Berlin, Nov 27: Bayern Munich’s first defeat of the season couldn’t have come at a worse time for St. Pauli.
After losing eight games straight in the Bundesliga, the promoted Hamburg-based team had hoped Bayern might have an off day this Saturday, complacent after another gala performance in the Champions League.
But Bayern slumped to a 3-1 loss at Arsenal on Wednesday after mistakes from goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and defender Dayot Upamecano, and will be looking to make amends in front of its own fans when Alexander Blessin’s team visits.
“Maybe after the Arsenal game, the Champions League is still in their minds, or maybe they underestimate us a bit,” Blessin said after his team’s 1-0 loss at home to Union Berlin. “We just need to keep it scoreless for as long as possible and then turn the game in our favor. That’s the task.” Regardless of Saturday’s result, Bayern will set a record of 44 consecutive rounds on top of the league, beating its own record from 1973. Leipzig is six points adrift in second place. The Bavarian powerhouse has already made the best-ever start to the Bundesliga after 11 rounds with 10 wins, one draw and a goal difference of plus 33.
Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund clash in Saturday’s late game, when both will seek to build on positive results in the Champions League.
Leverkusen snatched a 2-0 win at Manchester City while Dortmund crushed Villarreal 4-0. The winner could eventually take over as Bayern’s biggest challenger.Leipzig visits improving Borussia Mönchengladbach on Friday. Gladbach won 3-0 at Heidenheim in its first match since Eugen Polanski was confirmed as head coach. His team has now won four games across all competitions since a 3-0 loss to Bayern.Eintracht Frankfurt hosts Wolfsburg on Sunday in the latest challenge for a visiting team dropping toward the relegation zone.Interim coach Daniel Bauer was unable to stop the slide after a 3-1 loss at home to Leverkusen last weekend. That was the first match since Wolfsburg fired its coach and sporting director. Frankfurt lost 3-0 at home to Atalanta in the Champions League on Wednesday but has won its last two Bundesliga games.
The 17-year-old Lennart Karl scored Bayern’s goal against Arsenal and is fast becoming the most talked about player at the club. He starred in the 6-2 rout of Freiburg last weekend and is generating such excitement that many are calling for him to be included in Germany’s 2026 World Cup squad. (AP)
