The last Bundesliga matchday in the calendar year 2021 held records in store, but also caused disillusionment. Six figures for matchday number 17
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The point against Augsburg makes SpVgg Greuther Fürth’s first-round record just a touch better than Tasmania’s in the 1965/66 season, when the Berliners had managed one win and one draw. Once again, the cloverleaf drew instead of losing. However, the 0:0 was a small encouragement: for the first time in its Bundesliga history, SpVgg scored in two home games in a row (four points). Two white waistcoats at home in a row is also a novelty.
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As much as Arminia captain Fabian Klos was delighted with the away win in Saxony, his personal Saturday afternoon was even more infuriating. Having come on for goalscorer Janni Serra after 58 minutes, the attacker flew off the pitch in the 70th minute with a straight red. Klos is the first Bielefeld player to be sent off at least once in the top three leagues. In total, there are already five sending-offs (two yellow-red, three red).
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Meanwhile, VfL Wolfsburg on Friday night equalled the club’s negative record from the 2003/04 season, when they lost five Bundesliga games in a row in the second half of the season. The first four under Jürgen Röber, then another under his successor Eric Gerets. Florian Kohfeldt, who has now lost seven games in a row with the Wolves, made it clear after the defeat in Munich: “We are not in a nosedive.
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The first half of the season has definitely not been to RB Leipzig’s liking, who have already conceded seven defeats in the 2-0 loss to Bielefeld – as many as in the entire previous season. It is the weakest first half of the season in the club’s history. They are six points behind the fourth Champions League place.
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For Borussia Dortmund, December and the 2:3 in Berlin did little for their starting position in the championship battle: While BVB were still one point behind the leaders from Munich on matchday 13, they are now already nine points behind. The record champions can practically only beat themselves in the second half of the season.
43
For the first time, a player has scored 43 Bundesliga goals in one calendar year: Robert Lewandowski achieved this feat with his 4:0 against VfL Wolfsburg in the 87th minute. The Pole thus overtakes Gerd Müller, who scored 42 times in 1972, in another category. Both made 34 appearances in the respective year.
