The Blanchflower Brothers

Two contrasting stories from two brothers who both had bags of talent, but sadly only one would go on to show us all what he could do through a whole career. This is the story of the Northern Irish duo of Danny and Jackie Blanchflower, a tale that has it's up-downs and worst of all both are not with us any more.

I'll start off with the eldest, Danny, a football man first and foremost. Someone who could do anything in the middle of the pitch; he had an engine, could tackle, pass, shoot, cross, head, he was the complete player. Possibly his best attribute was his marvellous ability to read the game, almost to the point that opposition struggled to get past him. Blanchflower played as a half-back, something similar to what Andrea Pirlo does now for Juventus, he was had the guile and creativity to start attacks with his passing range and rejoin later in the attack to finish the move or set someone else up. His leadership skills brought the best of his team-mates, a great man-manager on the field, most notably for Tottenham, Danny seemed destined to take over at White Hart Lane, even Bill Nicholson himself wanted him to take over, however he was stopped once Terry Neill took the reigns. He advocated playing a passing style, a philosophy that was obviously not the most popular during the sixties, a sort of revolutionary if you will. 

Unlike most modern day players, Danny wasn't discovered until he was twenty, by then he'd been off in Canada with the army and Scotland at Saint Andrews University, it was only when Barnsley picked him up from East Belfast side Glentoran for a sum of six-thousand pounds did the boy from Belfast get his first real crack at the big-time. Both at Barnsley and later Aston Villa, Danny fell out with both managers, with the main reasons being tactical disputes and he also didn't feel the team had enough time training with the ball. After captaining Villa, he moved onto pastures new, Tottenham and Arsenal battled it out for his signature and of course, Spurs won at a cost to the tune of thirty-thousand pounds to make Danny the most expensive midfielder in Britain.

At Spurs, Danny initially struggled in an ageing side that had no verve, once Bill Nicholson came in, it all changed. Alf Ramsey was captain once he arrived and Nicholson gave the armband to the enigmatic Blanchflower and despite a few ups and downs, he came into his own after he won the Football Writer's Player of the Year in 1957. After a tough Summer in 1960-61, Danny claimed Spurs could win the league, and boy was he right, Spurs romped home and in doing so smashed records left, right and centre. Not only did Spurs win the league, they went on to win the FA Cup and they retained it the following season. They fell at the semi-final stage to Benfica in the European Cup that season, but they became the first English team to lift a European trophy as they beat Atlético Madrid to lift the Cup Winner's Cup, thrashing them five goals to one in Rotterdam. Danny kept away from post-match drinking, as he was a quiet man, with his body starting to deteriorate he hang up his boots at just twenty-eight, despite the seemingly obvious transition to the North London club's boss, the board decided against it. Danny did however manage Chelsea and Northern Ireland briefly, but both were largely unsuccessful and he then began to write a regular column for The Sunday Times. He finished with twenty-seven goals for Spurs in well over three-hundred games and was such an integral part to their success that he was voted their best ever player by The Times in 2009, sadly Danny wasn't alive long enough to receive the accolade as he was a long term sufferer from Alzheimer's disease and passed away on the 9th December 1993.

Three quotes really stand out for me about and Danny, one on his philosophy about the game, his attraction the the game and one from Terry Venables. 

Venables on Danny;

There was one particular player who captivated me; entertainment value apart, it was a sheer education to watch him perform. He was Danny Blanchflower. In watching Danny, I realised football was an art. His cultured play and powerful influence on the rest of the Spurs team were an inspiration to me.

Danny on how the game should be played;

The great fallacy is that the game is first and last about winning. It is nothing of the kind. The game is about glory, it is about doing things in style and with a flourish, about going out and beating the other lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom.

Finally, Danny on his attraction to the game;

Whether you're a manager, player, trainer, director, supporter, reporter, kit man or tea lady, football possesses the power to make the week ahead sparkle with a sense of joyous well-being. No play, movie, TV programme, work of literature or music induces such emotion on a weekly basis. We curse football for having this power, but conversely, it is football's power to corrupt the emotions and senses that are addictive and enduring appeal of the game. It's an intangible power, existing somewhere out of the ethers. It is the heart of the game. The noise of the crowd, the singing and the chanting, is the oxygen we players breathe."

Danny Blanchflower

Danny's brother Jackie was also a well loved half-back during his playing days, but they were tragically cut short. Jackie was seven years younger than Danny and his brother success must have had an impact on him as they were quite similar in playing styles. Unlike his brother, Jackie managed to get across the water much quicker at just sixteen, to the mighty Manchester United. He was initially deployed as a forward by Sir Matt Busby, however the qualities similar to his brother began to shine through and was moved back the pitch to help out both defensively and offensively, with his passing range and defensive capabilities being the main reason behind the change, that and an impressive game for Northern Ireland at the back.

He then built his reputation as one of the brightest British footballing prospects and had begun to settle into a place in the Northern Irish national team, seemingly destined for success, Blanchflower travelled to Munich on that ill-fated trip to play Red Star Belgrade. Jackie was only on the plane as a reserve, and it was a last minute decision to include him due to an injury. It was a miracle he survived the disaster, having broken both his arms and legs, fractured his pelvis, severe kidney damage and shattered ribs, young Blanchflower was given the last rites, but miraculously turned round and made a recovery and was still hopeful of a return to the game that meant so much to him. Unfortunately, Jackie couldn't recover from his injuries to play again, this left him in a desperate mental state, he was bitter about the circumstances that everything had happened in and understandably so. Failed careers as a shop-owner, bookie, pub-owner and accountant followed an impressive stint as an after dinner, he passed away on 2nd September 1998. I end my article by saying rest in peace to both of them, I know it would have been a pleasure to meet either of them, it being especially sad that they had such short careers.

Jackie Blanchflower

Bundesliga Review: Matchday 9

The first games after the international break didn't fail to disappoint, packed full of goals and controversy, then again, it's just another normal Bundesliga matchday. Then again, there was a nil-nil draw and a moment of madness.

