time against Bochum but they want to do it much better today. But they need to be patience to overcome high flying Sandhausen who is in good form right now. The squad should be almost the same because with Lakic and Bertels he missed only two guys injured but under the week he lost important captain and defender Hünemeier who left the club and signed a contract in England's Championship. The captain is not midfield player Bakalorz who should lead the team now. The open place in central back took Ruck already in Cup against Lübeck while Hoheneder was missed due to private things. Therefore it looks like that the same mates are starting today.

According to the last 2 games which both were won Coach Gellhaus plans no changes anyway. This means that he starts the third time with the same lineup what allow their high quality players in  offensive Stoppelkamp and Koc only a place on bench again.

Normally the team from Sandhausen stands more for good work in defensive and maybe some good counter attacks and less goals but this Season they turned things a bit and they won to begin with 3-1 in Braunschweig and in an shoot out at home 4-3 to Union. The advance in Cup against Bahlinger SC was lucky after penalty shoot out but they played long time with only 10 men because they captain Kulovits saw the red card. It looks like they have much more offensive power this Season compared to the last two. Although they are not so safe in defensive after losing their top keeper Riemann to Bochum maybe. Of course Coach Schwartz has to work with the guys he has available this Season and he made a good job so far. He demands self confidence from his players today to be an even and tough opponent for Paderborn. 

Comapred to the last game in Bahlingen Coach Schwartz can count again on Kulovits who is not suspended in league after his red card, also light injured Kosecki who was out at the break against Bahlingen is ready and also both Klingmann and Kratz. Both had some light injuries as well but they are ready and of course in the starting lineup. If there are no problems with injuries and so on Coach Schwartz can field the fourth time the same starting lineup. Players like Zillner, Thiede and Jovanovic are again on bench and they must wait for their chance although Jovanovic made some advertising against Union after he came in. Let's see what Coach Schwartz plans.

"Cup" FC St. Pauli - Bor. M'Gladbach

The hope for better times are back at St. Pauli above all after the very good second half of last Season. They could transport it to this Season because they started well, with 4 Points out of 2 matches they did really well and they are aiming for more above all today. But on the other side the expectations from the fans are much higher due to their success recently what should be not the best way for the players. This put them maybe under some pressure and this is not what the players want and like. In this case Coach Lienen has to give them some arguments that they can play relaxed and easy as they did in the past.
The stadium is sold out and the opponent is a big one with Bor. M'Gladbach who ended on third place last Season and entered the Champions League. But Coach Favre has to replace some of his important guys because with Kruse and Kramer left much quality. They have to replace them but are they able to find the right players for this? This is also the first match for Gladbach under competitions term and they do not know how far they are already. Despite all this things they are a team who has the class to be in the top this season again. They have several players in back who can bring them back on big level. This time or this Season they want to do better as last one because they were eliminated in quarter final from Arminia Bielefeld, therefore Coach Favre claims to put all they focus and power in this game. The first real test for Gladbach.

Before the game Lienen is going to make some of understatement but this was the case already against KSC. He said both time that they are a real underdog and they must have a great day to beat Gladbach. In Karlsruher they won 2-1 and they played a real great match there, maybe with he fans in the back they can do the same at home against a bigger team from Gladbach. He wants to count on fast counter attacks and on a excellent defensive work to be ahead of the pressure from Gladbach. If they can produce as less mistakes as they can they are always able to hurt the opponents.
But they have some problems in defensive line with missing players. The first one is central back Sobiech and the next one is back wing Halstenberg. Both scored the goals against KSC and were the heros for the win there. Nevertheless they have some other players in their squad who must score the goals but they have now a problem in defensive which must be build new. For Sobiech can play youngster Ziereis who did this already some times last season. On the left back wing is Kalla back after injury and can take the place from Halstenberg now. Of course there are some more options but if they make to many changes and rotations it is hard to have an equal level form past games. Therefore Lienen makes the 2 changes and allow the rest of the starting lineup form Karlsruhe the next chance.

