Bundesliga Daily Report - 2026-09-05

SV Elversberg came from 3-1 down to beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 4-3 at Borussia-Park on Saturday, making it two wins from two in their first Bundesliga season. Hugo Bolin scored twice for Gladbach, while Joe Scally added the hosts’ third after David Mokwa had briefly equalised. Maurice Krattenmacher reduced the deficit in the 66th minute before Felix Keidel’s direct free-kick made it 3-3. Krattenmacher then struck again in the third minute of stoppage time to complete his brace. Elversberg had already beaten defending champions Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 on the opening matchday.

Vincent Wagner was sent off just before half-time and will miss Elversberg’s home meeting with Bayern Munich next week. Despite that setback, the coach said the recovery reflected his players’ belief, while the result placed the newly promoted side among the Bundesliga’s early leaders with maximum points. The comeback also reinforced the impression that Elversberg are capable of competing beyond the novelty of their promotion. Their small-town, limited-budget status makes the start especially striking, but the response to a two-goal deficit suggested resilience and tactical adaptability will be central to their attempt to stay up.

Borussia Dortmund came from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at Hoffenheim on Saturday and make it two victories from two Bundesliga matches. Leon Avdullahu opened the scoring shortly before half-time, and Tim Lemperle doubled Hoffenheim’s advantage in the 54th minute. Serhou Guirassy pulled one back seven minutes later before setting up substitute Fabio Silva for the equaliser in the 66th minute. Ethan Nwaneri, making his Bundesliga debut after joining on loan from Arsenal, then drove into the area late on and saw his effort deflect off Albian Hajdari for the decisive own goal four minutes before the end of normal time.

Niko Kovac praised Nwaneri’s contribution but warned that Dortmund could not afford another opening hour like this when their Champions League campaign begins against Villarreal on Tuesday. The coach said his side had adapted after Hoffenheim’s second goal, with tactical changes helping them produce a more forceful final half-hour. The comeback preserved Dortmund’s perfect league record, although the sluggish start exposed a concern ahead of a sharper European test. Nwaneri’s involvement offered an immediate positive, while Guirassy’s goal and assist supplied the experience that turned a difficult afternoon into a valuable away win.

Schalke held Bayern Munich to a 0-0 draw at the Veltins-Arena on Saturday, denying the champions an 11th consecutive victory over the promoted club. Loris Karius made several important saves, including late efforts from Harry Kane, while Bayern struggled to turn their possession into clear chances. Vincent Kompany started Kane and Michael Olise on the bench, and Bayern failed to score in a Bundesliga match for the first time since February 2025. The result ended their run of scoring in 47 consecutive league games and left them on four points after two fixtures.

Kompany acknowledged that Bayern had created two or three one-on-one opportunities but credited Schalke with a compact, aggressive defensive display. Karius was named man of the match as Schalke collected their first point since returning to the top flight, a significant response after their opening defeat by Augsburg. Jamal Musiala also returned from the bench for his first Bundesliga minutes of the season after collapsing during two pre-season matches. The evening was emotionally charged for Manuel Neuer, who returned to his former club and was booed by sections of the home support.

Bayer Leverkusen secured their first Bundesliga victory of the season with a 4-0 home win over Union Berlin on Saturday. The result followed their 3-2 defeat by Elversberg on the opening matchday and gave new coach Carles Martinez his first league win. In the other significant result involving a title contender, RB Leipzig lost 3-1 away to Werder Bremen, who received a goal from new signing Niclas Füllkrug. Leipzig had begun the campaign among the sides expected to challenge near the top, but the defeat left them without a win after two matches.

The contrasting results gave Leverkusen an important early lift after their unexpected opening setback, while Leipzig face an immediate need for consistency. Leverkusen’s response was particularly relevant because their next league performance had to show that the Elversberg loss was not the start of a wider decline. Werder’s victory, meanwhile, added to an increasingly open early table, with promoted Elversberg, Dortmund and Freiburg all reported to have maximum points after two games. The results underlined how quickly the opening standings can shift before the established contenders find their rhythm.