Bundesliga Matchday 4: Freiburg stumble, Gladbach free-fall and Füllkrug writes another comeback chapter

Frankfurt, 21:47. The final whistle echoed through a still simmering Deutsche Bank Park. Freiburg had led and then been held to 2-2, and on the scoreboard that draw forced them to look again at their second-place standing. Bayern Munich had just beaten Union Berlin 7-0, so distance was not something Freiburg could reassure themselves with. But I do not want to begin this piece with the league table. I want to begin with the eyes of Younes Ebnoutalib, the young player Jürgen Klopp has just called up to the Germany national team, as he celebrated the opening goal in the tenth minute. That was the moment a little-known name stepped out of a list and became part of the Bundesliga story. Four matchdays is an extremely small sample. I have written many analysis pieces from Spanish football; there, a team can sit top after four games and then collapse as the fixture list thickens. The Bundesliga is no different. So I try to look at details, not to predict a title race, but to understand the structure being formed. Freiburg have ten points, level with Bayern, but they have just dropped their first points. Gladbach have none. Hamburg have just registered their first win. Werder Bremen produced a spectacular comeback. Reading only the results, one sees an emotional round. Looking more carefully, one sees signals that will only become trends weeks later. The Frankfurt game can be summed up in one phrase: the new Germany attack is present in the middle of a Bundesliga pitch. Ebnoutalib scored after a smooth team move. Derry Scherhant came on, equalised, then set up Yuito Suzuki. Jonathan Burkardt also scored. These are not media stars, but they are being tested by Klopp in a 44-man squad. To me, the number 44 matters more than any tactical diagram. It shows a personnel revolution taking place at national-team level, and the Bundesliga is the laboratory. Freiburg do not have big stars. They are a model club of repetition and discipline. From the academy, they learn to pass quickly, keep team shape, and believe in defending from the front. But in Frankfurt, what struck me was their reaction after going behind. They did not panic. They kept building, kept pressing. That is an instinct forged over thousands of training sessions, not something that appears overnight. However, football does not reward stability with points when goals are missing. Freiburg left Frankfurt with a draw, missed the chance to go top, and let Bayern edge ahead on goal difference. Bayern Munich sent a very early message. The 7-0 win over Union Berlin brought three points, but more important was how they crushed the opponent with tempo and ruthlessness. I have followed the Bundesliga long enough to know that Bayern often do not need to play well in the early part of the season. But when they play this well from the second month, everyone else has to be careful. This victory also put psychological pressure on Freiburg and the chasing pack. Everyone understands that Bayern can lose a match, but they rarely surrender games they fully control. Werder Bremen were probably the most emotional story of the round. They fell two goals behind Augsburg. In modern football, a two-goal lead is usually seen as a safe margin. But Werder refused to accept it. Niclas Füllkrug, the striker on loan from West Ham, pulled one back in the 86th minute with a long-range shot. Then Mitchell Weiser won the game 3-2 in stoppage time. I have witnessed many comebacks in Spain, but Bundesliga comebacks have a special character: they come from constant pressure, from a refusal to let go, not from one random moment. Füllkrug is a fascinating case. He left West Ham to return to Germany on loan and has now scored in three consecutive Bundesliga matches. For a striker, scoring in consecutive games is like breathing again after being in a place without air. I do not have xG numbers or touch counts for this piece, but I have enough experience to recognise a player rediscovering his rhythm. He makes the right runs, finishes decisively and, most importantly, appears in decisive areas in the final minutes. That speaks of fitness and concentration, two things money cannot buy. One detail I always note when following loan players is their body language after scoring. Füllkrug did not celebrate like a man releasing tension. He grabbed the ball, rushed back to the centre circle and urged his team-mates to continue. That is the mark of someone who believes the job is unfinished. For West Ham, this run could change his transfer value. For Werder, it could be the basis for negotiating a permanent deal. I do not have the specific terms, but in the transfer market, form is the strongest currency. Hamburg earned their first win of the season, and it came exactly when they needed it most. Beating Cologne 2-1, the club once called the historical giant of German football left the bottom of the table. Albert Gronbaek was credited with two assists for Nicolas Capaldo and Yussuf Poulsen. A great creative player may not transform a whole team in one game, but he can transform the feeling around the team. That feeling, for a club in deep trouble, is sometimes more precious than three points. I still remember the season I followed Castellón fighting relegation in Spain. Teams in difficult situations do not need sophisticated football philosophy. They need a heartbeat to wake up to every morning, a reason to believe the next match can be different. Hamburg have just found that heartbeat. But I must warn: one win does not take them out of danger. It only gives them a platform. What matters are the next rounds, when opponents start studying how to neutralise Gronbaek. In that match, I noticed one detail: Hamburg were not overly joyful after the final whistle. They shook hands and walked around the pitch, but their faces showed relief, not excitement. That told me they understand this is only the first step of a long fight. When a team celebrates a first win as if they have just saved their season, it is usually because they are exhausted. When they celebrate with restraint, it is a sign of a group that wants to change its state. Now it is time to talk about Gladbach, because it cannot be avoided. Borussia Mönchengladbach lost 3-4 to Mainz, missed a penalty, and became the only Bundesliga side without a point after four matchdays. They had also just parted ways with coach Eugen Polanski. That is a triple disaster: losing streak, coaching change, and then another defeat. I have written about teams