"Cup" Arminia Bielefeld - Hertha BSC Berlin

This duel took place 10 month ago also in Cup when Bielefeld knocked out Hertha BSC. It was a big surprise because Bielefeld played 3.Bundesliga to this time. This time they are back in 2.Bundesliga and they started well into the Season although they were not able to score a single goal. They have to improve their offensive play right now if they want to get the next surprise done. Hertha BSC is always working to get into the Final because it takes place in their Stadium but they were not able to get near this recently. Moreover they are always candidates to be eliminated early in this competitions what hurt them a lot. But the next opportunity is there again, we have a new Season and they have the hope again. Coach Dardai said that he has the aim to be in the final with his team but this means that they have to do their job from beginning on. Also they have to demonstrate this goal first.

It was an average preparation for Hertha and Coach Dardai. They were not very pleased about it and also with their activity on the market too. Coach Dardai said that he has expected much more what he has got from Manager Preetz so far. It is not the best outcome for him and he maybe want so more new players. With Weiser from Bayern Munich and Darida form SC Freiburg they signed only two players so far. Very less for a team who fights long time against relegation and it was very close in the end, maybe one goal decides for Hertha here. The offensive play from them is very harmless, already last Season (only 12 goals in 17 games 2015) and in preparation for this Season too. If they want to have a really chance here, they have to clear up some things in offense.

As I mentioned it already, also Bielefeld has not the best offensive play right now but the other teams like FSV Frankfurt and 1860 Munich had the same situation before the Cup games and both were able to score twice. Maybe this is a good sign for Bielefeld too above all at home where the fans push them really hard. The only good thing and maybe a good basis for success is their defensive work, they did not concede a single goal in their first two games and this makes Coach Meier a bit happy anyway although the offensive play is harmless. But he said also that he is very confident that the goals will come for sure in the next games. He is very positive right now and expect a good future for his team.

The performances from both games against St. Pauli and FSV Frankfurt were not so bad and Meier was pleased with his team what speaks again for the same starting lineup as in both other games. The change in goal was normally arranged before the Season but second man Davari got injured in a test match against Bremen II 0-1 under the week what brings Hesl back into the goal also in Cup. The only possible change now is on the left wing where Mast had not his best impression what let Görlitz hope to get a chance here. But it is all up to the Coach, he decides here.

Nevertheless Arminia had a very good Cup Season last time and go through till Semi Final where Wolfsburg was a class above them. Of course they want repeat this but it is very hard to invest so much energy every Season and sometimes the matches are go not your way what makes it very difficult anyway. They have to look forward what happen this evening ......

"Cup" TSV 1860 München - 1899 Hoffenheim

After two very disappointing matches to begin of the Season, many fans expecting the next very difficult Season for 1860 with maybe the next relegation battle. They are hoping for more and also for some variety in this dull routine of everyday life. Maybe the match in Cup against 1899 is some kind of a variety for them and allow them to dream a bit from successful times. With 1899 Hoffenheim returns a former 1860 player and they are very proud about him (Kevin Volland).
For Hoffenheim it is the first hard test before the league start in one week. They have to build a new team with new guys who can replace players like Firmino or Beck who left the club. They signing with Kuranyi an experienced player but he should be not ready for today. He is not ahead of his fitness and therefore Volland has to play alone up front or get an other partner on his side. Nevertheless Coach Gisdol has a very young and talented squad and they can be one of the surprise teams this season. But today they are favorite, of course.

The Coach from 1860 prepared his team for this game and he does not want to talk over some new guys for his squad because it is almost a disaster. They have some in mind but are not able to sign them right now, therefore he must work with the guys which are there. He said he wants to concentrate on the 90. oder 120. minutes against 1899 because he sees the chance 50:50 to advance. He has some in mind how he wants to play but do not allow us any view about it. The only thing he mentioned was that they want to be active in the game and they should not produce mistakes as in the two games of the league. If they can bring this on the pitch he is very keen for a surprise.
Also the starting lineup is very questionable, Coach Fröhling does not tell us much. In Cup should get 2nd keeper Ortega a chance to play while compared to the 0-1 against Freiburg not many changes must been made. In attack they play with only one instead of two. If Okotie or Hain are playing there is open because both are not at 100% at the moment. The system should be 4-2-3-1 what gives Wolf a good chance to move into the starting lineup what makes the play from 1860 a bit more fast. In this case they count on counter but they should use 1 or 2 otherwise they have no chance here. The offensive play was to harmless in league matches anyway and they were not able to score a single goal. The defensive worked well but conceded always a goal what put them on losing side.

