3 – Likely number of German top goalscorers over the past 10 years by season’s end. With Ibisevic’s injury cementing his tally at 18, it seems likely that Patrick Helmes (17), Mario Gomez or Grafite (14 each) will end up with title of Torschützenkönig. BUT if Grafite were to win, it’d increase the number of Brazilians at the top over that same time to 4.
3 (Bonus) – Goals Schalke need until they break even on goal differential on the all-time Bundesliga table. At 9th place they’re currently the highest ranked team with a negative differential, 4 spots ahead of Hertha Berlin.
5 – Andriy Voronin’s hat-trick was only the fifth of the season. The others were Claudio Pizarro’s against Frankfurt, Grafite’s against Cottbus, Patrick Helmes’ against Hannover 96, and Demba Ba’s against Stuttgart. (Szabolcs Huszti gets an honorable mention for missing a penalty but scoring a brace later in the game versus Gladbach.)
5 – Games Hoffenheim have now gone winless. Furthermore, over this stretch they’ve conceded 8 goals. That’s as many as in November, December and January combined (although the latter two were shortened by the winter break).
8 – Seasons since the 1991/1992 (the first year of a unified Bundesliga) that featured a champion that did not also lead the league in goal differential. More on the correlation between goal differential and table position in a future post.
10 – Games Wolfsburg have won at home after their 1-0 victory against Karlsruhe. Across all competitions this season that number increases to 13. In fact, their only defeat was a 2-5 setback to Bremen during a mid-week DFB Pokal match earlier this month.
12 – Games (only one of which ended nil-nil) that Karlsruhe have failed to score in which, unsurprisingly, tops all teams. You might not be surprised to learn that they are also the only club not to have won a game by 2 or more goals.
14 – Goals scored (out of 22) by ‘foreigners’ (including German-born players who represent other countries, e.g. Hamit Altintop). This isn’t something I pay particular attention to, considering the Bundesliga is an international league. Neverthless, 64%? Is that the norm?

Bundesliga Matchday 23 by the Numbers

Bundesliga Matchday 23 by the Numbers - World Soccer Talk

0 – Number of wins by Frankfurt, the last remaining winless team 
5 – Total number of shots by Gladbach in their 0-1 defeat to Hamburg 
7 – Goals scored by Patrick Helmes this season, that’s equal to or more than 8 teams (Hertha, Köln, Hannover, Karlsruhe, Bochum, Cottbus, Frankfurt, and Gladbach) 
8.06 – The average number of points the average Bundesliga squad has after the first 6 games of the season. Compare with EPL at 8.35 and 20 draws after six games vs. 28 in the Bundesliga 
9 – Number of different goalscorers in the Bremen-Hoffenheim game. <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/apr/30/1" title="The Knowledge at the Guardian" target="_blank">That’s quite an accomplishment</a> 
10 – Saves by Rene Adler to preserve Leverkusen’s 3-2 victory over Bochum, the most in a single game so far this season 
12 – Corner kick differential favoring Bochum in their 2-3 loss to Leverkusen 
14 – Minutes Christian Lell played before being substituted by Massimo Oddo 
16 – Times Christoph Daum has earned at least a point in his 18 meetings against Schalke 
36 – Minutes it took for the Bremen-Hoffenheim game to reach 6 goals, making it the highest scoring game of the week by halftime 
54 – Time of Possession, in percentage, of the losing teams this week 
1798 – Distance, in kilometers, of Madonna from Frankfurt on Matchday 6 (she was in Athens at the time)

Week 6 by the Numbers

Week 6 by the Numbers - World Soccer Talk

1 – Number of weeks Hamburg spent at the top of the table 
2 – Number of 0-0 draws after five weeks 
5 – Clean sheets, tied (alongside week 4) for the most in one week 
8 – Minutes it took sub Jonas Kamper to score in Bielefeld’s 2-0 win over Köln 
11 – The mean length of a goalscorer’s name this week and… 
12 – Well, 12.03, the average length of a goalscorer’s name this week 
28 – Minutes Valerien Ismael spent on the pitch before becoming the quickest player subbed this week 
40 – About the time, in minutes, I spent gathering these figures 
46 – Average minute in which a yellow was awarded this week 
47 – Minutes needed for Patrick Helmes to score a hattrick, this season’s first 
52 – Number of subs used (out of 54 possible). Only Schalke and Frankfurt did not use all three 
64 – Percentage of possession Hamburg had in their 0-3 loss to Wolfsburg 
373 – Number of minutes, not including added time, needed for Cottbus to score their first goal of the season against Bochum

