Hoffenheim a Dark Horse Champions League side?
Hoffenheim might be cooking something this season. After a very disappointing opening defeat to start the season. The team looks unified and ready to take on anything that is thrown in their direction. A gap was left in their only defeat with David rahm leaving for RB Leipzig. However the signing of Angelino on loan has helped them rectify that. Although ever since that first game they’ve looked like a team that has all the materials needed to make the Champions League. All they need is consistent and a little bit of help. Help might be on the way as RB Leipzig and Leverkusen have severely struggled to start this campaign. There’s opens up the door for teams like Freiberg and hoffenheim to potentially make the Champions League. We are only three games in but it’s something we certainly need to keep our eyes on. Back-to-back victories after the disappointment at Gladbach. It has been a season of adversity yet. They’ve already dealt with it on multiple occasions. After losing their opening game of the season, they were down by two goals after 12 minutes, yet they found the way back. Christopher Baumgarner got a goal a minute after the second goal was scored on them that re-energize that game against Bochum their level after a half hour and they win it at the end with elite substitutions such as Dubbur and Sebastian Rudy. The qualities that have been on display over the last couple weeks have been tremendous. In Leverkusen against a team that needed points, They were decapitated by hoffenheim. One of the goals of the season from Christopher Baumgarner, andrej kramaric added another and a lacing strike from rising Star Georgino Rutter finished them off. Hoffenheim has a stack deck with so much attacking firepower playmakers in the midfield and capable defense. From top to bottom they have all the qualities needed for a Champions League push. They also do not have European football this season and they’re only objective is the Bundesliga season. They will be motivated and fired up for the rest of the campaign. I’m not saying it’s going to happen but hoffenheim are definitely a team to keep our eye on for the Champions. League’s butt their team is strong enough to go get it. Considering how some of the champions league teams are already struggling, It opens up the possibility for them to relish that moment when it comes. Christopher Baumgarner has been the best player in the league this season. Such an elite playmaker with pieces around him that can score goals. They are a good mix of young and experienced. It will go a long way. They may not have the individual talents at some of the other top sides in Germany, but Chrispher Baumgarner is one of the best players in the league We know this but the first time in a while it seems like everybody’s clicking and the pieces around him will feed in and buy in to what hoffenheim will do this season. They have everything needed to make the champions league. I could see them go on a run this season. They have shown the ability to come back from dead. They were the team that won the most points from losing position last season. This is a team that’s not defined by going behind. The fact of the have that in their bag makes their Champions League proposal that much more antagonizing and potentially dangerous.
Why Dortmund aren’t the ones
Dortmund has been trying to chase down Bayern Munich for a chance at glory once again. It has been a difficult process as Dortmund has seen to lack the minerals needed to realistically put pressure on the Bavarians. Jurgen Klopp went back to back Bundesliga titles in 2012 and 2013. Klopp ending at Dortmund was not pretty, but that 2-year stretch. They had exactly the type of team needed to take down. Bayern Munich and take the crown off of their head. Those were different times and even though Dortmund has tried to build a winning culture, it seems since he is departed the winning mentality just doesn’t exist in Dortmund. Over the years, they have had teams strong enough to push them around. There have also been situations in which Bayern Munich has started slowly but still managed to climb the ladder and win the title. The question is, why were they able to do that? It is a simple answer. Dortmund has lacked the winning attributes to withstand a lengthy run at the Bundesliga title. There may be certain things that have contributed but on their current team only. Marco Reus has a winning mentality. The rest of the pieces around him are not able to find that, and that’s been the trouble. It’s not been losing to buy a Munich. It’s been failing to come up big against the middle of the table and below. Bayern Munich, on a consistent level, has been a top three club in the world. There’s no shame in losing to them. Dortmund has struggled against them but when all the cards are in the middle of the table they fold and not again. Super teams but against the middle of the table. That’s their biggest problem. They’ve gone through different teams, different coaches, and different stars, and the results always seem the same. While Dortmund is more or less a top three team regularly when the pressure is on, they don’t have the intangible effort and mentality to overcome it. There was a no bigger example of this than this past weekend. Throughout the opening two games of the season, They thought maybe they had it with their ability to win games despite less than favorable circumstances. A lot of fans of the league convince