Bayern Munich are off to a flying start in the Bundesliga after winning all three league games so far this season.
With Eintracht Frankfurt losing to Bayer Leverkusen last weekend, Borussia Dortmund, along with surprise packages Cologne and St. Pauli, now stand as Bayern’s nearest challengers after three rounds. Frankfurt had looked like the only team capable of mounting a serious challenge.
The defending champions also beat Chelsea in the Champions League on Wednesday, extending their winning run to five matches across all competitions — six including the German Supercup. Bayern have already scored 14 goals in their three Bundesliga outings. Next up is a visit to Hoffenheim on Saturday.
Coach Vincent Kompany may rotate his squad for that match, with Tom Bischof, who joined Bayern from Hoffenheim this summer, likely to feature. Former Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson could also get more minutes to give in-form striker Harry Kane a rest.
Elsewhere, Leverkusen host Borussia Mönchengladbach on Sunday in a Rhine derby between two sides that have already dismissed their coaches this season. Kasper Hjulmand made a winning start in charge of Leverkusen against Frankfurt, while Gladbach are still seeking a replacement for Gerardo Seoane after a 4-0 home defeat to Werder Bremen extended their goalless run. Dortmund will host Wolfsburg on Sunday, while Frankfurt take on Union Berlin the same day.
Several players will be in focus this weekend. Bayern’s Jackson is eager to prove himself after his move from Chelsea. Leipzig’s Johan Bakayoko will look to build on his first goal for the club when they face Cologne on Saturday. Bremen’s Victor Boniface hopes to open his account against Freiburg, and Denmark playmaker Christian Eriksen could make his debut for Wolfsburg against Dortmund.
Bayern face fitness concerns, with Raphaël Guerreiro sidelined by a stomach muscle injury picked up against Hamburg last weekend. Left-back Josip Stanišić was also injured during the win over Chelsea, while Jamal Musiala, Alphonso Davies and Hiroki Ito remain long-term absentees.
Off the pitch, a nine-year-old boy was seriously injured after a firework accident during a display following Hansa Rostock’s third-division match against 1860 Munich on Wednesday. A burning piece of pyrotechnics reportedly pierced the stadium roof and landed in the away section. Two other people were also injured, but police confirmed the boy’s condition was not life-threatening. The floodlights involved dated back to 1970 and are set to be replaced before Rostock’s game against Energie Cottbus on September 30.