If 1899 can bring all their power on the pitch despite the very hot weather today, 1860 should have no chance at the moment, they are to harmless right now.

"CUP" MSV Duisburg - FC Schalke 04

This game has something from a "Bundesliga" duel what was the case many years ago. The last game between these two clubs was also in Cup 2011. It was the same situation like today, MSV played 2.BL and they were able to go through to the Final where they meet Schalke 04 but they lost 0-5 there. This time they want to be a much better opponent and they want also avoid such a high defeat what is not very helpful in their situation right now. They lost both matches to begin of the 2.Bundesliga and showed not much. Their self confidence is not the best but this is a competition where they can get some back with some surprise here. If they beat Schalke this would be a dream but they are not so confident about themselves and they hope more for a close match and that they can be even with Schalke. But for this they have to improve a lot and they should avoid the mistakes they have made in both league matches so far.

The preparation is over for Schalke, this is their first important match in Cup and they have to win it. Nothing more would be expected from them. Coach Breitenreiter said that this is the most easy way to get a title. They have only to win 7 games and all is done, but of course it is a long way and they have to look from opponent to opponent. With Geis, di Santo and Caicara are three new signings expected in the starting lineup. All the other positions are also contested because Breitenreiter has a lot to choose from with only Höwedes, Uchida and Giefer out. The options are there and it is all up from form and feeling what he fields today.

Duisburg Coach Lettieri has some opposing wind from media and pundit but he knows this very well that they have to improve a lot and that this game can be a good chance to take this good feeling and self confidence into the next League match what let them have a bit following wind. He said that they need some luck and a good performance that they are able to beat Schalke but on such a day all is possible above all in Cup. The situation in squad is not the best right now. With Hajri and Albutat they miss already two players for the position in central midfield and the next is out too with Dausch. This means that new signing Holland is immediately in the starting lineup and plays beside Bohl. The Australian has played some minutes in Bochum already but he should be not at 100% fitness. Also some tactical matching and so on are not sure for 100%.
Therefore they have to work on their starting lineup a bit. All is possible, if they play with 5 guys in defensive line or maybe 4-2-3-1 with Janjic behind the lone striker. The attacker who plays there is also open because Onuegbu disappointed in both games and should be on bench now, with Iljutcenko and Brandstetter they have two alternatives there. But nevertheless the support from the midfield team mates are needed hardly. All are required to improve their performance and help for a better offensive play. With Janjic, Bröker and Grote who gets a new chance here they should have good opportunities there but is this enough against a team from BL?

If we compare the performances from both first games, MSV should have a hard match ahead but we know also Schalke and it was always some kind of a lucky bag recently. Maybe with the new Coach not but we will see. Former Schalke hero Olaf Thon said 3-0 win for S04 !!!

"CUP" BFC Dynamo Berlin - FSV Frankfurt

It was only an average start into the Season for FSV with only one Point and zero goals. They lost to RB Leipzig 0-1 and played in Bielefeld 0-0. Therefore they are still waiting for their first win this Season and also for their first goal too. If they want to do the job today they have to improve a bit against a team from Regional Leagues North-East. BFC started good into the Season with a 0-3 at home against top team Zwickau but got things changed in Halberstadt where they could celebrate their strength with a 6-2 win. Above all N'Diaye was with 4 goals the man of the match and this guy should be lay some attention on him today. The former DDR Champion is in good shape and they want to hurt the team from 2.Bundesliga despite very hot weather.

FSV Coach Oral said that he is far away to underestimate this opponent above all he said that they have a lot of very good players in their rows. One he has trained already at RB Leipzig with Thiago Rockenbach who is the playmaker from BFC. Also they come to Berlin and face a very motivated and with a lot of self confidence appointed team. Also they are one of the favorites in their league to promote. They have showed already what they are able to bring on the pitch despite their lose in first game against Zwickau.

Oral has to replace again some players with Schmidtgal, Schain and Hammel. He was also not very pleased with the outcome of the first two games and he sees a lot of things they have to improve or to work on it. Some parts of the team are not ahead of their level and they have to work hard on it and improve. He meant the offensive play what was very harmless so far. One of the players who disappointed a lot was Engels who was out of the team in first half against Bielefeld already and Epstein replaced him. He made his job a bit better and can hope to be in the starting lineup today. But this means that they change a bit, Golley move to the right while Epstein plays left. All the other positions should be remain unchanged. The only open part can be the attack, where they have to field more power above all as favorite against a lower division team. Maybe FSV plays with two attackers Kapllani and Dedic. If Coach Oral field like this it is very open which player must on bench.

