Talking Fussball

With nearly one-third of the season in the books, FC St. Pauli look a good bet to go up to the top flight. Nik draws out our resident Pauli fan Maik on what's going so right at the Millerntor, and whether the club's lengthy unbeaten run is at rick anytime soon. Jasmine weighs in on whether Eintracht Braunschweig is beyond help, and the gang break out their rain gear to talk about the sodden mess in Saarbrücken that wrought havoc in the 3. Liga and the DFB Pokal.

With Bayer 04 Leverkusen riding high, it was high time for a check-in with one of their biggest fans Eric Bruehl. He and Nik have been busy putting together the new TORWART series on the TF Patreon, so we thought getting them together for a discussion of Match Day 8 was a natural. Matt steers things toward a discussion of Leverkusen's hot start before entering the choppy waters of FSV Mainz 05 and FC Bayern München's social media messaging around the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Nik is back with Maik and Jasmine to talk over the lay of the land in the 2. Bundesliga and the German lower leagues! FC St. Pauli are still riding high, FC Schalke 04 have looked to the West for assistance in getting out of the latest ditch they've fallen into, and a legal fight in Karlsruhe continues.

What in the world has gotten into 1. FC Union Berlin? After a string of tight low-scoring losses, the irons got a bit more ambitious this past week. They scored two goals in both their UEFA Champions League and their Bundesliga fixture...and still managed to lose them both. Matt talks over the Köpenickers' troubles with Terry, along with the recent steady play of Borussia Dortmund - is it just good vibes or something more? They also address the sense of thrill that watching Bayer 04 Leverkusen tends to engender lately, Serhou Guirassy's unreal scoring form, and much more.

Recent seasons have not always been kind to Germany's northern Traditionsvereine, but their luck may be changing in the 2. Liga. Take a glance at the table and you'll find the two Hamburg clubs in first and second, followed closely by Hannover 96 and Holstein Kiel. What's behind all the success? Find out as Nik and Maik (northerners both) talk you through all the top storylines from Germany's non-top-flight football leagues...

Five games into the 2023-24 Bundesliga season, FC Bayern München, Bayer 04 Leverkusen and RB Leipzig are - as expected - looking pretty damn good. But there are a number of surprises: TSG Hoffenheim and VfB Stuttgart are also setting a blistering pace, while 1. FC Köln, Borussia Mönchengladbach and 1. FSV Mainz 05 have yet to record a win. Matt, Nik, and Terry are ready to talk all those teams' prospects over, as well as take a look at what Julian Nagelsmann might do in his new job.

Sometimes it's all about timing. With Jasmine taking a break from the podcast this week, Nik spends the hour with Maik, whose beloved FC St. Pauli busted loose with a thundering win on Match Day 6. Holstein Kiel went to the Millerntor on a high but got thrashed 5-1 and our panelist has plenty to say about it. Hertha BSC, meanwhile, also picked up three points but have some choice comments from owners 777 Partners to contend with, and the DFB have turned to a man with deep lower league roots to help turn the men's national team program around.

With the Bundesliga on a break, the German football world turns its attention to the national team. For the last half-decade or so, that's been a pretty unappealing prospect as the team has played a lot of uninspiring football. Hansi Flick's disappointing two-year spell at the helm came to a close on Sunday, so Matt, Nik and Terry took the opportunity to talk through what's been ailing the DFB Team and how they might get back on track. The boys also examine a few winners and losers in the transfer window as well as whose fans will be happiest with their European away days this fall.

Would you believe Germany's lower divisions have been serving up more offbeat stuff over the past two weeks? If you're a devoted fan of this pod, I think you would! After Nik's repeated hat tips to A-ha last week, this time out he makes sure Jasmine is driven to tears by references to another group of 1980s giants as they talk through questionable police tactics at St Pauli, ticket price conflicts, and the licensing shenanigans behind a fixture in the Hessenliga...

Two games into the Bundesliga season, we still don't know much - but we think we know a few things: Harry Kane is going to fit in just fine at FC Bayern München, 1. FC Union Berlin appear to have bought well over the summer, and SV Werder Bremen are in for a long season. Matt, Terry and Nik mull over some early results as well as get into stories off the pitch - from shots fired in Augsburg to Dortmund's new cat fancy.