The team in second place in the league takes on the defending champions in the Bundesliga this week.
Newly promoted Frankfurt is the only side in the Bundesliga to have a perfect record so far aside from perennial favourites FC Bayern. They currently have a five-point lead over double winners Borussia Dortmund. Dortmund showed the biggest side effect to playing in Europe against HSV- lethargy.
HSV had not picked up a single point until match-day four. They earned a well deserved three points by taking on a tired Dortmund side. Marco Reus had a night to forget. Dortmund lacked focus- they conceded the first goal as early as two minutes. While Dortmund did manage to respond twice through Ivan Perisic, HSV held on to their lead thanks to Rene Adler’s heroics and claimed a historic win.
Dortmund had not been defeated in 31 games. The longest unbeaten run in the history of the Bundesliga in a stretch of more than one season is 36 games. That record is held by none other than Hamburg. The fact that HSV brought the unbeaten streak of Dortmund to an end is thus quite fitting.
Frankfurt meanwhile was proud owners of the top spot of the table for almost a full day. Bayern eventually usurped them but only through goal difference. Frankfurt has beaten teams through creative and imaginative football because, in truth, they wouldn’t have succeeded using defensive football.
Frankfurt doesn’t have a water tight defence. They have conceded in every match they have taken part in so far with the exception of a game against Hoffenheim. Beating Nürnberg, a team that is highly capable of keeping things tight at the back, shows the strength of the Frankfurt attack.
They have scored a more than respectable eleven goals in four games. Beating Leverkusen is not an easy feat. However, despite going behind, Frankfurt rallied back. They took the game to Bayer 04 on the first match-day and beat them 2-1. Wins over HSV (3-2) and over Hoffenheim (4-0) followed.
For Dortmund, this game will truly be a test of their mettle. This will be their third game in seven days. Bayern is used to this situation but Dortmund isn’t. They have promised their fans to show improvement in the Champions League this season. So far, it seems that trying to ‘dance at two weddings’ as Karl Heinz Rummenigge puts it, is far more difficult and tiring than expected.
Frankfurt will try to take advantage of every mistake by the Dortmund back-line. Takashi Inui is in brilliant form and will look for a goal if awarded the slightest amount of space. Dortmund will have to try and exploit that nervy back four of Armin Veh’s side. Confidence will obviously play a huge role- Frankfurt possesses a huge amount of it currently while Dortmund does not.
Dortmund will have to dig deep to win this. However, Frankfurt will not give in easily.
Prediction: Frankfurt 1-1 Dortmund
HSV had not picked up a single point until match-day four. They earned a well deserved three points by taking on a tired Dortmund side. Marco Reus had a night to forget. Dortmund lacked focus- they conceded the first goal as early as two minutes. While Dortmund did manage to respond twice through Ivan Perisic, HSV held on to their lead thanks to Rene Adler’s heroics and claimed a historic win.
Dortmund had not been defeated in 31 games. The longest unbeaten run in the history of the Bundesliga in a stretch of more than one season is 36 games. That record is held by none other than Hamburg. The fact that HSV brought the unbeaten streak of Dortmund to an end is thus quite fitting.
Frankfurt meanwhile was proud owners of the top spot of the table for almost a full day. Bayern eventually usurped them but only through goal difference. Frankfurt has beaten teams through creative and imaginative football because, in truth, they wouldn’t have succeeded using defensive football.
Frankfurt doesn’t have a water tight defence. They have conceded in every match they have taken part in so far with the exception of a game against Hoffenheim. Beating Nürnberg, a team that is highly capable of keeping things tight at the back, shows the strength of the Frankfurt attack.
They have scored a more than respectable eleven goals in four games. Beating Leverkusen is not an easy feat. However, despite going behind, Frankfurt rallied back. They took the game to Bayer 04 on the first match-day and beat them 2-1. Wins over HSV (3-2) and over Hoffenheim (4-0) followed.
For Dortmund, this game will truly be a test of their mettle. This will be their third game in seven days. Bayern is used to this situation but Dortmund isn’t. They have promised their fans to show improvement in the Champions League this season. So far, it seems that trying to ‘dance at two weddings’ as Karl Heinz Rummenigge puts it, is far more difficult and tiring than expected.
Frankfurt will try to take advantage of every mistake by the Dortmund back-line. Takashi Inui is in brilliant form and will look for a goal if awarded the slightest amount of space. Dortmund will have to try and exploit that nervy back four of Armin Veh’s side. Confidence will obviously play a huge role- Frankfurt possesses a huge amount of it currently while Dortmund does not.
Dortmund will have to dig deep to win this. However, Frankfurt will not give in easily.
Prediction: Frankfurt 1-1 Dortmund