In Cup all is possible and it is not an easy match for FSV against a very hot team which has nothing to lose.

Karlsruher SC - FC St. Pauli

The team from Baden Württemberg KSC started not very well into the season. It looks like that they have still to do with their harsh knock out against Hamburg where they was very close to promote but conceded in almost the last minute the goal who shocked them all. They was not ahead of their actions and lost deserved to Fürth 0-1 last weekend. Their opponent today St. Pauli saved them with a 5 games winning streak last season and they want continue the run anyway. Despite the good mood and self confidence from recent matches they could not feed it to the game against new promoted team from Bielefeld. The outcome was only a 0-0 draw in their new and very beautiful stadium now. Both teams want the first win this Season .......

Coach Kauczinski said that he was not very pleased with his team and the performance overall. They have to improve in some parts and have to work hard to get the job done today. Some of the parts were not able to harmonize well and this was seen in their play with a lot of mistakes anyway. It is very important to close all deficits to get a much better and more aggressiv performance on the pitch.
The next big blow this week was that central back Max left to Augsburg and allow Coach Kauczinski not to make some changes in defensive row. He wants to move Max from right to the left and let Kempe play on the right for him as with Trust, Bader and Valentini are three central back players are not available due to injuries. Of course, Kempe is set to play but he must replace Max now and this is not much easy at the moment with less alternatives. He has to search in his squad for some options. He has to in mind with Stoll and Dehm. The first has played already in Fürth but he is a solid worker in defensive but has not actions in offensive what help not much for the offensive play. The second one is an absolutely newcomer and he gives his debut if he is in the starting lineup. Not as easy as expected for the Coach.
All the other positions maybe remain the same in a 4-4-2 system but after the break in Fürth they changed to 4-2-3-1 what was the preferred one last Season. Of course Peitz can be an option for Krebs in central midfield but this would be the much more defensive tactic what is not welcome at home in their stadium. They have also good news because MID Yamada is back in team training and can be an option on bench right now. The other talents with Köpke and Mehlem are slight injured and it is not really out if they are on bench or not.

The team from Hamburg remember very well the last match in Karlsruher where they has not chance and lost in the end 0-3. It was very easy for KSC to overcome Pauli with their fast and excellent counter attacks. This time Pauli is aware of this situation and they have to find some instruments against this play. Coach Lienen said that they want to play a good game with attractive soccer but they have to build a compact team which are able to stop this fast actions from KSC. The word is compactness what they want to be today to hurt a chipped KSC team.
Lienen has to plan without Miyaichi who is long term injured and Buchtmann who has still some lag. But with Kalla returns a fighter into the squad and he should be ready as he played already 18 minutes against Bielefeld. But it is very open if he move into the starting lineup as with Nehrig they had a solid guy on the wing and he made his job very well. But he can changes a bit in midfield where Nehrig can replace Rzatkowski for a more defensive minded lineup and allow Kalla to start on the back wing then. The next option can be Kalla for Sobota in right midfield because Sobota had not his best day and produced an awful performance.

TSV 1860 München - SC Freiburg

After their 0-1 defeat in Heidenheim and the big trouble again Sport Manager Poschner decide to leave 1860 Munich. He worked only under observation and a decision of him was planed in September / October but the pressure was to high now that he quiet. Not the best sign for 1860 above all after such a bad last season. The problems are there already and they have to look forward and turn things around immediately otherwise it would be the next difficult Season for them. With SC Freiburg they face a team who was relegated from 1.Bundesliga but they showed their strength already last monday with a 6-3 win over Nürnberg. This team has a lot of ambitions this Season although they lost a lot of players but they could build a new and strong team. Nevertheless 1860 must look for Points here, they are under pressure already.