Week Five by the Numbers

Week Five by the Numbers - World Soccer Talk

A hat trick by Patrick Helmes and an unrelenting offense saw Bayer Leverkusen take apart Hannover 96 tonight. The illness and injury riddles Reds, were humiliated by Bayer 04, but also their lack of fight as they seemed disinterested in the proceedings.
Bayer have the most fluid attack in the Bundesliga with Rofles and Augusto quickly becoming the top central tandem in the league. Barnetta, Castro and Vidal are able to spread the game from the channels as well as cut inside. Keissling has the ability to create from anywhere in the final third and Helmes has the pace and finishing that has them playing like Werder Bremen (of the past two seasons) with a solid defense. And they have some kid in goal, who is supposed to be good.
While Augusto and Helmes are getting the most attention, the loan deal for Henrique was just as important this past summer for Bruno Labbadia. The Barcelona player shored up the defense tonight with Freidrich suspended and has played every match so far.
1. Fly Like an Eagle
Last week Rene Adler looked off the boil in the loss to Hamburg. It was his first game back following his shoulder injury and he was caught flat footed a number of times. I wonder if an easy game like this, were he was called on at most three times, was good or bad for him. Part of me thinks it gives him a game to get back to match readiness. He did show good confidence and decision making when he was involved. Plus another game with the Brazilian, Henrique, will only help their communication. However, part of me wonders if the amazing reaction saves will need time to until normal service is resumed, because he was never called on to make a save tonight.
2. It’s Getting Hot in Here
The 28’ minute substitution of Valérien Ismael for Frank Fahrenhorst, due to an injury might have saved Hannover more embarrassment. Fahrenhorst was the only player for the Reds to come out of this match with a reason to hold his head high. When he came on he shored up the defense quickly and his work in the remainder of the 2nd half kept Hannover in the game. In the second half he kept at least two more goals from being scored. Had Ismael not been injured, this could have well been a cricket score. Has he earned a starting spot?
3. Hannover 911
Already straddled with a slew of injuries to a small squad in a short week, the flu made the rounds through Hannover’s squad and took out more players including Mike Hanke. This week Forssell was forced out due to a calf injury and Bruggink was diagnosed with an infected sole. Add to that, the fact that Ismael and Schlaudraff were injured during the match and Hannover 96 is in real trouble.
4. Broken Wings
Tactically, Dieter Hecking didn’t adjust to his injury/illness crisis in the right way. He played Vicinius on the right wing. The big center half was never confident going forward and he was unable to cope with the quick attack down the wings by Leverkusen. Over on the left, he slotted in his holder Hanno Balitsch, which left his back four exposed until he brough4 Lala on in the second half. Balitsch looked even more uncomfortable on the right than Vicinius did on the left when it came to defending.
In addition, Chavdar Yankov was obviously another of his walking wounded. Why he removed Huszti, rather than a player who was nowhere near his usual energetic self, was odd to say the least.
I think Hecking would have been better off with a 3 man back line with Balitsch and Lulu in a double pivot in front of them. It would have been crude and cynical, but when you only have seventeen players fit, there’s no shame in playing for a road draw. With this much cover, they could have then deployed Schulz, Huszti, Rausch, Krebs or Pinto to play as modified wingbacks. One of the remaining could have been the playmaker to link with Staijner and Schlaudraff.
5. Hatrick Helmes (SIC)
Last week, there was a discussion on <a href="//bundesliga.theoffside.com/teams/the-jan-schlaudraff-goal-construction-kit.html#comments”">Bundesliga Talk</a> about whether Schlaudraff or Helmes should replace the aging Klose and Neuville and the overrated Kuranyi for the German National team. While I don’t agree with Kuranyi’s label, I do agree with the tone of the debate, which is that new forwards need to be vetted. And based on not just a dazzling performance tonight by Helmes, but an incredible start to the season, I think the pickup from Koln wins hands down.

