Pretty impressive from Bayern. A champion's win even though Leipzig have offered sterner resistance in past seasons (that 2nd goal from Laimer really should have been saved by Gulacsi). Even though Kane didn't score, the team just clicks when he's on the pitch. Leverkusen may show some form in the 2nd half of the season but it would take something special for anyone to finish above that Bayern side in this form. In other news, Schalke won handsomely at Elversberg which ordinarily wouldn't surprise anyone except that Schalke are near the bottom of the Zwei while Elversberg were amongst the top sides! Wahnsinnliga!
Elversberg was even #1 (although equal on points with Köln and Paderborn). So Schalke did it now twice in a row away, beating the actual #1 team in 2.Bundesliga. 2 weeks ago they won 4-2 in Paderborn who were unbeaten at home until then and now 4-1 in Elversberg. The other Friday result was also remarkable: #4 Fortuna Düsseldorf vs #9 1.FC Magdeburg 2-5. The top teams are losing and again the big chance for HSV this Saturday at home against #13 Fürth to jump right into the top. How often we already had this chance in this season. If we don't win this one then I'll give up and watch cricket (although I don't know if this is even played here ) btw: The 1-1 after just 2 minutes at the Bayern vs Leipzig match was the first time ever that 2 goals were scored in the first 2 minutes in Bundesliga history!
Not to forget, St. Pauli won in Stuttgart! Thank God! What a fantastic ending of the Hinrunde for HSV. Hopefully this win has convinced our sporting director Stefan Kuntz to give our interim coach Merlin Polzin the permanent job. He's done it very good and tbh you can't now install a new coach who doesn't know the team when you have such a coaching talent (HSV is still unbeaten under him in now 5 matches (4 this season, 1 last season)). He has the backing of the majority of HSV fans especially as he's born in Hamburg, so a real ' Hamburger Jung' '. And another real Hamburger Jung' made his first goal in professional football. 17 year old Germany U16/U17 international Otto Stange. You should see the celebrations on and off the field when he made his goal. In reference to his ancient first name, Otto, a HSV fan besides me in the stands said "Once he'll be our "Otto der Große". (a "slight" exaggerated comparison to ancient German Emperor Otto I (called Otto der Große/the Great) from the 10th century) Too bad that Karlsruhe won at #3 Paderborn, otherwise HSV would be 1st in the standing for a night (tomorrow either FCK or Köln, they play against each other, or Hannover against Hertha BSC will take #1 spot. Anyway, we're back in the top (although it's still our worst 1st half of the season in 7 years of 2.Bundesliga). "Christmas can come!" edit: Correction. If KSC hadn't won in Paderborn, then Paderborn would've been #1 in the standings. So HSV couldn't jump to #1 anyway. Crazy 2.Bundesliga, makes me already dizzy
Maybe Flat cap man is back in 1.Bundesliga soon Steffen Baumgart is rumoured to be the next Union Berlin Coach after the Köpenicker fired Bo Svensson after just 6 months. Would make sense imo, Baumgart played for Union in 2002-04 and their playing style is more suited to him I think than HSV's. Union is actually 12th in the Bundesliga, conceded only 19 goals in 15 matches (which is good) but also scored only 14 goals (which is very bad) btw: Just as expected, Merlin Polzin was promoted from interim coach to head coach at HSV. edit: Jesus, just saw that this is my 7000th post. I'm in 7th heaven
Did @StretfordEnd say the same to you, when you made your 40000plus posts? Anyway, for me it's something to write so many posts in a foreign language. Never did it before
I just read that your big popular German tabloid Bild recently reported that it is unlikely that Berliners will soon enjoy the sight of a flat-cap-wearing manager. Hope they are wrong.
They are! One day later ..... Baumgart folgt bei Union Berlin auf Svensson "Baumgart follows Svensson at Union Berlin" So the man with the flat cap is back in 1.Bundesliga. Too bad that it isn't with HSV (next season ) but nonetheless all the best for you, Steffen Baumgart!
