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Bundesliga!

Reigning champions Bayern Munich kicked off the season on Friday night and with 16 minutes on the clock; it looked as though the Bavarian giants were set to continue their dominance of German football.

One of the best players of Euro 2008 Sebastian Schweinsteiger had the honour of scoring the first goal of the season as his 12th minute goal put Bayern 1-0 up.

This lead was doubled on 16 minutes when a Podoski penalty gave the hosts a two goal lead over SV Hamburg. Things were looking grim for the away team but a goal back before half time was crucial and Guerrero managed just this on 25 minutes.

In the second half, a penalty for the away team levelled things at 2-2 and despite late Bayern pressure; the champions had to settle for a point. We’ve seen in England that Manchester United drew at home in their first game and in Scotland champions Celtic dropped points in their first away match so the title holders aren’t having it all their own way at the moment. These dropped points for Bayern immediately gave a lift to some of the teams looking to push them hard this season and the Saturday fixtures suddenly got a lot more exciting for some teams.

Germany - The Place For Goals
All in all, there were 29 goals scored in the opening weekend of the Bundesliga and with only 9 games taking place that works out as more than 3 goals per game.

With this sort of scoring excitement going on, it promises to be an exciting season ahead. There were no hat-tricks but 4 players managed to nab two goals in their game to give them a quick boost in the goal scoring charts.

Kevin Kuranyi got two in Schalkes 3-0 victory over Hannover 96 whilst Ibisevic managed to score two in his teams 3-0 away triumph over Cottbus. The match between Arminia Bielefeld and Werder Bremen finished 2-2 with two players sharing the goals amongst them. Rosenberg opened the scoring on 60 minutes only to see Wichniarek level matters with just over quarter of an hour to go.

A few minutes later the Werder Bremen star Rosenberg struck again and it seemed as though the away team would take all three points. However, Wichniarek was not to be denied and a minute later pulled his team level yet again. There was to be no further scoring in the match as the teams had to settle for one of the two draws that occurred over the weekend.

League Tables Never Lie?
The league tables never matter at this early stage but fans of TSG Hoffenheim will be recording this week just in case they do not make it back to the summit of the German table this season. Their 3-0 victory sees them alongside Schalke with goal difference and in total, 5 teams are currently sitting on five points.

Although there has only been one league match this season, the German national team was involved in the international round of friendly matches this midweek. The home match versus Belgium may allow players another opportunity to build their match fitness but no doubt many club managers will be anxiously waiting the return of their players, hopefully fit and well.

International Friendlies Catch the Attention
It seems absolute folly to have a round of international friendlies at this stage of the season but given the power that Fifa holds, there is very little that clubs can do about the situation.

As usually happens in these circumstances, it would not be surprising to hear of some player suffering from a horrendous injury that will alter their clubs plans for the season ahead. With just over a week of the transfer window left, now is not the time for club manager to experience any late surprises with regards to the size and quality of their squad.

Bayern Seek to Bounce Back
Returning to the Bundesliga, the second round of matches this coming weekend throws up a number of intriguing ties. As always, most eyes will be on Bayern Munich and there will be interest to see if they can bounce back from two dropped points at home. Jurgen Klinsmann greatly impressed the nation as coach during the 2006 World Cup but now he is in charge of FC Hollywood, he is unlikely to receive as much leeway as he did back in the summer of 06.

A trip to Borussia Dortmund lies ahead for Bayern Munich and the Dortmund side will be looking to continue their positive start to the season. Whilst no one would suggest there was a crisis at Munich this early in the season, if the club fails to pick up a victory in this match either, there will be many clubs seeking confidence for the battles that lie ahead.

One such club may be Schalke who travel to Werder Bremen this weekend. Both teams are still undefeated but Schalke may be forgiven if their minds were wandering slightly. League points are all important but considering they will be in Madrid this coming Wednesday in the second leg of their Champions League qualifier that may get full attention.

Schalke's Spanish Mission
The German side takes a 1-0 lead to Madrid where they will face Athletico. It was hard luck on Schalke as they were paired against the unseeded team that no one wanted but a first leg victory without conceding an away goal has at least given them a platform to build from. There is still a lot of work to be done by the German side but they have given themselves every opportunity of sealing a place in the group stages of the Champions League.

If Schalke can hold onto their advantage they will join Bayern Munich and Werder Bremen at the top tournament in European football. With the financial chasm between the big clubs and everyone else growing ever wider, it is vital even for the top Bundesliga teams to earn Champions League qualification and the financial benefits that come with it. So, do not be surprised if Schalke find they have bigger priorities than an away trip to Werder Bremen, who will be looking forward to the group stage draw.

Stuttgart versus Bayer Leverkusen and Cologne versus Eintracht Frankfurt are two other matches that will catch the eye of football fans across the world and although the Bundesliga is yet to settle down, there will be enough action to sate the needs of any football fan this weekend.

for The Silver Circle at www.footballtip.co.uk

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