The Bundesliga returns from the winter break with Bayern Munich clear at the top and Harry Kane leading the league for goals and overall output.
Joined by Kevin Hatchard, we review the season so far: Kane’s numbers and influence, Bayern’s domanince, and the impact of 17-year-old Lennart Karl.
We also look at Bayer Leverkusen after their early coaching change, Eintracht Frankfurt’s up-and-down season, RB Leipzig's return to their "roots", Hoffenheim’s rise into the top five, and which teams struggle for "identity".
A straight check-in on who’s performing, who isn’t, and what to watch in the second half of the Bundesliga season.
Markus and Jan Åge discuss the standout Turkish players who defined different eras of the Bundesliga. From Nuri Şahin’s early rise to Hakan Çalhanoğlu’s set-piece reputation and the longevity of the Altıntop brothers, they reflect on the names that left a lasting impression on German football.
Bundesliga Matchday 14 produced late drama, red cards, and decisive moments at both ends of the table.
Bayern Munich were held to a 2–2 draw at home by bottom club Mainz, with Harry Kane’s late penalty rescuing a point as new coach Urs Fischer oversaw an impressive and resilient performance from his side. Borussia Dortmund dropped points in Freiburg after a Jobe Bellingham red card shifted the momentum, while Stuttgart responded emphatically to last week’s heavy defeat with a dominant 4–0 away win at Werder Bremen.
Elsewhere, Bayer Leverkusen steadied themselves with a derby win over Cologne, Eintracht Frankfurt edged Augsburg with VAR playing a key role, and St. Pauli claimed a crucial relegation six-pointer against Heidenheim despite playing the second half with ten men. Wolfsburg stunned Borussia Mönchengladbach, Hoffenheim impressed again at home, and Union Berlin claimed a big win over RB Leipzig.
Harry Kane will not activate the €65m release clause in his Bayern contract, as reported by Christian Falk and Sport Bild. Instead, the England captain is fully focused on winning trophies in Munich, with Bayern set to open contract talks later this year.Markus Fjørtoft and Jan Åge Fjørtoft break down what this means for Bayern and the Bundesliga, the Premier League links, whether Kane’s future is now firmly in Germany, and why Kane does NOT care about the Premier League record.
A sharp Champions League Matchday 6 preview focused on the Bundesliga clubs in Europe. Jan and Markus cover Bayern Munich vs Sporting Lisbon, Borussia Dortmund vs Bodø/Glimt, Bayer Leverkusen vs Newcastle United, and Eintracht Frankfurt’s trip to Barcelona. Form, key players, and what each result would mean for their push towards the knockout rounds.
Jan and Markus discuss Mainz appointment of Urs Fischer, Bayern’s statement win in Stuttgart, RB Leipzig’s 6–0 demolition of Eintracht Frankfurt (should Eintracht fans be worried?), and Heidenheim’s remarkable survival push. We also touch on Dortmund’s steadying form, St. Pauli’s late equaliser, the Nordderby thriller, and the key takeaways from the DFB-Pokal quarter-final draw.
Uli Hoeneß has delivered another wide-ranging interview, opening debates across German football. Topics include Florian Wirtz and Liverpool, Bayern’s summer transfer strategy, the role of ultras in club governance, the media industry, and the long-term implications for the 50+1 rule. Jan and Markus discuss this, plus Augsburg’s decision to dismiss Sandro Wagner, as well as the battle for "best of the rest" between Leverkusen and Dortmund, and what their double-header tells us about the race to be the strongest side behind Bayern.
Bundesliga Matchday 11 delivered goals, drama, and major talking points at both ends of the table. Markus and Jan Åge Fjørtoft break down Bayern’s turnaround against Freiburg, Deniz Undav’s hat-trick in Dortmund, and the growing debate around who should lead Germany’s attack — from Woltemade and Burkardt to Undav and Kleindienst. Plus: Should Lennart Karl go to the World Cup? Leverkusen and Stuttgart stay on the chase at the top, Frankfurt win a seven-goal thriller, Gladbach continue their resurgence, and key results elsewhere shape the early-season picture.
