Bundesliga Matchday 3: Overview
The third Bundesliga matchday will be played from September 11 to 13 and includes nine matches played over three days. Union Berlin will start the matchday playing against Schalke 04 on Friday. Six matches will be played on Saturday, including the match between Dortmund and Paderborn and between Augsburg and Leverkusen. Freiburg will play against Borussia Mönchengladbach, and Mainz will face Frankfurt. On Sunday, RB Leipzig will face Hamburg, followed by Elversberg vs. Bayern Munich. The Bundesliga matchday delivers many important matches for title competitors and newly promoted clubs. Early-season results will alter the league table. Fans can expect competitive matches with major implications for the teams involved.
Bundesliga Matchday 3: Event Schedule
Union Berlin vs Schalke
Date: 11 September 2026 (Friday)
Time: 02:30 PM ET | 11:30 AM PT | 12:00 AM IST (Next day)
Venue: Stadion An der Alten Försterei, Berlin
Dortmund vs Paderborn
Date: 12 September 2026 (Saturday)
Time: 09:30 AM ET | 06:30 AM PT | 07:00 PM IST
Venue: Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund
Mainz vs Eintracht Frankfurt
Date: 12 September 2026 (Saturday)
Time: 09:30 AM ET | 06:30 AM PT | 07:00 PM IST
Venue: Mewa Arena, Mainz
Hoffenheim vs VfB Stuttgart
Date: 12 September 2026 (Saturday)
Time: 09:30 AM ET | 06:30 AM PT | 07:00 PM IST
Venue: SNP Arena, Sinsheim
Freiburg vs Mönchengladbach
Date: 12 September 2026 (Saturday)
Time: 09:30 AM ET | 06:30 AM PT | 07:00 PM IST
Venue: Europa-Park-Stadion, Freiburg
Augsburg vs Leverkusen
Date: 12 September 2026 (Saturday)
Time: 09:30 AM ET | 06:30 AM PT | 07:00 PM IST
Venue: WWK Arena, Augsburg
Köln vs Werder
Date: 12 September 2026 (Saturday)
Time: 12:30 PM ET | 09:30 AM PT | 10:00 PM IST
Venue: RheinEnergieSTADION, Cologne
RB Leipzig vs Hamburg
Date: 13 September 2026 (Sunday)
Time: 09:30 AM ET | 06:30 AM PT | 07:00 PM IST
Venue: Red Bull Arena, Leipzig
SV Elversberg vs Bayern
Date: 13 September 2026 (Sunday)
Time: 11:30 AM ET | 08:30 AM PT | 09:00 PM IST
Venue: Waldstadion an der Kaiserlinde, Spiesen-Elversberg
Match Previews
Dortmund vs Paderborn
Date: 12 September 2026 (Saturday)
Time: 09:30 AM ET | 06:30 AM PT | 07:00 PM IST
Venue: Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund
Bundesliga Expected Squad
Dortmund
Formation: 3-4-2-1
| Position | Players |
| Goalkeeper | Gregor Kobel |
| Defenders | Kouakou Joane Gadou, Waldemar Anton, Filippo Mané |
| Midfielders | Julian Ryerson, Jobe Bellingham, Felix Nmecha, Daniel Svensson |
| Attacking Midfielders | Joey Veerman, Maximilian Beier |
| Forward | Serhou Guirassy |
Head Coach: Niko KovaÄ
Paderborn
Formation: 3-3-2-2
| Position | Players |
| Goalkeeper | Nahuel Noll |
| Defenders | Jano ter Horst, Tjark Scheller, Matt Hansen |
| Midfielders | Laurin Curda, Santiago Castaneda, Raphael Obermair |
| Attacking Midfielders | Laurin Ulrich, Gabriel VidoviÄ |
| Forwards | Marvin Pieringer, Rayan Philippe |
Head Coach: Ralf Kettemann
Injury List
Unavailable players for Borussia Dortmund: Samuele InĂĄcio (suspension), Konstantinos Karetsas (injury), Emre Can (injury), Filippo Mane (injury), Nico Schlotterbeck (injury), Ramy Bensebaini (injury), Giannis Konstantelias (injury), Justin Lerma (injury).
