But not doing all that much with it yet, though they have all but monopolised possession since the first whistle. Balls are disinfected before and during the match, while a maximum of four ball boys are permitted at the match; all must be at least 16 years old. The free-kick awarded from Tousart's foul is just arced into the box, around the penalty spot, by Kamada and Dost bullies the Hertha defence to plant a firm header wide of Schwolow's right hand. Same XI that started in Bremen start again tonight, and you have to say, why not? Great ball whipped in from the right, Stark gets a glancing header on it but Trapp - once again - is smartly down to his right to cling on to the ball. The Bavarians were disappointed after the 4-1 defeat to TSG Hoffenheim. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only). Less. Deserved lead, you have to say. Die Super League ist eine eigene Liga bei Matchday oberhalb von Level 9. Werkself start Bundesliga campaign at VfL Wolfsburg 08/07/2020. - Coronavirus rule change: Teams now allowed five subs • Serie A re-start on hold amid review What were some of the biggest concerns about resuming the season? With the rest of the sporting world watching the German Bundesliga, is your reputation on the line? At Mainz 05, sporting director Rouven Schroder believes this unusual situation has offered players and coaches the chance to go "back to the roots" of why they play the game. While other teams were back in contact-less training, head coach, Florian Kohfeldt, said his club had been left in "limbo" and hoped it would not lead to a "disadvantage" in the future. Just 21 minutes after coming on, Maier is off again...must be an injury. What happens if players test positive for the coronavirus? ESPN sources say playing in neutral venues was never a realistic possibility. Dan Thomas is joined by Craig Burley, Shaka Hislop and others to bring you the latest highlights and debate the biggest storylines. All referees will be tested the day prior to matches and are asked to refrain from posting on their social media accounts. Evan N'Dicka is another who we won't see in action for a little while, having picked up an ankle injury on the eve of the new season. The Belgium international centre-back wears the armband for Hertha tonight after his teammates voted for him to lead the side. Only Nikolce Noveski and Manfred Kaltz have ever put more goals past their own 'keeper (6). Players should only spend between 30-40 minutes in the locker room area and during that time, they still have to stay at least five feet apart and wear face masks. Thursday's test didn't show that I am positive and that is why there will be another test tomorrow." The Frankfurt striker had tucked away a spot-kick in the 2-1 win over Wolfsburg on Matchday 29 last season. - "YNWA is banned here": Bundesliga clubs pitch to PL fans for support At Bayer Leverkusen, players were grouped together based on their role in the team -- those who play down the right wing train in the same group, for example -- and cardboard cut-outs are used to simulate opponents. How many people will be in the stadiums on matchday? And then, when it hopefully goes well, everybody can say at the end, you know, 'typical made in Germany. "We talked a lot with our own fans at Frankfurt and said listen guys, don't show up at the stadium -- if you show up at the stadium, we will lose this game because the rules are very strict," Bobic says. Hertha have scored four times in each of their competitive outings this season - the 5-4 DFB Cup loss to Braunschweig and the 4-1 win in Bremen - and have netted a club record 112 goals in their previous meetings with Frankfurt. Spit if needed? The Frankfurt goalkeeper comes out and double fists a high ball straight to Tousart, 25 yards from goal. The task force's plan lays out the strict stipulations. They are also expected to wash their own kit and boots. Hertha Berlin are in their normal team hotel in Berlin's city centre and will travel to their training ground near the Olympiastadion. At RB Leipzig, each player has an individual room at Cottaweg, their plush training facility, and at noon every day, lunch is placed outside their door. As many as 18 of the 36 teams in Germany's top two divisions could have faced severe financial difficulties had the leagues not returned this season, according to Bundesliga CEO Christian Seifert. Are we going to see more of the same? FC Bayern play TSG 1899 Hoffenheim on Sunday in the first Bundesliga away game of 2020/21. Because he hasn't. At Bayer Leverkusen, the players receive a message every morning on their phone, asking five questions about how they are feeling. There have been concerns that DFL would divert testing capacity away from the general public due to the required 25,000 tests that Bundesliga players and personnel would need in order to finish the season. Related stories Bobic agrees injuries are a concern. in Schalke's Veltins-Arena) then the clubs have to determine different access paths. At noon, police officers, paramedics, fire fighters and the first few members of the team staff, among others, arrive. There's definitely less of a gap between the two in the second half, but Frankfurt still have a pretty handy cushion. After the first round of Bundesliga fixtures, the Bundesliga matchday 2 schedule is set to go