In the Bundesliga on Saturday, there were goals everywhere as teams like Borussia Dortmund, 1899 Hoffenhiem and Schalke 04 all enjoyed a winning start to their 2017/2018 campaigns, but same can’t be said of last season’s runners-up, RB Leipzig.
At the Volkswagen Arena, where Dortmund were the visitors, they left their hosts, Wolfsburg, with nothing as they claimed all three points on offer, after thrashing the home team 0-3.
Youngster, Christian Pulisic started the scoring for them in the 22nd minute, as the Yellow and Blacks took a 1-0 lead.
Defender, Marc Bartra doubled the advantage five minutes later, as the former champions went into the break with a comfortable 0-2 lead.
After the break, Dortmund put the result beyond doubt, as Pulisic turned provider for the league’s top scorer last season, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to open his account for the new season, scoring the third and final of the match goal for the away side.
The result gives a very lovely start to life in the Bundesliga for Dortmund’s new manager, Peter Bosz, who is in his debut season in Germany.
At the Rhein-Neckar Arena, which played host to the game between Hoffenhiem and Werder Bremen, a late goal was what separated both sides, with the home side getting the decisive goal.
After a goalless first 45 minutes, and with much if the second already gone, the stadium erupted when the home side, managed by the youthful Julian Nagelsmann finally found a breakthrough.
Their top scorer from last season, Andrej Kramaric scored with six minutes left to play, after he was set up by Adam Szalai.
In Berlin, Hertha Berlin were too good for VfB Stuttgart, dispatching their visitors 2-0 to kick off their season on a bright note at the Olympiastadion thanks to two goals from debutant, Mathew Leckie.
Following a barren first half, the home side quickly took the lead moments after the restart, as Leckie, marked arrival in the Bundesliga with a debut goal for Hertha.
The Australian was on hand again to make it 2-0, just two minutes after the hour mark, as he completed a brace in what is a dream debut to help Hertha to secure three points.
It didn’t go to plan for last season’s runners up, RB Leipzig, at the Veltins Arena, as Schalke 04, and their new manager, Domenico Tedesco were too hot for them to handle.
Schalke had to wait until just two minutes before half time for their breakthrough, given what was an evenly poised game.
The home side were given the lead just before the break when Nabil Bentaleb converted from the spot, after the referee gave a penalty for a foul in the box by Dayot Upamecano on Franco Di Santo.
Seventeen minutes before the end of the match, the hosts doubled their advantage, after a lovely counter attack led to Yevheny Konoplyanka burying home, after he was put through one-on-one with the goalkeeper, Peter Gulasi, by Amine Harit.
Earlier on, in the season’s opening fixture played on Friday, Bayern Munich saw off the challenge of Bayer Leverkusen with a 3-1 win at the Allianz Arena to kick off their quest for a sixth successive title on a winning note.
New signings, Niklas Sule and Corentin Tolisso were among the goals, with top striker, Robert Lewandowski, who was aided by another debutant, VAR, also opening his account for the season.
Bayern took the lead in the ninth minute, with Sule scoring via a header, before Tolisso made it 2-0, ten minutes later.
Lewandowski made it 3-0 from the spot, just before the hour mark, as the first sign of what to expect from the Video Assistant Referee, VAR, which made its historic debut in the Bundesliga, awarded the hosts a penalty.
Bayer did pull one back through their forward, Admit Mehmedi, 25 minutes from time, but it was nothing more than a consolation despite having 20 attempts on goal, the most Bayern have allowed at the Arena.
Results from other matches played in the Bundesliga:
Friday Result:
Bayern 3-1 Bayer
Saturday Results:
Mainz 05 0-1 Hannover 96
Hoffenhiem 1-0 Werder Bremen
Hamburger SV 1-0 Augsburg
Wolfsburg 0-3 Dortmund
Hertha 2-0 VfB Stuttgart
Schalke 04 2-0 RB Leipzig
