Die Fussball Bros

51 episodes and counting; time flies at die Fussball Bros. Adequately for an anniversary episode, the Klassiker is coming up, and the bros are putting their bets on the line. Both teams suffered a tough week, losing big games and big players. Who will rise to the challenge Saturday? In the Champions League, Borussia Dortmund is all but eliminated, while Bayern still have a shot. Will Thomas Müller strike again? The Bayern icon made an immediate impact and raises the question of whether the club should have given him another year. Plus, all games from the previous matchday reviewed.

Arminia Bielefeld and VfB Stuttgart may have just saved the soul of German football. The third-division side rose to the challenge and bested double winners Bayer Leverkusen in front of a roaring Alm. In Stuttgart, Angelo Stiller lit up the Neckarstadion with a screamer as they ousted Leipzig from the cup and will now meet Arminia in the final. It was a bad week for the soda club all around. After losing their game in Mönchengladbach and ceding their 5th place to the Foals, Leipzig fired coach Marco Rose. Elsewhere, Union and Heidenheim picked up surprise wins, while Borussia Dortmund played one of their best league games this season, overcoming red-hot Mainz 05 at the Westfalenstadion.

The Bundesliga returns with several intriguing games. In Frankfurt, two high-scoring teams, led by their red-hot strikers Ekitike and Woltemade, are battling for European football qualification. Another forward in fine form is Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Tim Kleindienst. Fresh off his strong showing against Italy, he and the Foals are looking to overtake Leipzig with a home win. However, the player to watch is 20-year-old homegrown hero Rocco Reitz. Bayern and Bayer play cellar dwellers in the comfort of their home stadiums, while struggling Borussia Dortmund hosts surprise package Mainz 05 at the Westfalenstadion. Can the struggling Borussen capitalize on Mainz’s missing captain and star player, Jonathan Burkardt?

Germany beats Italy away for the first time in four decades with a Leon Goretzka reborn. In the Bundesliga, the surprise team battle between Mainz and Freiburg ends all tied up and leaves the former in third position. Frankfurt fans flirt with disaster in Bochum, but Eintracht defends the last qualifying spot for now. But Freiburg isn't done yet and can fully focus on finishing the league strong, while Eintracht still has tough games, including Tottenham in the Europa League, on its schedule. Behind them, Mönchengladbach is making a push, and they could overtake Leipzig in a key matchup on the next matchday. Time to double down on why only one Borussia has got the naming convention right!

The Leverkusen Era is coming to an end. Marred by ineptitude and injuries, Leverkusen goes down over two games against Bayern Munich in the UCL. Meanwhile, Dortmund finds its UCL form again, with Maxi Beier producing his first marquee BVB moment and Emre Can showing balls of steel. In the Bundesliga, home-field advantage is no longer a factor, as no home team secured a win for the second week in a row! The biggest winner of this malaise? Mainz 05 – the Rhine Hessians jump their cross-river rivals from Frankfurt in the standings. Can they hold on to a top-four finish?

Bayer Leverkusen outclassed Eintracht Frankfurt (their own words) and still look the best team in Germany despite trailing Bayern in the standings. Can the Bavarians right the wrong in the Champions League and Beat Leverkusen for the first time this season? It’s hard to assess their form when Stuttgart gifted Bayern a win on Friday. Meanwhile, Frankfurt's cushion in the Champions League qualification race is dwindling, and they risk dropping out of the top four. Surprise contenders Freiburg and Mainz are closing in, with Mainz's victory over Leipzig propelling them into the coveted fourth position. At the bottom of the table, Kiel made history with their first away win of the season, overtaking struggling Heidenheim.

Bayern celebrated their 125th anniversary and seemingly rewarded themselves by all but securing their 34th Meisterschale in February, after holding Leverkusen at bay and thrashing third-placed Frankfurt 4-0. Meanwhile, Guirassy and Groß put on a four-goal, four-assist show in a 6-0 drubbing of Union Berlin. One name was noticeably absent: Julian Brandt. Is this the beginning of the end for him in Dortmund? The surprise teams from Mainz and Freiburg continue to win, moving into fifth and fourth place, respectively. While Dieter Hecking is slowly but surely guiding Bochum out of the basement.

Bayer versus Bayern – a lopsided Topspiel that ended in a draw, leaving the Meisterschale seemingly destined for Munich. Despite dominating the guests from Munich, Bayer couldn't find the net and remains eight points behind the league leaders – a gap that appears too large to close in the final 12 games. Leverkusen will get another chance at the Rekordmeister in the Round of 16 of the UCL, while Frankfurt will face Ajax Amsterdam. On the other side of the table, Bochum defeated Borussia Dortmund in a spirited effort, tying them on points with the playoff spot. Further down, Hamburg might finally reverse their promotion woes and return to the top flight after a statement win over fellow promotion aspirant Kaiserslautern.

Without Filly, Tilo recaps match day 20, finally celebrating a Dortmund league win. Kiel gave Bayern a scare, but Munich ultimately prevailed in a wild game, maintaining their six-point lead over Leverkusen.  The top two are still on a collision course for their crucial title clash on February 15th.  Meanwhile, half the league is locked in an incredibly tight battle for European spots, with just one win separating 5th and 11th place.  This makes every remaining match absolutely vital.

The inaugural 36-club group phase has concluded, delivering delightful drama and a few stunning surprises. The first iteration of the reformed Champions League provided plenty of late-stage drama.  The Bros give Leverkusen its flowers as the best-performing Bundesliga club in the UCL and the sole direct R16 qualifier.

In league play, Mainz and St. Pauli celebrate significant successes, while the situation grows increasingly precarious for Union and Heidenheim with each passing matchday.