Croatia’s footprint on the Bundesliga is bigger than most people realise. Across multiple generations, Croatian players have shaped title races, redefined positions, and delivered some of the league’s most memorable moments.
In this episode, Markus and Jan reveal their Top 5 Croatian players in Bundesliga history — from the record-breaker at Hoffenheim, to Bayern’s big-game machine, to the wingers, strikers and midfielders who left an unmistakable mark on German football.
Who tops your list?
Bayern’s winning streak is over — but nobody behind them made it count. Leipzig were beaten, and Dortmund dropped points in stoppage time.
Hoffenheim, meanwhile, continue to climb quietly. Four wins in a row, now including a comeback against Leipzig, have turned them from outsiders into genuine European contenders. Under Christian Ilzer, they’ve built one of the Bundesliga’s most effective and underappreciated systems.
Stuttgart had to dig deep to get theirs, but Hoeneß and his team continue their perfect home record. Leverkusen, too, looked refreshed. After their first stumble under Hjulmand, they hit back with six goals — a statement built around a younger, quicker core that signals the next evolution of this side. Jan and Markus argue why this Leverkusen team are so intriguing to follow!
At the other end, Wolfsburg’s slide finally broke the board’s patience. Paul Simonis is gone after just ten league games, and a squad that once looked balanced is now two points from the drop.
Europe’s biggest clubs return for Matchday 4 of the UEFA Champions League, and the match-ups couldn’t be bigger. Markus and Jan Åge Fjørtoft break down all four fixtures: Bayern Munich's historic run as they face defending champions PSG, Kovač’s disciplined Dortmund take on Manchester City in another Erling Haaland reunion, Napoli and Frankfurt meet in a high-stakes clash, and Mourinho’s Benfica host Hjulmand’s Leverkusen in search of their first win.
Niko Kovač has turned Borussia Dortmund into a winning machine — disciplined, consistent, and quietly dominant. After years of inconsistency, Dortmund now look like genuine challengers again, yet somehow, Kovač still faces criticism for not being “exciting enough.” Markus Fjørtoft and Jan Åge Fjørtoft unpack how Kovač has rebuilt Dortmund’s mentality, why efficiency is being mistaken for conservatism, and what makes this side so resilient.
We also look at Bayern’s record-breaking streak under Vincent Kompany, and if their squad is actually deep enough? Pluss, who is the Bundesliga’s new breakout star — 18-year-old Yan Diomande?
Bayern Munich continue their record-breaking start under Vincent Kompany — 13 straight wins in all competitions — while 17-year-old Lennart Karl steals the headlines with goals in both the Champions League and Bundesliga.
Markus and Jan Åge Fjørtoft break down all the major stories from another dramatic Bundesliga weekend, including Bayern’s unstoppable form and Karl’s rapid rise from classroom to first team, Leipzig’s six-goal redemption under Ole Werner, Leverkusen’s controlled response after their Champions League defeat, Burkardt’s red-hot form for Frankfurt, Bremen’s grit, Stuttgart’s stability, and Hoffenheim’s underrated attacking trio.
Harry Kane’s in unstoppable form and now leads Bayern into another Champions League night. Markus and Jan Åge Fjørtoft break down the big talking points ahead of Matchday 3: Bayern’s charge, Leverkusen’s incredible home record under Kasper Hjulmand, Dortmund’s resilience, and whether Frankfurt can take advantage of Liverpool’s poor run. Key Talking Pointsinclude how Bayern "manage" their thin squad, Leverkusen’s balance under Hjulmand, Dortmund’s adaptation phase under Kovač, and Frankfurt’s unpredictability vs Liverpool’s "crisis".
Harry Kane says it himself ,“one of the best games of my career.” But what’s behind his evolution at Bayern Munich? And reaching legendary status already at Bayern, will he extend his contract? Markus and Jan Åge Fjørtoft dive deep into a weekend that defines the Bundesliga right now, from Kane’s quarterback role, to Leverkusen’s unstoppable start under Kasper Hjulmand, to the European scoring race between Kane, Haaland, and Mbappé. Also, Jobe Bellingham has had a slow start at Dortmund, while Wirtz is still finding his feet at Liverpool. How long do players need to adapt? What's normal? Meanwhile, Said El Mala looks to be next breakout star from the Bundesliga, and Burkardt's record at Eintracht is proving all his doubters wrong!
