You wouldn’t think wearing a mask would be that hard, but apparently it’s proven a difficult task for many during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Take, for instance, that Kentucky woman who went viral for wearing a mask with a hole cut in the middle. There’s no point in wearing a mask with a hole; you’re as exposed as a team playing without a goalkeeper.
The goal was gaping for Kerem Demirbay. Kai Havertz had just struck the crossbar, but the ball bounced kindly to Demirbay wide open in the six-yard box. It was impossible to miss.
Well, almost impossible.
Center back Nico Elvedi never gave up on the play and against all odds recovered in time to get a foot to Demirbay’s shot, clearing the ball off the line in spectacular fashion.
The return of the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga was a triumph for football fans in Germany and around the world. One club that didn’t get to celebrate was Dynamo Dresden. The entire team was placed under quarantine after two players tested positive on May 9.
Bayer Leverkusen thrashed Werder Bremen 4-1 on Monday in a match that showcased exactly why Leverkusen could be playing in the Champions League next season while Werder’s 40-year stay in the top division is almost certainly at an end.
With the Bundesliga taking center stage around the planet this past weekend, millions tuned in on Sunday to watch league-leader Bayern Munich go through the paces in a 2-0 win over Union Berlin. While the two-month break obviously took its toll on the standard of play, Bayern relied on the unshakeable midfield brilliance of Thiago Alcântara to establish the rhythm of play and control 62 percent of possession.
Champions Bayern Munich scored a goal late in each half to beat promoted Union Berlin 2-0 on their return to the Bundesliga on Sunday after more than two months out due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and protect their four-point lead at the top.
Given it’s the only major league in action, there’s no ignoring the season Robert Lewandowski’s having anymore. On Sunday, the Bayern Munich striker scored his landmark 40th goal across all competitions this season, a staggering total that begs comparison: Cristiano Ronaldo has 25 and Lionel Messi has 24.
The 31-year-old has never finished higher than fourth in Ballon d’Or voting (2015), but he’s going toe-to-toe with Lazio’s Ciro Immobile for this season’s prestigious Golden Shoe award.
I’m no Bundesliga expert. When it comes to FC Cologne, I’ve always known two things: (1) Lukas Podolski and (2) goats.
The club boasts one of the greatest crests in world football, which features the silhouette of the famed twin spires of the Cologne Cathedral and that dang ol' goat Hennes.