German opponents in premier class
Obsessed PSG and wounded devils await Bundesliga
September 18, 2023, 8:31 p.m
For the last time, the Champions League starts a group phase. FC Bayern, BVB, RB Leipzig and Union Berlin are starting a historic season. Three European heavyweights and an underdog are waiting for the Bundesliga teams. But how did the opponents start the season?
Now they are the champions again, the best. Starting this Tuesday, the world’s most popular club league returns to the stadiums in Europe. Four Bundesliga representatives make the long journey to the legendary Wembley Stadium. The Champions League final will be played there on June 1, 2024. Eleven years after the legendary “All-German Final” between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, BVB’s revenge cannot necessarily be expected this year. In this last season of the old premier class – from next season there will no longer be a classic group phase – for the runner-up it is only about survival. What are the opponents like before this first matchday of the last Champions League ever?
Bayern Munich – Manchester United (Wednesday, 9 p.m.)
The Red Devils are once again dismantling themselves this season. They are piling up problems and scandals of gigantic proportions. Former Dortmund player Jadon Sancho? Thrown out of the squad after a dispute with coach Erik ten Hag. The 95 million man Antony? He should sort out his private life first. Allegations of abuse have been made publicly against him. Two wingers whose absence shrinks the options in attack. And that with the mess on the pitch.
After five games, United can only score six points. At the weekend, after a strong start, they ultimately lost 3-1 against Brighton & Hove Albion, probably the most exciting club in the Premier League at the moment, at Old Trafford. The Dutch coach ten Hag, meanwhile, suspects injustice behind every referee decision and is increasingly becoming the focus of criticism in England.
The spectators at Old Trafford are also losing patience. They acknowledged the substitution of 20-year-old storm prospect Rasmus Højlund on Saturday with a loud whistle concert. Before the season, Hojlund moved from Atlanta Bergamo to the industrial metropolis for 75 million euros. He is still the Dane returning from injury without scoring a competitive goal.
In the Allianz Arena, new signing Mason Mount could return to the squad after his injury and expand ten Hag’s options in attack a little. In defense, Raphael Varane, Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia and, more recently, Aaron Wan-Bissaka are missing – but England international Harry Maguire is still left with the bench. He has played 23 minutes in five games this season.
Manchester United can therefore not really be trusted in Munich. “A difficult game. I know that Manchester United is having a difficult phase at the moment, but sometimes teams like that are dangerous because they are always looking to come back in a big way,” warns Bayern’s English national hero Harry Kane.
Paris Saint-Germain – Borussia Dortmund (Wednesday, 9 p.m.)
Lionel Messi gone, Neymar too and Sergio Ramos anyway: the traditional Qatari club from the French capital has once again undergone a change. With almost 180 million euros in transfer proceeds from Saudi Arabia and Qatar for five players they no longer wanted, the Ligue 1 subscription champions were able to afford a new line of attack this season. They have it all: superstar Kylian Mbappé, who is in frightening form with seven goals in four league appearances, Randal Kolo Muani and Ousmane Dembélé. It’s a storm worth 350 million on paper. “When these three play on the offensive, that is an unbelievable quality,” said multi-functional Hans-Joachim Watzke in his role as BVB managing director.
The Portuguese Ronaldo successor Gonçalo Ramos is not included in these considerations at all. He came on loan from Benfica Lisbon this season and will then be signed for 65 million euros next year. The world of transfers always finds a way out. But the new PSG, which like the old PSG continues to dream of its first title in the Champions League, has not yet arrived in the season. In the traditionally weak French league, new coach Luis Enrique’s team is in fifth place with just eight points from five games.
So it’s not surprising that Luis Enrique has to go straight into justification mode. “We didn’t start the season particularly well, but every time I go somewhere it’s been like that,” he explained before the game against BVB and after the 2:3 against OGC Nice. He asked for time to then talk about a possible dismissal: “If the results are bad, I will be fired. As a coach, I am aware of that.”
The Dortmund team, who also started the season with a lot of unrest, will meet the opponent in Paris against whom they last played shortly before the first pandemic lockdown in 2020. At that time, the team failed in one of the first ghost games in the round of 16. The 2-1 score in the first leg in an unleashed Westfalenstadion was worth nothing. On March 11, 2020, PSG won 2-0 with goals from Neymar and Juan Bernat and months later moved to the final of the pandemic tournament in Lisbon. They never came close to their dream of triumphing in the Champions League. “When a team, a club is obsessed with something, that’s never a good sign. You have to have hopes, ambition – but an obsession, that never works, in any area of life,” warned Luis Enrique against too much ambition.
Real Madrid – Union Berlin (Wednesday, 6.45 p.m.)
When Union Berlin’s fan plane takes off for Madrid, the Eiserne supporters are certainly looking forward to the first game in the Champions League on board, but not much more. The guests on board the special flight are unlikely to have great hopes of a victory on their debut in the premier class. But they don’t care. The Iron Men still tell the stories of the sensational Real home defeats against Shakhtar Donetsk in October 2020 and Sheriff Tiraspol the following year. But these are the only indicators of a coup at the Bernabeu.
The Royals started the season with five wins, but rarely jumped higher than necessary. This weekend they turned the game against Real Sociedad around in the second half. At 2-1, Jude Bellingham failed to score for the first time, but the now 33-year-old ex-Hannover star Joselu scored the winning goal in the 60th minute.
Los Blancos remain the measure of all things in world football this season. Toni Kroos will also get playing time on his lap of honor. The 2014 world champion is particularly looking forward to the duel against the former club of his brother and podcast buddy Felix. Against Real Sociedad he played the full 90 minutes for the first time this season. Further missions over the full distance will follow.
Because Real Madrid is not afraid of Union Berlin, but of the stress of the coming weeks. Carlo Ancelotti’s squad – similar to Bayern’s – is sewn on edge. They will now play seven games in 22 days until the next international break. Real Sociedad, Union, Atlético Madrid this week alone. This is followed by Las Palmas, Girona, Naples and Osasuna.
Young Boys Bern – RB Leipzig (Tuesday, 6:45 p.m.)
Unlike the other three German Champions League participants, the new season for RB Leipzig does not start with a game against a top team. The Young Boys, trained by former Bundesliga professional Raphael Wicky, are the big underdogs in the duel with the DFB Cup winners. The RB coach may be more worried about the subsurface of the Wankdorf Stadium than the opponent. In Bern they play on artificial turf. “We will pack every type of football boot there is,” Rose explained in advance.
“I expect a courageous team in all phases. We will suffer and have to defend compactly. We won’t be the favorites either,” explained Wicky before the game: “You have to surpass yourself, but you also have to have the necessary bit of luck. ” The Bernese are currently in second place in the Swiss Super League, but as in the Champions League playoffs, they have not only caused enthusiasm there.
Bern was last seen in the Champions League two years ago. With coach David Wagner, who replaced Gerardo Seoane, who moved to Leverkusen in the summer of 2021, the Young Boys achieved a remarkable victory in the first game. They sent Manchester United home 2-1. But after that they didn’t want to win anymore, they ultimately finished the group in last place, Wagner flew in March 2022. Wicky will want to avoid that. In the group with Leipzig, defending champions Manchester City and Red Star Belgrade, the Swiss will only be aiming for third place and relegation to the Europa League.