Talking Fussball

It's not every week that it's plausible to argue that a second-tier match might well have had the best atmosphere in Europe, but the Hamburger Stadtderby is an exceptional fixture. The most recent edition saw both teams fighting for promotion heading in...and just one looking up to it at game's end, as Hamburger Sport-Verein took down FC St. Pauli in a 4-3 that allowed them to open up a nine-point gap on the chasing pack. Nik, Jasmine and Maik (poor Maik) talk the clash over in detail, as well as dissect how promoted side 1. FC Magdeburg have managed to distance themselves from the relegation fight.

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Well what do you know? Against all expectations, on Match Day 29 it was Bayern - not Dortmund - who faltered in the title race, surrendering top spot to the Schwarzgelben. Under the top two the most compelling story, however, might be Leverkusen, who cruised into the Europa League semifinal at midweek and then bopped Leipzig to notch their eighth straight match unbeaten. Guest host Marie Schulte-Bockum invites on Kara Head (formerly of Bayer 04) for a chat about all the storylines from the weekend...

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What's gotten into Borussia Mönchengladbach? After spending much of the last decade in a renaissance that occasionally rekindled dreams of the club's 1970s heyday, the foals last three seasons have left them flirting dangerously with a return to the lean years of the 90s and 00s. Nik invites Gladbach obsessive Manuel Breuer on for a detailed chat on what's gone wrong and how it might get better.

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With just seven games left on the 2. Bundesliga docket, the race for promotion is getting serious...which is often the time of year Hamburger Sport-Verein's hopes of getting back into the top flight starts to fade. Will this season be different? HSV got a big win last weekend, but events off the pitch are ensuring the club can't breath too easy. Listen in as Nik, Jasmine and Maik break down events in the Hansestadt, the comings and goings across the league, and much more.

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Bayern strolled it against Dortmund on this past weekend. It was an outcome few apart from their own fans were excited about, but it was one that reminded us just how versatile this Bayern side can be when they want to be. Matt talks the big Klassiker win over with his old pal Abel Meszaros, who also shares a few thoughts about a rising Leverkusen side and about Stuttgart who, hapless as ever, made another coaching change. Dig in!

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Ready for the 2. Bundesliga restart? Nik, Jasmine and Maik are, and they're here to bring you up to speed on what's been happening since they last convened. Rostock have a new coach...and have been living up to their reputation on social media, the Lower Saxony derby turned out to be one to remember, FC St. Pauli's race up the table continues apace, and much more...

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As of last fall, when the Bundesliga was entering the World Cup break, Eintracht Frankfurt were flying. The Eagles were in the top four and had successfully battled their way out of their UEFA Champions League group in their maiden season in the competition. These days their chances of mixing it up in the Königsklasse next season seem thin. Nik invites Brian Sanders of the Hey! Eintracht Frankfurt podcast on to find out how the wheels came off since the re-start and how they might get their mojo back in the season's nine remaining games.

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Looky there - it's Borussia Dortmund on top of the Bundesliga! Bayern's advance (and Dortmund's failure to) in the UEFA Champions League seemed like it might hold some eventual benefit for the Schwarzgelben, but boy did it come fast, setting up a mouth-watering Klassiker after the international break. Matt welcomes back Jake Payne of 50 Plus Döner for a chat about the shuffling of places in the race for Europe and the teams racing to beat the drop...as well as a conversation about whether his beloved EffZeh might soon be in that latter cluster after a miserable run capped off by the 6-1 hiding they took at the Westfalenstadion.

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"A St Pauli fan and a Werder Bremen fan walk into a HSV bar..." sounds like the start of a very particular type of German football joke, and is more or less the premise for this episode of Talking Fussball Extra. Nik and Maik clue you in on how the mighty Hamburger Sport-Verein ended up in the 2. Bundesliga, how they have managed to stay there so long, and how they hope to get out this season.

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Every time the Revierderby comes around, you can always depend on a hard-fought game and a volcanic atmosphere - sometimes you get a brilliant game as well. So it was this past match day, as FC Schalke 04 underscored their recent resurgence by going toe to toe with Borussia Dortmund in the Revierderby. The Royal Blues may not have dazzled, but few would argue that their fight didn't merit a draw. Listen in as guest host Marie Schulte-Bockum talks with ESPN+'s Derek Rae about the big result, as well as the rest of the action from MD24.

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