A beatable Bayer Leverkusen, Heidenheim on a high and incredible kids: surprises in the Bundesliga far
Just two games into the Bundesliga season and we've already been entertained, surprised and educated in equal measure. Now that the international break is upon us, what better time for a quick look into some of the tales of the unexpected thus far.
1) Bayer Leverkusen are beatable
After their mesmeric, unbeaten run to Bundesliga and DFB Cup glory last term, few would have envisaged that champions Bayer Leverkusen would be licking their wounds so soon into the season. They pulled off a couple of characteristic late shows to lift the Supercup and dispose of Borussia Mönchengladbach on Matchday 1, but that was before RB Leipzig came to town.
Xabi Alonso's men were cruising at 2-0 at the BayArena against the visiting Red Bulls and arguably should have put the contest to bed at half-time. Yet Marco Rose's men - fourth-placed finishers last term - are always a dangerous beast and they awoke to stun their hosts with former Bayer 04 man Kevin Kampl netting before the break. After that, it was the Loïs Openda show, and the Belgian - who netted 24 Bundesliga goals last term - shone after the restart, scoring twice to end Leverkusen's 35 game unbeaten run in the league.
The rest of the Bundesliga teams will have taken note that Xabi's superstars have a chink in their armour. Thus far, Leipzig look set to be part of a ravenous pack that will chase down last season's winners. Bayern Munich - who, like Leipzig are also two for two - Borussia Dortmund and last season's runners-up VfB Stuttgart could join in what may be one of the tightest title races in years.
Watch: Bayer 04 lose out to Leipzig
2) Surprise packages
Stop the press: Heidenheim are the leaders of the Bundesliga. This, of course, would have been of no surprise to keen Heidenheim watchers and fans but for two reasons. Frank Schmidt's men put in a debut season to remember, finishing eighth last term and qualifying for a European play-off. That meant that some of the stars who helped them achieve that feat - Jan-Niklas Beste and Tim Kleindienst to name just two - gained such a high profile that the suitors arrived to pick them off.
So, shorn of some of last term's top performers and facing into a whopping five games in all competitions ahead of the international break, Heidenheim looked seriously up against it. Not a bit of it. For those five games, read five wins. A UEFA Conference League play-off against FC Häcken was successfully negotiated, seeing the side from the south safely into the tournament's league phase for the first time ever.
There were also two Bundesliga triumphs celebrated by an aggregate score of 6-0 while Schmidt's side are safely through to the DFB Cup second round. The Voith-Arena is understandably bouncing to the rhythm of new arrivals Paul Wanner, Leonardo Scienza, Maximilian Breunig and Co. Next up for the boys from Baden-Württemberg? A trip to Borussia Dortmund. Tasty.
Watch: Heidenheim in heaven against Augsburg
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3) Arise, King Loïs Openda
He came, he saw, he conquered the Bundesliga in 2023/24 with 31 goal involvements in 34 top-flight appearances. The Belgian sensation's adaptation to life in a new league following a transfer from RC Lens was as smooth as his silky finishing in front of goal.
Yet with attacking creator-in-chief Dani Olmo departing for Barcelona during the summer and that dreaded second-season syndrome always a possibility for first-term trailblazers, there could have been some slight trepidation concerning Openda this time around. The 24-year-old has quickly dispelled any doubts by arriving back from UEFA Euro 2024 scoring three goals in his opening three games in all competitions for Leipzig. His aforementioned, match-winning brace against Bayer 04 came with just three shots in the game.
What's more, coach Rose believes there is much, much more to come from his forward. "If he brought himself into better positions in certain situations with his quality, then he would score a lot more. That is what we are going to work on," the tactician said. Union Berlin might be the unfortunate ones to witness if that hard work has born fruit on Matchday 3.
Watch: The best of Loïs Openda on Matchdays 1 and 2
4) What goes up ...?
Welcome to the Bundesliga, FC St. Pauli and Holstein Kiel. So soon after celebrating their respective promotions to the top table in such assured style, both are having to rip up their plans and prepare to start again after emerging from a couple of matchdays with no points to show. As the famous band Coldplay sing, "Nobody said it was easy," and both Marcel Rapp and Alexander Blessin will have been all too aware of that as they prepared Kiel and Pauli for life in the Bundesliga.
The Boys in Brown started well against Heidenheim, but ultimately came a cropper to one of the division's in-form sides before then narrowly losing out to Union. Kiel went down to an inspired Andrej Kramarić against Hoffenheim - the Croatian netting a hat-trick - and were then well beaten at home to Wolfsburg. The Storks next face Bayern Munich while Pauli are at Augsburg. Will the revivals start after the international break?
Watch: Who are St. Pauli?
5) The kids are alright
The Bundesliga has never failed to produce exciting young players that light up our lives with all of that raw talent and enthusiasm, and things are no different this season. Be that as it may, it is always pleasantly surprising to see just who emerges from their shells, and where. Wanner at Heidenheim is one such example.
On loan from Bavarian giants Bayern, the 18-year-old has found his playground at the Voith-Arena, and has four goals and two assists in four appearances under coach Schmidt to prove it.
Watch: The best of Paul Wanner on Matchdays 1 and 2
Recently winning his first Under-21 cap for Germany, Freiburg defender Max Rosenfelder is also on the Ones to Watch list this season. A knee injury hampered the 6'1" centre-back's progress last term but he is very much in new Freiburg coach Julian Schuster's plans this, with a senior bow in the team's 3-1 opening day win against Stuttgart impressing many.
Elsewhere, Leipzig's new 19-year-old Norwegian signing Antonio Nusa scored a winning goal against Bochum on his Bundesliga debut while Stuttgart defender Anrie Chase - a Japan U23 international - has featured heavily in Sebastian Hoeneß's side. With Tim Drexler (19) fulfilling his potential at Hoffenheim, the future appears to be blazing bright for young Bundesliga talent in 2024/25.
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