Matchday 5 of the 2020-21 Bundesliga season is centred around one game as the ‘Mother of all Derbies’ returns with Borussia Dortmund hosting arch-rivals FC Schalke 04 in the first Revierderby clash of the campaign.
Six Bundesliga teams were in action in Europe this week, as with the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League group stages got underway.
Erling Haaland was on the scoresheet in his side’s defeat to SS Lazio, bagging his 22nd goal in 25 appearances for the club. Unsurprisingly, he also found the net in this fixture last season – the first game back from the coronavirus-enforced break – which saw Dortmund come out on top 4-0.
The Royal Blues recorded their first point of the season last weekend with Goncalo Paciencia’s equalizing header earning them a draw with 1. FC Union Berlin. The visitors will be looking to win their first game in 20 top-flight matches, in Saturday evening’s headline game, having won two of their last three visits to the Signal Iduna Park.
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The weekend’s Bundesliga action will begin at VfB Stuttgart, with the promoted high-flyers playing host to 1.FC Cologne. The home side come into the game in fifth place and could go top of the table overnight with a win of four or more goals.
There are four matches on Saturday afternoon. FC Bayern Munich welcome Eintracht Frankfurt to the Allianz Arena, fresh from a statement 4-0 win over Club Atletico de Madrid in the Champions League. The defending champions will be looking to Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller for inspiration – the pair who have contributed a combined 17 goals already this season.
RB Leipzig top the table heading into Matchday 5 and will be looking to stay there with all three points when they host Hertha BSC Berlin on Saturday. Julian Nagelsmann’s side are one of only four unbeaten teams remaining in the Bundesliga, and made a perfect start to their Champions League campaign with an Angelino-inspired victory against Turkish Süper Lig champions Istanbul Basaksehir.
Borussia Mönchengladbach held Inter Milan to a 2-2 draw on their return to the Champions League after a four-year hiatus. Germany international Jonas Hofmann was on target once again, extending his 2020/21 tally to a team-leading three goals and four assists. Next the Foals take on rock-bottom 1. FSV Mainz 05 – the only Bundesliga team without a point to their name after four matches – while 1. FC Union Berlin host SC Freiburg in a fixture that the home side won 2-0 last term.
There is a Sunday double-header to look forward to as well as VfL Wolfsburg face promoted DSC Arminia Bielefeld in the early fixture. Oliver Glasner’s Wolves have drawn all of their Bundesliga games so far this term, but are the only team not to have conceded a goal from open play.
That game is followed by SV Werder Bremen hosting TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. Niclas Fullkrug will be the man to watch – the Bremen striker has scored four goals already in 2020/21, the same amount he managed in the entire 2019-20 season.
The weekend’s action draws to a close with the first Monday night fixture of the campaign as Bayer 04 Leverkusen – in Europa League action against France’s OGC Nice on Thursday – host FC Augsburg. Die Werkself enjoyed their first victory of the season last time out thanks to Lucas Alario’s headed goal in Mainz, while surprise package Augsburg suffered their first defeat – at the hands of leaders Leipzig.
