Bundesliga Daily Report - 2026-09-30: Freiburg rise to third after unbeaten Bundesliga start

SC Freiburg began the 2026-27 Bundesliga season with three wins and one draw after four matchdays, according to a season review published on Wednesday. Julian Schuster’s side had scored 12 goals during that opening run and sat third in the table, placing them on the Bundesliga podium before the first international break. The start represented one of the division’s clearest early surprises, with Freiburg combining an unbeaten record with an attack that had already produced three goals per game on average. Their position gave the club an early platform after a highly productive opening month.

Freiburg’s fast start made them one of the teams attracting attention during the first league review of the campaign. Remaining among the leading sides will now depend on whether they can sustain their scoring rate when the schedule becomes more demanding and opponents adjust to their approach. Schuster’s team had already established a useful cushion of results before the break, but the significance of the opening sequence lay in its consistency as much as its goals. The immediate objective will be to return from the international pause without losing the momentum that carried them into third place.

sources分:[{

SV Elversberg opened their first Bundesliga season with two remarkable victories, beating Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 and Borussia Mönchengladbach 4-3, according to a league review on Wednesday. The six points from those matches helped the promoted club move into seventh place before the international break. Their opening fixtures produced 12 goals in total, underlining the attacking and open nature of Elversberg’s start. Taking maximum points from two established Bundesliga opponents immediately placed the southern German club among the division’s early surprise packages and gave their debut campaign an unexpectedly strong foundation.

The results also offered Elversberg evidence that they could compete at the highest level, although the scale of the challenge will increase as the season progresses. Their victories were described as high-scoring and adventurous, with the club showing no fear in its first Bundesliga matches. Seventh place was a significant early return for a side experiencing the division for the first time, but maintaining that position will require more than two spectacular results. The international break provided a pause before Elversberg resume a campaign in which every further point will strengthen their argument that the promotion was no one-season novelty.

sources分:[{

Borussia Dortmund winger Mathis Albert became the youngest goalscorer in modern United States men’s national-team history on Tuesday, scoring in a 4-2 friendly victory over Chile in St Louis. Albert was 17 years and 131 days old when he struck in second-half stoppage time, surpassing Christian Pulisic’s previous mark of 17 years and 253 days. He came off the bench and finished after Auston Trusty headed an Antonee Robinson free-kick back towards goal. The goal completed the United States’ win and gave Dortmund another landmark moment in the rapid rise of one of its teenage players.

Albert’s record added an international milestone to a breakthrough year at club level. He joined Dortmund’s youth academy in 2024 after coming through the LA Galaxy system and made his Bundesliga debut in April, appearing in a 4-0 victory over Freiburg. His late goal in St Louis also came during a youthful United States performance under Mauricio Pochettino, whose starting side had an average age of 23 years and 25 days. For Dortmund, the achievement reinforced Albert’s growing profile while the teenager’s next challenge will be converting international attention into a more established role in Germany.

sources分:[{

Bayer Leverkusen rejected a reported €65 million (£55.5m) offer from Arsenal for defender Jarell Quansah, according to reports cited on Wednesday. The England international joined Leverkusen from Liverpool in July 2025 and had become a regular at the Bundesliga club, operating at both centre-back and right-back. Arsenal’s proposal was reportedly turned down after Leverkusen made an internal decision not to sell the 23-year-old before the transfer deadline. Quansah’s reported price represented a substantial premium on the £35m Liverpool received for him, reflecting his established role in Germany and continued international involvement.

Chelsea were also reported to have held discussions about the defender, while Arsenal remained interested after their offer was rejected. Leverkusen’s stance underlined the value they place on Quansah after only one full season at the club, where he had made close to 50 appearances according to the reports. Liverpool also retained an option to re-sign him next summer for a reported €70m, adding another layer to his situation. Unless Leverkusen change their position, interested clubs may have to wait for a later window or meet a valuation higher than Arsenal’s failed bid.

sources分:[{

VfB Stuttgart defender Finn Jeltsch has attracted reported interest from Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid after establishing himself as a key player at the Bundesliga club. The 20-year-old moved from Nürnberg for €9.5 million a year and a half ago and recently made his Champions League debut in Stuttgart’s 3-1 victory over Viking FK. He has also received his first Germany call-up from Jürgen Klopp for Nations League fixtures. Jeltsch’s ability to play as a centre-back, right-back or defensive midfielder was identified as a major reason for his growing appeal among leading European clubs.

A German scouting expert quoted in the reports highlighted Jeltsch’s versatility, composure and mental strength, while Stuttgart were said to be waiting for serious offers. Arsenal were specifically reported to be monitoring the defender, with other European sides also involved in what could become a competitive market. Jeltsch’s progress has therefore placed Stuttgart in a strong negotiating position, although the club’s immediate sporting priority will be keeping a player who has become important at the back. His international selection could further raise his profile during the autumn fixtures.

sources分:[{

RB Leipzig publicly backed head coach Martin Demichelis after a poor start to the season and a 4-1 Champions League defeat by Como Calcio, according to Goal.com on Wednesday. Sporting managing director Marcel Schäfer said the club remained calm, focused and united, adding that the entire coaching staff had its support and trust. The report said Roger Schmidt, Jürgen Klopp’s successor as Head of Global Soccer at Red Bull, had argued against dismissing Demichelis and urged decision-makers to support him publicly. The intervention temporarily eased speculation over an early change in the Leipzig dugout.

Schäfer also pointed to the number of summer changes, the process of integrating new players and injuries affecting the squad. That explanation framed Leipzig’s difficulties as part of a rebuilding period rather than evidence that the coaching project had already failed. Demichelis now has the backing of the club’s senior decision-makers, but results will determine how durable that support proves. Leipzig’s next phase will be judged not only by their league position but by whether the reshaped squad develops the routines and consistency the club believes are currently missing.

sources分:[{