The Bundesliga saw a weekend of contrasting fortunes, with Bayer Leverkusen snatching a dramatic victory and Borussia Dortmund enduring a humbling defeat.
Leverkusen’s match against Wolfsburg was a rollercoaster of emotions, with the two teams locked in a 3-3 stalemate from the 48th minute. Wolfsburg’s hopes of holding on for a point were dashed when Yannick Gerhardt received a red card for a dangerous tackle on Jeremie Frimpong. With the clock ticking down, substitute Victor Boniface, who had only been on the field for 22 minutes, collected a pass, pivoted expertly, and fired home the winning goal. This late victory provided a much-needed boost for Leverkusen ahead of their crucial clash with Bayern Munich next week.
Despite the win, Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka was far from satisfied, expressing concerns about the team’s defensive vulnerabilities. “We can’t keep going with performances like that. We can’t defend so naively. Sure, we scored four but we can’t do that every weekend,” he remarked.
The match also marked the Bundesliga debut of Nordi Mukiele, who joined Leverkusen on loan from PSG. However, his first appearance was marred by an own goal in the fifth minute. Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz, fresh off a brace in his Champions League debut, responded with a stunning long-range strike to equalize, while Jonathan Tah put the hosts ahead with a header from a corner. Wolfsburg, however, fought back with goals from Sebastiaan Bornauw and Mattias Svanberg to keep the game tight. Piero Hincapie’s equalizer in the 48th minute set the stage for Boniface’s dramatic intervention.
In a stark contrast to Leverkusen’s late heroics, Borussia Dortmund suffered a humiliating 5-1 defeat at the hands of Stuttgart. Stuttgart, who finished as surprise runners-up last season, dominated Dortmund from the outset. Deniz Undav scored a brace, while Ermedin Demirovic, Enzo Millot, and El Bilal Toure also found the back of the net for the home side. Despite pulling a goal back late on through Guirassy, Dortmund was left to rue their defensive lapses and ultimately fell to a heavy defeat.
Dortmund’s performance will raise questions about their ability to challenge for the title this season, particularly after their recent Champions League defeat to Real Madrid. The loss was a stark reminder that even the most formidable teams can be vulnerable when they are not at their best.
Sunday also saw the newly promoted St Pauli searching for their first points of the season as they hosted RB Leipzig. The match was a chance for St Pauli to demonstrate their readiness for the Bundesliga’s challenges, while Leipzig looked to build on their early season momentum.
