Bayern Munich out to make amends in Bundesliga and sure to set another record

BERLIN (AP) — Bayern Munich’s first defeat of the season couldn’t have come at a worse time for St. Pauli.

After losing eight games straight in the Bundesliga, the promoted Hamburg-based team had hoped Bayern might have an off day this Saturday, complacent after another gala performance in the Champions League.

But Bayern slumped to a 3-1 loss at Arsenal on Wednesday after mistakes from goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and defender Dayot Upamecano, and will be looking to make amends in front of its own fans when Alexander Blessin’s team visits.

“Maybe after the Arsenal game, the Champions League is still in their minds, or maybe they underestimate us a bit,” Blessin said after his team’s 1-0 loss at home to Union Berlin. “We just need to keep it scoreless for as long as possible and then turn the game in our favor. That’s the task.”

Regardless of Saturday’s result, Bayern will set a record of 44 consecutive rounds on top of the league, beating its own record from 1973. Leipzig is six points adrift in second place.

The Bavarian powerhouse has already made the best-ever start to the Bundesliga after 11 rounds with 10 wins, one draw and a goal difference of plus 33.

Key matchups

Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund clash in Saturday’s late game, when both will seek to build on positive results in the Champions League.

Leverkusen snatched a 2-0 win at Manchester City while Dortmund crushed Villarreal 4-0. The winner could eventually take over as Bayern’s biggest challenger.

Leipzig visits improving Borussia Mönchengladbach on Friday. Gladbach won 3-0 at Heidenheim in its first match since Eugen Polanski was confirmed as head coach. His team has now won four games across all competitions since a 3-0 loss to Bayern.

Eintracht Frankfurt hosts Wolfsburg on Sunday in the latest challenge for a visiting team dropping toward the relegation zone.

Interim coach Daniel Bauer was unable to stop the slide after a 3-1 loss at home to Leverkusen last weekend. That was the first match since Wolfsburg fired its coach and sporting director. Frankfurt lost 3-0 at home to Atalanta in the Champions League on Wednesday but has won its last two Bundesliga games.

Players to watch

The 17-year-old Lennart Karl scored Bayern’s goal against Arsenal and is fast becoming the most talked about player at the club. He starred in the 6-2 rout of Freiburg last weekend and is generating such excitement that many are calling for him to be included in Germany’s 2026 World Cup squad.

Cologne’s 19-year-old Said El Mala has already been called up for World Cup qualifiers. Born to a German mother and a Lebanese father, the teenager has become a key player in his first season in the Bundesliga with four goals and three assists. His club visits Werder Bremen on Saturday.

Álex Grimaldo is Leverkusen’s latest star following a summer exodus at the club. The Spain left back scored again at City on Tuesday. Despite his role as a defender, he has four goals and four assists already in the Bundesliga.

Who is out?

Leipzig youngsters Assan Ouédraogo and Yan Diomande were injured in the win over Bremen last weekend. The 19-year-old Ouédraogo suffered a tendon problem in his left knee and is out for several weeks, the club said. He had enjoyed a dream debut for Germany the previous week.

Diomande, also 19, broke his nose against Bremen but should be able to play against Gladbach.

Off the field

Thousands of organized fans have been protesting against possible new German government security measures around stadiums – including personalized tickets, the use of face-recognition software, increased surveillance, and stadium bans – to be discussed at an interior ministry conference from Dec. 3-5.

Most fans in stadiums in the Bundesliga and other divisions stayed quiet for the first 12 minutes of matches last weekend, while many supporters attended a large protest in Leipzig the previous weekend.

The fans have been supported by the clubs, with Bayern chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen speaking up in their favor, and Stuttgart and Freiburg among several teams issuing a statement against the proposed measures on Wednesday.

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