FRIDAY: Hoffenheim 1-2 Leverkusen
Controversy doesn't do this game justice. Hoffenheim deserved all three points from the game in truth, with Modeste showing why he's one of the league's most feared strikers, as both Wollscheid and Toprak picked up bookings early on while trying to keep him quiet. Sidney Sam, who now has a combined total of ten goals and assists opened the scoring for Leverkusen, who then had to rely on Bernd Leno who seems to have thrown off all his critics, denying Modeste at point blank. Kevin Volland had a goal ruled out, wrongly shortly after, and yes, this was all before half-time.

Into the second half, and chaos insued, the home side got a penalty (which wasn't) and Salihovic converted to deservedly bring the home side level, then came the major talking point. Stefan Keissling headed wide from a corner, but the netting was cut and the ball went into the net via the outside, the linesman give it and Hoffenheim were furious. Previously, this happened when Bayern played Nurnberg, when Helmer scored a "phantom goal" and the appeal from Nurnberg was upheld and the game replayed. On a positive for Leverkusen, they sat atop the Bundesliga for the first time in over one thousand days as their fine start continues, while Hoffenheim will be hoping justice is served.

'The Phantom Goal'

SATURDAY: Dortmund 1-0 Hannover
Dortmund had the most shots in Europe heading into this one, and with their first of the game, Marco Reus put them one-nil up from the penalty spot. After some nice play from Reus and Durm down the left-hand side, the latter was fouled by Sakai and the preceding converted from the spot. Dortmund continued their dominance through-out the first half, as Hannover found themselves camped almost exclusively in their own half.

The second half was much the same, as Dortmund failed to find a way past Zieler and a very resolute Hannover backline, who themselves found Roman Weidenfeller in confident form, dealing with anything that came his way. In truth it was a deserved win for die Schwarz-gelb who keep up the pressure on Bayern and Leverkusen, while Hannover's rotten run away from home continues.

Bayern 4-1 Mainz
Mainz went into this game after finally ending their barren run of defeats by drawing against Hoffenheim, and this seemed to give them a huge confidence boost. They were organised and very disciplined in the first half against Bayern, not giving them a yard of space as the leaders heading into the match day struggled to create a real chance. They then got the goal their commitment deserved, as Dante had gone off injured moments earlier, Boateng failed to clear a through ball and this let Shawn Parker run free, rounding Neuer to make it one-nil.

The lead for Mainz could, and would only last so long, as Goetze played in Robben almost immediately and the Dutchman side footed past Wetklo to restore parity, then straight away Bayern went ahead. Some 'tiki-taka' football around the box from Goetze and Robben found an unmarked Muller who had all the time in the world to pick his spot and score. Mainz went close twice in quick succession, but not long after Gotze then got his third assist of the day, cutting back to find Mandzukic who wrapped his foot round the ball to send it past a despairing Wetklo and end any chances of a Mainz comeback. Bayern began to dominate even more and they added a fourth through a Tomas Muller penalty, Robben angered that he wasn't allowed to take it, as he threw the ball to Muller in disgust. None the less an impressive showing from Goetze and Bayern in the end to send them back to the top of the Bundesliga.

Bremen 0-0 Freiburg
The Bundesliga's first nil-nil draw, and boy was this a stinker of a game, few to none on the chance register. The best of which fell to Werder early into the second half, when they struck the post and shot over from a corner, more worrying for the team in green was that their main talisman Nils Petersen would be out for six weeks. I did have a bad feeling before the game and unfortunately it materialised after over one hundred games, someone could always have cut the net at this game and give us a few goals!

Braunschweig 2-3 Schalke
The home side began the game brightest, especially Ademi upfront who was running Howedes ragged, and in the eighteenth minute, he did it again. A long ball fall the aforementioned Ademi and he flicked the ball brilliant round a bamboozled Howedes and he shot at Fahrmann, who made a mess of saving the attempt and it trundled in. The lead didn't last long however, as a Szalai header produced a decent save from Davari, but he parried back into the middle of the goal and young Max Meyer was on hand to tap in for his second in as many games.

The home side started the second half as well as they did the first, and were rewarded for their efforts as a magnificent counter saw Karim Bellarabi, who scored last time out against Wolfsburg, leave Santana on the ground and smash past a helpless Fahrmann. Yet again, this lead didn't last long either, as some shocking defending from a Schalke corner found an unmarked Leon Goretzka to tap home his first Bundesliga goal. A fantastic game, in which neither team deserved to lose, Braunschweig will feel hard done by but Schalke will be happy to escape unscaved. 

Frankfurt 1-1 Nurnberg
A largely uneventuful first half that saw barely any attempts on goal was followed up by a much better second. Frankfurt went a goal up shortly after half-time thanks to a lovely flowing move, which resulted in Alex Meier slipping in Vaclev Kadlec to shoot past an on rushing Schafer and give the home side a deserved lead. The game looked dead and done from a Frankfurt point of view, but a late Drmic goal after some great work from the away side's midfield allowed him to round Trapp and slot home to seal an important point for the away side, though they still remain without a win thus far while Frankfurt will be disappointed they couldn't get all three points.


Hertha 1-0 Gladbach
The Saturday night game that saw brothers Raffael and Ronny go up against each other, and it was the latter that would have the family bragging rights until they meet again as an Adrian Ramos strike proved the difference between the teams. Not the greatest game in truth, as Hertha's defence held fantastically against a creative Gladbach side, who after their great two-nil win against Dortmund, seems like inconsistency may plague them again this season. Despite this, it shows that Hertha are no push-overs this year and could be dark-horses for Europe, Gladbach will be with out Martin Stranzl next time out as the Austrian picked up a second booking late on.
SUNDAY: Hamburg 3-3 Stuttgart
A cracking encounter at the Imtech Arena saw six goals, a sending off and a great game all round for everyone in the ground. Stuttgart went a goal up just after kick-off as Romanian prodigy and a player who I admire hugely opened the score with a fine finish. Hamburg began to come into the game and got their goal through Lasogga, who has been in fine fettle since returning from that injury. Though they couldn't hold out until the half, as Christian Gentner struck in the thrity-seventh minute to send Stuttgart in, slightly against the balance of play, two-one to the good.

