Werder Bremen opened matchday 20 of the Bundesliga with a 1-0 win in opposition to Mainz. On Saturday afternoon, Bayern Munich beat Holstein Kiel 4-3, for the ultimate recreation of Mike Tullburg Borussia Dortmund beat 2-1 Heidenheim, Borussia Mönchengladbach beat VfB Stuttgart 2-1, St Pauli vs Augsburg resulted in a 1-1 draw and Freiburg beat Bochum 1-0.
Listed below are three issues we learnt:
The race for European locations will get even tighter:
Wins for Gladbach and Dortmund now imply the hole between tenth and fourth is simply three factors. It’s anybody’s guess as to who might probably make it into any of the European locations this season.
Gladbach continues on an upward development because of targets from Nathan Ngoumou and Tim Kleindienst. The Frenchman, regardless of hyperlinks to a departure this month, may very well be a superb asset for Gladbach as he provides much-needed tempo, which Die Fohlen significantly lacks of their assault, whereas Tim Kleindiesnt continues to make his case for the signing of the season. A return to any European will likely be an enormous step in the suitable route after a number of years within the Bundesliga wilderness. Dortmund will likely be hoping that the arrival of Niko Kovac as head coach will assist the staff flip a nook and they’re going to really look convincing as a staff as soon as once more (see under).
Elsewhere, after the everlasting signing of Xavi Simons, Leipzig may also hope that they’ll qualify for the Champions League and improve their possibilities of protecting him past this season. Whereas Stuttgart are simply in an odd place in the intervening time, they lack consistency however now that they’re out of Europe they’ve an opportunity to construct some type of consistency, first with a DFB Pokal tie in opposition to Augsburg in midweek.
What is evident is that there’ll doubtless be both some huge shock inclusions within the German delegation for European competitors subsequent season and a few regulars will miss out or will probably be the identical groups as at all times.
Bayern Munich lack ruthlessness:
Inside 55 minutes it regarded as if Bayern have been going to comfortably beat Kiel on the Allianz Enviornment as they led the guests 4-0. Nonetheless, Kiel have been in a position to slowly mount an unlikely comeback to make it 4-3 however their comeback was left too late and so they weren’t in a position to salvage a degree.
What this confirmed is after trying like they knew methods to kill video games off in opposition to Freiburg subsequent week, they appeared to neglect all that at the moment. Bayern are missing ruthlessness of their recreation administration of realizing when to sluggish play down and permit the sport to run its course. This was greatest seen after Kiel had scored their third and have been attempting for a fourth, Bayern instantly tried to attain a fifth as a substitute of working the ball to the nook.
Bayern additionally lack this ruthlessness in entrance of aim. They as soon as once more might have scored a boatload of targets, if it weren’t for Kiel keeper Timon Weiner however they don’t have attackers who’re cold-blooded in how they play, they continuously really feel the necessity to search for the simple likelihood to attain, whether or not that be a cutback, and many others. As an alternative, they’ve Harry Kane.
If Bayern can not discover this trait, the truth that they allowed Kiel to attain three in opposition to them at house ought to be a warning signal that in opposition to higher groups the injury may very well be so much worse.
Borussia Dortmund exhibits Niko Kovac what’s in retailer for him:
For the primary time shortly, Dortmund received a recreation considerably convincingly. Granted, the win was in opposition to a struggling Heidenheim facet and so they conceded a aim straight from kick-off, however there have been positives to remove from the sport.
They created loads of first rate possibilities and have been robust defensively. The efficiency was so much higher than no matter they produced in opposition to Bremen final weekend and in opposition to Shakhtar Donestk in midweek (Cue requires Mike Tullburg to be made supervisor when Kovac is finally fired in the summertime).
When Kovac takes over tomorrow, the goal will in all probability attempt to play an analogous model to how he received the DFB Pokal with Eintracht Frankfurt, which is a robust defensive facet who’re excellent on the counter, this may be potential with Dortmund as they’ve the suitable personnel to be deadly on the counter. If Kovac could make Dortmund a troublesome facet to interrupt down and beat (one thing nobody has achieved for some time), that will likely be a step in the suitable route and no less than one of many many issues on the Sign Iduna Park can be solved.
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