There is a surprising look to the top half of the table as 1899 Hoffenheim prepare to face SC Paderborn on Saturday (15:30 CEST). In the other half, Borussia Dortmund, who have fallen away as title candidates, face Hannover 96. Tricky away matches face three clubs that are currently in crisis: Hamburger SV travel to Hertha BSC, VfB Stuttgart face Eintracht Frankfurt, whilst SC Freiburg play FC Augsburg. Saturday’s games are completed with a meeting between two teams in the Champions League: Bayer Leverkusen and Schalke 04 (18:30 CEST).
Before the season had even started, most people had newly promoted side SC Paderborn as their number one candidates for relegation. But two months into the season and the players and fans from Paderborn have proved everyone wrong. Paderborn already have twelve points after eight games and have eclipsed the number of points that Tasmania Berlin achieved in their terrible season of 1965/66, when they finished the season with only 10.
And not only that: Paderborn have had the best start for a newly promoted side in six years. André Breitenreiter’s team already have more points after eight games than both newly promoted teams had at the winter break last year (SpVgg Greuther Fürth had nine, whilst Eintracht Braunschweig had 11). They also have more points than they had last year at the same stage in the 2. Bundesliga (8).
“We are incredibly proud of what the boy put achieve week in, week out,” said SCP manager André Breitenreiter, who showed in their most recent 3-1 home win against Frankfurt that he has a knack for making the right substitutions as both Marvin Ducksch and strike partner Stefan Kutschke got on the scoresheet. With 13 goals scored, they have the third best attack in the league behind Bayern and Bayer Leverkusen, something that is very unusual for a newly promoted side.
Hoffenheim unbeaten at home in over six months
1899 Hoffenheim had more points as a newly promoted side six years ago, when they had 16 points after eight games. Hoffenheim have demonstrated that they’re very strong at home: they’re unbeaten there in over six months, with their last defeat coming in a 4-2 loss to Mainz on 15th March 2014.
Despite drawing five of their first eight games, Markus Gisdol’s side won the other three and currently sit in third place in the table. But they won’t underestimate Paderborn: “Paderborn have dispelled the myth that the newly promoted sides are the underdogs. It’s now clear that it was only a myth. The game on Saturday is a 6 pointer and we’ll have to put in a top performance.”
Dortmund looking to get back on track against Hannover
There is a surprising look to the top half of the table as 1899 Hoffenheim prepare to face SC Paderborn on Saturday (15:30 CEST). In the other half, Borussia Dortmund, who have fallen away as title candidates, face Hannover 96. Tricky away matches face three clubs that are currently in crisis: Hamburger SV travel to Hertha BSC, VfB Stuttgart face Eintracht Frankfurt, whilst SC Freiburg play FC Augsburg. Saturday’s games are completed with a meeting between two teams in the Champions League: Bayer Leverkusen and Schalke 04 (18:30 CEST).
Before the season had even started, most people had newly promoted side SC Paderborn as their number one candidates for relegation. But two months into the season and the players and fans from Paderborn have proved everyone wrong. Paderborn already have twelve points after eight games and have eclipsed the number of points that Tasmania Berlin achieved in their terrible season of 1965/66, when they finished the season with only 10.
And not only that: Paderborn have had the best start for a newly promoted side in six years. André Breitenreiter’s team already have more points after eight games than both newly promoted teams had at the winter break last year (SpVgg Greuther Fürth had nine, whilst Eintracht Braunschweig had 11). They also have more points than they had last year at the same stage in the 2. Bundesliga (8).
“We are incredibly proud of what the boy put achieve week in, week out,” said SCP manager André Breitenreiter, who showed in their most recent 3-1 home win against Frankfurt that he has a knack for making the right substitutions as both Marvin Ducksch and strike partner Stefan Kutschke got on the scoresheet. With 13 goals scored, they have the third best attack in the league behind Bayern and Bayer Leverkusen, something that is very unusual for a newly promoted side.
Hoffenheim unbeaten at home in over six months
1899 Hoffenheim had more points as a newly promoted side six years ago, when they had 16 points after eight games. Hoffenheim have demonstrated that they’re very strong at home: they’re unbeaten there in over six months, with their last defeat coming in a 4-2 loss to Mainz on 15th March 2014.
Despite drawing five of their first eight games, Markus Gisdol’s side won the other three and currently sit in third place in the table. But they won’t underestimate Paderborn: “Paderborn have dispelled the myth that the newly promoted sides are the underdogs. It’s now clear that it was only a myth. The game on Saturday is a 6 pointer and we’ll have to put in a top performance.”
Dortmund looking to get back on track against Hannover
Everyone expected that Borussia Dortmund would finish in the top three. But the situation is looking a lot different ahead of their game with Hannover 96. Their 2-1 in Köln was their fifth loss of the season and they have lost their last three games in a row for the first time since the beginning of 2010. They have also had their worst start to a Bundesliga season in 27 years.
But the chances of a second home win of the season for Dortmund aren’t bad as they prepare to face Hannover 96, especially considering that they’ve beaten the Niedersachsen club on the last five occasions at the Signal-Iduna-Park. 96 are a different team away from home and are manager Tayfun Korkut’s side are yet to score on the road this season, with only one point from a possible twelve. And it’s likely that there might not be many goals conceded on Saturday with Roman Weidenfeller and Ron-Robert Zieler between the posts as they were two of the Germany heroes from Brazil.
Numerous reunions in Berlin
Hertha BSC and Hamburger SV face each other in the Capital. Hertha have made their worst start for five years (eight points from eight games) whilst HSV have improved hugely since Josef Zinnbauer was installed as manager. Hertha have picked up seven of their eight points at home, but Hamburg’s last away trip saw them beat Dortmund.
Jos Luhukay will take control of his 100th Bundesliga match. The game is also special for Hertha players Änis Ben-Hatira, Sebastian Langkamp, Marcel Ndjeng and Per Skjelbred and Hamburg stars Jaroslaw Drobny, Gojko Kacar and Pierre-Michel Lasogga all of whom will be facing their former club.
Schaaf celebrates, Veh returns
Frankfurt manager Thomas Schaaf is set to take part in his 750th Bundesliga game. Schaaf, who played 262 Bundesliga matches for Bremen and is on the verge of his 488th game as a manager. So far this season his team have 3 wins, three draws and lose only two matches.
Schaaf faces his predecessor at Frankfurt: Armin Veh was Eintracht manager between July 2011 and June 2014, taking over while they were in the second division and leading them to promotion in 2012 and a sixth-place finish which saw them qualify for the Europa League. Before Veh took the helm, Stuttgart’s record against Frankfurt was questionable but they have lost just one of their last eight games against Eintracht.
Freiburg are looking for their first win
Like last season, Freiburg haven’t won in their opening eight matches. They picked up their first victory on matchday 11 last season; this weekend is matchday nine. They haven’t won any of their last 11 matches.
After two successive away defeats, Augsburg will be glad to return to the SGL Arena, where they have won their last two fixtures. Having said that Weinzierl’s team have only won one out of their last five matches. Tobias Werner sits out the game having picked up five yellow cards already this season.
Another Saturday evening match for S04
Schalke play their fourth Saturday evening match this weekend, this time away to Leverkusen. Schalke won both of the meetings between the sides last season. After beating Berlin 2-0 last time out, Schalke returned to the top half of the table.
Leverkusen won their first two games of the season but have only tasted victory once since. A Schalke victory in the match would see them move above Bayer 04 in the table. Sidney Sam will return to Leverkusen for the first time since his summer move to the Royal Blues. He is yet to score for them in eight appearances.