Into the second half and just ten minutes in Max Beister foudn the net to level the game up, but that too was short lived as Johann Djourou put through his own net, only to be bailed out by a Rafael Van der Vaart just three minutes later. Hamburg continued to push and in the last ten minutes Stuttgart went down to ten after Rudiger threw a punch into Van der Vaart's stomach and he saw red, but Hamburg couldn't make their man advantage count as it finished all square.
Augsburg 1-2 Wolfsburg
The final game from Matchday 9 was entertaining for the first half at least, as Tobias Werner had the home side deservedly a goal up after ten minutes and they continued their dominance but were pegged back towards the end of the half as young Max Arnold struck to level matters. Then shortly after Luis Gustavo who had been the villain in recent weeks then put the Wolves a goal to the good just before half-time. That's the way it finished as Augsburg may feel slightly aggrieved they couldn't pick up a point from the game, while Wolfsburg will hope this can be the start of a good run for them.

Attitudes Towards Foreign Football: 50+1 rule

Which will be affectionately known as ATFF, this will be a small series dedicated to trying to further explain the differences between English and German football, thanks to Phillip for the idea of making this into a series rather than a rather long article!
The main reason I've written this is because I feel people misinterpret those of us who enjoy foreign football more than that which is on display in our own country, personally, I prefer to watch the Bundesliga on a Saturday than the Premier League. Myself and a few others have been asked why this is, and often criticised for favouring the foreign game, I hope from my own perspective I can explain a little better as to why I prefer the German game to the English side of things, so before I start rambling even more, let's begin with the 50+1 rule!

For those who don't know, the '50+1' rule is, it is a piece of legislation preventing any one person from owning a majority share (over 49%) in a German club, meaning that essentially the fans themselves own 51% of the club, thus meaning no Russian or Middle Eastern business men can come in and bank role a team to the title. Despite opposition from Hannover in 2009, the system has proven extremely successful, while City, PSG and Monaco have been taken over in recent years by money-bag billionaires, German clubs have remained firm and not bowed to the financial pressures that other leagues have by possible tens of millions of euros in investment. This creates a fairly level playing field, apart from last season when Bayern obliterated all in front of them, the Bundesliga is one of the most competitive leagues in the world.

Adding to that, should Michel Platini finally decide to properly introduce the Financial Fair Play laws, German clubs will be in by far and away the best position to deal with it, as most are turning over a profit every year thanks to the 50+1 rule, with Freiburg turning over five million euros profit very comfortably this financial year. While the Bundesliga doesn't have as lucrative of a TV deal as the Premier League may have, they just two days ago signed a deal to show it in the Americas and Asia for 5 years, starting in 2014. The likes of Norwich have spent over 25 million, while Bayer Leverkusen spent under 20 million. The rule allows clubs to focus on youth development as they can't spend copious amounts of money on players due to not having the same financial backing, they can produce wonderful youth players with genuine quality, rather than some equally good youth team players English clubs would rather spend millions on foreign imports, without the youngsters even getting a chance. This will lead me onto my next topic which is about the German impenitence on youth academies.

Bundesliga Review: Matchday 8

The final weekend before the last few world cup qualifiers failed to disappoint again as there were plenty of incidents and excitement to keep us talking for the weeks to come, so let's begin!

FRIDAY: Hannover 1-1 Hertha Berlin
Both sides had made promising starts to the campaign and my have sets their sights on Europe since then. Not the greatest Bundesliga game ever, but Christian Schulz gave the home side the lead after twenty three minutes. The game fell into a lull, as Hertha seemed resigned to counter attacks, and Hannover were in no real rush themselves, then Ronny came on. The mercurial Brazilian's first touch was a free-kick, was in turn, nearly ripped the net off the hinges and left Zieler to have a front row view as it slammed into the top corner.

SATURDAY: Gladbach 2-0 Dortmund
The main talking point going into the battle of the Borussia's was Marco Reus returning to Gladbach where he properly established himself on the Bundesliga scene. Gladbach keeper Marc Andre ter-Stegen had to be at his best, denying Hummels, Lewandowski and GroBkreutz fantastic early chances and that's all the first half was really, Dortmund dominant but failing to find a cutting edge.

Into the second half and Dortmund continued their dominance despite Wendt having a fantastic chance earlier in the half. However, the last ten minutes were where the goals occurred. A moment of Mats madness meant he was sent-off for a poor tackle on Kruse and he converted the penalty to give Gladbach the lead and then after Reus had rattled the bar seconds earlier, Raffael rifled past Weidenfeller to seal the deal and condemn Dortmund to their first defeat this season.

Schalke 4-1 Augsburg
These two sides went into the game on runs that you wouldn't expect them to have, Schalke were struggling to string together a few wins, while Augsburg couldn't lose and were on a club record run without defeat in the Bundesliga. The game started with the form side on top, as Augsburg took the lead early on through a fantastic Sascha Molders finish past a helpless Hildebrand for his first goal in 894 minutes. However, Schalke were back in it soon after, as Klavan brought down Draxler, picked up a red card for his troubles and Kevin-Prince Boateng smashed home, leaving Manninger no chance. They made their advantage count straight away, and their pressure soon told as Szalai gave the home side the lead for the first time, Neustader found Uchida, who touched down for Szalai to tuck under Manninger for the Royal Blues second goal. 

The Royal Blues managed to ensure that the second half wouldn't be that boring and that the ending wouldn't be that nervy, as Szalai slid home after good interchange play around the edge of the box. The game had one more goal left though, and that fell to young Max Meyer, getting his first Bundesliga goal just before the end, to cap off a rousing performance from the Gelsenkirchen side.

Stuttgart 1-1 Werder Bremen
Two sides who found themselves in the upper mid-table realm after contrasting starts, they have both steadied, with Stuttgart hoping to surprise a few and push towards the European places, while Werder under Dutt look a new side and look like they've finally found their shooting boots. It was the home side that took just six minutes to break the deadlock, as a Maxim corner made it's way to the back post and found Martin Harnik who finished well for his third goal of the season. They couldn't get to half time with the lead though, Petersen tapped home for his third goal this season.

The second half was a very dull affair, but Stuttgart probably deserved the win in truth as Vevad Ibisevic had a goal ruled out and further chances to continue new boss Bruno Labaddia's great start, but over the balance of ninety minutes, it was probably a deserved point for both sides.

