Invincible no more, Bayern aims to make amends against Hamburg in Bundesliga

By Canadian Press on January 29, 2026.

BERLIN (AP) — Bundesliga opponents suddenly know Bayern Munich is beatable after Augsburg’s shock win over the league leader last weekend.

Promoted Hamburger SV will be the first team to test this new reality when Bayern visits on Saturday.

Like Augsburg before, Hamburg has not shown much to suggest it can pull off an upset. Merlin Polzin’s team has not won a game since early December after beating Werder Bremen in the Northern derby and it hasn’t scored in its last two games.

Bayern, which routed Hamburg 5-0 in the reverse fixture, made a record start to the league through 18 rounds and will be keen to reassert its superiority after Augsburg’s 2-1 win derailed its bid to complete the season unbeaten.

It was Bayern’s first league defeat since last March.

“The crucial thing will be our reaction to it,” Joshua Kimmich said.

Key matchups

Coach-less Eintracht Frankfurt hosts Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday. Frankfurt hasn’t had much to cheer of late but it did snap its run of conceding three goals in every game this year when it lost only 2-0 to Tottenham in the Champions League on Wednesday. The club is reportedly close to signing coach Albert Riera from Slovenian league leader NK Celje as Dino Toppmöller’s replacement.

High-flying Hoffenheim hosts Union Berlin on Saturday. Christian Ilzer’s team is third and well positioned for Champions League qualification after four straight wins and just one defeat in 14 Bundesliga games.

Leipzig and Stuttgart are level on points in their duel for fourth place, the last for Champions League qualification. Leipzig hosts improving Mainz on Saturday before Stuttgart entertains Freiburg on Sunday.

Players to watch

Borussia Dortmund forward Serhou Guirassy missed a big chance against Inter Milan on Wednesday and appears to have lost the confidence that helped him amass 70 goals in 119 Bundesliga appearances for Dortmund, Stuttgart and Cologne. He scored 21 Bundesliga goals for Dortmund last season and has only six so far in 2025-26. Guirassy will get another chance against last-placed Heidenheim on Sunday.

He’s back. Bayern’s Jamal Musiala scored from a narrow angle in Wednesday’s win over PSV Eindhoven, his first goal since returning from a broken leg.

Former Real Madrid star Lucas Vázquez scored his first goal for Leverkusen to beat Werder Bremen 1-0 last weekend. He set up another goal in the Champions League on Wednesday. The 34-year-old Vázquez missed much of the season with injury but is now an option for Kasper Hjulmand’s side.

Edin Džeko scored on his Schalke debut last weekend, when he became the oldest player to score in Germany’s second division at 39 years, 314 days. He could start against Bochum on Saturday.

Who is out?

Leverkusen’s Eliesse Ben Seghir was diagnosed with a ligament injury in his left ankle after returning from the Africa Cup of Nations with Morocco. But Burkina Faso defender Edmond Tapsoba is making progress on his comeback.

Off the field

Hamburg suspended French winger Jean-Luc Dompé “until further notice” for drink driving after police detected alcohol with a breathalyzer test at a traffic stop on Sunday. The club said in a statement it will “decide on further consequences after further internal deliberations.”

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Ciarán Fahey, The Associated Press