Two of the Bundesliga’s underrated overachievers from last season were once again quietly having a good time in 2022/23, as Mainz and Köln were on 15 and 16 points respectively before they faced off on Friday night. A cracking contest looked to be in store for us, but a red card completely changed the dynamic […]

FC Köln and Bayern Munich have, in their separate ways, set the bar high this season to promise a spectacle in this fixture. Indeed, if their efforts were anything to go by on the pitch, Bundesliga football is a simple pleasure. Organized but possibly wild high pressing styles clash, transitions rule, and the Bavarians always […]

Pitted against top four contenders RB Leipzig, Paderborn found the odds firmly stacked against them. Yet the game barely adhered to the script many had envisioned beforehand. A dogged away performance, a red bull who lost his rag, and final minute drama contributed to a result that casts doubt on one team’s campaign and keeps […]

Dortmund’s versatility and persistence gnawed away at a dogged Paderborn. The well prepared home defense stood tall in the first half, but was not fit enough to last the full ninety minutes.  Tactical analysis and match report by Peter Munnelly. Before Monday’s match-up, Paderborn went unbeaten for three games, but did not manage to get out […]

Bundesliga football returned with an – on paper – intense relegation battle, with both Fortuna Düsselsorf and SC Paderborn fully engrossed. In this first match after a long layoff, both teams had a hard time progressing the ball against their opponent’s defensive systems, especially when dealing with opposition pressing. An even and eventful goalless draw […]