Bundesliga Roundup, Matchday 3
Matchday 3 of the 2024/25 Bundesliga season showcased thrilling matches and remarkable displays. Here’s a summary of the weekend’s action.
Dortmund 4-2 Heidenheim
Borussia Dortmund secured a 4-2 victory against Frank Schmidt’s Heidenheim, highlighted by two goals and an assist from Karim Adeyemi. This win marks an impressive 37-match unbeaten streak for Dortmund in home league games played on Fridays, dating back to 2004. Heidenheim experienced only their second loss in 12 away Bundesliga matches, but they are set for an exciting season at the Voith-Arena, as they prepare for European football for the first time in their history.
Wolfsburg 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt
Omar Marmoush’s two goals secured a victory for Eintracht Frankfurt, giving them three points for the second consecutive Bundesliga match, while Ralph Hasenhüttl’s VfL Wolfsburg fell back into defeat with a 2-1 loss at the Volkswagen Arena. Marmoush’s goals marked Frankfurt’s first away league win in six attempts, and it was Wolfsburg’s first home loss to Frankfurt since 2020. Wolfsburg’s performance at the Volkswagen Arena is becoming worrisome, as they have not won there in six out of their last eight top-flight matches.
RB Leipzig 0-0 Union Berlin
Loïs Openda regretted missing his second penalty in three matches for both his club and national team, as RB Leipzig’s flawless start to the Bundesliga came to an end with a scoreless draw against a determined Union Berlin team. Thanks to Rønnow’s save, the two teams ended up with their first-ever head-to-head draw in the Bundesliga, keeping both teams unbeaten in the league this season. Die Roten Bullen will be looking to get back to winning form when they head to Madrid for their Champions League match against Atlético Madrid on Thursday.
Hoffenheim 1-4 Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen bounced back from their 3-2 defeat to RB Leipzig in the second week of the Bundesliga, securing a convincing 4-1 victory over Hoffenheim at the PreZero Arena in Sinsheim, largely thanks to Victor Boniface’s two goals and an assist. This performance highlighted Leverkusen’s lethal counter-attacking skills, and with this win, they have scored at least two goals in nine of their last 11 away league matches. However, Hoffenheim has now gone 22 Bundesliga home games without a clean sheet.
Freiburg 2-1 Bochum
Junior Adamu scored two goals in the second half, leading Freiburg to a 2-1 comeback win over Bochum 1848 in the Bundesliga, marking their sixth consecutive victory in head-to-head matchups. Freiburg maintained their dominance to secure the win and have not lost to Bochum at the Europa-Park Stadion in their last nine top-tier encounters (6 wins, 3 draws). Meanwhile, Bochum has now found themselves at the bottom of the Bundesliga standings, as Peter Zeidler’s team continues to search for their first win of the 2024/25 season.
Monchengladbach 1-3 Stuttgart
VfB Stuttgart secured their first victory of the Bundesliga season by defeating Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-1 at Borussia-Park, marking their sixth win in 11 encounters against them. Gladbach struggled to score and has now gone seven home league matches without a win, causing Gerardo Seoane’s team to fall to 13th place. Meanwhile, Stuttgart celebrates their first win of the season as they gear up for their upcoming UEFA Champions League match against reigning European champions Real Madrid.
Holstein Kiel 1-6 Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich easily defeated Bundesliga newcomers Holstein Kiel 6-1. Kiel did manage to find a silver lining when Armin Gigović headed Tymoteusz Puchacz’s cross into the bottom corner, despite Manuel Neuer’s efforts to save it. This moment was a small victory for Die Störche as they continue to seek their first Bundesliga point. However, there was still time for Kane to increase his score, winning a penalty from Carl Johansson and skillfully converting it for a hat-trick, helping Bayern maintain their perfect record and rise to the top of the Bundesliga standings.
Augsburg 3-1 St Pauli
Augsburg team held off a late surge from newly-promoted St Pauli to achieve their first Bundesliga victory of the season, winning 3-1 at the WWK Arena. The win was sealed with a third goal from Yusuf Kabadayi, who slipped past a weakened St Pauli defense and scored under goalkeeper Vasilj. This victory ends a streak of seven matches without a win for the Bavarian side, allowing them to escape the relegation zone at St Pauli’s expense.
Mainz 1-2 Werder Bremen
Werder Bremen handed Mainz 05 their first home loss since Bo Henriksen became manager in February, winning 2-1 with a late goal from substitute and debutant Derrick Köhn, even after being down to ten players. This outcome is a significant letdown for Mainz, especially considering the situation, as their 11-match unbeaten streak dating back to last season has now ended in front of their home crowd.
