Talking Fussball - The Bundesliga Show

A two-week break was just about enough time to recover from one of the most thrilling Klassikers in recent memory - now we’re entering the final stretch of 2018 and there’s not much time left to hoard points before the Bundesliga’s winter hibernation. Is Havertz a must-have on Friday night? Which Bayern players should you back against Düsseldorf and is Michael Gregoritsch fighting fit once again?

Jogi and the boys had an other disappointing result in the Nations League, leading to a drop in class...but will their renewal project pay off yet? To figure it out, Matt tracks down his former week-in-week-out partner Abel Meszaros, who tells us what he's been up to this season (HINT: Hungarian TV). They zoom in on the German national team, figure out what makes Eintracht so good, and discuss a few Bundesliga sides with uncertain futures. Produced by Aidan Rantoul.

If it wasn't clear before, it is now. The Bundesliga has a new sheriff in town, and it is Borussia Dortmund. Their comeback win over Bayern kept them top of the league, and pushed the Bavarians all the way down to fifth in the league after Gladbach, Leipzig, and Frankfurt all notched wins. Matt rounds up Stephan Uersfeld of ESPN to talk over what happened at the Westfalenstadion as well as what went down in the rest of the league as what feels like a new dawn breaks in the Bundesliga. Produced by Aidan Rantoul.

Dortmund and Bayern are set to square off on Match Day 11, which has set pretty much every Bundesliga fan's heart aflutter - now how can you set up you fantasy team to take advantage of whoever YOU think will win? JT and Flo are here to talk you through that, as well as advise on whether it might be time to invest in some Nürnberg players...and which bargain-bin players might need to be sent to the plain old bin. Produced by Aidan Rantoul.  

This week’s TF is a little different. Okay, a lot different. This week we don’t have a Match Day 10 wrap, but we do have something that feels urgent after this past weekend’s slate: a look at what’s ailing FC Bayern München, currently in third place. Matt gets Joshua Kloke, FC Bayern writer for The Athletic, on the line and they go at it for the better part of an hour, trying to get at what’s gone wrong for the club. After a week full of misadventure off the pitch (Rafinha’s crude costume, Lisa Müller-gate, Football Leaks) and on it (another indifferent outing, this time a draw against SC Freiburg), the discussion feels urgent. Produced by Aidan Rantoul. NOTE: Talking Fussball listeners can get 40% off a subscription to The Athletic for a full year when you sign up with the code: theathletic.com/bayern – so get on it!

Marco Reus has been a rock this season at Dortmund, but he’s not exactly cheap – could Jadon Sancho be a cheaper replacement? And with Leverkusen busting loose this week, might it be time to invest in a few B04 players? JT and Flo are back to take on these issues, as well as advise you on which Frankfurt striker to back on Match Day 10. Produced by Aidan Rantoul.

Plenty of surprises on MD9 in the Bundesliga, as Dortmund couldn’t quite get the win they wanted at home to Hertha, Eintracht’s winning streak got snapped, and Schalke frustrated Leipzig (not to mention spectators) with some ugly football. Matt gets MailOnline Bundesliga writer Kit Holden on the line to talk through all that, as well as Leverkusen’s shock slaughter of Bremen – and much more. Produced by Aidan Rantoul.

After a banner weekend in which three players topped 30 fantasy points, the only thing to do is look for the player who can do it next. Join JT and Flo as they give you their thoughts on how to set up your XI to score big on Match Day 9. Produced by Aidan Rantoul.

So many good storylines from Match Day 8 in the Bundesliga. Bayern got back to winning in Wolfsburg, Dortmund flipped the script and had a big FIRST half, and Luka Jovic…he’s the new Fussballgott. Matt Hermann is joined by Matthew Marshall, who had a busy weekend in Germany writing for Fussballstadt at three games. The two Matts chew the fat on all kinds of subjects form the latest round, and we hear a bit of (American) Matt’s chat with Mainz striker Anthony Ujah, available in full to Patreon subscribers to the podcast. Produced by Aidan Rantoul.

The international break is over – welcome back to the real deal, folks. Bundesliga Match Day 8 is coming right up, and with unlimited transfers in the Official Fantasy Bundesliga, now is the time to get your squad into shape. JT and Flo are on hand as always to give you the lowdown on what went wrong (and right) on MD7 before the break, and how you can get the result for your dreams this weekend. Produced by Aidan Rantoul.

When is the last time Bayern have been this low in the table, this far into the season. It’s been EIGHT LONG YEARS, that’s how long. Matt rounds up Jack Grimse from COPA90 for a discussion of how the mighty have fallen, as well as the epic football explosion that was BVB-FCA and how the Bundesliga title race might benefit the league internationally. Produced by Aidan Rantoul.

There’s plenty to talk about in the Bundesliga ahead of MD7. Bayern are having a wobble; Werder, Gladbach and Hertha are surging toward the top; Hannover are in free-fall. JT and Flo break down how lots of storylines are playing on the fantasy scene, answering plenty of your questions along the way. Produced by Aidan Rantoul.

A team NOT called FC Bayern München is on top of the Bundesliga! Sound the alarm! (We know it’s early, but some seasons we don’t even get this much of a title race – we’re going to enjoy it while it lasts.) After dropping points at midweek in a draw with Augsburg, Bayern went to Berlin to face Hertha and came away empty-handed. Dortmund took advantage of the slip with a comeback win in Leverkusen and, what do you know, we got ourselves a title race. Matt talks the weekend’s action over with Axel Falk – which means you get an extra dose of Eintracht chat thrown in to boot. Produced by Aidan Rantoul.

Well, nobody’s talking about BVB’s anemic attack now. After a 7-0 win over Nürnberg, Dortmund are back to within two points of the top. Bayern München had one of those nights, failing to seal the deal against FC Augsburg and getting caught out late. Matt talks to Archie Rhind-Tutt about that game in Munich, which the Fox sideline man took in bare-legged at the Allianz, and goes through the rest of the week’s storylines (Werder’s big win over Hertha, Leverkusen and Schalke’s diverging fortunes, whether Christian Pulisic has eclipsed the hype that’s surrounded his young career) with Aidan Reagh. Produced by Aidan Rantoul.

The league was set abuzz by Bayern’s draw with Augsburg and Dortmund’s demolition of Nuremberg, but fantasy players had storylines… Read more TF Fantasy MD6 tips – Reus’ return to form, goalkeeper staffing strategy, and more bargain hunting

We’re back with another podcast! In this englische Woche in the Bundesliga, you’ve got to stay on your toes. Footballers… Read more TF Fantasy MD5 prep – Quick! Quick! Mind the short turnaround!

Bayern won again, Schalke lost again – no surprises there on MD4. What did come as a bit of a… Read more Talking Fussball MD4 review – Is it just us or are Hertha for real?

Anybody who has watched the Bundesliga this season knows some big-time clubs have had it rough to start the season.… Read more TF Fantasy MD4 tips – Time to cut bait on players who’ve disappointed thus far?

With goals aplenty and unexpected results around the league, Match Day 3 in the Bundesliga had a lot to recommend… Read more Talking Fussball MD3 wrap – Fresh losses mean Leverkusen and Schalke each stare down 0-4

The UEFA nations have had time for their very own league…now it’s time to get back to business: The Bundesliga.… Read more TF Fantasy Bundesliga MD3 preview – Bayern vs Bayer and an unlikely clash of the titans