The Sync: Bayer 04 v. Hannover 96

The Sync: Bayer 04 v. Hannover 96 - World Soccer Talk

<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/bundesliga.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/2015/01/bundesliga-600x338-600x338.webp" alt="bundesliga" width="600" height="338" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-126420" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></figure></div></a>
While this is expected to become a weekly column, I have decided to hand out the first Weekly XI based on the cumulative efforts of the first three weeks.&nbsp; I will use a 3-4-3 formation for my picks.
GK: Mathias Schober (Schalke 04) – The veteran backup has taken over during Manuel Neuer’s injury and has given up the least goals in the league. And he’s done so with Bordon looking suspect.
DF: Heiko Westermann (Schalke 04) – He’s fills in for Rafinha as well as he did for Pander last year. Two goals and solid defense make him the most versatile defender in the league. He might be Schalke’s answer to their goalie problems.
DF: Neven Subotic (Borussia Dortmund) – 19 year old defenders aren’t meant to be this good.
DF: Friedrich (Hertha Berlin) – An iffy penalty on Ze Roberto and a failure to collapse on Lahm last week, should not take away from his brilliant start to the season.
MF: Kuba (Borussia Dortmund) – He has been the offensive catalyst of Dortmund’s revival.
MF: Marin (Borussia Mönchengladbach) – I can’t say enough about this kid.
MF: Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich) – Has taken the leadership of the team from Van Bommel. In addition he has been the driving force for the Bavarians during Ribery’s injury.
MF: Ashkan Dejegah (Wolfsburg) – Relentless and tenacious, he has been Wolfsburg’s best performer during their solid start.
FW: Vedad Ibisevic (TSG Hoffenheim) – Any questions I had about his and Bo’s ability to adapt to the Bundesliga have been answered with loads of goals.
FW: Artur Wichniarek (Arminia Bielefeld) – He’s looking like a one man team.
FW: Patrick Helmes (Bayer Leverkusen) – It was tough to choose Helmes over Köln’s Novakovic, but Helmes’ abilities to create and hold have made him instrumental to Bayer’s start.

