Stung in their midweek Champions League fixtures in Spain, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund face tricky away fixtures as they return to the Bundesliga this weekend.
Leading 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu with half an hour remaining in a rematch of last season’s Champions League final, Dortmund crumbled to lose 5-2 against a Vinicius-inspired Real Madrid.
Harry Kane scored a spectacular opener for Bayern but they slumped to a 4-1 defeat in Barcelona as coach Hansi Flick masterminded a dominant win against his former side, who have now lost two from three in the Champions League.
Like his Brazil teammate Vinicius Junior in the Dortmund match, Barcelona’s Raphinha also scored a hat-trick as Flick’s side poked holes in Bayern’s shaky defence.
On paper, Bayern travelling to last-placed Bochum should be a walk in the park for Vincent Kompany’s league leaders — but that has rarely been the case in recent years.
A perennial Bundesliga struggler from Germany’s industrial west, Bochum have outclassed Bayern in two of their past three home fixtures.
Last season, a 3-2 win proved the final straw in Thomas Tuchel’s tenure.
In 2022, a 4-2 Bochum victory — where the hosts scored three goals in six first-half minutes — shocked Julian Nagelsmann’s heavily favoured Bavarians.
Matches between the sides have swung dramatically, however.
Those two results came either side of a 7-0 thrashing handed out by the Bavarians — one of three matches with that scoreline in Bayern’s favour in the sides’ past six clashes.
While Bayern remain unbeaten in the league, Dortmund have stumbled domestically this season. leaving them sitting seventh with four wins, one draw and two losses from seven games.
They have won five from five at home but are yet to win away from home in the league this season.
Augsburg find themselves at the other end of the table but have lost just one home match. Their record at home against Dortmund is also strong, with one win, two draws and one loss in their past four fixtures.
Second to Bayern on goal difference, RB Leipzig host Freiburg on Saturday, who sit third after a strong start to the season.
Elsewhere, reigning champions Bayer Leverkusen travel to Werder Bremen on Saturday needing a win to avoid the three teams above them from opening up a bigger gap, while fifth-placed Union Berlin host sixth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.
One to watch: Lois Openda (RB Leipzig)
RB Leipzig striker Lois Openda has been a quiet contributor in his unbeaten side’s rise to the summit of the Bundesliga this season.
Sometimes overshadowed by the big personalities of Benjamin Sesko and Xavi Simons, Openda has four goals and an assist in seven league games.
Few players look like they have more fun on the pitch than the carefree Openda.
The Belgian told AFP and other media on Tuesday: “I just try and enjoy myself and to go out and play like I did when I was young.”
Now in their ninth season in the top division, two-time German Cup winners Leipzig — who have kept six clean sheets in seven games — have a balanced side capable of breaking through for a maiden league title.
“In the Bundesliga, what we are doing now is showing we are strong together — and we know what we want to do this season.
“That’s why we are top of the table and we want to stay there. We will continue to work and see what happens next.”
Key stats
18 – RB Leipzig are unbeaten in 18 league games dating back to February 2024 — a club record.
13 – Eintracht Frankfurt’s Omar Marmoush has nine goals and four assists in just seven league games.
Two – Holstein Kiel and Bochum are the only two sides yet to record a win this season.
Fixtures (1330 GMT unless stated)
Friday
Mainz v Borussia Moenchengladbach (1830)
Saturday
RB Leipzig v Freiburg, Augsburg v Borussia Dortmund, St Pauli v Wolfsburg, Stuttgart v Holstein Kiel, Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (1630)
Sunday
Bochum v Bayern Munich, Union Berlin v Eintracht Frankfurt (1730), Heidenheim v Hoffenheim (1930)