New bosses win, Leverkusen at it again - talking points from opening weekend
Vincent Kompany and Nuri Şahin came up trumps on their first matches in a Bundesliga dugout, while English youngster Jamie Gittens and Hoffenheim marksman Andrej Kramarić were the lead stars on an intriguing opening weekend to the 2024/25 season.
1) Leverkusen still leverkusening
It was said non-stop last season, but the opening match of the 2024/25 season proved it remains a fact - champions Bayer Leverkusen simply do not cease until they get a result.
Sides made of lesser stuff would struggle to react to having a two-goal lead pegged back as Nico Elvedi and Tim Kleindienst thrust Borussia Mönchengladbach back level in the second half in front of a delirious set of home fans. Step forward Florian Wirtz, who had a penalty saved in the 11th (!) minute of stoppage time but kept his head to convert coolly on the rebound and secure the latest trademark better-late-than-Neverkusen win - and first of the new campaign (or should that be second already if you count their Supercup win after Patrik Schick's 88th-minute leveller?). It was also the second-latest goal recorded in Bundesliga history.
Granit Xhaka told bundesliga.com after the match that: "This is in our DNA. It is the mentality we have to play and to believe until the last moment."
Watch: Granit Xhaka on Bayer's never-say-never DNA
Contenders for Leverkusen's Bundesliga crown should note they will take quite some stopping at this rate!
2) Three happy new bosses
On the subject of title contenders, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund both took the crucial first step of securing maiden wins under their new coaches this weekend.
In truth it was not plain sailing for either side, with Dortmund tested at home by a resolute Eintracht Frankfurt team but getting the reward for a strong second-half showing with two late Jamie Gittens goals. A pleased Nuri Şahin told bundesliga.com after the final whistle that: "It's all about momentum when you start a new season with new players and a new coach at home."
Watch: Nuri Şahin on winning start as Dortmund coach
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Bayern came up trumps in a helter-skelter encounter at Wolfsburg, with Serge Gnabry the hero thanks to a late winner after a Lovro Majer brace had left the Bavarians trailing in the first encounter under Vincent Kompany. The honour of the most satisfied new tactician in the Bundesliga has to go to Freiburg's Julian Schuster, however, after the man stepping into the sizeable shoes of Christian Streich led his side to a stunning 3-1 win over last season's runners-up and regional rivals Stuttgart.
3) Gittens' time to shine
"I was a bit shy at first but it's a really good feeling to do that." So said a euphoric Gittens after he was pushed forward by his appreciative teammates to take the adulation of Dortmund's Yellow Wall. It was a fitting tribute to the England U21 international at the end of BVB's win against a Frankfurt side that provided stubborn resistance, before Gittens won the day with his brace.
His goalscoring tally from 2023/24 now already doubled in the campaign's first game, the 20-year-old hinted there will be more to come from Gittens 2.0. "I'm trying to play in a more mature way and not to do silly things," ex-Manchester City youth told bundesliga.com. "I want to keep on performing like I did today, to score more goals and provide more assists; that's my job in the team."
Watch: Jamie Gittens' Yellow Wall tribute
4) Ice-cool Kramarić
A new season, the same reliable Kramarić. The Croatian forward ended last term with a memorable hat-trick against Bayern, and he began a new term with another treble, this time against new boys Holstein Kiel, with Hoffenheim running out 3-2 winners. "These are unbelievable moments," the 33-year-old said after bringing his Bundesliga tally to 10 goals in his last eight games.
"I'm extremely happy I scored three goals. It's something very special to achieve that twice in a row following the hat-trick against Bayern Munich," he added, in quotes appearing on his team's official website. TSG's weekend win was Kramarić's 100th victory in Germany's top division, all of which have come in Hoffenheim colours.
Watch: Kramarić celebrates an opening-day treble
5) Müller milestones
If Kramarić is Mr. Consistent, then Thomas Müller must be Mr. Bundesliga. Coming on in Bayern's opening-day triumph at Wolfsburg meant the Raumdeuter moved to the top of the Bavarian giants' all-time Bundesliga appearance list, with a colossal 474 top-flight games now under the world-famous forward's belt. The 12-time Bundesliga winner also levelled Sepp Maier's club record 709 competitive appearances, meaning it's likely a matter of days before Müller sits on the Bayern throne all on his own.
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