Wolfsburg 0-2 Braunschweig
A derby that hasn't been played for years, as two of the league's Northern sides battled for pride on Saturday, anything less than a win for Hecking's men would be a disaster, while Braunschweig were trying to avoid defeat again. Wolfsburg were making all the early ground, but to their shock, it was Braunschweig who took the lead through Bellarabi, who only had to tap in after poor defending from Knoche and Naldo.

Wolfsburg started the second half the strongest, the same vein as the first, but couldn't create that guilt edge chance. The commentator described the game as "a good old fashioned English derby" and true to form, it was the underdogs who came out on top. Domi Kubela struck the final blow as Wolfsburg pushed forward and he slotted past Benaglio to send the away fans wild, with their first Bundesliga win in over a quarter of a century, in the derby to boot.

Mainz 2-2 Hoffenheim
My first thought approaching this match was goals, goals, goals. With FOURTY-THREE GOALS this season in games involving these sides, we should be in for a cracker. It didn't disappoint early on, as one of Hoffenheim's early season stars gave them the lead, as Kevin Volland drifted past five Mainz defenders to smash home from twenty-five yards to Heinz Mueller's left. The away side were dominating, and Firmino double their advantage with the most delicate of chips over the onrushing Mueller, after Schipplock's perfectly weighted through ball.

Whatever Tuchel said at half-time worked. Mainz came out all guns blazing, but not until the final ten minutes did they get their reward, as sub Choupo-Moting gave them hope, it looked all false until... in the NINETY-SECOND minute, Heinz Muller, not Nicolai, headed down to Malli to send the fans wild and stop Mainz's rut of defeats.

Leverkusen 1-1 Bayern Munich
The teams in second and third took on each other at the Bayer Arena, and we weren't disappointed. This game saw Bernd Leno fend off some of his recent criticism as he pulled off a string of fine saves to ensure Leverkusen kept up their title challenge. It was Bayern who took the lead in the first half, through Toni Kroos who let fly a rasping drive into Leno's top right hand corner, nothing he could do that time. However, just two minutes later, the irrepressible Sidney Sam scored to level matters.

The second half was also an entertaining affair, at which Leno had to be at his very best to bat away the Bayern chances as they peppered his goal, a game which Bayern had twenty seven shots on goal. This draw meant Bayern went top of the Bundesliga out-right, but also underlined Leverkusen's title challenge was here to stay.

SUNDAY: Nurnberg 0-5 Hamburg
One of the least exciting games on paper this weekend, as fifteenth faced off against sixteenth, turned into one of the top scoring games, pretty typical that I typed that first part on Friday night, eh? This was an absolute drubbing in truth. Nurnberg looked uninspired as they took to the field on Sunday, looking to improve on a poor start. The game was tight to begin with, but a brilliant Rafa van der Vaart chopper kick got Hamburg into gear.

A poor end to the first half, dull at best was followed by minutes of madness after half time, in which Pierre Michel Lasogga scored an EIGHT minute hat-trick, the last of which was a fantastic hit, to put the game beyond Nurnberg. If that wasn't bad enough, after a poor Schafer clearance, Arslan chipped him from thirty-five yards to complete the rout, leaving Nurnberg without a win this season.

Freiburg 1-1 Frankfurt
The final game of matchday eight as two sides who impressed greatly last year had made stuttering starts, and the points were shared in a decent game in Southern Germany. We had to wait to the second half to get any goals, and unfortunately for Christian Gunter, it was in the wrong net, but Nicolas Hofler equalised late on for the hosts as they picked up an important point. Just before the final whistle, their were three bookings, which included a second yellow for Johannes Flum, capping off another incident packed Bundesliga matchday!

Bundesliga Matchday Review: Matchday 5

FRIDAY: Hertha 0-1 Stuttgart
Hertha's excellent home unbeaten run came to an end after their first defeat since the 11-12 relegation play-off. The game was a tale of two halves, one dominated by Hertha and the other a more even showing. Sven Ulreich had to be at his best in both periods as he proved vital to the away side earning a hard fought three points. He produced a string of fine stops during the game, especially in the first period where Hertha dominated. However Christian Gentner produced a fantastic reflex save from Thomas Kraft to keep the home side on their toes.

At the start of the second Stuttgart took their best chance and midfielder Gentner headed home from a Maxim corner kick, after that the game was more even and both sides had chances to score, but both keepers had fine games. Schneider has transformed Stuttgart from being open and relying on Ibisevic, to being able to defend when needs must and grind out a result and also being a free flowing attacking side.

SATURDAY: Bremen 0-3 Frankfurt
Bremen's start to the season looked even more deceiving as a rampant Frankfurt side ran rampant thanks to a magnificent display from Seb Rode. A great cross field ball from the aforementioned midfielder found Inui, who danced his way into the box, found the overlapping Oczipka who squared to the near post for Kadlec to score, his second in as many games since joining the club. More good long passing from the away side meant Jung had penalty of time out on the right, and he whipped in a cracking ball towards that man Kadlec who headed home a bullet past Melitiz to make it two-nil.

Into the second half and Bremen had an early chance to reduce the arrears  but captain Hunt missed penalty, and their afternoon went from bad to worse. As if it couldn't get anyone worse for Bremen, Rode's long passing came to the for again as he knocked it out wide, and after a cross Kadlec miss kicked it into the path of Prodl who smashes home brilliantly.. into his own net.

Leverkusen 3-1 Wolfsburg
A cracking over the top through ball from Lars Bender saw Sidney Sam race clear and fire past Bengalio, who was apoplectic at his defence to say the least. Olic then levelled for the away side, a fantastic near post flick left the helpless Leno clawing at thin air as he watched it glide past him and into the top corner. Not a bad birthday present, eh? The Wolfs almost went ahead straight after, as Gustavo rattled Leno's bar, only for the ball to bounce off of the keeper and just wide.

The man who compares the national team to cheese and scores goals for fun helped himself to a slice of the action, as Keissling headed home a free-kick to give Leverkusen a two-one lead. Gustavo sent off. Then, in added time the goalscorer extraordinaire got himself clear of the Wolfsburg defence and let rip a shot that left Benaglio rooted to the ground, staring at the ball as it cannoned into the top right hand corner to seal the win.