Vincent Kompany’s Bayern look unstoppable — 25 goals in six games, two record-breaking scorers, and a team evolving before our eyes. Luis DĂaz’s blistering form and Harry Kane’s ruthless finishing are powering a side that’s scoring for fun — and they’re still missing Musiala and Davies. Neuer looks world-class again, Pavlović keeps growing, and Kompany’s structure already feels complete. Can they go unbeaten this season? Meanwhile, Leipzig’s next generation, Bakayoko, RĂ´mulo, Diomande, Nusa, are part of a revived RB Leipzig team that has found back to its roots. Eintracht also boast the youngest squad in the league, but they're finding consistency hard to come by. What can they accomplish this season? At the other end, Gladbach’s struggles deepen: no wins, no sporting direction, and no clarity about the future. Markus and Jan Ă…ge Fjørtoft discuss this, while reflecting on the key moments from a weekend where, Stuttgart, Cologne, and Leverkusen all strengthened their early-season form, and Hamburg secured a statement win against Mainz.Â
The Champions League is back — and Germany’s four representatives are all in the spotlight.
Harry Kane scored twice as Bayern beat Chelsea on Matchday 1, and now they head to Pafos looking to keep the momentum going. And why "boring" Bayern is a credit to Kompany...
Dortmund’s 4-4 chaos in Turin showed both their firepower and their fragility. Niko Kovač has them winning domestically, but can they find the balance in Europe when Athletic Bilbao come to town?
Leverkusen rescued a late draw at Copenhagen thanks to Grimaldo. Now PSV visit the BayArena in what feels like Kasper Hjulmand’s first real test on the continental stage.
And then there’s Eintracht Frankfurt. Burkardt, Uzun, and a new-look attack swept Galatasaray aside, but Simeone’s Atlético in Madrid will be a very different challenge. With Atleti’s defence already looking shaky this season, could Frankfurt be primed for another statement?
We also touch on Freiburg and Stuttgart’s Europa League assignments, plus Mainz’s return to Europe in the Conference League.
Jan was in Munich as Harry Kane reached 100 goals for Bayern in record time, speaking with him on his historic day. But with speculation about his future, why should Kane ever leave?
We also break down Dortmund’s revival under Niko Kovač, Frankfurt’s 6-4 chaos at Gladbach and the emergence of Can Uzun as a potential €100m star, plus the big question around Augsburg — is Wagner in trouble, or is this simply the growing pains of a club trying to push forward?
All that plus highlights from Stuttgart, Leipzig, Leverkusen, Heidenheim, Union, Hamburg and Hoffenheim.
What a Bundesliga weekend! From Ollie Burke’s historic hat-trick for Union Berlin to Harry Kane’s unstoppable record chase at Bayern, Markus and Jan Åge Fjørtoft break it all down. We cover Eintracht’s setback after their Champions League high, hat-trick hero Ollie Burke’s incredible journey, Harry Kane’s historic record chase at Bayern, the Bundesliga table taking shape with Leipzig, Dortmund & Hamburg win, and is it back to reality for Augsburg's Sandro Wagner?
Jan Åge was pitchside for ESPN at Leverkusen vs Eintracht Frankfurt, alongside Dietmar Hamann and Archie Rhind-Tutt.He shares his thoughts on Grimaldo’s free-kick brilliance to Frankfurt’s injury worries, plus his own marathon weekend of Bundesliga and Premier League coverage. Plus, what Kasper Hjulmand said on unity & body language, Dino Toppmöller on Frankfurt’s slow play, and Nathan Tella’s reflections on Leverkusen’s start. What did you make of Hjulmand’s early impact at Leverkusen? 👇Meanwhile Bayern are firing on all cylinders, and are preparing for their first Champions League game of the season against Chelsea.