Yahoo Sports Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt and Holstein Kiel: 5 storylines from Bundesliga Week 9
Goals were aplenty in week nine of the Bundesliga with plenty of storylines around the nine games, here’s five to keep you up to date.
Borussia Dortmund end RB Leipzig’s unbeaten Bundesliga run
After three successive defeats across all competitions, it was becoming a crunch time for Nuri Sahin. It felt as though Borussia Dortmund’s head coach needed to get a result against RB Leipzig in order to save his job with fans becoming seemingly disgruntled. But with ten players absent through injury, that task seemed nigh on impossible. With Emre Can started at centre-back and Pascal Groß at right-back, Dortmund fielded a strong XI but Donyell Malen was the only recognisable name on the bench.
But from the first whistle, Borussia Dortmund dominated. Chances were aplenty and they’ll have felt hard done by to go behind to Benjamin Sesko’s goal. Nevertheless, they responded well with a maiden goal from Maximilian Beier, and Serhou Guirassy’s fifth Bundesliga goal of the season. It ended RB Leipzig’s run of eight Bundesliga games without defeat this season as they chase down leaders Bayern Munich. It certainly felt like a statement win for Sahin’s side with plenty of positives to take.
Nine-goal thriller between Eintracht Frankfurt and Bochum
Eintracht Frankfurt hit winless Bochum for seven at the Deutsche Bank Park on Saturday afternoon with Can Uzun, Nathaniel Brown and Mahmoud Dahoud all scoring their first goals in Eintracht colours. Ansgar Knauff and Hugo Ekitike also scored but again it was Omar Marmoush that was at the centre of it all. The Egyptian’s goal and two assists takes this goal contributions to 16 (10 goals, six assists) in the Bundesliga this season.
As for Bochum, it’s more doom and gloom. Winless after nine matchdays and already seven points adrift from the relegation playoff, they have to find an answer, and quick. No team has conceded more than Bochum (29) this season, while only St. Pauli (7) – who have two wins this campaign – have fewer goals than the Ruhr outfit, who have nine.
A maiden Bundesliga win for Holstein Kiel
As Bochum edge closer to the realms of the 2. Bundesliga, Holstein Kiel picked up their maiden Bundesliga win with an exceptional defensive display against Heidenheim. Patrick Erras, who scored the only goal of the game, made Get German Football News’ Team of the Week alongside defensive partner Max Geschwill as the duo kept Heidenheim at bay, despite Frank Schmidt’s side dominating every attacking metric.
Relegation battle is heating up
Mohamed Amoura saved Wolfsburg’s blushes with an 82nd minute equaliser against Augsburg on Saturday afternoon but it doesn’t do much for their position in the Bundesliga. Although 14th, they sit just one point above Hoffenheim who occupy the relegation playoff following their 2-0 defeat against St. Pauli. Just four points separate Holstein Kiel in 17th and Wolfsburg, which makes for an interesting battle in the bottom half.
The race to finish as the Bundesliga’s Torjäger
Harry Kane scored a brace to take his tally to 11 for the season, while Omar Marmoush is breathing down the Englishman’s neck with 10 Bundesliga goals to his name. Victor Boniface and Tim Kleindienst but sit on six goals.