For more on Wolfsburg's indiscipline, check out fellow Press Room writer @Liam10Lee's article on the subject: http://vflblog.wordpress.com/2013/09/15/wolfsburg-seeing-red/

Mainz 0-1 Schalke
Another interesting game, and one of which Mainz and especially Soto will rue missing a host of second half chances as they lost for the second time in a row. The game was very even to start off, with Schalke shackling, sorry I couldn't resist, the dangerous Nicolai Mueller and Mainz's defence looking equally as solid, it looked like a mistake would open up the game and it did. Okazaki nonchalantly played a pass back into the middle of the pitch, were KP Boatneg happened to be standing and he only had to curl past Heinz Mueller for his first goal since his return, his first Bundesliga goal since 2007.



Bayern 2-0 Hannover
Bayern debuted their new Octoberfest tribute kit on Saturday as they took on a determined Hannover side, an even game in the first half saw both sides have chances, most notably Mandzukic going close for the home team, while the lively Didier Ya Konan rattled Neuer's bar, but like Nuremburg in previous weeks, they fell foul to a second half onslaught from Guardiola's men.

The inevitable soon happened after half-time, as Robben found Kroos, who squared for Mario Mandzukic who just had to help the ball past Zieler for once of the easiest goals he'll score. A hopeful ball from Kroos wasn't cleared by the Hannover defence, and that allowed Robben to break free and see his shot parried by Zieler, only to fall to Ribery's feet and the European Footballer of the Year doubled Bayern's advantage. Bayern had further chances but could not convert, keeping the pressure up on Dortmund.

Augsburg 2-1 Freiburg
Well, let's just say the less said about the first half of this game the better. However, the second half was quite the spectacle. An even affair, but barely any proper goal mouth action, the latter stages of the game were a joy to watch.

Some good play allowed Mehmedi to wriggle his way through, past Callsen-Bracker and to somehow squirm a shot past Manniger, who really should have done better. The game was 50/50 after that, and after a following move down the wing and a lovely dummy, Hamit Altintop tapped past the onrushing Baumann to make it one-one. This gave Augsburg renewed hope, and they continued to press from here, and if not for a few cracking saves from Baumann, they could have been in front. The game evened out again, but in the last minute of normal time, Werner waltzed through the Freiburg defence without so much as a challenge to smash home into the the helpless Baumann's left hand corner, sending their fans crazy as they held out for a third win of the season, as Freiburg's iffy start continues.

Dortmund 6-2 Hamburg
Well. My word what a game! Bayern would have been hoping for a repeat of last season's games, plenty of goals and Dortmund coming out on the wrong side of the result, but as you can see, that didn't happen. 'Torbameyang' gave Dortmund the lead after a well struck shot squirmed past Adler who'll be disappointed he didn't do better. 'Magictaryan' then doubled die Schwarz-gelb's advantage just three minutes later. Then came a wonder strike from young Lam, and Hamburg went on to equalise just after half-time through Heiko Westermann, but that was as good as it got for the Northerners. 

In a devastating sixteen minute spell, Dortmund went goal crazy, Aubameyang put the Westphalia side three-two up to the good in the sixty first minute, then Lewandowski and Reus scored within a minute of each other and the preceding went on to nab a brace which sealed a fantastic start for Dortmund in the eighty-first minute, ending the deadly sixteen minute rout. They managed to maintain their two point advantage over major rivals Bayern as the twenty-third of November draws ever closer.

Hoffenheim 2-1 Gladbach
Hoffenheim continues their good run of form as the beat a Gladbach side that has failed to shake off the inconsistencies that plagued last year's campaign. Hoffenheim were the team looking more likely to score and they did indeed take the lead through new summer signing Anthony Modeste around the half hour.

The second half was a more open game and it was Hoffenheim who took advantage of this, as Kevin Volland controlled a through ball, turned his marker and found ter-Stegen's left hand corner. The German under-21 international has now scored/assisted six of Hoffenheim's goals this term, making a January move seeming even more likely. The game continued to be open and Gladbach profited this time as Horgota halved the deficitto give the horses hope. However a late onslaught was not enough, including a poor miss from Daems meant that they would pick up another win, could they be a surprise package this year?

Braunschweig 1-1 Nuremburg

Braunschweig finally managed to give their fanatical fans something to shout about as they picked up their first point of the season in the final game of matchday 5. A nervous and niggly start was understandable for two sides who wanted to avoid another defeat, but it was Nürnberg who took the lead through Hlousek, his first of the season and a vital goal for the away side. They had Marcel Schäfer to thank on numerous occasions as he had to be at his best to deny Braunschweig.

Into the second half and Nürnberg had to endure prolonged pressure from the home side, the best of those chances falling to star striker Domi Kumbela whose rasping half-volley produced a flying save from Marcel Schäfer. However, his and Nürnberg's resistance was to be broken in the last twenty minutes, as Emar Elabdellaoui struck to hand the bottom club their first points of the year and a glimmer of hope as they head into matchday 6.

Bundesliga Review: Matchday 4

So, the weekend before the international break and the Bundesliga left us with some more exhilarating entertainment before it had a rest, so without further ado, let's have a look!

TUESDAY: Freiburg 1-1 Bayern

Bayern took on Freiburg knowing that their hosts hadn't beaten them for seventeen long years and were strong favourites to win this one as well. On Saturday Bayern had also set a new club record of twenty-eight game unbeaten, and had Dortmund (31) and Hamburg's (36) records set in their sights to surpass.  However, Freiburg came out firing and looking dangerous as they went close early on, only for Bayern's so called "second eleven" to take the lead in the thirty-fourth minute. Another slick passing move from Guardiola's men saw Xherdan Shaqiri take a touch then rifle home a half-volley past Oliver Baumann, making up for his shocking miss in the Bavarian Derby.

In the second half, Bayern were denied through a combination of Baumann, last ditch defending and sheer luck, their lack of clinical finishing was made to pay as Freiburg found an equaliser. Not necessarily deserved on their second half performance, but their grafting came to fruition as Nicolas Hoefer pounced as he poked home to give Freiburg the draw. Despite the disappointment Bayern went on to lift the Supercup come Friday, with a 5-4 penalty win over Chelsea after a cracking game that finished 2-2 and saw new European footballer of the year Franck Ribery showcase why he was selected the award.