The Bundesliga XI

The Bundesliga XI - World Soccer Talk

die Tabelle lügen nicht! Preview

die Tabelle lügen nicht! Preview - World Soccer Talk

<a href="http://www.bundesligatalk.com/the-new-gaffer-introducing-labbadia-at-bayer-leverkusen/45/bruno-labbadia/" rel="attachment wp-att-52" title="Bruno Labbadia"><div><figure class="external-image"><img src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/8/files/2008/08/610x2.jpg" alt="Bruno Labbadia" align="right" hspace="15" vspace="15"></figure></div></a>A look at Bayer Leverkusen’s Bruno Labbadia concludes our The New Gaffer: Introducing… series this week. So far we’ve examined, in order: <a href="http://www.bundesligatalk.com/the-new-gaffer-introducing-klinsmann-at-bayern-munchen/24" title="Introducing Klinsmann at Bayern Munich">the journeyman</a>, <a href="http://www.bundesligatalk.com/the-new-gaffer-introducing-klopp-at-borussia-dortmund/25" title="Introducing Jürgen Klopp at Borussia Dortmund">the company man</a>, <a href="http://www.bundesligatalk.com/the-new-gaffer-introducing-rutten-at-schalke-04/31" title="Introducing Fred Rutten at Schalke 04">the stranger</a> and, er, <a href="http://www.bundesligatalk.com/the-new-gaffer-introducing-jol-at-hamburg/40" title="Introducing Martin Jol at Hamburg">Martin Jol</a>. Labbadia is a mix between a poor man’s Jürgen Klinsmann and a poor man’s Christian Bale (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000288/" title="Christian Bale&apos;s IMDB entry" target="_blank">take a look</a>!). In other words, Labbadia was overshadowed as a player by Klinsmann, yet, like Bale, he has more coaching experience than Bayern’s new gaffer.
In his near 20-year long playing career he traveled the breadth of Germany from Kaiserslautern to Cologne (Köln) to Karlsruhe (and some cities not beginning with K, too). From 1991 to 1994 he played for Bayern München, making him the third manager profiled (alongside Klinsmann and Jol) to have played for the Bavarian giants. Interestingly enough he is the only player to have scored at least 100 goals in both the 1. (104) and 2. (101) Bundesliga.&nbsp; That’s quite an achievement for one’s resume, so immediately after hanging up his boots in 2003 he was hired as a manager.
He made his debut on the sidelines of SV Darmstadt 98, in the same stadium where he made his professional debut in 1984. He performed well enough in his three seasons with die Lillien (the lilies) to be offered a position with die Kleeblätter (the cloverleaves) of SpVgg Greuther Fürth, a step up in both footballing and taxonomic class. In his one year at Fürth Labbadia did little to upset the delicate equilibrium in place, keeping the club in its vexing “almost, but not quite promoted” table position (placing 6th last year and 5th the previous three). Not prepared to take part in the Germany’s most-played rivalry (the Frankenderby) with the relegation of 1. FC Nürnberg last season, Labbadia instead became Bayer Leverkusen’s 24th manager. He enters a fairly stable environment at the BayArena, although questions about the team’s strikers must be addressed before the team can seriously consider its first Bundesliga championship.
Dimitar Berbatov was the team’s last out and out striker, scoring 57 goals his last three years at the club. His move to Tottenham for 16 million Euros in 2006 left a void that has yet to be adequately filled. No Leverkusen striker remaining inspires much confidence. Patrick Helmes and Richard Sukuta-Pasu are still inexperienced, although Helmes did well in the 2. Bundesliga with Cologne and Sukuta-Pasu had an excellent UEFA U-19 tournament. The rest: Theofanis Gekas, Stefan Kiessling, Dmitri Bulykin are all older, but also relative newcomers to the club. None has stepped forward to take over Berbatov’s mantle. That is rather important because…
Leverkusen are consistent European competitors, except for the occasional unexpected blip caused by a marked decline in offensive output. If the trend holds (though there’s no reason to actually call it a trend) Leverkusen’s due for a fall soon. Each of the previous dismal seasons (1995/96 and 2002/03) were marked by lackluster offensive showings of 37 and 47 goals respectively. In all other seasons going back to 1990/91 Leverkusen have scored at least 50 goals and have placed no worse than 7th. The previous two seasons they’ve managed to scrape by with low topscorers, but that can’t last. Bernd Schneider can’t continue to provide goals and inspiration from the midfield at his age (he turns 35 this November). Labbadia must either find a true predator on the transfer market or hope that he is able to mold one of his current players into one, otherwise things look grim.
—
While this brings an end to the series itself there is one bonus tidbit as promised last week: a brief look at managerial changes in the Bundesliga over the years. Every 2008/09 Bundesliga club is listed except for Cottbus and Hoffenheim. Cottbus, as a former GDR side, and Hoffenheim, with their meteoric rise, would skew the numbers (also, it was impossible to find the information for either covering the 45-year time period).
Bundesliga-era number of coaches (teams with new trainers in bold)*:
Bielefeld: 42 
 Bayern: 20 
Bochum: 18 
Bremen: 25 
Cologne: 37 
 Dortmund: 40 
Frankfurt: 36 
 Hamburg: 26 
Hannover: 45 
Hertha: 33 
Karlsruhe: 27 
Leverkusen: 24 
Mönchengladbach: 21 
 Schalke: 38 
Stuttgart: 35 
Wolfsburg: 24
Bayern’s long-term dominance skews the statistics, but a pattern is discernible. My initial, unoriginal, thought that the number of trainers is inversely related to the degree of a club’s success is mostly true. Bayern, Mönchengladbach, Bremen and Hamburg are four of the five most successful Bundesliga sides and each have had 26 or fewer gaffers. Only Stuttgart with three titles and 35 managers is the exception.
* Not all clubs may have listed caretakers

The New Gaffer: Introducing Labbadia at Bayer Leverkusen

The New Gaffer: Introducing Labbadia at Bayer Leverkusen - World Soccer Talk

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