Borussia Dortmund still have a perfect record in the Bundesliga. On Saturday afternoon, Joey Veerman and his new teammates needed an impressive comeback to overcome Hoffenheim. Bayer Leverkusen, meanwhile, bounced back from a dreadful start to the season, while Youri Regeer made his debut for Werder Bremen.
Dortmund complete dramatic comeback as Leverkusen respond and Elversberg stun Bundesliga again
Borussia Dortmund maintained their perfect start to the Bundesliga season with a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory away to Hoffenheim on a Saturday full of major storylines across Germany. Niko Kovac side found themselves two goals behind shortly after half-time but responded impressively through Serhou Guirassy and Fábio Silva before an unfortunate own goal from Albian Hajdari completed the turnaround. Elsewhere, Bayer Leverkusen recovered from their disastrous opening defeat by crushing Union Berlin 4-0, Werder Bremen celebrated a convincing 3-1 victory over RB Leipzig on the day Youri Regeer made his debut, while newly promoted Elversberg continued their extraordinary introduction to Bundesliga football with a remarkable 4-3 comeback at Borussia Mönchengladbach. Freiburg also collected a second consecutive victory by beating Paderborn 1-0 and temporarily moved to the top of the table.
Dortmund recover from two goals down at Hoffenheim
Dortmund had to work considerably harder for their second victory of the campaign than they had in their opening 2-0 success against Hamburger SV. Joey Veerman again began among the substitutes, with Jobe Bellingham and Felix Nmecha preferred as the two deeper midfielders. The match forced Kovac into tactical adjustments during the first half when centre-back Filippo Mane suffered an injury. The Dortmund coach decided to change the structure of his team in an attempt to mirror the formation being used by Hoffenheim, although Ethan Nwaneri was initially introduced ahead of Veerman. The former PSV midfielder eventually entered at half-time, replacing Nmecha and getting the entire second period to make his mark.
By the time Veerman came onto the field, Dortmund were already chasing the game. Hoffenheim had produced an organised and confident first-half performance, with Burger and Rots both starting, and were rewarded shortly before the interval when Leon Avdullahu opened the scoring with an excellent long-range strike. It was the type of goal that gave the home side even greater belief and forced Dortmund to reconsider their approach during the break. Kovac changes were intended to give his team more control, but the situation became even more difficult less than ten minutes into the second half.
Tim Lemperle made it 2-0 shortly after the restart, benefiting from a little fortune as Hoffenheim suddenly found themselves in a commanding position. At that stage, Dortmund perfect start to the campaign looked in serious danger. The visitors had struggled to impose themselves for much of the match and now needed at least two goals simply to rescue a point. What followed, however, was a rapid and decisive response that completely changed the direction of the contest.
Guirassy began the comeback after an hour, scoring to reduce the deficit and restore belief to Dortmund. Only five minutes later, the striker was involved again, this time turning provider for substitute Fábio Silva, who found the equaliser to make it 2-2. Two goals in quick succession transformed the momentum, with Hoffenheim suddenly under pressure after appearing to have the match firmly under control only moments earlier.
Dortmund continued pushing in search of a winner and were eventually rewarded in the closing stages, although the decisive goal arrived in unfortunate circumstances for the hosts. Hajdari attempted to deal with the danger but ended up putting the ball into his own net, completing Dortmund comeback and making it 3-2. It was a painful conclusion for Hoffenheim after such a strong first hour, while Dortmund left with three points from a match that could easily have gone in the opposite direction.
The victory means Kovac side have six points from their opening two Bundesliga fixtures and remain perfect at the start of the campaign. Attention will now quickly switch to Europe, with Villarreal due to visit on Tuesday for Dortmund first Champions League fixture of the season. For Veerman, the Hoffenheim match also provided another opportunity to establish himself following his move, even if he again had to wait for his chance from the bench.
