Bundesliga Matchday 10: Key Takeaways from the Action

The Bundesliga Matchday 10 commenced with Werder Bremen clinching a late victory against Wolfsburg, ending the match 2-1.

On Saturday afternoon, eight additional teams took to the pitch, including five of the top six clubs. Bayern Munich faced off against Union Berlin, Borussia Dortmund traveled to Hamburg, Bayer Leverkusen hosted Heidenheim, and Hoffenheim squared off against RB Leipzig.

Here are three key insights from the afternoon’s Bundesliga fixtures:

Following a tenacious midweek win against PSG, Bayern Munich exhibited signs of fatigue. Except for Leon Goretzka, the rest of the squad had participated in the intense match in Paris, and they were unprepared for the challenge posed by Union Berlin.

Union Berlin initially thought they had taken the lead through Ilyas Ansah, but the goal was disallowed for a marginal offside. However, Danihlo Doekhi did put Union ahead, but Bayern responded swiftly with a goal from Luis Diaz.

Despite a missed one-on-one opportunity by Diaz just before halftime, Doekhi managed to score again, seemingly securing a victory for Union. Yet, Harry Kane salvaged a point for Bayern with a goal in the 93rd minute, marking the end of Bayern’s 100% record in all competitions. Nonetheless, their position atop the Bundesliga remained intact.

In a dramatic turn, Borussia Dortmund was leading Hamburg 1-0 and appeared to be on course for an important win. However, in the seventh minute of injury time, they conceded a header from Ransford Königsdörffer, resulting in a 1-1 draw. Dortmund’s performance was disappointing, managing only a single shot on target and displaying significant wastefulness throughout the match.

A case could be made for benching Serhou Guirassy in favor of giving Fabio Silva a chance to start, as Guirassy has struggled to find his form in recent games.

Dortmund will resume their Bundesliga campaign after the international break against VfB Stuttgart.

While Dortmund dropped points, RB Leipzig suffered a more substantial setback. Although they took an early lead with a goal from Yan Diomande, they were ultimately defeated 3-1 by Hoffenheim, thanks to goals from Alban Hajdari, Tim Lemperle, and Grischa Prömel. TSG keeper Oliver Baumann made five crucial saves to help secure Hoffenheim’s victory.

In the midst of Bayer Leverkusen’s tumultuous season, young talent Ibrahim Maza has begun to establish himself at the BayArena. In Leverkusen’s commanding 6-0 victory over Heidenheim, Maza scored twice, marking his first Bundesliga goals. His impressive performances in the DFB Pokal and Champions League have indicated his potential.

Notably, Maza has been utilized as a central midfielder alongside Aleix Garcia, contrasting with his previous roles in more advanced positions. With key players sidelined due to injury, it will be intriguing to see if Maza’s future at Leverkusen lies in this new position.