Bundesliga Roundup, Matchday 2
Matchday 2 of the 2024/25 Bundesliga season featured exciting matches and impressive performances. Here’s a recap of the weekend’s games.
Union Berlin 1-0 St. Pauli
Benedict Hollerbach scored a stunning goal in the first half to secure a 1-0 win for Union Berlin against newly-promoted St. Pauli at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei. St. Pauli has not won a top-flight match since February 2011, recording one draw and 13 losses, while they have been working their way out of the second division for the past ten years.
Werder Bremen 0-0 Dortmund
Werder Bremen secured a Bundesliga point with a 0-0 draw against Borussia Dortmund at the Weserstadion, breaking their five-match run of games where both teams scored. However, this result contributes to Werder Bremen’s disappointing record of only one win in their last 14 August matches. For Dortmund, the draw maintains their unbeaten start to the season, but Şahin will likely feel there is still work to be done if BVB hopes to regain their usual top-four position in the Bundesliga.
Stuttgart 3-3 Mainz
Maxim Leitsch secured a share of the points for FSV Mainz 05 in a thrilling 3-3 draw against VfB Stuttgart at the MHP Arena, scoring deep into stoppage time in the second half. This result keeps the hosts’ unbeaten streak at home in the league alive at 13 matches. Just when it seemed Mainz would head to the locker room with a well-deserved point, Leitsch made a crucial impact for the visitors by scoring with a precise diving header from close range.
Holstein Kiel 0-2 Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg earned their first points of the Bundesliga season by defeating Holstein Kiel 2-0 at the Holstein-Stadion. This victory continues their strong performance against newly promoted teams from last season, as they have now accumulated 13 points out of a possible 15 against them. The win helped the visitors regain momentum after their disappointing loss to Bayern Munich in their season opener. On the other hand, Holstein Kiel is finding it challenging to secure their place in the Bundesliga, having started the season with two consecutive losses.
Frankfurt 3-1 Hoffenheim
Eintracht Frankfurt snapped a five-match winless streak in the Bundesliga by defeating TSG Hoffenheim 3-1 at Deutsche Bank Park. This outcome puts both teams at three points after two matches, but the victory is particularly significant for Frankfurt as it helps them bounce back from a poor stretch that extended from the previous season.
Bochum 0-2 Monchengladbach
Franck Honorat and Tim Kleindienst proved to be a formidable pair for Borussia Mönchengladbach, extending their strong head-to-head record against VfL Bochum to eight unbeaten matches out of the last nine. Mönchengladbach maintained their dominance in the game and secured the victory with 15 minutes remaining. This time, Kleindienst assisted Honorat, mirroring the first goal, but this time Honorat finished by tapping the ball in with his feet right on the line.
Bayer Leverkusen 2-3 RB Leipzig
Bayer Leverkusen’s impressive unbeaten streak since the 2023/24 Bundesliga came to an end as they suffered a 3-2 defeat to RB Leipzig, thanks to a remarkable comeback led by Loïs Openda. The loss marked the end of Leverkusen’s historic 35-match unbeaten run in the league. Despite Leverkusen’s reputation for late-game heroics last season, where they scored 18 goals in the final minutes, they were unable to find an equalizer this time. As a result, they fell short of matching Hamburg’s second-best unbeaten streak of 36 matches from 1983. Meanwhile, Leipzig has extended their own unbeaten streak to 13 matches.
Heidenheim 4-0 Augsburg
Heidenheim reached the top of the Bundesliga for the first time ever after a 4-0 victory against Augsburg at Voith-Arena. Under Frank Schmidt’s leadership, the team has achieved five consecutive wins in all competitions for the 2024/25 season. This match marked Heidenheim’s largest win in Bundesliga history, while Augsburg will be looking for ways to break their seven-game winless streak during the international break before facing St. Pauli at home.
Bayern Munich 2-0 Freiburg
Thomas Müller set a new record for the most appearances for his club by coming off the bench to score in their 2-0 victory over SC Freiburg. This win marked Bayern’s impressive streak of 22 victories in their last 26 competitive matches against Freiburg. The result maintained Bayern’s unbeaten home league record against the Breisgau-Brasilianer, while Freiburg’s strong performance ultimately fell short in a challenging match for their new coach, Julian Schuster.
