Bundesliga Match Day 2: Preview and Forecast
Bayer Leverkusen did not get off to the start it had hoped for as it was surprisingly stifled by Borussia Monchengladbach last week. Meanwhile, Wolfsburg, a team that not many had high hopes for, upended Schalke.
Two teams, apparently headed in different directions, got off to the exact opposite of starts than what they were supposed to. This week, though, things should get back to normal.
Die Werkself has too much offensive talent to be held down for long. One piece of that talented machine is Kai Havertz. Havertz has had a big week to be sure. The 19-year old was named to the German national team for its upcoming slate of games with France and Peru. A dynamic attacker, Havertz is one of the next generation of German stars, who should (?) lay the foundation for Die Mannschaft to get back to where it belongs among the world powers of soccer.
Havertz could use a big effort this week to help justify his place on the squad before the naysayers start to cast doubt on the youngster and while putting the pressure to perform on any scorer can back fire, this could be a game where Havertz shows his mettle individually and in helping the team avoid an embarrassing start.
Wolfsburg, meanwhile, would LOVE to get off to a 2-0 start. The Wolves are one of the teams that many (including me!) expect to be lingering at the bottom of the table, but Leverkusen will show up to play and crush any hopes Wolfsburg has for a drea start to its season.
Prediction: Bayer Leverkusen 3, Wolfsburg 1.
Borussia Dortmund 3, Hannover 96 1: I'm not going to lie...I like this Dortmund team. I think they have exceptional offensive potential. I think they should be one of the more fun teams to watch this season. I also like Hannover. I think they are just scrappy as hell and love to make life terrible for mostly any team in front of them. In this game, though, Hannover is likely going to have a difficult slowing down the likes of Marco Reus, Christian Pulisic, and Axel Witsel. For Pulisic, this season is his chance to put his skill on full display. He's likely going to the Premier League one way or the other after this season, but he might as well go all out and show how dangerous he can be. There's no reason to hold back. If he does that - and shows just how much of a force he can be - BVB could reach some pretty lofty heights given Reus is about as consistent and productive as they come in the league. Regardless, Dortmund wins this one in a game closer than the score will indicate.
Hoffenheim 2, SC Freiburg 1: Hoffenheim tried to (literally at times) drag Bayern down into the muck last week in a match where it knew it would have to try and rough Die Roten up to win. The tactic, while intelligent, did not yield the desired results. Die Kraichgauer are still likely to be missing Andrej Kramaric, which won't help, but Hoffenheim will be able to play a little more freely without Bayern on the pitch and less the like the game is being played in the prison yard. Freiburg on the other hand, may need to take a page out of Julian Nagelsmann's book and try to rough Hoffenheim up a bit to slow them down. Breisgau-Brasilianer needs to show some life this week in a tough spot, but Hoffenheim is no easy draw. Christian Streich will absolutely need a superb effort from Nils Petersen to help carry what could be a desperate Freiburg squad.
FC Nürnberg 2, Mainz 1: It's true that Mainz is coming off a very solid win over VfB Stuttgart last week and probably should be the slight favorite over the newly promoted FC Nürnberg side. It's just one of those game, however, where Mainz could just show up and play like Mainz. I can't even really quantify any good reasons to pick Der Club, but that's exactly what I am going to do. They have to get that first 'W' at some point right ( I have NO doubt I am wrong...my hunches are crap).
FC Augsburg 3, Borussia Monchengladbach 2: So, these are two of the more interesting teams in the league this season and it is terrific that they will match up this week. This one should be fun. Both squads won last week and feature dangerous attacking players, but the feeling here is that FCA will be able to pull this one out, even without one of its top weapons, Alfred Finnbogason (knee). M'Gladbach is maddening to follow at times and traditionally this is a week where I pick them and they let me down...so there! Maybe I am getting smarter? (Doubtful).
Eintracht Frankfurt 2, Werder Bremen 1: Die Adler should be rounding into form now that the adjustment period to new coach Adi Hutter is deep into the transformation stage of the transition. Frankfurt has talent and it should be enough to offset Werder Bremen's persistence in this tilt. Look for the Eintracht Frankfurt offense to play with more and more confidence each week.
Bayern Munich 4, VfB Stuttgart 0: Yeah, so this one is a bit of a revenge game for Bayern and we would expect Die Roten to come out swinging in this game. Stuttgart hammered Bayern 4-1 in the final meeting between the teams last season and started to lay down the framework for a very disappointing end to the Jupp Heynckes Era in Bavaria. Stuttgart still has weapons, but expect a motivated Bayern side to thrash Die Schwaben. With Thomas Muller looking as dangerous as ever and a cast of talent on the roster, Niko Kovac will have plenty of options to throw at Stuttgart.
RB Leipzig 3, Fortuna Düsseldorf 1: After getting its doors blown off by Dortmund last week in an ugly 4-1 loss, Leipzig barely survived its Europa League qualifying against FC Zorya Luhansk. There is something going on with Die Roten Bullen that isn't good aside of its recent uneven performances. The team has spent much of the last season drifting between a malaise and looking completely indifferent to the game going on around it. This really shouldn't be a statement game, but it is...which is a bit sad for a young and talented team. A loss here would actually prove a lot of people correct, who feel that Leipzig is just not mature enough of a roster to compete consistently on a weekly basis. Regardless, we are expecting Timo Werner, Emil Forsberg, and the rest of the roster to ensure Die Roten Bullen doesn't stumble once again.
Schalke 04 2, Hertha Berlin 0: Die Königsblauen were upset by Wolfsburg last week, but we expect Schalke to shake that off and take of business over Hertha Berlin this week. Domenico Tedesco will have an interesting choice on whether or not to use Sebastian Rudy this week. Rudy should be a stabilizing force for Schalke and bolster the hopes of Die Königsblauen as it prepares for both the Bundesliga and Champions League. Hertha, meanwhile, ousted FC Nürnberg, but will have trouble finding the same success against Schalke. Expect Mark Uth to get involved this week.
Last week's record: 6-3 Season record: 6-3
Note: Predicted ties count as a win if correct and as a loss if there is a winner; conversely if a game is predicted to have a winner but ends in a tie, it will count as a loss.
Random Entertainment Thought
I am a bit unnerved by the Twitter accounts of deceased stars. I don't follow many, but one singer who I was a fan of died last year and his Twitter account is still rolling along. Inevitably, every time this account tweets anything, the replies are filled with "I thought you were dead?" or "This is weird, please stop." I have to say, I am onboard with that line of thinking. I also end up thinking to myself (Wait is he dead? Did I mess this up?). Totally stricken with self doubt about such matters.
Following that up, I would throw out a recommendation for an album you have likely never heard of, by an artist who is not dead that came out in 1998 (20 years ago!). Boo-Tay by Bare Jr. is a tremendous piece of work that really was overshadowed at the time. If you are ever looking for a gem you might have missed, music-wise; give it a listen. It's equally parts rock, with some elements of southern rock, and alternative built in, while adding a slight bit of a post-modern type of country. Admittedly, I don't listen to country music, so this tells you I am in on this!
Enjoy the games!
