None of Germany's Champions League clubs claimed three points on Saturday. Though Bayern Munich's home loss was the biggest shock, it's Borussia Dortmund failing to learn that's most concerning, says DW's Matt Pearson.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Balk
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Football, and the Bundesliga in particular it seems, has a habit of making fools of us all.
A 7-2 away win over Spurs in midweek and a Hoffenheim side who'd never won at the Allianz Arena arriving on Saturday afternoon short of form and confidence under a new coach yet to convince. About as certain a Bayern home win as it gets, right?
Well, no. A brace from Sargis Adamyan, who before Saturday had played less than an hour of Bundesliga football, condemned the Bavarians to a first league defeat of the season.
Areas of concern
The relentlessness, belief and depth of quality that made the Bayern sides of the recent past appear infallible to their domestic opponents has ebbed away. While they still have far too much most of the time, there are areas of weakness.
On Saturday, the balance of an over-stocked central midfield again looked wrong, with Corentin Tolisso yet to fully convince and Javi Martinez the forgotten man. The absence of David Alaba and the positioning of Joshua Kimmich in midfield meant the fullbacks provided little attacking width. Most damagingly, Jerome Boateng was slow to close Adamyan down for both goals. The seemingly unwanted center back has started the champions' last four games, but shifting Pavard inside would improve Bayern's mobility in the center and re-instate one of their biggest offensive threats to the right-hand side.
Bundesliga Matchday 7 in pictures
Just days after a spectacular midweek performance in Europe, Bayern Munich were rocked in the Bundesliga. Dortmund suffered a familiar fate but Borussia Mönchengladbach took advantage on Sunday to top the table.
Image: Imago Images/Contrast/O. Behrendt
Eintracht Frankfurt 2 - 2 Werder Bremen
Late drama at both ends but these two had to settle for a point. Davy Klaasen started the scoring with this first half effort before Sebastian Rode's spectacular volley opened his Frankfurt account on 55 minutes. With just two minutes remaining, Andre Silva slammed home a rebound to give the Eagles the lead but Klaasen won his side an injury time penalty, converted by Milot Rashica.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Borussia Mönchengladbach 5 - 1 Augsburg
A blistering start helped Gladbach climb clear at the top of the Bundesliga table for the first time in 35 years. Denis Zakaria's second minute opener set the tone before Patrick Herrmann scored twice to put the hosts 3-0 up in 13 minutes. Alsanne Plea took advantage of an error from Augsburg keeper Tomas Koubek before Florian Niederlechner pulled one back and Breel Embolo wrapped it up.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/I. Fassbender
Wolfsburg 1 - 0 Union Berlin
After earlier being awarded and then denied a penalty by the VAR, Wout Weghorst (front) struck to send Wolfsburg second and maintain their status as the league's only unbeaten side. The towering Dutch striker lashed home his fourth of the season on 69 minutes to settle a drab contest and condemn Union to their fourth consecutive defeat.
Image: imago images/Joachim Sielski
Schalke 1-1 Cologne
An injury-time equalizer stopped David Wagner's side from going top. Simon Terrode flicked a header onto his own post in the first half, but eventually Suat Serdar popped up to head Salif Sane's header in at the back post. Guido Burgstaller hit the post late on, but even later on, Jonas Hector headed past Alexander Nübel, who had made four stunning saves beforehand, to level the scores.
Image: Imago Images/J. Huebner
Bayern Munich 1-2 Hoffenheim
Hoffenheim's new signing Sargis Adamyan had a day to remember as Bayern lost their first league game of the season. After missing a glorious chance early, the 26-year-old Armenian eventually grabbed a goal that stunned a Bayern team who looked all out of ideas after midweek. Robert Lewandowski grabbed an equalizer, but Adamyan's turn and shot put Hoffenheim back into a lead they never surrendered.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/T. Hase
Freiburg 2-2 Dortmund
Another week, another late equalizer for BVB's opponents. Axel Witsel's brilliant first-time volley from a corner put BVB ahead against the run of play. The hosts did find the goal they deserved - Luca Waldschmidt with a firm low drive. With BVB wobbling, Achraf Hakimi cut in and sent a deflected strike into the far corner. But, with time running out, Manuel Akanji's own goal leveled the scores.
Image: Reuters/R. Orlowski
Leverkusen 1-1 Leipzig
Julian Nagelsmann was left dumbfounded as to how his side weren't leading at the break, or didn't win the game. Timo Werner missed a glorious chance, and Cunha hit the bar and spurned a chance of his own as Leverkusen were fortunate to escape. Leverkusen took advantage though, as Kevin Volland scored at the end of a swift attack. Sub Christopher Nkunku equalized brilliantly to secure RB a point.
Image: AFP/L. Kuegeler
Paderborn 1-2 Mainz
Even without Sandro Schwarz (suspended), Mainz got a huge win in their fight against relegation as the hosts once again failed to turn their brave play in to points. After Ben Zolinski had dragged Paderborn level following Robin Quaison's opener, Daniel Brosinski's penalty put Mainz back in front. In the second half, Jamilu Collins missed a penalty as Paderborn were once again left empty handed.
Image: Getty Images/Bongarts/C. Müller
Hertha Berlin 3-1 Fortuna Düsseldorf
Ante Covic might have had a rough start as head coach of Hertha, but his team are clicking now as they secured their third straight win. Despite going down to a Rouwen Hennings penalty, Hertha quickly responded. Vedad Ibisevic proved his worth again, before Javairo Dilrosun's sweet finish turned the game around. The contest was ended by Vladimir Darida's goal after a tidy second-half breakaway.
Image: Imago Images/Contrast/O. Behrendt
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But Bayern won't have a Champions League hangover, or key players out, every week, which makes it even more critical that the chasing pack take advantage of these rare slips. While Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig probably won't be too disheartened by taking a point each from their meeting, it's another opportunity lost for Dortmund. Worse than that, it's more points dropped in the same careless manner.
Shooting themselves in the foot
Manuel Akanji's 89th minute own goal handed high-flying Freiburg a 2-2 draw, Dortmund's third in a row in the league. In the first of those, it was Thomas Delaney putting through his net late on, in the second Dortmund switched off at a set piece against Werder Bremen. Three leads squandered, six points dropped - the difference between a significant lead at the top and a spot in midtable in a compressed league.
Luca Waldschmidt wheels away after his equalizerImage: Reuters/R. Orlowski
Luck? Possibly, but that's not something the best sides rely on. Dortmund at the moment are slow to move the ball, make poor individual defensive errors on a regular basis and lack an effective focal point when Paco Alcacer is missing. Lucien Favre said Dortmund conceded two "unnecessary goals" that "cost us a lot again."
It's a familiar script, one dusted off plenty of times as Dortmund surrendered a dominant position in last season's Bundesliga. Unfortunately for Lucien Favre, playing well is not the same as winning and, as Marco Reus observed, "we just have to manage at some point to carry our lead over the line."
That Dortmund consistently fail to achieve that feat allows Bayern the luxury of slip ups like Saturday. They're rapidly running out of excuses.