SATURDAY: Gladbach 4-1 Bremen

Sadly not the most exciting game to start off with, best shown by the first two shots of the game for Bremen being closer to the half way line than the goal line. A niggly and bitty game, with both sides failing to create a full clear cut chance to work either keeper, it wasn't until a fantastic long ball set Juan Arango free down the left as from just inside the box, he sent a fierce drive past the on rushing Melitiz to give his side a deserved lead on the lion-share of the play. 

The second period produced some excellent entertainment, as just eight minutes in, Melitiz failed to push a shot far enough wide and Raffael tapped in to give the home side breathing space. However, straight after Bremen had two reasonable penalty appeals turned down, and it took an amazing save from ter-Stegen to keep the Gladbach sheet clean. This seemed to really open up the game as it went to and fro. Bremen continued their pressure and got their reward as a flick on hit the helpless Nordtveit who could only react to turn the ball into his own net to give the Northerners hope. This was soon dashed as Gladbach's exciting front four combined to leave Max Kruse an almost open net to place the ball home. It was to get worse for the away side, as Kruse robbed Werder of the ball, slipped in Patrick Herrmann who rounded the keeper and slotted home for his first goal in sixteen games and it finished that way in a very convincing win for the home side.

Hamburg 4-0 Braunschweig

Two sides at the foot of the table went head to head as Hamburg celebrated fifty years in the Bundesliga and they weren't to be disappointed as star man Rafa Van der Vaart gave the an early lead as he rifled home from inside the box giving the dis-paring Davari no chance. As if it couldn't get any better, poor defending from Dogan and equally good strength from Max Beister  good play by Beister meant that he could slide in Jacques Zoua to make it two-nil with his first league goal. They continued the pressure with Zoua and co. having further chances to extend the lead, but it stayed that way until half-time.

Hamburg continued their dominance as Bruanschweig found it hard to get a real foot-hold in the game. Chance after chance fell their way, but it wasn't until Hakan Calhanoglu got the ball, beat one, beat two and then shot on the angle only for Divari to let the ball slip underneath himself and into the net. He wasn't finished and neither were Hamburg, a free-kick on the edge of the box saw that man Calhanoglu to smash home into the top corner to make it four, a fantastic result for Fink's under-pressure side.

Nuremburg 0-1 Augsburg

Augsburg fresh from their impressive win over Stuttgart last week started the brightest, with Holzhauser looking dangerous and only a combination of luck and Schaefer kept them from opening the scoring. The game then evened out, with the teams looking dangerous from set pieces and both having good chances, but the best of those were falling to the away side and they still failed to find a way past the impressive Schaefer.

The second half started in much the same vein as the first, with both sides finding it hard to come by any clear cut chances, both keepers were rarely tested to their limits. The game just couldn't find that spark to get it started, and a frustrated Pinola picked up a red card for two bookable offences. Then, the game got it's goal, Holzhauser smakced the post, number 7 couldn't tap home and then the ball fell to Vogt and he needed a deflection of the dis-paring dive of a Nuremburg defender to give them the lead. Never the less, Nuremburg couldn't recover and it was left to Schaefer to spare their blushes until the final whistle, another vital win for Augsburg as they look to keep this run of form going.

Hannover 4-1 Mainz

Mainz great run came to an abrupt end, but.. You can't keep a good man down can you? Straight away Nicolai Mueller capitalised on a poor, poor clearance from Sané. Pospech played him in, and as cool as you like slotted past Zieler to give him his fifth goal of the campaign in just the twelfth minute. The game then evened up, as neither side were able to edge past the other. That was the case until a corner found Mame Diouf's head and he was able to get it just over the line as Pospech cleared, sparking furious protests from the away side's players, but the goal stood. This gave the home side the ascendancy as they pressed for a second, and they didn't wait long to make it count. Great work from Lars Stindl down the line meant he went past three to chip in for Artur Sobiech as he gave 'die Roten' the lead.

Tuchel's Mainz seemed to be missing that something they'd shown in their three previous games and Mueller wasn't getting the ball to help them out, and it was only a matter of time before Hannover hit them on the counter. That materialised as Didier Ya Konan then fired home a wonderful goal from twenty yards out leaving Mueller in goal diving helpless to his left-hand corner, a special striker from the Ivorian on the half volley, and they continued to ramp home their advantage as Andreassen slipped in new signing Edgar Prib who thundered a shot in at Mueller's near post to seal a fantastic result as Hannover look to push towards Europe.

Wolfsburg 2-0 Hertha

Hertha's fine return to the Bundesliga was ended by the ravaging wolves, who dominated the game. Diego had a few early chances, with a half volley zipping past the post. Then Ramos headed the ball down into the ground and just over Benaglio's goal. Then, coming up to the half, the wolves were clinical as a wayward Naldo shot fell to Ivica Olic who slid in well to tap past the hapless Kraft. Shortly after, the home side were awarded a penalty, Diego winning it, dusting himself off and converting.

More of the same after the restart as the ever impressive Koo crossed as Diego headed wise of an open net straight off the restart. The rest of the game was less exciting, as chances were few and far between, as both Benaglio and Kraft watched on largely untroubled for the second half. Hecking's side closed out the game very well as they continue their impressive home form and start to the season.

SUNDAY: Stuttgart 4-1 Hoffenheim

Bernd Schneider's run as Suttgart's new coach got off to an excellent start as they took on the team with the most goals so far, Hoffenheim, and he got the perfect start from his team. As a quickly taken Maxim free-kick made it's way into the box, Antonio Ruediger was on hand to pounce and give his side the lead after just ten minutes. They didn't wait long to press home the advantage, as Modeste missed an excellent chance, Stuttgart countered, won a corner and Mazim found Mr.Reliable, Vevad Ibisevic, to head home their second. The entertain wasn't over though, as Hoffenheim replied through Volland, his shot deflecting off of Ruediger and over Ulreich, just seconds later another goal! Koen Casteels came and got nowhere near the ball, meaning Maxim had the simple task of passing the ball into the net. There was a massive moment of controversy, as Volland chipped Ulreich, but the goal was disallowed due to the softest of pushes, Hoffenheim understandably apoplectic. 