caught in this spiral in Spain. When a team loses, they try to change the coach. When they still lose after changing the coach, the whole structure begins to crack. The Mainz game showed a team losing control at the most important moments. They led at various points, yet lost 3-4 and also missed a penalty. A missed penalty can erase an entire campaign. It is both a shot and evidence that confidence is at an alarmingly low level. In that dressing room, I am sure no one dared to look anyone in the eye. I could not enter the dressing room, but I saw their faces as they walked out for the next game. Gladbach's problem is not in one specific line. It is in game management. A team that leads, then concedes four goals, must take responsibility both defensively and mentally. Mainz are not a vastly superior side, but they played with a more stable emotional state. Gladbach, after four defeats, look like a team learning to live with fear. In the coming weeks, they need a leader in central midfield, someone willing to take the ball in the most difficult moments. If I had to choose one image to describe Gladbach now, it would be a player receiving the ball with his back to the opponent's goal. They pass backwards more, they choose the safe option, and by doing so they hand the pressure back to the opponent. Elite football does not forgive hesitation. I saw that hesitation in the Mainz match. But I also believe a club with so much tradition as Gladbach will not stay at the bottom for long, provided they find the right captain. The problem is that time waits for no one. From the perspective of someone who regularly follows smaller clubs, I want to offer a view against the consensus. Freiburg are underrated, but they may be in a better position than they realise. Dropping points for the first time this season is a necessary jolt. It helps them see gaps before the schedule gets heavier. Bayern, with that 7-0, are making the title race look distant for everyone else. But German football has seen many seasons where Bayern did not start impressively and still won the league. The question is whether the challengers will have the courage to maintain the chase. I want to return to the Germany national team story, because it is the wider context of this round. Jürgen Klopp, according to the information gathered, is managing a 44-player squad. This number is unusually large, and I need to raise a flag about the reliability of the information, since I have not directly verified it from the DFB website. But if true, it reflects a strategy: Klopp wants to see as many players as possible before settling his core group. He is not only picking famous names; he is picking players who are performing in the Bundesliga. Ebnoutalib, Scherhant, Burkardt... all are products of a form-based selection policy. The interesting thing is that the new national-team call-ups did not look lost. They returned to their clubs with greater confidence. In the Frankfurt-Freiburg game, they were the ones creating goals and decisive moments. That is not accidental. When a player receives a senior international call-up, they enter a completely different psychological circle. They believe in themselves more, and in football, confidence is contagious. I have seen this many times at Levante's academy: a boy called up to the national youth team trains differently for the following month. I write down the name of every young player in my notebook; ten years later, they form the map of a generation. That sentence haunts me every time I see a long national squad list. Not all of those 44 names will go to a World Cup. But all of them have a chance to prove they belong in this environment. That competition creates quality. And that quality returns to the Bundesliga, where clubs benefit from having young players tested at international level. Now, let us look at the darker side of this story. Digitalisation and data have helped football progress, but they have also created a layer of information used by betting companies. I do not have specific figures from this round, but I know that every international break triggers a large amount of movement in the betting market. Numbers are provided in real time, from touches to distance covered, and all of it becomes raw material for prediction models. As a journalist, I need to use data to understand the game, not to feed an industry that feeds on every pass. Back to the table. Freiburg sit second with ten points, level with Bayern but having just drawn with Frankfurt. Hamburg have moved above Gladbach, a small detail full of metaphor. The bottom spot is no longer Hamburg's, but they still remain in the danger group. Augsburg, despite losing to Werder, still have more points than Gladbach. Mainz have won their second consecutive game and are climbing toward mid-table. The picture after four rounds is still too early for title or relegation conclusions, but it is enough to talk about trends. About Werder Bremen, I want to add one more thing. They did more than come from behind; they created a clear attacking pattern. Füllkrug is the final destination, but the passes before his goal came from pushing the team high and building pressure in the box. A team can have a lucky day. A team can come from behind twice thanks to luck. But when a team refuses to lose and plays with the same intention for 90 minutes, that is a sign of a group living out its identity. I also want to acknowledge Augsburg. They led by two goals but could not protect their advantage. There is a fine line between active defending and passive defending. Augsburg fell into the latter. After conceding one goal, they began to drop deeper, and that was fertile ground for Werder's attacks. In football, managing the three minutes after the opponent scores is one of the most important skills. Augsburg failed to do that. They paid with three points. September matches often have an unpredictable rhythm. Players have just returned from international duty, fitness levels are uneven, and bigger clubs often lose more players. Klopp, if he really called up 44 players, will have to manage the workload of each one. The pressure from national team and club is a permanent undeclared war. Club coaches fear the FIFA virus, meaning players returning injured or exhausted. I believe that after every international break, Bundesliga sides will have to rotate more. I want to pause at the image of a boy kicking a football for three hours just to perfect his first touch. At Levante's academy, I learned to watch a boy do that. That boy might never become a star, but that habit