A defining figure in the Leipzig game is simply not gaining momentum, at BVB a leading player is only sitting on the bench in one of the most important games of the season and Fürth is already the new Tasmania. The Bundesliga theses for the 13th matchday.
The last few weeks at BVB could have dawned for Axel Witsel
One can argue that the game at VfL Wolfsburg was particularly important for Borussia Dortmund. Only three days after the embarrassing end at Sporting, a reaction was required and the prospect of first place in the league as well as the warm-up for the cracker against Bayern were enough of a challenge for a team that still does not seem completely stable.
Such games usually require routine and experience, both of which a player like Axel Witsel brings with him. But against Wolfsburg, the Belgian surprisingly only found himself on the bench. Coach Marco Rose relied on Mo Dahoud and Emre Can in defensive midfield instead. One flew off the pitch in the premier class, fueling the defeat and the end, the other has only been fully back in training for a few days and has almost no match practice after a week-long injury break.
Nevertheless, Rose broke his usual midfield axis completely and after the failure of Jude Bellingham also renounced the veteran Witsel. He was then allowed to play for another five minutes in a quasi-decisive game. “Dortmund has too few chiefs. They all think they are, but they are not,” said BVB icon Jürgen Kohler recently in the SPOX and GOAL interview about players like Witsel.
He is always associated with Juventus and maybe these speculations will pick up speed again in the coming weeks.
Greuther Fürth is already the new Tasmania
The opportunity could not have been better: Fürth was still without a win of the season before the match day, wanted to break through its series of defeats and finally take the first victory in the 23rd home game in the Bundesliga. Who could have fit better as an opponent than TSG Hoffenheim? They are a big surprise bag this season and regularly line up a bad performance after a good one. Most recently, Hoffenheim had played the highly traded Leipzig into the ground, a drop in performance in Fürth would not have been a big surprise.
And because it was Hoffenheim last season that involuntarily stopped the Schalke negative run of 30 league games in a row without a win and then lost 4-0 to the bottom of the table, the hopes of Fürth were actually not entirely unfounded. The promoted team even managed to score three goals of their own, as many as only once before in their league history – including against Hoffenheim, of course. However, the six goals conceded were a set record and the 3: 6 was now the eleventh Bundesliga defeat in a row. Fürth has already broken this age-old record from Tasmania.
And if things continue like this, Fürth will replace Tasmania’s “record” at the end of the season: 56 years ago, the Berlin team had the equivalent of ten season points (two wins, four draws) and are the worst team in league history. Fürth is currently well below the average and even if coach Stefan Leitl says that pity is not appropriate: At the moment there is little evidence that Fürth is not cracking the record as well.
Angelino’s form also responsible for another RB problem
Last season it was very simple: Whenever Angelino had the ball, something extraordinary happened the next moment, a dribble, a precise cross, a deep shot on goal. The Spaniard was the best player in the league on the left wing with Bayern’s Alphonso Davies, generally reliable on the defensive and an absolute weapon with the ball. This season, however, Angelino just doesn’t want to go really well, which is why he stands as a symbol for the changeable season of Leipzig, riddled with many disappointments.
After 13 games Angelino’s record is extremely meager, only one assist and no own hit are noted. At the same time last season Angelino had already collected four goals and two assists. Against Leverkusen it was like so often in this season: Angelino was clearly trying, often called for the ball – but didn’t know what to do with it. Of eleven crosses only two arrived, a total of 24 ball losses on the offensive were by far the most of all players on the field.
And at Florian Wirtz’s opening goal, Angelino didn’t look good despite the briefly better position on the ball. Actually, it should go something like this in Leipzig: Angelino cross, Silva header, goal. But because Angelino can’t deliver, Silva remains a shadow of himself. And then that’s two big problems at once.
1. FC Köln: Schwabe could take over from Timo Horn
In the hustle and bustle of the brilliant derby victory over Gladbach, Marvin Schwänke’s Cologne Bundesliga debut was almost completely lost. Of course, the four different goalscorers were the celebrated heroes, coach Steffen Baumgart’s extroverted cheers made the headlines. The silent hero was definitely Cologne’s substitute keeper.
Schwabe defused five partly top-class Gladbach chances, who kept calm even in the hectic moments and was a strong support for his team. His opponent Timo Horn will no longer play this calendar year due to a knee injury, so Schwänke now has enough probation opportunities in the league and it will be exciting to see how Baumgart decides on the goalkeeper question as soon as Horn is fit again.
In the last few weeks before his injury, the coach attested that he was in better and more consistent form, but Horn has not been untouchable in Cologne for a long time.
Milos Pantovic is the magic foot of the league
Milos Pantovic once said that he could do better at Bayern. A few years ago Pep Guardiola brought him back to the pros, Pantovic was still a youth player at the time and helped out with the second team a few times. At some point Guardiola lost sight of the player and because the Munich-born player couldn’t go on with the second team either, Pantovic changed clubs after eight years with Bayern.
At VfL Bochum, the 25-year-old was overshadowed by Robert Zulj for a long time. He shot Bochum back into the Bundesliga in the summer, but then preferred a move to the United Arab Emirates over the adventure of the Bundesliga, thus clearing the way for Pantovic. Because apparently he has now taken on the part for the special moments at VfL.
The 66-meter goal against Hoffenheim with his left foot was now followed by a 45-meter goal against Freiburg with his right foot. Every single game on Castroper Straße is a festival day with old Bundesliga flair and Milos Pantovic is currently responsible for the great football spectacle.
