As the Bundesliga returns from their winter break this weekend, JOE takes a look at how the second half of the season is shaping up in Germany
It took longer than expected but JOE is back to keep our round up of the Bundesliga going as the German league returns from its winter break with some more football this weekend. If you've missed Part One of the Bundesliga Round Up, featuring Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund anmd Bayern Munich, then not to worry, it's right
over here. Before we start, why not have a look through each club's best goal so far this term, if you can put up with the commentator's incredibly annoying voice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q50aB0tskcQ
Sport-Club Freiburg
Former St. Pauli man Max Kruse was the side's star performer last season, but they are clearly struggling without him and his goals this term. While they finished fifth in 2012/13 and qualified for the Europa League, this season they emerged from the winter break hovering above the relegation zone. That European campaign clearly took its toll on the side, as well as the loss of Kruse, who moved to Borussia Mönchengladbach, but they were eliminated at the group stage and can look to the second half of the season to try and right the course a little without any distractions. The improvement in results after they were eliminated was almost immediate, and they picked up only their second win of the year just one week after they bowed out of Europe.
They returned this weekend to take a pretty big scalp in the form of Bayer Leverkusen and while that win might be great for Freiburg, it could spell the end of the title race as Munich pulled ten points clear. They had to battle back from behind twice to get that win however, and it looks like that break over Christmas has done them the world of good. They also won their last match before the break, and now have won two on the bounce for the first time this season. Hardly surprising, considering it took them 11 weeks to get their first victory. Swiss international Admir Mehmedi has been their main source of goals, and with only six, they definitely need more goals from a midfield which has been underperforming and is one of the worst in the league when it comes to scoring. Vladimir Darida might be able to produce that type of form in the second half of this season, and a few more like this wouldn't go astray.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWJmnnFQ9Zk
They've looked to add some extra power by bringing in young Austrian striker Philipp Zulechner from Sportverein Grödig in his home country of Austria, where he had a very impressive scoring record of 15 in 20. While it's clearly a lower level of football, he definitely knows where the net is, and might be able to add a bit of a spark that can help them pull clear of trouble. Oliver Baumann, their 'keeper, is still one of the best in the league, and while his defence hasn't been helping him out too much, hey may prove a deciding factor in their fate come the end of the season.
Hamburger SV
Some activity in the transfer market has seen Hanburger SV improve their squad with the addition of Ola John, a young winger on loan from Benfica. If his last name seems familiar (bar for the obvious reasons), then you may remember his brother Collins John, who played for Fulham a few years back. Both of them also have another brother whose name is apparently Paddy John, which, if true, is frankly fantastic. He has plenty of promise and needs games, so he won't be in the Bundesliga just to warm the bench.
That said, there's a very talented squad there that he'll need to force his way in to, but they are seriously out of sorts this year. Pierre-Michel Lasogga is a player who drew attention in the Germany U21 side and has been prolific there, so he has shown some real promise. He hasn't quite followed that through to his time at Hertha Berlin, which is why he was loaned out, but they will be happy with his form this year, given he's scored nine in just 11 games for Hamburger. Another addition has been Oasim Buoy from Juventus on loan, and will undoubtedly be another player of quality to try to pull them clear of trouble. Rafael van der Vaart will be the most recognisable name in the squad, and the playmaker's seven goals this term are proof of his importance to the team. The young rising talent of Hakan Calhanoglu is one player who could prove to be decisive, and with his five goals so far this year, he's beginning to attract attention from some of Europe's biggest teams. With goals like this, it's easy to see why.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5RoEhZBQXU
The problem is very much at the back for Hamburger, where they have conceded 41 goals so far, which is a recipe for disaster. There has been a bit of rotation across the back four this year, and if you were wondering where Johan Djourou ended up, then here is your answer. Not that the two are related, of course... The winter break came at a good time that could have allowed coach Bert van Marwijk to work some of his magic, but a comprehensive home defeat at the hands of Schalke upon the resumption of the Bundesliga this weekend only served to further their problems and see them slip in to the relegation zone. While they had hoped they might secure a European place, they will need to turn their attentions to simply staying in the league this term, and have the squad to do so. Whether or not they can is another question.
Just for the laugh, here's Kevin Keegan's top goals in the Bundesliga during his time with Hamburger after he moved there in 1977 and helped them win the title in his three years at the club. He is said to be responsible for the huge increase of people naming their children Kevin in Germany in that era, believe it or not.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laiLXKWR0uE
Hannover 96
Comfortably mid-table, Hannover 96 are sitting a little bit below where they want to be, and so parted company with manager Mirko Slomka before the break. He saved them from relegation a few years back and twice led them to the Europa League, but it wasn't enough to save him from the chop. Their main problem was the disparity between their home form and their away form, and while they have been more or less unbeatable at the HDI-Arena (only losing once there so far this season), on their travels they have been absolutely woeful and were unable to pick up even a single point.
