daniel chigunwe
BERLIN. — The new German Bundesliga season kicks off today when defending champions Bayern Munich play at Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Bayern’s new head coach Julian Nagelsmann (34) is under pressure to deliver a 10th straight German league title at the end of his first season in charge.
England winger Jadon Sancho may have left to join Manchester United, but Dortmund will be a force to be reckoned with under new head coach Marco Rose.
Dutch forward Donyell Malen has been signed from PSV Eindhoven, to play alongside Erling Braut Haaland, Marco Reus and Giovanni Reyna.
Haaland claimed a hat-trick last weekend in the German Cup, picking up where he left off after scoring 41 goals in as many games last season.
Dortmund have the forward fire-power to challenge Bayern, but they must tighten their defence.
Goalkeeper George Kobel (23) has joined from Stuttgart, determined to keep out fellow Swiss shot-stoppers Roman Buerki and Marwin Hitz.
Dortmund start their season with a bang.
They host Eintracht Frankfurt tomorrow in their opening league game of the season, then face Bayern four days later for the German Super Cup.
After struggling for goals last season after Timo Werner left for Chelsea, RB Leipzig have boosted their attack by signing Portugal striker Andre Silva under new head coach Jesse Marsch.
Alongside Silva, who bagged 32 goals in the Bundesliga for Eintracht Frankfurt last season, Leipzig have also signed centre-forward Brian Brobbey (19) from Ajax.
Leipzig are away to Covid-19 hit Mainz tomorrow and have a chance to throw down an early marker in the league when they host Bayern in the league on September 11.
Marsch has identified matches against Bayern and Dortmund as the “peak” games Leipzig must “conquer” in their bid to win the Bundesliga for the first time.
After eight months out with injuries, Hungarian midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai (20) capped his club debut off the bench with a goal last weekend.
Marsch needs to restructure his defence after losing centre-backs Ibrahima Konate, to Liverpool, and Dayot Upamecano to Bayern. — AFP.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter