Week 1 Bundesliga Roundup: All the news from the opening week of the 2021/2022 Bundesliga campaign

Borussia Monchengladbach hold champions Bayern Munich to a draw at Borussia-Park

The Bundesliga finally got back underway and we had some interesting fixtures to feast on. Borussia Monchengladbach and Bayern Munich opened the campaign with an entertaining 1-1 draw at Borussia Park. Die Fohlen started smartly and took the lead within the first 10 minutes through Alassane Plea. Bayern Munich regained their confidence and scored through their talisman Robert Lewandowski. Bayern pushed for the winner and Gladbach sought for counterattacks (especially through substitute Marcus Thuram) but it ended in a draw. An entertaining affair. Julian Nagelsmann is yet to taste victory with his new side but Adi Hütter will be happy with his side’s showing.

Borussia Dortmund humble Eintracht Frankfurt at Signal Iduna Park

BVB beat Eintracht Frankfurt 5-2. Marco Rose’s team was rampant and aggressive. Erling Haaland was brilliant again, scoring 2 and assisting 2. Captain Marco Reus gave BVB the lead in the 23rd minute but then Felix Passlack gave Die Adler a way back into the game when he scored an own goal. Thorgan Hazard and Erling Haaland scored in quick succession to stamp out any notion of a comeback. Giovanni Reyna scored in the second half and Erling Haaland completed his double to give Dortmund a commanding lead. New boy Jens Petter Hauge scored a consolation goal from a setpiece.

Rose’s side is off to the perfect start but Oliver Glasner will need to return to the drawing board. Eintracht exited the DFB-Pokal following a 2-0 loss to SV Waldhof Mannheim and now they have lost their opening Bundesliga fixture.

Mainz shock RB Leipzig at the MEWA Arena

The shock of the weekend had to be Bo Svensson’s Mainz 05 getting the better of Jesse Marsch’s Leipzig. At some point last season, Mainz looked set for relegation. They were even sitting level on points with the abysmal Schalke before Bo Svensson arrived and masterminded their escape. Their squad was hit with a Covid-19 outbreak last week as 11 of their players are currently in quarantine.

They began the new season in the best possible way with a win over title contenders Leipzig. Moussa Niakhate capitalized on a horrendous error from Nordi Mukiele to score. Summer signing Andre Silva had good efforts saved by Robin Zentner and then central defender Alexander Hack put in a fantastic block to deny Mukiele whose shot looked destined for goal. Mainz defended, blocked, and repelled everything Die Roten Bullen threw at them to seal the victory.

New season same old Hertha Berlin

FC Köln beat Hertha Berlin 3-1. Every season, the team from the German capital raises hopes and then dashes them with sub-par performances. Their new signing Stevan Jovetic gave them the lead, becoming the second player to score at least a goal in all the top 5 leagues. The Billy Goats pulled one back through Anthony Modeste before halftime and Florian Kainz scored twice in the space of three second-half minutes to secure the victory for Köln.

Stuttgart trounce newcomers Greuther Fürth

Left wing-back Borna Sosa assisted 3 goals as Stuttgart swatted the newcomers Greuther Fürth. New club captain Wataru Endo gave Stuttgart the lead on the half-hour mark. Substitute Philipp Klement doubled the lead six minutes later. Hamadi Al Ghaddioui scored between a Marc-Oliver Kempf second-half brace. It started even in the early minutes at the Mercedes-Benz Arena. Fürth had the better opening chances until Stuttgart turned up the heat. Pellegrino Matarazzo will be pleased with the result but be very unhappy as his team suffered two serious injuries in the tie. Greuther Fürth will have to work harder if they want to stay up in the league.

Hoffenheim trounce Augsburg at the Augsburg Arena

Last season Andrej Kramarić began the campaign with a hat-trick but this time, he provided a hat-trick of assists. He picked out Jacob Bruun Larsen at the back post for the first goal. The Croat combined with Sargis Adamyan in a neat 1-2 before the second goal. He sent Georginio Rutter through on goal before the 19-year-old rounded Rafal Gikiewicz to score. Rutter turned provider when he set the ball up for Sebastian Rudy to tap in. 4-0 it finished and apart from a Ruben Vargas effort in the early moments, there was nothing for Augsburg to be happy about as Sebastian Hoeneß’s side bossed the game from start to finish.

Wolfsburg defeat Bochum by a single goal

Mark Van Bommel’s side won their first game of the season and kept a clean sheet too. Ridle Baku hit the bar in the opening minutes and then Robert Tesche gave away a penalty a few moments later. Tesche was harshly dismissed in the 4th minute. Manuel Riemann saved Wout Weghorst’s penalty but could do nothing to stop the Dutchman when he controlled Kevin Mbabu’s long throw and fired home. Riemann saved two point-blank efforts from Weghorst to keep his side in it. It ended 1-0 but both sides gave a decent and honest account of themselves

Union Berlin and Bayer Leverkusen play out a draw

Last season’s surprise package Union Berlin held Bayer Leverkusen to a draw at the Stadion An Der Alten Försterei. Union captain Max Kruse set up last season’s loanee Taiwo Awoniyi who riffled his effort past Lukáš Hrádecký. The lead lasted only five minutes as Moussa Diaby sped through Union defenders before finishing. 1-1. Both sides had half-chances to win it but it stayed 1-1 till the end.

Arminia Bielefeld and Freiburg draw drab match

Arminia Bielefeld goalkeeper Stefan Ortega made a couple of stunning saves to keep out Freiburg who were the dominant side in the opening stage of the game. Masaya Okugawa then missed a glorious chance to give his side the lead as Dutch keeper Mark Flekken came to his side’s rescue. Lucas Höler was denied by another impeccable save from Ortega before halftime. Flekken denied Okugawa again early in the second half and then Ortega made another double save. The sides played out their first goalless draw.

That rounds up the weekend’s action.

On this note, we will like to say goodbye to Bundesliga legend and all-time great Gerd Müller. The goal machine died this weekend at the age of 75.  He scored an incredible 566 goals in 607 competitive appearances for Bayern and still holds the record for the most goals scored in the Bundesliga with 365, as well as being top scorer seven times. He scored 68 goals in 62 caps for the national team. Rest in peace Gerd.