DFB-Pokal champions Borussia Dortmund started the new Bundesliga season with a 3-0 win over VfL Wolfsburg and have gone top of the table, at least for the time being. On Matchday 1, Hertha BSC began with a 2-0 win over newly-promoted VfB Stuttgart and Hamburger SV made a winning start, edging out FC Augsburg 1-0. Hannover 96 made a successful return to life in the Bundesliga, taking three points against FSV Mainz 05, coming out 1-0 winners. TSG 1899 Hoffenheim won a tightly-fought game against Werder Bremen 1-0 with a winner in the latter stages of the game.
30,000 people in Wolfsburg’s sold out Volkswagen Arena saw world champion Mario Götze make his first start since overcoming a metabolic disease. He duly provided the pass for Christian Pulisic to put Dortmund into the lead in the 22nd minute. Marc Bartra made it 2-0 minutes later with a fine finish from a tight angle. Then last season’s golden boot winner Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang put the game to bed with his first goal of the season in the 60th minute.
Leckie’s brace gives Hertha an opening day win to celebrate
After a goalless first half, Hertha started the second half with a bang: Matthew Leckie shot from the right in the 46th minute, leaving no chance for Ron-Robert Zieler in the Stuttgart goal. The Australian scored his and Hertha’s second in the 62nd minute with a short-range effort after a corner was poorly cleared.
HSV took the three points through a goal in the eighth minute by Nicolai Müller, who beat Augsburg’s goalkeeper Marwin Hitz at his near post with a well-struck volley. The player, who has won two caps for the Germany national team, injured his knee whilst celebrating his goal however and had to be substituted.
Harnik fires Hannover to victory
Hoffenheim looked like they had taken the lead against Werder in the 60th minute but the deflected shot by Confederations Cup winner Kerem Demirbay cannoned off the crossbar, onto the goal-line and away from goal. This was confirmed by the goal-line technology. The team from Kraichgau had a bit more luck in the 84th minute however as a shot from Andrej Kramaric deflected off Robert Bauer and wrong-footed Pavlenka in the Werder goal, giving TSG the 1-0 victory.
Yoshinori Muto missed two good chances for Mainz in the 26th and 33rd minutes, with Hannover ‘keeper Philipp Tschauner reacting well to make the saves. At the other end René Adler parried the shot from Felix Klaus in the 58th minute, after a rapid Hannover counter-attack. Adler could not do anything about Martin Harnik’s shot in the 73rd minute, however, and that goal brought home a win for the Reds.
