Seven matches into the new Bundesliga season and there’s a surprise leader at the top of the table: Borussia Mönchengladbach.
The club hasn’t won the title since 1977, but after Bayern Munich slipped to a 2-1 home defeat to Hoffenheim yesterday, Gladbach took full advantage with a 5-1 victory over Augsburg to open up a two-point lead over Bayern at the top of the table.
A grisly Hugo Lloris injury resulted in the first goal allowed as Tottenham suffered a 3-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, takings its tally to 10 goals conceded this week after a midweek 7-2 loss to Bayern Munich.
Neal Maupay mopped up on a Lloris error in the third minute — the error that cause the Spurs keeper’s injury — and Aaron Connolly added a brace as Brighton won for the second time this season.
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was pulled at halftime from Real Madrid’s Champions League match with Club Brugge on Tuesday, an indication of either sickness, injury or ineptitude.
Zinedine Zidane handed 26-year-old goalkeeper Alphonse Areola his first Real Madrid start in Wednesday’s LaLiga match against Osasuna at the Bernabeu.
Areola made 75 appearances with Paris Saint-Germain before joining Los Blancos on loan (Real sold Keylor Navas to PSG).
Uli Hoeneß is acting like a child, threatening to take his toys and go home if he doesn’t get his way: The Bayern Munich president is suggesting a Germany boycott if his players don’t receive preferential treatment.
The German national team has been embroiled in a goalkeeper debate of late. While Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer is the long-term No. 1 keeper, many believe Barcelona’s Marc-André ter Stegen deserves more opportunities.
It is a well-known fact goalkeepers are a breed of their own. They put themselves in ridiculous situations and are forced to make incredible saves or be the laughing stock of the world.
Mahmoud Gad, goalkeeper for ENPPI SC in the Egyptian Premier League, found himself in one of those situations.
After coming out 30 yards to make a header, he had to sprint back to tip a chip over the crossbar.
Loris Karius bloopers are like the Rolling Stones: They never get old and they never stop entertaining.
Liverpool’s defense of its Champions League crown is off to a shaky start following a 2-0 defeat to Napoli at the Stadio San Paolo in Italy on Tuesday. Liverpool supporters will disagree with the game-changing penalty that Felix Brych awarded Napoli in the 82nd minute, but it certainly wasn’t a vintage performance from the Reds.
After sitting on the bench in Euro qualifying for Germany over the recent international break, Marc-André ter Stegen expressed frustration in being stuck behind Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer in the pecking order to be Germany’s No. 1. After watching Ter Stegen vs Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday, it’s hard to argue he shouldn’t usurp Neuer.
Ter Stegen made four saves, including one on a penalty kick and a massive double save to help Barcelona draw Borussia Dortmund 0-0 in the Champions League group-stage opener for both clubs on Tuesday in Dortmund.
24-year-old USMNT goalkeeper Zack Steffen is two matches into his Fortuna Düsseldorf career, and so far he’s helped his club into the second round of the DFB-Pokal and collected Bundesliga Player of the Week honors after recording 10 saves in Düsseldorf’s league-opening victory over Werder Bremen on Saturday.
That’s one helluva start for a man who’s just beginning a year-long loan move from Manchester City, the club he officially joined from the Columbus Crew back in July for a transfer fee of $9.12 million. He’s already surpassed Landon Donovan’s achievements in Germany.