The preparation to this game was not very important above all in their press conference all are asking about Poschner and no one has questions for this game what makes Coach Fröhling very angry. He said that the situation is not the best but they have to deal with it and must invest all their possible energy in this game. The players are thinking to much in the past days and he hopes that they have their heads free and play relaxed and without any fear to be a hard opponent for Freiburg in their stadium.
Personell are not many changes expected, only if both Okotie and Adlung can play. Both are slight injured and they must wait if they are ready. If both can play, all will be the same as in Heidenheim, if not they have with Hain, Wolf and Vollmann three players in hand who can take the positions. In defensive he has with Bülow and Rodnei also two guys on bench who should have the quality to start for 1860. Bülow can be an option in midfield too, he has showed his skills there and could be a really stabilizer there. With Stahl and Lacazette were two guys missed in the squad for today, but it is not out why.
Independent form squad they have to improve a lot above all their offensive play. This was almost nothing in Heidenheim and they are more as harmless. They created almost nothing and in second half they defend only. This is to less for 2.Bundesliga and ends in a disaster. Most of the players are too fearful and they have no self confidence what is needed to win matches.

After an average pre-season, where Freiburg was not able to get rolling above all in offensive they showed a different face last monday with an excellent 6-3 win against Nürnberg. The offensive actions were very fast and they could overcome Nürnberg easily. If they have the same power today it would be very hard for 1860 to stop them. The combination style was very acceptable and all their players are very quick and in drive as well. But after they were up 4-0 they stopped a bit playing and Nürnberg was able for a comeback to 3-4. This showed that Freiburg has also some weakness in defensive and if you play in such a close league you never should give less then 100% the whole match.
Coach Streich mentioned it already, the win was good but they have still a lot of work. His new build team need some time till they get all their power on the pitch over 90 minutes. But the basis is there and they can work on it from week to week to get better and better. All 3 offensive guys, Grifo, Petersen and Philipp has to continue and confirm their good performance from monday again. Compared to the game on monday, there are no changes expected. The alternatives are less anyway because with Kempf, Kübler and Möller-Daehli they miss 3 guys injured anyway.

VfL Bochum - MSV Duisburg

On Round 2 we have the first West Duel between Bochum and Duisburg. Both towns not far away from each other and maybe can lead into a full stadium today. This is the second match between these two clubs in short time because some weeks ago VfL Bochum played a test friendly in Duisburg and won there 2-1. With this result they would be very pleased again of course. With a win they are up with 6 Points out of 2 matches what is an excellent start anyway then. On the other side MSV had not the best start and got a hard defeat at home against Kaiserslautern to begin. They were not really able to beat Lautern, above all the first 30 Minutes they were far from good and lost the game in this sequence. They have to do much better today if they do not want to sit on the bottom from beginning on.

The start from Bochum was good and they confirmed their pre-season performance. With a 1-0 win against relegated Paderborn who was aiming for more to begin they started very well. Coach Verbeek was very pleased with his team and the performance they brought on the pitch on the first game. He sees that his system is working more and more now but he said also that they have to play constant in the future. We can expect the same lineup who started in Paderborn. It was only one question mark behind central defender Fabian who got injured in the last minutes and was out in Paderborn. But he is back in team training and can play after his head injury. But nevertheless they have some players in hand of course. For Fabian came Simunek and he made his job very well. Also under the week they played a test friendly against Bamberg 3-0, here could convince Nando Rafael with two goals.
The next good option is Weis in midfield but he returns after slight injury and is on bench first. He can play a lot of positions in midfield what makes him such important for Coach Verbeek's squad.

It was a hard start for MSV after returning to 2.Bundesliga after some time. Coach Lettieri was searching for all the positive things they have done in the match against Kaiserslautern. They have to think positive and try to do better this time. In an interview he said that they had 9-6 shots on target and 5-0 corners but the end result was 1-3. This was maybe because of too many individual mistakes in team and his players. In this interview he was very positive and this give us a small view about the starting lineup for today. There are not many changes, he gives his team a match to recover. Maybe it is also due to less alternatives right now. With Hahri they miss still an important player while new singing Holland is not ready yet but sit on bench. This means that Dausch and Albutat plays again in front of the defensive row. In central defensive we have Bomheuer and Bajic but they must improve a lot compared to the last game.
In offense we have Broker who plays for sure while replaced Grote has to fight for his place. If Grote is out of the starting lineup Janjic can move to the wing but he has his best games in the middle and is much more dangerous there. Up front Iljucenko can play beside Onuegbu what means a much more offensive minded lineup with two attackers. Therefore it is a bit doubtful if Lettieri makes changes.