The second half started off in the same vein as the first, as Ibisevic round the on rushing Casteels to make it four-one as Schneider's men continued to dominate. The continued pressure paid off as the magnificent Maxim cut in from the left, glided past Vestergaard and then sent a beautiful curling shot into the top corner. Stuttgart fans were in wonderland, and if they hadn't hit cloud nine yet, they were getting ever closer in goal terms. Casteels misjudged again and that left the Bosnian an open goal to head into for his hat-trick. Stuttgart had many further chances to add to their tally, but Roberto Firmino added a late consolation for the away side, however Schneider will not complain one bit after this result.

Frankfurt 1-2 Dortmund
Both teams with good early chances, with Weidenfeller and Trapp having to make good saves from Inui and Lewandowski respectively. Kuba was then denied by Trapp, but soon after he turned provider, driving through Frankfurt's midfield before slipping in Henrik Mkhitaryan to delightfully slide home his first Dortmund goal. Schmelzer had to be alert to deny new signing Kadlec with an important tackle, Klopp was his usual animated self on the touch-line as Frankfurt began to come into the game more and more. So much so, that they equalised through new signing Kadlec, his first goal for Frankfurt. Schmelzer let Aigner run free and his header hit the post and rebounded to the Czech international and he tucked it away. 

Frankfurt started the second half much the stronger, forcing a string of corners but failed to really test Weidenfeller. Dortmund, as we know are dangerous on the counter, and despite Frankfurt tracking Mkhitaryan the whole way across the box, the Armenian wriggled free and curled a beautiful shot into Trapp's right hand corner. Frankfurt were not disheartened and they continued to attack, with Anderson going inches from levelling the score as he hit the post. The game continued to be an even affair, with Dortmund typically dangerous counter attacking and Frankfurt looked threatening from set-pieces. Unfortunately for the hosts, Dortmund remained incredibly resilient and as Mhkitaryan kept Dortmund's 100% record intact.

Bundesliga Review: Matchday 3

Could Schalke finally kick-start their season? Would Goetze play? Could Nicolai Mueller keep his fine run of form going? These were just some of questions that were being batted around, and in this review of an exhilarating, enthralling and entertaining matchday three review I'll do my best to answer those, but first we'll start with table-toppers Borussia Dortmund.

FRIDAY: Borussia Dortmund 1-0 Werder Bremen
Dortmund took on Bremen at a sold old Westfalenstadion on a beautiful Friday evening as they tried to maintain their place at the top, but they too faced a Bremen side who also had a 100% record after the first two matchdays, all be it two one-nil wins against Augsburg and Eintracht Braunschweig, and very lucky wins at that. This was a game dominated by the home side, as Dortmund pressed to get an early advantage, but a combination of brave Bremen defending and goalkeeping from Melitiz kept them at bay. Reus was orchestrating the play as he went close multiple times, but no-one went as close as Kuba, who thundered a shot off of the underside of the bar only to bounce harmlessly away. Bremen, after being camped in their half for fourty-five minutes happened to release Arnautovic who flashed a drive just wide of Weidenfeller's right hand post, the first real sign of intent from the Northerners.

The second half began much as the first did, with more Dortmund dominance, but this time they got the goal they deserved. A slick passing move from BVB split the Werder defence wide open and this let Aubameyang square for Lewandowski to tap home his second goal of the season. After this, Bremen came into the game slightly more, but without really troubling Weidenfeller, and it wasn't until the introduction of Franco di Santo that they had their first proper shot on target, as the Argentine produced a fine save from Weidenfeller after a rasping shot almost crept into the top corner. They kept calm and recorded their third win in three, the last time they cord their third win in three, the last time they did this, they ended up champions. Dutt's  Bremen can hold their heads high, as last season under Schaff this could have been a cricket score.

SATURDAY: Hoffenheim 3-3 Freiburg
Well, what more can you say about this game? Six goals, a penalty, three red cards and almost everything else you could want from a Bundesliga game. The game started off with Sorg fouling Elyounoussi and Salihovic converting the resulting penalty. Only for him to slap a Freiburg player and get sent of, and this is just the start. Just 4 minutes later, Sorg struck a blocked free-kick from twenty-five yards out, and with the aid of a Roberto Firmino deflection flew past Casteels and it was one-one. The came continued, to and fro, until Volland controlled a lobbed pass he had no right to and sent a delicious chip over Baumann's head and into the top corner. However, yet again Freiburg levelled almost immediately after a scramble in the box, the ball fell to Karim Guede who poked home to make it two-two. The game was an absolute marvel, but after picking up two bookings in a minute, Francis Coquelin would play no further part, despite the second being very harsh.

Into the second half and the madness continued, but their was nothing mad about Sebastien Freis goal that put Freiburg ahead, as he expertly volleyed home from the edge of the box, straight into the top corner with the side of his foot to give the away side a two-three lead. Yet again, that lead didn't last long, as a slip in midfield let Thomas Strobl run free and slap a shot from 20 yards into Baumann's top corner. No more goals, but another sending off, as Admir Mehmedi got a late early bath as he was given his marching orders in the ninetieth minute. A game that will surely be remembered as one of the Bundesliga classics was Freiburg's first point of the season after a slow start, but Hoffenheim look rejuvenated and look to be far from the relegation battle they found themselves in last season. 

Bayern 2-0 Nuremberg
Both Goetze and Thiago started for Bayern who could afford to leave Mueller and Kroos on the bench ahead of the Bavarian derby, which for the first half at least, was an evenly contested affair. The game began with Bayern finding it more difficult than normal to get past a compact Nuremburg defence, but the constant threat of Ribery and Robben was enough to keep everyone on their toes. The first real chance of game fell to the away side, as former Dortmund man Daniel Ginzcek rattled Manuel Neuer's bar with the ball nearly crossing the line. This seemed to be the wake up Bayern needed, and they got a dubious penalty after Per Nilsson and Arjen Robben went shoulder to shoulder, with the latter taking a tumble in a nothing challenge. Up stepped Daniel Alaba who saw his penalty saved by Manuel Schaefer, only his second penalty save for Nuremburg.

