By Rich
Leipzig gained a firm footing near the top of the table on Friday with a 2:0 shutout against visiting Augsburg. Leipzig’s first goal came in the 17th minute when defender Dayot Upamecano scored on a rebound, and the second goal came at the 70th minute, when a free kick by Naby Keita found the goal after a deflection off the Augsburg wall. Upamecano’s goal was Leipzig’s 100th goal in the Bundesliga, and Leipzg also has the best record on Friday nights in the Bundesliga: 5 wins and 1 draw. The loss extended Augsburg’s record as the worst in the league on Friday nights: they haven’t won on a Friday in 13 matches over 4 years. Another club near the top of the table might be experiencing a key reunion on Saturday when they host Hamburg: Marco Reus may join teammate Mario Götze on the pitch for the first time since they played together against Mainz on January 29, 2017. Götze has recovered from a back complaint and BVB trainer Peter Stöger said that he’s doing well. The club was still evaluating Reus this week following his recovery from a knee ligament injury. Two other clubs at the top of the table will face each other directly on Saturday, when Schalke travels to Bayern München. Bayern won the match 3:0 when the 2 clubs met earlier this season, and Schalke has only collected 4 points since the winter break. Nevertheless, Schalke coach Domenico Tedesco believes that his squad plays more boldly when they’re not at home, win the ball back more, and attack in numbers, and goalkeeper and captain Ralf Fährmann said that his teammates were looking forward to giving Bayern a real fright. Key players to watch will include Leon Goretzka, who will be looking to make a good impression on his future employers, and Robert Lewandowski, who has scored in every one of Bayern’s 10 Bundesliga home games so far this season. Looking ahead to Sunday, Bremen will try to stay out of the relegation zone when they host Wolfsburg. The 2 clubs are separated by just 4 points, and Bremen has benefited from the services of US striker Aron Johannsson, who had a hand in last weekend’s last-minute win over Schalke. The win lifted Bremen out of the relegation zone for the first time since the season started. Johannsson struggled to play earlier in the season due to a hip problem, but coach Florian Kohfeldt began playing him again starting on Matchday 18, saying he can play in several different positions and is a really hard worker.
Leipzig gained a firm footing near the top of the table on Friday with a 2:0 shutout against visiting Augsburg. Leipzig’s first goal came in the 17th minute when defender Dayot Upamecano scored on a rebound, and the second goal came at the 70th minute, when a free kick by Naby Keita found the goal after a deflection off the Augsburg wall. Upamecano’s goal was Leipzig’s 100th goal in the Bundesliga, and Leipzg also has the best record on Friday nights in the Bundesliga: 5 wins and 1 draw. The loss extended Augsburg’s record as the worst in the league on Friday nights: they haven’t won on a Friday in 13 matches over 4 years. Another club near the top of the table might be experiencing a key reunion on Saturday when they host Hamburg: Marco Reus may join teammate Mario Götze on the pitch for the first time since they played together against Mainz on January 29, 2017. Götze has recovered from a back complaint and BVB trainer Peter Stöger said that he’s doing well. The club was still evaluating Reus this week following his recovery from a knee ligament injury. Two other clubs at the top of the table will face each other directly on Saturday, when Schalke travels to Bayern München. Bayern won the match 3:0 when the 2 clubs met earlier this season, and Schalke has only collected 4 points since the winter break. Nevertheless, Schalke coach Domenico Tedesco believes that his squad plays more boldly when they’re not at home, win the ball back more, and attack in numbers, and goalkeeper and captain Ralf Fährmann said that his teammates were looking forward to giving Bayern a real fright. Key players to watch will include Leon Goretzka, who will be looking to make a good impression on his future employers, and Robert Lewandowski, who has scored in every one of Bayern’s 10 Bundesliga home games so far this season. Looking ahead to Sunday, Bremen will try to stay out of the relegation zone when they host Wolfsburg. The 2 clubs are separated by just 4 points, and Bremen has benefited from the services of US striker Aron Johannsson, who had a hand in last weekend’s last-minute win over Schalke. The win lifted Bremen out of the relegation zone for the first time since the season started. Johannsson struggled to play earlier in the season due to a hip problem, but coach Florian Kohfeldt began playing him again starting on Matchday 18, saying he can play in several different positions and is a really hard worker.
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