underway, with the first match of the schedule seeing Hertha Berlin take on Eintracht Frankfurt. Goals Diff. On Saturday, May 16, the eyes of the sporting world will be on the German Bundesliga as it returns to action after a 61-day hiatus due to the coronavirus. The DFL was concerned about matches being played in front of empty stands. That was poor from the hosts, very impressive from the visitors. The players will rehydrate from individual, disposable bottles. Football as a sport is facing unprecedented financial strain as clubs cope with the absence of matchday income. It's a lesson in ruthlessness from Frankfurt, who bounce back impressively from that opening-day draw with Bielefeld. He will also not caution the coach if he takes off his mask to shout something to players on the pitch, as long as they maintain their social distance. The sessions were non-contact; Manuel Neuer and the rest of the goalkeepers trained in a separate group, only interacting with the outfield players during shooting practise. The other two instalments are reliant on matches being completed. There aren't any team pictures taken because players are not allowed to gather before kick-off. German Bundesliga resumes after coronavirus outbreak: What matchday, player testing and safety will look like play How the Bundesliga plans to deal with cases of COVID-19 (2:11) After losing Kostic to a twisted right knee, Hütter won't want to make another enforced change. If a player is showing symptoms, they are tested at home or in a drive-through testing station. If that's not possible, the fourth official will step in. They are given two tests -- nose and throat -- to help prevent false results and arrive in the lab as one PCR (polymerase chain reaction test). Ilsanker wins the ball back, and when the ball goes out to Toure, his cross finds Dost, who gets up well but can't direct the header. Bundesliga. The visitors were too good in the first half but were relatively uncomfortable in the second as they needed Trapp to pull out some saves. Meanwhile the club are asked not to issue any official communications and have been advised by the DFL to operate with a squad big enough -- including academy players -- to cover any players absent due to quarantine. Well, there'll be three at half-time for Hertha. Frankfurt have them shackled for now. The visitors get us going in the capital. It's not easy because so many stupid things can happen but we will try. Borussia Dortmund will use their normal team hotel outside the city limits. fcbayern.com provides some of the best facts and figures ahead of the first away game in the Bundesliga... 6 assists in 6 games: Lewandowski, Bayern's new provider. Players pick up food packages to take home as team meals are prohibited with locker rooms limited to two players at any one time. Allianz Arena, Munich. The governing body announced on May 4 those tests produced 10 positive results, with three coming from Cologne. While the Hertha fans boo as Tousart lies injured, Frankfurt go forward, and Silva gets in front of his marker to meet Toure's near-post cross - his header flies narrowly over. The three VAR operatives at each game will wear masks and will set next to each other, but with temporary acrylic glass walls separating them. Tousart connects with Lukebakio's cross, directing a volley goalwards but Trapp is handily placed at the near post to leap up and snatch the ball out of the air. It's not allowed -- we've reopened a lot of things, but that's not allowed, no big groups. "The pressure's on us. But there are still unknowns. Fredi Bobic, Eintracht Frankfurt sporting director, told ESPN exclusively on Friday that at one stage, it looked like it was "50/50" over whether the league would return or be cancelled. What will games behind closed doors look like once the teams are out on the pitch? With the Bundesliga set for a May 16 return, Jan Aage Fjortoft joins Gab & Juls to assess the title race. That's the Austria international defender's third own goal for Frankfurt, and the fifth in his Bundesliga career. Average positions and xGoals are real-time statistics for Bundesliga matches, providing new insights into the action on the pitch. Not lasting damage, it seems, fortunately. Suddenly, the red-and-blacks of Frankfurt look like the blue-and-whites of Hertha in the first half. In the midst of a global pandemic, there are concerns over players and staff contracting the coronavirus and then spreading the virus. "Games without spectators are not what we want, but at the moment, the only thing that seems feasible," Seifert said in April. In matchday weeks, the players are tested the day prior a match and on another occasion during the week (in double match weeks, players will be tested before both matches). To replicate a behind-closed-doors atmosphere, they've been training at their old, empty Bruchwegstadion ground, which they left in 2011 for the Opel Arena. Cunha bends a free-kick in from the left..it's off a Frankfurt head and then Lukebakio and comes desperately close to finding the far corner of the net. Will players be able to celebrate goals? Bundesliga 2020/21, Matchday 2 – results: Hertha BSC - Frankfurt: 1-3 Gladbach - Union Berlin: 1-1 Mainz - Stuttgart: 1-4 Leverkusen - RB Leipzig: 1-1 Bielefeld - FC Köln: 1-0 Augsburg - Dortmund: 2-0 Schalke 04 - Werder Bremen: 1-3 Hoffenheim - Bayern: 4-1 Freiburg - Wolfsburg: 1-1. FC Bayern maintains close links with a huge network of official Fan Clubs. Swap shirts? • Copa America: Postponed until 2021. Head coach, Hans-Dieter Flick, and his assistants use poles and pylons to direct the players and player dummies as opponents. It began on 16 August 2019 and concluded on 27 June 2020. "It is a risk because no one was in this situation before," Bobic said. How about coaches or referees? The club then places these banners inside the stadium on matchday. Gorgeous ball in, textbook header, and Frankfurt are flying. In fact, very late. Germany's Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs drafted a paper a few weeks ago that discussed players wearing masks throughout a match, but this was deemed impractical because they need to breathe freely during play. Fans are also allowed to send banners to their club the day before the match. "The test was done on Thursday around 4 p.m. and before that we had been together constantly from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. We did fitness work together, trained together. Players and staff have to stay roughly five feet from each other and wear face masks when they get to the stadium. • A-League: Set to return on July 16 It will be the first of Europe's elite leagues to return to action and as the English Premier League, Italian Serie A and Spanish La Liga attempt to get their 2019-20 seasons back and completed, the Bundesliga will be under the spotlight. The Dortmund-Schalke 04 Revierderby takes place on the opening weekend and is usually played out in front of more than 80,000 fans at Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park home. Show more. They've adopted a "street soccer" mentality anchored on how to beat your opponent in one-on-one situations, handling the insults and remembering those days in the park when you played when you were young. In general, the DFL advises to use as many available rooms as possible to prepare for the match. Were neutral venues ever considered to reduce the risk of home fans congregating outside? Forward Ragnar Ache and left-back Jetro Willems have both returned to training following injuries that kept them out of the season opener, but - while Ache could be in contention to make the squad for the trip to Berlin - Willems is still some time off featuring after over eight months out. Table matchday P W D L Go. Watch: Following Sunday's match at Hoffenheim, Bayern turned their attentions to the Supercup against... Manuel Neuer: We don't want to make excuses. Usain Bolt tore round this blue track in 2009 but Hertha have not shown anything like as much verve in the opening 18 minutes. "If they show up, the result goes to the away team. We need to defend better...We need quality in the final third. The same goes for the referees and their two assistants. Santiago Ascacibar and Javairo Dilrosun are the only absentees for Hertha's first home outing of the new Bundesliga term as they look to build on their flying start. Kamada has been the difference in the final third for Frankfurt though. If a match takes place at 3.30 p.m., preparation starts at 8 in the morning when eight ground keepers arrive at the stadium to take care of the pitch. That's the first time in his 10 Bundesliga goals that Rode has scored with his left foot - and it's one for the family album too. The first installment of three from the €254m ($274m) was paid May 2 and gave clubs financial breathing space, with sources telling ESPN some teams across the two leagues had already guaranteed that unpaid revenue to various creditors. The season couldn't have started much better for the capital club - check out the highlights of their handsome win in Bremen. The Frankfurt starting XI's average age is 29.4 years old - the last time they were that 'experienced' was on 30 January, 2010, when they averaged 29.5 years in a 2-1 defeat to Cologne. Kamada collects Torunarigha's miscued clearance on the right and finds Rode on the edge of the box - he bends a sublime shot into the far corner to make it three. For the rest of the season, anyone in a player's household is subject to voluntary testing. 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Eine Season besteht aus vier aufeinanderfolgenden Matchdays. "We train in two groups and you know that the boys were extremely close to me," Verstraete told VTM. Other than that, it's business as usual after the prematch coin toss. Of course, it will take time for teams to get up to speed. Will the players be fit and ready for May 16? 