Unavailable players for Paderborn: Felix Götze (injury), Nyamekye Awortwie-Grant (injury), Sebastian Klaas (injury), Sven Michel (injury), Timur Gayret (injury).
Team Stats and Performance
| Statistics | Dortmund | Paderborn |
| Position (Points) | 3 (6) | 12 (1) |
| Possession (%) | 49 | 54 |
| Goals scored | 5 | 0 |
| Total Shots | 30 | 23 |
| Crosses from Open Play | 14 | 15 |
| Distance Covered | 238.2 km | 234.5 km |
| Intensive Runs | 1517 | 1212 |
| Successful passes from open play (%) | 84.4% | 83.6% |
| Sprints | 371 | 249 |
| Tackles won | 221 | 182 |
| Aerial Duels Won | 36 | 44 |
| Woodwork | 0 | 0 |
Analysis
SC Paderborn 07 has more ball control (54%) than their opponents. They lack efficiency, as they fail to find the back of the net from 23 attempts on goal. Dortmund, by contrast, outplay their rivals with a more clinical approach, scoring 5 times from 30 attempts. Besides that, BVB outmuscle Paderborn in physical terms by making 371 sprints, 1,517 intense runs, and winning 221 tackles. These metrics clearly show the dominance over Paderborn’s style at home.
The Pick: Dortmund
Freiburg vs Mönchengladbach
Date: 12 September 2026 (Saturday)
Time: 09:30 AM ET | 06:30 AM PT | 07:00 PM IST
Venue: Europa-Park-Stadion, Freiburg
Bundesliga Expected Squad
Freiburg
Formation: 4-2-3-1
| Position | Players |
| Goalkeeper | Mio Backhaus |
| Defenders | Jordy Makengo, Philipp Lienhart, Matthias Ginter, Philipp Treu |
| Defensive Midfielders | Yannik Engelhardt, Maximilian Eggestein |
| Attacking Midfielders | Derry Scherhant, Yuito Suzuki, Niklas Beste |
| Forward | Igor MatanoviÄ |
Head Coach: Julian Schuster
Mönchengladbach
Formation: 4-4-2
| Position | Players |
| Goalkeeper | Moritz Nicolas |
| Defenders | Lukas Ullrich, Kevin Diks, Kou Itakura, Joe Scally |
| Midfielders | Wael Mohya, Mathieu Nguefack, Philipp Sander, Franck Honorat |
| Forwards | Tim Kleindienst, Hugo Bolin |
Head Coach: Eugen Polanski
Injury List
Unavailable players for Freiburg: Rihito Yamamoto (injury), Florent Muslija (injury), Patrick Osterhage (injury).
Unavailable players for Borussia Mönchengladbach: Nicolas-Gerrit KĂŒhn (injury), Zento Uno (injury), Daiki Hashioka (injury), Yukhym Konoplya (injury), Enzo Leopold (injury), Jens Castrop (injury).
Team Stats and Performance
| Statistics | Freiburg | Mönchengladbach |
| Position (Points) | 2 (6) | 17 (0) |
| Possession (%) | 47 | 51 |
| Goals scored | 5 | 3 |
| Total Shots | 36 | 41 |
| Crosses from Open Play | 18 | 20 |
| Distance Covered | 233.9 km | 237 |
| Intensive Runs | 1251 | 1421 |
| Successful passes from open play (%) | 84.5% | 84.3% |
| Sprints | 290 | 382 |
| Tackles won | 198 | 185 |
| Aerial Duels Won | 37 | 31 |
| Woodwork | 0 | 0 |
Analysis
Mönchengladbach shows increased physical exertion, which shows up through their 382 sprints, 1,421 intensive runs, and 41 shots on goal. They still display a low level of efficiency and are extremely vulnerable in defense. They placed 17th in the table without any points. On the other hand, Freiburg, ranked second, is tactically more disciplined and efficient. They are precise enough to score 5 goals off 36 shots. Freiburg has an aggressive defense that has won 198 tackles and 37 aerial duels. Freiburg should dominate and destroy Glabach’s structural gaps.
