The 2024-25 Bundesliga season got underway with a weekend full of surprises and dramatic moments. Bundesliga runner-up Stuttgart began their campaign with a disappointing 3-1 defeat at Freiburg. Ermedin Demirović, playing against his former club, gave Stuttgart an early lead with a stunning scissor-kick in the second minute. However, Freiburg, in their first league game since long-serving manager Christian Streich’s retirement, responded with three goals to secure a winning start for new coach Julian Schuster.
Meanwhile, Leipzig narrowly escaped with a 1-0 victory over VfL Bochum, despite a late red card for captain Willi Orban. Orban was sent off for denying Myron Boadu a clear goal chance. However, 19-year-old Antonio Nusa, making his Bundesliga debut, scored the winning goal for Leipzig in the second half.
Elsewhere, Holstein Kiel endured a tough welcome to the league, losing 3-2 at Hoffenheim. The promoted side conceded an early penalty and saw a player sent off late in the game. Augsburg drew 2-2 with Werder Bremen, while Mainz held Union Berlin to a 1-1 draw.
Borussia Dortmund, under new coach Nuri Sahin, hosted Eintracht Frankfurt later in the weekend, facing protests from home fans against their club’s sponsorship deal with an arms manufacturer.
