Bundesliga Matchday 4 Review

Matchday 4 of the Bundesliga showcased several exciting moments, including a thrilling seven-goal match, another hat-trick from Harry Kane, and much more. Below is a summary capturing the essential highlights and discussions from this weekend’s fixtures.

Kane’s Hat-Trick

Harry Kane continued his impressive form with a remarkable hat-trick as Bayern Munich triumphed over TSG Hoffenheim, winning 4-1 in Sinsheim. This performance marked Kane’s ninth Bundesliga hat-trick and set a new league record. After scoring once, the England captain successfully converted two penalties, making him the first player in Bundesliga history to score on his first 17 penalty attempts.

Despite Vincent Kompany making five adjustments to the lineup that defeated Chelsea, Bayern’s dominance was evident throughout most of the match. A late own goal from Joshua Kimmich did not dampen their perfect record this season as they held onto the top spot of the standings.

Union Berlin Shocks Frankfurt

Union Berlin stunned the crowd with a remarkable 4-3 victory against Eintracht Frankfurt. The Eagles had just delivered an impressive 5-1 win against Turkish champions Galatasaray, which had positioned them as favorites to win this encounter.

However, Union’s attacking trio surprised both Frankfurt and potentially the rest of the league. Summer signing Ilyas Ansah opened the scoring with a brilliant finish, taking his tally to four goals in just four games. Shortly after, Scottish player Oliver Burke doubled the lead just before halftime, despite Union having only 30% of possession. Frankfurt managed to score once before the break, but it was not enough to change the course of the match.

Burke completed his hat-trick by scoring two goals within three minutes, further securing Union’s grip on the game. His second goal was a powerful header, while his third involved deftly lifting the ball over the advancing goalkeeper. Although late goals from Can Uzun and Jonathan Burkardt gave Frankfurt hope, Union held firm to secure an impressive away win.

After the match, Union’s coach Steffen Baumgart, who was dismissed for arguing about a penalty awarded to Burkardt, shared his thoughts candidly:

“I’m sorry, but actually I’m not sorry because I don’t want to hold back on my emotions. I kicked the paper onto the pitch because I saw others do it. The lads will have to do without me next week.”

A Goal for Gladbach

Borussia Mönchengladbach finally found the back of the net this season, scoring against rivals Bayer Leverkusen. The underdogs showed resilience and threw in a commendable performance to earn a valuable point and their first goal of the campaign. Following a previous 4-0 defeat to Bremen, they looked rejuvenated under interim manager Eugen Polanski.

Polanski expressed satisfaction with the team’s showing, stating that they now have an opportunity to build momentum and improve their position in the league. Following the match, sporting director Roland Virkus indicated that Polanski is under consideration for a permanent appointment.

Polanski mentioned that he believed they could have secured a victory:

“With a little luck, we could have won,” referencing a disallowed goal from Jens Castrop that could have changed the game’s outcome. “In the Regionalliga, that goal would have counted. I ended my playing career [in 2018] when there was no VAR, and I’m very happy about that. Now, I have to put up with this.”

Other Matches

In other Bundesliga action, Hamburg achieved their first victory of the season, overcoming FC Heidenheim in a crucial matchup for both sides positioned at the bottom of the table. HSV won 2-1 thanks to goals from Luka Vušković and Rayan Philippe.

Borussia Dortmund remained in close pursuit of Bayern, clinching a narrow 1-0 victory over VfL Wolfsburg. A stunning first-half strike from Karim Adeyemi proved decisive, allowing Niko Kovač’s team to reclaim second place in the standings.

Additionally, RB Leipzig triumphed over FC Köln with a 3-1 scoreline, while VfB Stuttgart defeated St. Pauli 2-0. SC Freiburg enjoyed a comfortable 3-0 win against Werder Bremen, and Mainz 05 claimed a dominant 4-1 victory over FC Augsburg.