The Matchday Preview

The Bundesliga returns with a thrilling weekend of football. A Super Sunday featuring four Champions League contenders, while Saturday boasts a pivotal relegation six-pointer to add extra excitement!

The Bundesliga returns with a thrilling weekend of football. A Super Sunday featuring four Champions League contenders, while Saturday boasts a pivotal relegation six-pointer to add extra excitement!

Season Prediction Accuracy: 17/27 (62.9%)

FC Augsburg v Mainz 05

FC Augsburg kick off the Bundesliga weekend with a Friday fixture at home to Mainz 05. Die Fuggerstädter earned their first win of the season last weekend with a 2:1 victory over FC St. Pauli. The result and performance allowed the club and fanbase to breathe a collective sigh of relief, as a respectable 4 points allowed them to move into 11th in the table. Externally, and in the media, the pressure was on Jess Thorup to find three points against St. Pauli, but managing director Michael Ströll didn’t allow Augsburg’s two shaky opening fixtures to cloud an otherwise impressive 11 months under Thorup’s guidance. 

Just days before the ‘must-win’ fixture against St. Pauli Ströll opted to prematurely extend Thorup’s contract until 2026. It is a sign of the confidence that Augsburg have in the Danish head-coach, who took over last October in a precarious situation and quickly found the turn-around to lead FCA to another comfortable mid-table finish. Taking the next step to finish in the top half of the table for the first time since 2015 will be the goal this campaign, and to reach this ambition Augsburg will hope their new signings can continue to perform at the level they showed last weekend. Yusuf Kabadayi and Marius Wolf both contributed goals, while Samuel Essende and Frank Onyeka both contributed with assists. Die Fuggerstädter have suffered key departures in attack and defense, but so far it seems that they have made smart additions in the transfer window to compensate for these sizable departures. 

Friday’s opponents, Mainz 05, endured a frustrating and unfulfilled Sunday afternoon at the MEWA Arena. For the first time since March, Mainz 05 suffered defeat in the Bundesliga, ending a run of 11 consecutive undefeated fixtures in the topflight. It will be a defeat that could haunt Mainz for the remainder of the campaign, with Die 05er failing to take advantage of the fact that they spent over 30 minutes with a man advantage and scored just once from 16 shots. 

Prediction: Draw

FC Heidenheim vs SC Freiburg

FC Heidenheim’s impressive start to the season hit a road bump with a hard-fought, but ultimately deserved, 4-2 defeat at Borussia Dortmund. After two clean sheets and six goals led Frank Schmidt’s side to the top of the table, FC Heidenheim made the 500-kilometer trip to the Signal Iduna Park brimming with confidence. However, their hopes were quickly dashed as they found themselves two goals down within the first 20 minutes. Though Heidenheim battled back twice, Dortmund's superior quality ultimately overwhelmed them, and the 4-2 scoreline reflected the hosts' dominance.

Despite the setback, this defeat shouldn't derail Heidenheim’s focus. The external calls for a renewed push towards European football are not reciprocated within the club. Heidenheim have grounded expectations, where financial sustainability and avoiding relegation remain the primary goals. With six points from three matchdays, Heidenheim are well on track.

Furthermore, they are also well-rested again after a grueling summer with European Conference League qualifiers sandwiching their league and Pokal fixtures. No player was called up for recent international duty, and Heidenheim did not have to contest a midweek fixture as only the UEFA Champions League was in action this week. 

As for SC Freiburg, they’ve seamlessly adapted to life after Christian Streich, with Julian Schuster expertly stepping into the managerial role. With six points, Schuster has quieted critics who questioned his lack of coaching experience, while the return of veterans Matthias Ginter and Nicolas Höfler from injury last weekend has bolstered an already strong squad even further. Schuster has retained many of the tactical foundations laid down by his predecessor but has also made key personnel changes that have reinvigorated the team.

One of the standout beneficiaries of Schuster’s tenure has been Austrian forward Junior Adamu. Signed for €6 million from RB Salzburg last summer, Adamu struggled under Streich, playing just 413 minutes and scoring only one goal in all competitions. An early parting of ways seemed likely, however, Schuster saw potential in the 23-year-old, and Adamu has repaid that faith with exceptional performances. After scoring five goals in four pre-season matches, he opened his Bundesliga account with a brilliant brace in Freiburg’s 2-1 comeback win over VfL Bochum. Last season, left winger Vincenzo Grifo led Freiburg with eight goals, but if Adamu maintains this form, he could be the missing scoring piece Freiburg needs to return to European competition.

Prediction: SC Freiburg Win

Union Berlin v TSG Hoffenheim

Union Berlin’s strong start to the season continued with a hard-fought 0-0 draw at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig. The result preserves Union's unbeaten run, with their defense once again taking center stage. After three matches, Union has conceded just one goal—the fewest in the Bundesliga.