Short winterbreak is over. 1.Bundesliga resumes today (2.Bundesliga has another week to rest because they already played 2 matches more than the 1.BL) with: #6 Borussia Dortmund vs #2 Bayer Leverkusen Both can't afford to lose this one. Dortmund on the brink of falling out of the European spots and Bayer still has a 4 pts gap to Bayern (they're playing tomorrow in Gladbach) btw: yesterday the DFB lawyers annulled the 1-1 between Union Berlin and VfL Bochum from Mid-December and set it to a 2-0 away win for Bochum. The match had to be delayed for some time after the Bochum keeper was hit by a lighter thrown from the Union fans stand. The match was already in stoppage time but the keeper was ruled out to play the remaining minutes by Bochum's Team Doctor and so they had to play the remaining minutes with a field player in goal ( no substitution possible anymore for Bochum). I have a bit of a mixed feeling about this outcome now tbh. Union has appealed against the ruling, of course. Let's see...
Made hard work of that. Dortmund are seriously rattled with injury (had to play Ryerson at CB ffs!) and looked toothless going forward. Scored their first goal via a lucky deflection (good finish by Gittens though) and the second was a pen following a stupid action from Tapsobah. Wasn't a bad performance from Bayer but let's be honest, this should have been 0-6 given the gaps in BvB's starting 11. A win's a win though. Should finish 2nd. Still don't think Bayer have enough to challenge Bayern for the title.
In German we have the saying "jemanden kielholen" ( someone keelhaul (I looked the english term up in an online dict. don't know if this is correct, though). A punishment for sailors at sea. As Kiel is a German city at the Ostsee (Baltic sea) this suits what happened yesterday with the "mighty" Borussia from Dortmund. They were "kiel geholt" (keelhauled? by Holstein). Already 0-3 behind at half-time. Normally I'd say that Coach Nuri Sahin is out soon after Borussia falls down to 9th (maybe today to 10th if Werder wins or draws against Heidenheim). Can't remember the last time they were that far down (in Jürgen Klopp's last season they were in the first half in the relegation zone (if I remember it right and later recovered to get still an European spot) but afterwards? Idk yet. Anyway, according to the people "in charge" there is and won't be a discussion about sacking Nuri Sahin. Whatever this means in football when the next matches won't go well either Bayern today at home against Hoffenheim. Normally no problem for the Bavarians. And if they again failed to score a goal from play I'm sure they'll get eventually a penalty and Harry scores as usual. *********************************** edit: This weekend the 2.Bundesliga starts again and already with a traditional one #3 HSV vs #1 Köln. We won the 1st leg in Cologne but this time Köln has adapted to 2.Bundesliga football and are deservedly #1 . I hope the short winter break disturbed their rhythm a bit. HSV has actually some problems with injuries and then even a crucial ligament fracture (again) for Defender Noah Katterbach which he got during the HSV's preparation in Turkey. Damn! I'd be more than pleased with a draw against the "Geißböcke" ( The Billy Goats).
(not that it was necessary yesterday). Harry is still perfect in the Bundesliga in penalties. Last season 5/5 and this season already 7/7 . Just checked it, Bayern already got 2 more penalties this season (after 17 matches) than the whole last season (after 34 matches). @Jason: Are you sure Harry is English and not German? I only ask because .....you know, England and penalties Nearly half of his 16 goals this season are penalties ( 2nd in the goalgetter list is Frankfurts Omar Marmoush with 15 goals (and only 2 of them penalties) btw: If Bayern now gets a penalty in every match maybe Harry (12 of 12 actually, if I read the stats correctly) will become the all time penalty scorer of the Bundesliga? Actually it's still HSV (and Germany) Legend Manny Kaltz with 53 penalty goals, followed by Bayern (and Germany) Legend Gerd Müller with 51 penalty goals