85' Joshua Zirkzee 89' Serge Gnabry Match report Gallery Standings FC Bayern.tv Matchday Line-up Live ticker Match preview Match stats News Bundesliga - Matchday … Let's not jinx this, but surely... Two changes for Adi Hütter: Almamy Touré comes in at right wing-back in place of Danny da Costa while Stefan Ilsanker, who came off the bench to replace Sebastian Rode against Bielefeld, starts alongside the former Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund man in central midfield tonight. Goal probability determines the likelihood that the ball will land in the goal from every position on the pitch. But now the league is back, the players and staff know full well the scrutiny they are under. The 2019–20 Bundesliga was the 57th season of the Bundesliga, Germany's premier football competition. - Stream new episodes of ESPN FC Monday-Friday on ESPN+ Bayern's striker sensation has shown a different side of himself in recent games, unselfishly turning... Focus on Supercup – Bayern training on Monday. DFL CEO Seifert said the Bundesliga is "on parole" and Bobic agrees. This echoed what the DFL executive committee said in April: "We do not want an economic crisis to lead to structural damage that could be irreparable and radically change the face of German professional football." Hertha have one back..they couldn't, could they? The empty changing rooms are then disinfected. - and his cross, which was aimed at Cordoba, is turned into his own goal by Hinteregger. Bobic's Eintracht Frankfurt have already played behind closed doors twice in the Europa League this season. The value is based on large amounts of data from previous years; factors such as shot angle, distance to goal and opponent pressure - as well as mathematical models. Match officials will get changed in one shared dressing room but must follow hygiene and distancing rules. We urgently ask for exemplary behaviour regarding hygiene and distancing measures outside of the field of play.". With Bayern Munich leading the Bundesliga by four points, they are the team to beat. On Thursday, Union Berlin defender Neven Subotic, 31, said returning to full team training felt strange. There's surely no way back for Hertha now. They have barely crossed the halfway line, which is also testament to Frankfurt's pressing. Julien Laurens and Gab Marcotti discuss team doctors' involvements in restarting the Premier League. Two hours later, the 90 people needed for VAR, satellite feeds and television production arrive. The French midfielder brings the ball down and fires a powerful shot on target, but Trapp is well placed and grabs it. The focus is on minimising the spread of the virus and clubs will look to their local authorities for guidance should players or staff become exposed to someone who is positive for the coronavirus. Schalke 04 warned of "existence-threatening" concerns if the league did not return by June. This stat, overwhelmingly in the visitors' favour, tells you all you need to know about Hertha's problems in creating chances. Hertha have been very much second-best. Das Besondere: Neben den gewohnten Belohnungen für jeden Matchday sammelst du dort auch noch Punkte für das Gesamtranking einer Season und extra Rewards. But Dortmund police told ESPN they are confident no fan groups will show up. ESPN talked to league sources and clubs about various plans and contingencies for how they will resume play. He struck twice in the 4-1 win away to Hertha in June. Outside the stadium there are 109 permitted people (50 security, 14 TV Crew, 37 VAR/TV technicians and eight ground staff). For Borussia Mönchengladbach, this means they will stay at the Borussia-8-Grad hotel, which sits alongside their ground. "Category two" people are those at a low risk and who have had no direct or indirect contact for more than 15 minutes with an infected individual. (2:11). Here we go again. The hosts have got no rhythm going forward as yet - quite a surprise for a team that has been goal-happy so far this season. But Bobic explains the strictest measures are in place to prevent fans from turning up. Silva and Dost have Frankfurt in the driving seat, and there can be no argument. ESPN FC's Sid Lowe and Ale Moreno give their picks as to who you should follow once the Bundesliga returns. By Rune Gjerulff. The Frankfurt coach takes a trip to the edge of his technical area to give some instructions to his side...already. I'm sure we can manage all these guidelines what we got in this special handbook from the league and from the federation. These rules apply to everyone who lives in the player's household. "It's just going to be a lot of risk management and trying to get a finished season with the fewest casualties," Subotic told BBC World Service. If the benches are too small to host all of them and the coaching staff, clubs can use seating in the stands in order to maintain safe spacing. Around 100 referees and assistant referees will be tested next week prior to the return of the league and if an official tests positive, a new referee will be appointed. They also need to keep a note of all the people they are in contact with and if someone breaks the social distancing rules, then players are recommended to go back into quarantine until they have been tested. • Champions League: Suspended indefinitely Players are to be transported in multiple buses or vans that have been disinfected beforehand, with teams told to stagger arrival. This is where the DFL's task force comes into play, which details in depth the social distancing, hygiene and practicalities of limiting contact where necessary. They've also been instructed to travel to the stadium on the day of the game rather than staying nearby the night before. Frankfurt are healthily aggressive tonight. He tallied nine in 52 for former club RB Leipzig. The substitute has barely been on five minutes and he races clear, but with only Schwolow to beat - and the game to kill completely - he sends a measured shot just wide of the target. If they've been in direct contact with an infected individual for more than 15 minutes, they are "category one" and at high risk of infection. The players and staff are tested twice a week. When a long Pekarik cross from the right is played back across goal, the Belgian forward's snap shot is goal bound before Trapp throws himself to his left to make a top-drawer parry. And so getting the games back on television, even without spectators, was established as a priority, with the DFL launching a "Task Force Sports Medicine/ Special Game Operations" on March 31. 