themselves that because Robert Lewandowski no longer resides in Munich that Dortmund could take the crown from them. This was just foolish optimism. Dortmund is still missing so many aspects for them to really sickly do that. They had a good summer. They’re building this team in the best way possible. Feeling a lot of their holes, but in the end, the mentality and their winning intangibles or lack of is the biggest issue is why they will not be the ones to take the crown from them. It is likely to be RB Leipzig, and until they can do that, Brian will continue to win the league. Dortmund will not under any circumstances be the team to end the rain of terror. If you want a brighter example of that, just look at the past weekend. They had a two-goal lead going into the 88th minute. Brennan who as I talked about this week could turn out to be one of the surprises of the season as they’ve looked remarkably strong after being promoted from Bundesliga 2. The collapse we saw in Dortmund highlights The embarrassment of Dortmund but Bremen, in the biggest moments, came up and never looked back. They fought until the very end and they did the impossible scoring in the 88th and 93rd and 95th minutes. Approaching the scenario that Bremen overturned over the last 800 plus times this scenario took place, zero ended up winning the game, and only 12 still managed to get a point. This shows the rarity of the situation, but it also highlights Dortmund’s implosion Bremen deserves a lot of credit and could become a surprise team this season. They’ve looked extremely strong, and I think they’re only going to feed off this result. On the other hand, If anybody wonders why I don’t think Dortmund will be the one A situation like this, a match like this, is exactly why they won’t.
What is happening with Leverkusen and RB Leipzig? It is one of the most puzzling situations in the Bundesliga thus far. Last season Leverkusen turned out to be a great surprise as they finished in the top three this last campaign. The reason they did this was the incredible contributions of Florian Wirtz in the midfield, as he is the most elite player in his age group in world Football. The contributions in the passing lanes in the playmaking and in servicing the strikers made them such a big problem. This past season. He tore his ACL at the end of last season. He’s not expected back until 2023; however, considering the other pieces that they have, it was hard to imagine the scenario. They currently exist in Leverkusen is at the bottom of the Bundesliga table with three consecutive losses. They don’t have any points. They still have. Patrick Schick, who I expect to get on the score sheet sooner rather than later, Moussa Diaby Jermaine Frimpong One of the best goalkeepers in the league and a well-balanced team. However, they aren’t firing on the moment, and through three games, a team that has champions league ambitions has already dug themselves in a hole. There are plenty of games left this season, and there’s enough time to turn it around but need I remind you. RB Leipzig started extremely poorly, and it took them the entire season going into the last day to dig themselves out of it. It is time to hit the panic button This weekend, they got their head ripped off by Hoffenheim. They were never truly in the game. They have the quality in the squad but need to find another outlet for what they’re losing in the playmaking department in the midfield. It has been nothing short of an epic disaster that’s unexplainable. Augsburg is expected to be a team that will struggle this season and I understand that the goalkeeper on that night was exceptional, just like Dortmund was against them in the first match of the season. However, Ausberg does not have attacking talent It is a very pedestrian and an average attack, yet they score twice. That simply cannot happen. Hoffenheim, to a certain extent, I get, but it’s the way they played. They were ripped to shreds, and I think they have a big problem. They cannot afford to drop another point. Their next game will be three points in the bag. If it’s not, decisions may have to be made. They need to get this thing rolling. RB Leipzig, the team that is expected to put the most pressure on Bayern Munich, only has two points through three games. I understand the argument that the schedule was difficult. However, Stuttgart Union Berlin and Koln. All of those three teams only cone should have got a point off them. They’re sitting here now with just two points. They brought in Timo Werner to an attack that already has Andre Silva and Christopher nkunku. They have the best player in the league. One of the best goalkeepers in the league. A potent midfield. They are stacked from top to bottom and have one of the best benches, yet they sit here with two points. It may not be time to panic as of yet, but it’s certainly going to go in that direction sooner rather than later. Union Berlin got on the counterattack twice. They scored twice. Things like these cant be happening and Union Berlin. I saw it squad, but enough is enough. They have the quality they have the team They only have two points. Maybe it’s the pressure. Maybe it’s something else, but they need to get cooking soon because if two champions league spots open up Hoffenheim Freiburg and Gladbach will be ready to rip someone’s head off to get it. You can’t leave them that luxury. Lever cruising and RB Leipzig need to get on track, or else they’re going to sabotage their ambitions.
Everything Roma 