The new man in charge, Tayfun Korkut, has seemed to have an instant impact and they managed to pick up their first three points on the road this weekend against VfL Wolfsburg. One player who has been very important to their year so far has been Szabolcs Huszti, who has started adding goals to his assists tally this season, hitting the net six times, one of them this very tasty free kick.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmDLPOS3Ewk
Leonardo Bittencourt was on target twice in their win this weekend and the 20-year-old has shown that there is massive potential, which is why he's in the German U21 squad. It will be key to Hannover's continued success (or lack thereof, depending on how things go) to get the best out of the former Borussia Dormtund man and see his talent flourish.
Hertha BSC
One of the form strikers this year is most certainly Hertha Berlin's Adrián Ramos, who's as good in the air as he is quick on the ground. The Colombian has surprised many with his form, but with 11 goals in his 17 games, he is not most certainly the target man for his side, as well as a few other European sides who are looking for a striker come the summer. He will have to be included in José Pékerman's squad for Brazil in his current form, but now that teams are familiar with him, he may well see much more attention coming his way in the second half of the season from defenders.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXZuRXTrc1Y
Hertha themselves have been very strong, playing well and find themselves high up the table as they return to action this weekend. Perhaps that's a bit of a surprise considering they are a newly promoted side, but any team that hasn't given them enough credit has been punished. They started the league campaign with a huge 6-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt, and announced their intentions right from the off.
They are a team that play at breakneck speed, and as Guardiola himself commented, “you could do with a motorbike to catch them”. That makes them difficult to live with for any side, as Pep's Bayern Munich side found out when they pushed them almost all the way before the champions eventually emerged as 3-2 winners. Borussia Dortmund were not as fortunate as they sunk to defeat at home against Jos Luhukay's team right before the break, and it seems that they will remain in the hunt for European places until the end of the season, bar a remarkable collapse. One of JOE's favourite obscure players, Per Ciljan Skjelbred also plays there, so we're rooting for their success.
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
Last season Hoffenheim narrowly avoided the drop, and this season they want to make sure they're not so close to going down again. However, while they're not in the drop zone, they are hovering just above it in 13th, only two points clear of danger as it stands.
There is no shortage of goals, unfortunately they have been going in up front and also at the back. Roberto Firmino and Kevin Volland have been giving their side a fighting chance of winning with their goals at the right end of the pitch, closely followed by Anthony Modeste and Sejad Salihovic who are also contributing their fair share. In particular, Firmino has scored eight and also got six assists, which makes him a very crucial part of the side, and was particularly outstanding in their game against Hamburg.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWYMOtWbCqM
There doesn't seem to be a settled selection at the back, and the fact that they have conceded 42 goals (the worst record in the league) is testament to that. They're exciting to watch in the sense that you are almost guaranteed to see goals, but if you're a supporter, it can't be an enjoyable experience. The winter break doesn't seem to have solved their problems at the back as they returned to action with a heavy defeat against FC Nürnberg, but if they can get some solidity and shore up things in front of goal, then their attacking ability could see them be a real contender to push much further up the table. That is a rather big ask, however, and may require them getting some deals pushed through in the transfer window.
FSV Mainz 05
They lost a whole host of players over the summer with FC K&oumml;ln taking their fair share, and striker Ádám Szalai departing for Schalke, and there might have been a few reservations about just how well this Mainz side could do this season as a result, but they have been somewhat exceeding expectations.
Shinji Okazaki has been the man grabbing goals for them, and having spent two years at Stuttgart without setting the world alight, he's obviously much happier at Mainz as he's already got nine goals in 16 games this year, which is a very impressive return. He's not the only one finding the back of the net, but his run of eight goals in the last nine games suggests that he is in the form of his life at the moment. Nicolai Müller is also no stranger to scoring this season either, with eight goals to his name.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDLRkyfVyns
It hasn't all been plain sailing, as they have been handed some decent beatings from the likes of Munich, Leverkusen and Hannover, and suffered through a run of five defeats in six earlier in the season. However, they returned to action this weekend with a good win against Stuttgart to push further up the table towards the European places. Mainz have a few players who will be worth keeping an eye on this year too, with Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Shawn Parker both fast becoming fan favourites thanks to their direct style of play and eye for goal. At 6'4, defenders tend to know when Choupo-Moting is around, but he has scored four off the bench and is earning a reputation for being a super sub. If they keep up their current form, there's no reason that they can't close the six point gap between them and Champions League football next year.
Fans of Mainz were also treated to one of our favourite strange footballing moments, when an outfield player who used to be handy between the sticks when he was younger has to go in and fill in the duties of the usual net minder, and Sebastien Polter proved himself to be decent enough when that exact thing happened against Augsburg. Not only had they used their subs, but they had already used their goalkeeping substitute to bring on Wetklo, who then manged to get himself sent off, meaning Polter was left to fill the void.
http://youtu.be/1JGnBqqqJZA