85' Joshua Zirkzee 89' Serge Gnabry FC Bayern Munich. Here you will find the most important information on the game between Hertha Berlin and Eintracht Frankfurt on Matchday 2 of the 2020/21 Bundesliga season. Once the players exit their changing rooms, they have to leave the required space in the tunnel. Besides bench players and coaches, only the fourth official, medical staff, ball boys, security personnel, and camera operators are allowed around the halfway line and bench area. The FC Bayern Women represent the club in the Bundesliga and Women's Champions League. Players are strongly advised to shower at home, or in the hotel. Bayern Munich were one of the first Bundesliga teams to return to training and they practised in small groups of three or four players, focusing on skill drills while respecting social distancing rules. Huge let-off for Frankfurt. Hertha get forward and fire a first cross into the Frankfurt area, but Kevin Trapp shows a safe pair of hands. Equipment like balls and shoes will be checked by the fourth official at the doors of the locker rooms. Bundesliga Team of the Week: Matchday 1. He said if the leagues were cancelled, they would lose in region of $800 million (€750m). Will the players go into quarantine before the season starts? Players are not allowed to have physical contact with neighbours or public, must respect the six-foot social distancing rule, are not allowed visitors at home and are prohibited from using public transport: Union Berlin's Subotic is one of the few players who still travels everywhere by this method. 2: 0 (0:0) VfL Wolfsburg. They are told to also avoid exhausting physical activities. With additional reporting by Stephan Uersfeld, Jonathan Harding and Constantin Eckner. Hat-trick heroes Serge Gnabry and Andrej Kramaric are among the players, who made it into our first Bundesliga Team of the Week of the new season. Frankfurt boss Adi Hütter is aware Hertha are a team with a sharp cutting edge: "They're really good up front. It will be interesting first one to see when it's played how kind of football is received. The police will monitor the stadium given that social distancing rules are still in place. [All] 36 clubs, they will start [next weekend]. The DFL carried out 1,724 tests in late April/early May across Bundesliga/2. He believes the league is prepared well, but says everyone has to manage the process. Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens discuss how the Bundesliga is planning to deal with coronavirus cases within the league. Bayern are likely to train away from their state-of-the-art Sabener Strausse HQ and instead head to the Bayern Campus where the youth and women teams train. is clearly a maxim Bruno Labbadia lives by. What will a matchday look like under these conditions? They are also paying for the tests. Another ball comes into the box, and this time Trapp has to be right on top of Cordoba to smother. Don't show up at the stadium, it makes no sense.". He said it was "not a nice experience" and it takes time to get used to the "totally different atmosphere in the stadium.". Results are then given to the team's head doctor at 10am on the morning of the matches. Take part now and be in with a chance of winning! But Germany has enough testing capacity right now (860,000 weekly test capacity in calendar week 17) and the DFL has said they will not take anything away from the public. "It is a short time [until] the first match and you have no preseason or anything like that. • Sources: Barca kid to join Man Utd - Cologne's goat mascot barred from matches by new hygiene rules. If the locker room area is small (e.g. Bayern Munich were the defending champions, and won their record-extending 8th consecutive title and 30th title overall (29th in the Bundesliga era) on 16 June with two games to spare. These specifics are still being discussed but the Bundesliga told the clubs on Friday that players are not allowed to celebrate together, exchange high fives or embrace. With mass gatherings banned in Germany until Aug. 31, there were other concerns over supporters congregating outside the grounds, like the scenes outside the Parc des Princes back on March 11 when PSG played Borussia Dortmund behind closed doors in the Champions League. Players are also asked not to spit, other than during re-hydration. It will be up to referees to use their own discretion in certain circumstances. Beautiful goal, and Frankfurt hit cruising altitude. But a shot...well, header across Hertha's bows. Fabulous run by Torunarigha down the left - what is he doing there? They have installed a 360-degree screen at their training ground for even more complex brain games. Three Hertha defenders go for the same ball, it drops for Frankfurt, and when a low cross comes in, Dost gets his feet in a muddle - if he'd made contact, Schwolow would have been struggling, surely.