Europe’s top five leagues’ first female coach has been thrown straight into the deep end by beleaguered Bundesliga outfit Union Berlin as they attempt to end a fourteen game winless run that has witnessed them plunge to the bottom of the standings. Marie Louise Eta will be part of the Irons dug out as assistant to caretaker boss Marco Grote when they attempt to win a football game for the first time since they pummelled Darmstadt 4-1 on September 26.
Union Berlin parted company with it’s most successful manager, Urs Fischer, during the international break after the club’s 0-4 setback at Bayer Leverkusen. It was the German capital outfit’s thirteenth loss in their last fourteen outings. Tears fell with reckless abandon as the club’s chairman announced the imminent departure of Fischer, who had guided Union to promotion from Bundesliga 2 and then qualification for the Europa Conference League, Europa League and Uefa Champions League in successive seasons.
Bundesliga action commences on Friday night with record champions Bayern Munich away to Koln in a make or break encounter for host coach Steffen Baumgart. Pressure is intensifying on the popular gaffer as the twice Bundesliga champions who provided three of Germany’s 1990 World Cup winning line up in Thomas Hassler, Pierre Littbarski and Jurgen Kohler, sit just above Union Berlin on goal difference.
Eleven time defending champions Bayern Munich are enjoying a stellar season and travel to Koln as European football’s top scoring team with 42 league goals to their credit but they trail pacesetters Bayer Leverkusen by two points. Division top scorer Harry Kane will especially be keen to improve on his impressive tally of 17 goals to bat away the challenge from Guinean hot shot Serhou Guirassy who has an opportunity to improve on his a goal a game tally of 15 goals at Eintracht Frankfurt in Saturday’s late kick off.
Such has been the impact of Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso that he’s had to dismiss speculation linking him to managerial jobs at all his four former clubs – Real Sociedad, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Alonso’s side matched the best ever start to a Bundesliga season when their 4-0 victory over Union Berlin gave them their tenth win in eleven outings. The Bay Arena outfit visit Werder Bremen on Saturday.
FRIDAY
Koln v Bayern Munich
SATURDAY
Borussia Dortmund v Gladbach,
Union Berlin v Augsburg,
Freiburg v Darmstadt,
Wolfsburg v RB Leipzig,
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen,
Frankfurt v Stuttgart
SUNDAY
Heidenheim v Bochum,
Hoffenheim v Mainz