The second half brought more Bayern dominance, as the away side spent most of their half there. Mandzukic and co. toiled away, but Schaefer constantly kept them at bay. It was only when Mueller and Kroos came on for Goetze and Thiago, almost straight away Bayern looked more fluid, with a Lahm cross finding Ribery who hammered home a header to give Muenchen the lead in the sixty-ninth minute. They then set about making the game safe, and it was Robben who went on a mazy run, beating one, two, three and then nutmegging the impressive Schaefer to make it two-nil and give Bayern the game. With that win Bayern set a new club record of twenty-eight games without defeat and by scoring, they have now gone fourty games without drawing a blank. However, some bad news came on the Sunday when new signing Thiago was ruled out for seven weeks with injury.

Leverkusen 4-2 Gladbach
Leverkusen went into the game aiming to keep pace at the top and also trying to equal a club record eighth win in a row. It was Mr.Reliable Stefan Keissling who opened the scoring for Bayer from the penalty spot after twenty-three minutes, renown for opening the scoring twelve times last year, he's already done it twice this season. Also, a high point for Keissling was that it was his hundredth Bundesliga goal for Leverkusen. It wasn't long after until Leverkusen doubled their lead, Sidney Sam who seems to have a new lease of life, was set up by the ever impressive Keissling who squared for him to tap in, in the twenty-eighth minute.

Into the second half and it took Gladbach just eight minutes to find a way back into the game, as fantastic work by Kruse with the slide rule pass, Herrmann with a jinking run and then the finish by Stranzl in the fifty-fourth minute. Just three minutes later Juan Arango squared it up after an horrendous mistake by Bernd Leno, who spilt the most innocuous of crosses straight to the feet of the on rushing Venezuelan. That was as good as it got for Gladbach however, as the parity last for just four minutes as that man Sidney Sam turned, swivelled and shot past a helpless ter-Stegen, who could only watch as the home side went three-two up in the sixty-first minute of the game. It was only a further ten minutes that we had to wait for another goal, as Sidney Sam was tackled, the ball broke perfectly for Gonzalo Castro who spanked the ball past ter-Stegen from twenty-five yards to make it four-two.

Hannover 2-1 Schalke
The pressure on Jens Keller couldn't get much worse, but it was just about too. After just fifteen minutes, Schalke were a goal and a man down. Benedikt Hoewedes was sent off for conceding it and Huszti sent Hildebrand the wrong way to give his side a one-nil lead. The game was a very bitty and niggly affair, and it took until the fourty-second minute for either side to really threaten again, but Mame Diouf was clinical and took his chance. Offside in the first phase of play, the apparent Stoke target got himself back onside and glanced home a header from no range to make Keller feel even more uncomfortable.

Schalke came out of the half-time break with Keller's words stinging in his teams ear, Schalke looked a lot better but Szalai broke free after Draxler's pass to Clemens (which was offside), the Hungarian contrived to miss an open goal. He atoned for his previous error and he gave the Gelsenkirchen side some hope. This grew later in the half as Huszti was sent off for a dangerously high boot on Fuchs, who himself would later be sent off for two yellows in six minutes. That's also how it finished, with the pressure piling on to Keller, will he still be in a job after the return leg at PAOK? Who knows!

Mainz 2-0 Wolfsburg
Mainz were another side looking to maintain their 100% record going into matchday three, as they took on Wolfsburg now with one of the strongest spines in the league thanks to the addition of Luis Gustavo. This one was also in favour of Wolfsburg, with the away side having only lost once in their last eight games to Mainz and they've only one once at home against Wolfsburg in the last seven games. An uneventful first half was however followed by a fantastic second half, that went against the aforementioned stats. 

Fifteen minutes into the second half, the deadlock was broken as Choupo-Moting slid in after a goalmouth scramble following a corner, he pounced on Bo Svensson's header to give his side the advantage. Soon after, Luis Gustavo picked up a second yellow card and he was given an early bath. The clincher came through that man Nicolai Mueller, who after a perfect long ball from Johannes Geis broke through and slammed past Benaglio into his top right hand corner to give Mainz a deserved win. Thomas Tuchel, who is rumoured for the Schalke job, managed to stay unbeaten against Dieter Hecking and keep up his sides impressive early season form.

Hertha 1-0 Hamburg
Hertha aimed to upset Hamburg as they celebrated their fiftieth anniversary of being in the Bundesliga, and they did just that as they continued their impressive early season form with a win they had to grind out more than what they were used to this season. Hamburg brought eleven thousand fans to the Olympiastadion, but were unfortunately sent home disappointed. A first half that had more yellows than clear cut chances was followed by a better second half, and only an Adrian Ramos strike in the seventy-fourth minute separated the teams as the Columbian netted his third goal in as many games. Some tipped Hertha for the drop, but I honestly believe they could be dark horses for Europe at this rate.

SUNDAY: Braunschweig 0-2 Frankfurt
Frankfurt and Braunschweig were both desperate to get their first points of the season, but yet again it was plucky Braunschweig who went down fighting. After a tight and bright first half for the newly promoted side, yet again class and Bundesliga experience told for their opponents like in their previous two games. The first goal came from serial goal-getter Alex Meier, who's strike in the fifty-second minute took a huge deflection to go in, then came the killer goal, as Stephan Aigner scored just ten minutes later to secure the win for Armin Veh's side.

Augsburg 2-1 Stuttgart
The two other teams without a point yet in the league went head to head at the SGL Arena, in a more exciting encounter than the early Sunday game. The game got the early goal it needed as Hamit Altintop scored his first Bundesliga goal for three years as he nipped unattended as the Stuttgart defence fell asleep. Then in the thirty-sixth minute it was two-nil as my favourite name in the Bundesliga, Jan-Ingwer Callsen-Bracker headed home. The first half wasn't over though, as Stuttgart's Mr.Dependable Vevad Ibisevic tucked away a penalty.

Into the second half and it was a much nervier and tighter affair, with Augsburg having to clear off the line being the most exciting event, well, apart from former Augsburg man Ibrahima Traore getting a very debatable red card to make it a record eight for the match day. That means that both Suttgart and Braunschweig are yet to get a point on the board this season.

That's all for Matchday 3 from me, here's hoping next week is just as exciting!