creates a reliable player. Freiburg are full of such players. They are not flashy, but they are in the right place at the right time. Ebnoutalib is the perfect example: he scored the opening goal not with a solo run, but by appearing at the end point of a passing sequence. Füllkrug's story also tells this truth. He is no longer young, no longer at the peak of his career, but he still has the habits of a hunter. West Ham loaned him out, Werder brought him home, and three consecutive goals are redrawing his value. During a transfer window, people talk a lot about fees, but actual form is the most convincing evidence. A striker scoring in three straight games will always have value in the eyes of sporting directors. If he keeps this form, Werder will face a difficult decision at the end of the season. In the opposite direction, Gladbach are watching their asset value erode with every match. A team that loses repeatedly does not only lose points; they lose bargaining power in transfer negotiations. The young players in that squad, if not rescued, will be valued lower. This is the classic spiral of a club in crisis. I have seen Spanish clubs fall into that trap: they sell players to balance the budget, then become weaker, lose more, and then have to sell again. Gladbach must break that loop with a win, no matter how ugly that win is. Hamburg, despite their first win, still face the big question: how to maintain stability? Historical clubs that return to the Bundesliga often have a difficult season. I remember my phrase about relegation: Relegation is not a ranking; it is the way a small town still shows up when no one is watching. Hamburg is a big city, not a small town, but the spirit is similar. They have to go out and fight even when the media spotlight has turned away. The win over Cologne has brought light, but that light must be nourished by results. Now, I want to talk about Mainz. They are not mentioned much, but beating Gladbach 4-3 away from home is a signal. Mainz belong to the group of German teams that know how to exploit space behind the defence. They may not keep the ball much, but they finish with efficiency. After four rounds, they sit in mid-table, a position that matches their strength. What stands out is how they won: they never showed fear of a more traditional club. In tactical analysis, people talk a lot about pressing and possession. But I want to talk about something else: the ability to take blows. Werder fell two goals behind but did not collapse. Mainz fell behind but found a way back. Freiburg conceded an equaliser but continued to follow the plan. These are mental signs more important than any formation. Football can be programmed with tactics, but no algorithm can calculate the human heart. Klopp, if the 44-player information is accurate, is experimenting boldly. He wants to build a new Germany side, not dependent on an old generation. This puts Bundesliga clubs in the position of national-team backyard. Young players who get opportunities will develop faster, but the risk of injury also rises. I will follow the next squad announcement to see which names continue to receive trust. International football is always an experiment under extreme pressure, and only those with enough nerve will survive. Looking at the transfer front, the market is heating up amid rumours. A young player's first contract often ends with one question: where is the last bus home? That question is not for big stars, but for ordinary people trying to find their way in football. The Bundesliga is one of the best places to answer it, because it gives opportunities to young players. However, opportunity always comes with pressure. Ebnoutalib and Scherhant will have to learn to live with new expectations. I also want to mention the role of unknown teams. In a round where Bayern score seven and Gladbach lose their fourth straight game, it is easy to overlook Augsburg, Cologne or Mainz. But these teams create the depth of the league. They do not have big budgets or star-studded squads, but they take the field with a clear plan. When a team like Werder comes from behind, the victory reflects a football system that allows them to believe in themselves. So where is the blind spot of mainstream commentators in this round? I think it is focusing too much on the scoreline and missing the state of the team. Freiburg drew 2-2, but watching how they passed the ball in the final fifteen minutes, I saw a team controlling the game better than the opponent. Gladbach lost 3-4, but the scariest part was not the fourth goal, it was the moment they chose to defend instead of attacking. The scoreline is only a shadow; the essence of the performance lies inside. Those who love German football know the Bundesliga always has resurrection stories. Werder Bremen's comeback is one of them. But there are also fading stories. Gladbach are at a historical crossroads. If they cannot win in the next two rounds, the crisis will only deepen. Football does not wait for the slow. In a league of only 34 rounds, dropping points too early can mean fighting until the end of the season just to stay up. I end this analysis with an observation about the coaching bench. Eugen Polanski has left Gladbach, but his story does not end there. A young coach sacked after four games will carry a lesson. In the opposite direction, Klopp is building a national team with 44 people, a huge experiment. The difference between the two lies in power and environment, but also in how they face risk. Klopp can call up ten more players and no one complains. Polanski is held responsible after every defeat. Football is like that, fair and cruel at the same time. If there is one signal to follow in the coming rounds, it is how Freiburg react after their first draw. Will they return immediately to winning? Will they stay calm as Bayern keep winning? That is a mental test. The second signal is what Gladbach's squad will look like under an interim coach. One win could change their season. The third signal is Füllkrug's fitness after scoring in three straight matches. If he is rested for one game, can Werder maintain their attacking efficiency? German football always has its own rhythm. It is not as refined as Spanish football, but it is honest and intense. After four rounds, we have Bayern running smoothly, Freiburg overperforming, Werder reviving, Hamburg breathing again, and Gladbach at the bottom. They will all continue their stories next weekend. I will be there, recording every small detail, because those small details are what feed the great emotions of this game.