Leverkusen answer opening-day disaster with four-goal victory
Bayer Leverkusen produced one of the most emphatic responses of the weekend by defeating Union Berlin 4-0. The 2024 champions had begun the new Bundesliga season with a shock defeat against newly promoted Elversberg, immediately placing pressure on the team to show that the result was an early setback rather than a sign of another difficult campaign. Against Union, the reaction came almost immediately.
Leverkusen needed less than a minute to take the lead, with Equi Fernández finishing from close range to give the home side the perfect start. Scoring so early removed much of the tension created by the opening-round defeat and allowed Leverkusen to play with greater freedom. Union were forced to alter their approach almost immediately, while the hosts were able to dictate the match from a position of strength.
Facundo Medina added the second as Leverkusen increasingly took control, and Patrick Schick extended the advantage shortly after the interval. By that stage there was little doubt about the outcome, but Ibrahim Maza added a fourth to turn the victory into a statement result. After the embarrassment of losing to a promoted side in the first round, Leverkusen responded with four goals and a clean sheet in their first home league appearance.
Malik Tillman was included in the starting line-up and remained on the field until shortly after the fourth goal, when he was replaced by Moussa Diaby. The appearance carried particular significance for Diaby, who returned to Leverkusen this summer after spending three seasons away from the club. His comeback added another positive element to an afternoon in which the Werkself were able to put their disappointing start behind them.
The scale of the victory should also ease some of the immediate pressure surrounding Leverkusen. Last weeks defeat had attracted particular attention because it came against Bundesliga newcomers Elversberg, but a 4-0 response gives the team a much more positive platform from which to approach the coming fixtures. The challenge now will be turning that reaction into consistency rather than allowing the opening weeks of the season to become a sequence of extreme results.
Dream debut for Regeer as Bremen punish Leipzig
Werder Bremen also recovered strongly from a difficult first round, beating RB Leipzig 3-1 at the Weserstadion. One of the main stories was the debut of Youri Regeer, who recently joined the club on loan from Ajax. The midfielder was immediately placed in the starting line-up and partnered fellow Dutchman Ludovit Reis in a double pivot, giving Bremen a new-looking midfield combination for one of the most demanding fixtures on their early schedule.
The decision worked impressively. Werder had been heavily beaten by Freiburg in their first match of the season and needed a convincing response in front of their own supporters. They provided exactly that against a Leipzig side preparing for Champions League football. Eren Dinkçi opened the scoring early, putting Bremen in control and giving the home crowd an immediate lift after the disappointment of the previous weekend.
Niklas Füllkrug and Marco Grüll added further goals as Bremen took complete control of the contest. Leipzig, who had started their own season with a comfortable victory against Borussia Mönchengladbach, were unable to reproduce that level and found themselves well beaten before Ridle Baku scored a late consolation. By then, the three points were already secure for Werder.
For Regeer, making his debut in a victory of that magnitude represents an ideal beginning to his spell in Bremen. Starting immediately alongside Reis also suggests the coaching staff have confidence in his ability to take responsibility in midfield despite having only recently arrived. His new team now have their first points of the season and can approach the next round with renewed confidence after transforming the mood around the club within the space of one afternoon.
Leipzig, by contrast, will have little time to dwell on the defeat. Their attention now turns towards the Champions League, where they travel to Como next week for their opening fixture. Heading into European competition on the back of a 3-1 loss is far from ideal, particularly after such an encouraging first league match, and the performance in Bremen will give the coaching staff plenty to address before the trip to Italy.
Elversberg produce another extraordinary Bundesliga shock
If any team has provided the biggest surprise of the opening two Bundesliga rounds, it is Elversberg. The promoted side had already stunned German football by defeating Bayer Leverkusen in their first ever match at this level, but they managed to produce an even more dramatic result on Saturday by beating Borussia Mönchengladbach 4-3 away from home.
The afternoon repeatedly appeared to be getting away from the newcomers. Hugo Bolin put Gladbach ahead twice, while David Mokwa provided Elversberg response in between. When Joseph Scally increased the home advantage to 3-1 shortly before the hour mark, the match appeared to have reached the point where the difference in experience and quality would finally prove too great for the newly promoted team.
