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Bundesliga Matchday 5: Top five talking points

September 24, 2016

More trouble in Hamburg, stubborn Frankfurt, underwhelming Bayern Munich, Chicharito back to his best and a welcome change in fortunes at Werder Bremen: All covered in this week's Bundesliga talking points.

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Bundesliga Fußball  FSV Mainz 05 - Bayer Leverkusen
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/F. Rumpenhorst

1. Can Bruno survive the sack?

Bruno Labbadia's job is hanging by a thread after Hamburg lost 1-0 at home to Bayern Munich on Saturday. But the Hamburg boss might have done enough to earn a bit longer in the hot seat, despite the result meaning a fifth match without a win this season. Chief Executive Dietmar Beiersdorfer has so far refused to be drawn on what will happen next week.

Despite the defeat to the champions, the northern Germans put in a respectable and committed performance. Doubts over whether the squad had their hearts in this were put to bed. However, wider question marks remain around the club's management, especially given Hamburg had a net spend of over 30 million euros this summer. Beiersdorfer's caginess post-match only fuels speculation and increases the pressure ahead of a clash with Hertha Berlin next weekend.

2. Frankfurt continue to upset the odds at home

If pre-season predictions were anything to go by, Eintracht Frankfurt may as well not have bothered showing up this campaign. Defying the critics, last season's relegation playoff winners have made a storming start under Niko Kovac this term, taking four points from six at home against three sides from last year's top-seven. Despite leading 2-1 against Hertha on Saturday, Kovac's men went behind before sealing a point at the death.

Fußball Bundesliga Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Hertha BSC Berlin
Image: Picture-Alliance/AP Photo/M. Probst

Kovac, a physical, dominant player in his day, has fostered a superb work-ethic at the Commerzbank Arena with a number of bit-part players from last year coming to the fore. Mexican international Marco Fabian now has two for the season, having scored none last year. Alexander Meier remains the talisman though, 14 of his last 16 league goals have come at home. Next to face the Frankfurt force at home? Bayern Munich.

3. Bayern far from perfect despite 100% record

With five wins from five, casual followers of the Bundesliga could be forgiven for assuming that Carlo Ancelotti’s start to life in Germany is going perfectly according to plan. However, that’s not exactly the case, as we saw against Hamburg on Saturday.

As with their 2-1 win over Ingolstadt last Saturday and Schalke the Friday before that, Ancelotti’s team huffed and puffed until they were red in the face before they were able to blow down a stubborn Hamburg defence.

That may ultimately work against limited German sides, but the Italian coach will surely have that famously attentive eyebrow fully raised at the prospect of travelling to an exceptionally impressive Atletico Madrid side in the Champions League this coming week. Quite simply, Bayern need to get much better.

4. In-form Hernandez often means an in-form Leverkusen

Last season Mexican striker Javier Hernandez scored exactly 30 percent of Bayer Leverkusen’s Bundesliga goals, as they marched to a comfortable third place in the league table. Although Roger Schmidt’s side have a number of talented players a solitary rule came to apply to the team: When Chicharito scored, Leverkusen tended to win.

That also seems to be the case this season. Before Saturday’s dramatic win over Mainz, the Factory Squad had won just one game from their opening four and their talisman had only notched once.

Yet on the fifth matchday Hernandez finally looked fit and duly popped up with a perfect hattrick – right foot, left foot and then a header – to ensure all three points. With Hernandez back at his best it’s little surprise that Leverkusen are once again climbing back up the table.

Bundesliga Werder Bremen vs FSV Mainz 05
Image: Getty Images/Bongarts/O. Hardt

5. Werder Bremen turning a corner without Skripnik

Alexander Nouri dancing on the Weserstadion sideline will undoubtedly be one of the most-repeated clips of the season, such was the exuberance and sheer euphoria that overcame the temporary Bremen boss at full time. Indeed, Werder Bremen’s 2-1 win over Wolfsburg was the first win of the season for the club but was also the first time in quite a while that the players, backroom staff and fans have been able to celebrate and release some pressure.

And they have a reason to be joyful. Although Mainz ultimately claimed all three points in the mid-week showdown between the sides, Bremen showed then and on Saturday night that they are a team reborn under Nouri, without the heavy shackles of expectation and trepidation that followed former coach Viktor Skripnik from one game to the next.