Instead, Elversberg produced another extraordinary reaction. Maurice Krattenmacher and Felix Keidel scored to drag the visitors level, turning a two-goal deficit into 3-3 and creating a frantic final phase. Even collecting a point from that position would have represented another excellent result following the opening-day victory over Leverkusen, but the promoted side were not finished.
Deep into stoppage time, Krattenmacher scored again to complete the comeback and make it 4-3. The late winner sparked another remarkable celebration for a team that has entered the Bundesliga without showing any sign of intimidation. Two matches have now produced victories over Leverkusen and Mönchengladbach, with Saturday comeback demonstrating that their impressive start is about more than simply catching opponents by surprise.
The manner of the victory was particularly striking. Going 3-1 down away from home would have been enough to end the hopes of many newly promoted teams, but Elversberg continued attacking and were rewarded with three unanswered goals. Krattenmacher decisive contribution, including the stoppage-time winner, ensured the newcomers left Gladbach with another result that will attract attention throughout German football.
Freiburg briefly take over at the top
SC Freiburg maintained their own perfect start with a much narrower victory, beating Paderborn 1-0 away from home. Maximilian Eggestein scored the only goal of the match, enough to secure Freiburg second win from two Bundesliga fixtures and send them temporarily to the top of the standings on goal difference.
Freiburg had already opened the season with a convincing victory over Werder Bremen, giving them a strong goal difference before travelling to Paderborn. Saturday performance was less spectacular in terms of goals but equally valuable, with the visitors showing they could follow a comfortable opening win with a tighter result away from home.
The victory meant Freiburg could temporarily describe themselves as the surprise leaders of the Bundesliga. Their position at the top was dependent on the later matches, with Bayern Munich still capable of moving ahead, but six points from six represented an excellent start regardless of the precise league position at the end of the weekend.
The difference between the two performances may also be encouraging for Freiburg. Their opening match demonstrated attacking power, whereas the trip to Paderborn required them to protect a narrow advantage and manage a very different type of game. Collecting maximum points from both situations gives the club an ideal foundation for the weeks ahead.
Dortmund remain perfect amid dramatic Bundesliga afternoon
Saturday therefore produced very different stories across the Bundesliga. Dortmund were pushed to the limit but came from 2-0 down to preserve their perfect record. Leverkusen responded to a humiliating start with a four-goal victory, while Bremen recovered from their own heavy opening defeat by comfortably beating a Champions League side. Freiburg quietly collected another three points, while Elversberg once again emerged as the extraordinary story of the weekend.
For Dortmund, the result in Hoffenheim may prove particularly valuable because it showed a different side to the team compared with the opening victory over Hamburg. Kovac players were not at their best, found themselves two goals behind and had to adapt after an early injury, but still found a way to win. Guirassy was central to the response with a goal and an assist, while the introduction of Fábio Silva also had an immediate impact.
Leverkusen and Bremen, meanwhile, demonstrated how quickly perceptions can change at the beginning of a season. Both entered the second round under pressure after disappointing defeats, but each responded with a convincing victory. Their challenge is now to ensure those results represent the beginning of improved form rather than isolated reactions.
For Elversberg, expectations may already be changing. A victory over Leverkusen on the opening weekend could have been dismissed as the classic surprise produced by a promoted side full of enthusiasm. Following that by coming from 3-1 down to win 4-3 at Mönchengladbach makes the start considerably more significant. Six points from the first two games gives the newcomers an extraordinary opening to life in the Bundesliga and ensures future opponents will approach them with considerably greater caution.
The second Bundesliga weekend has therefore already delivered comebacks, major shocks and immediate responses from clubs under pressure. Dortmund continue with maximum points, Freiburg have also won twice, and Elversberg have become the unexpected early sensation of the competition. With European fixtures now approaching for several German clubs, the opening rounds have provided a reminder that the domestic campaign is unlikely to offer many straightforward afternoons.