The Pick: Freiburg
Augsburg vs Leverkusen
Date: 12 September 2026 (Saturday)
Time: 09:30 AM ET | 06:30 AM PT | 07:00 PM IST
Venue: WWK Arena, Augsburg
Bundesliga Expected Squad
Augsburg
Formation: 3-4-2-1
| Position | Players |
| Goalkeeper | Finn Dahmen |
| Defenders | Marius Wolf, Chrislain Matsima, Noahkai Banks |
| Midfielders | Hennes Behrens, Fabian Rieder, Han-Noah Massengo, Marius Wolf |
| Attacking Midfielders | Robin Fellhauer, Arijon IbrahimoviÄ |
| Forward | Michael Gregoritsch |
Head Coach: Manuel Baum
Leverkusen
Formation: 4-2-3-1
| Position | Players |
| Goalkeeper | Mark Flekken |
| Defenders | Miguel Gutiérrez, Facundo Medina, Edmond Tapsoba, Jarell Quansah |
| Defensive Midfielders | Aleix GarcĂa, Ezequiel FernĂĄndez |
| Attacking Midfielders | Afonso Moreira, Ibrahim Maza, Moussa Diaby |
| Forward | Patrik Schick |
Head Coach: Carles MartĂnez
Injury List
Unavailable players for Augsburg: Calvin Brackelmann (injury), Anton Kade (injury), Klaus Sima Suso (injury), Tim Breithaupt (injury).
Unavailable players for Bayer Leverkusen: Martin Terrier (injury), Nathan Tella (injury), Kennet Eichhorn (injury), Eliesse Ben Seghir (injury), Guéla Doué (injury), Montrell Culbreath (injury).
Team Stats and Performance
| Statistics | Augsburg | Leverkusen |
| Position (Points) | 1 (6) | 7 (3) |
| Possession (%) | 43 | 60 |
| Goals scored | 7 | 6 |
| Total Shots | 40 | 38 |
| Crosses from Open Play | 25 | 38 |
| Distance Covered | 238.7 km | 230.1 km |
| Intensive Runs | 1370 | 1274 |
| Successful passes from open play (%) | 79.8% | 89.6% |
| Sprints | 352 | 332 |
| Tackles won | 198 | 186 |
| Aerial Duels Won | 50 | 30 |
| Woodwork | 0 | 2 |
Analysis
FC Augsburg, leading the league, have been lethal, scoring only 7 goals from 40 attempts. They have imposed themselves physically with 1,370 high-intensity sprints and 50 headers won. Leverkusen, ranked seventh, has a great edge in technical superiority with 60% ball possession and an impressive 89.6% passing accuracy. The relentless creativity of Leverkusen will eventually break down the defensive barrier of Augsburg to earn an away win. Augsburg has ball retention and structural quality, but Leverkusen is structurally dominant.
The Pick: Leverkusen
SV Elversberg vs Bayern
Date: 13 September 2026 (Sunday)
Time: 11:30 AM ET | 08:30 AM PT | 09:00 PM IST
Venue: Waldstadion an der Kaiserlinde, Spiesen-Elversberg
Bundesliga Expected Squad
SV Elversberg
Formation: 4-2-3-1
| Position | Players |
| Goalkeeper | Nicolas Kristof |
| Defenders | Lasse GĂŒnther, Maximilian Rohr, Lukas Pinckert, Jan Gyamerah |
| Defensive Midfielders | Ćukasz PorÄba, Felix Keidel |
| Attacking Midfielders | Cole Campbell, Francis Onyeka, Lukas Petkov |
| Forward | David Mokwa |
Head Coach: Mike Frantz
Bayern
Formation: 4-2-3-1
| Position | Players |
| Goalkeeper | Manuel Neuer |
| Defenders | Nathaniel Brown, Jonathan Tah, Minjae Kim, Josip StaniĆĄiÄ |
| Defensive Midfielders | Aleksandar PavloviÄ, Joshua Kimmich |
| Attacking Midfielders | Luis DĂaz, Ismael Saibari, Michael Olise |
| Forward | Harry Kane |
Head Coach: Vincent Kompany
Injury List
Unavailable players for Elversberg: Vincent Wagner (suspension), Tom Zimmerschied (injury).
Unavailable players for Bayern MĂŒnchen: Serge Gnabry (injury).
Team Stats and Performance
| Statistics | Elversberg | Bayern |
| Position (Points) | 4 (6) | 6 (4) |
| Possession (%) | 44 | 67 |
| Goals scored | 7 | 5 |
| Total Shots | 23 | 36 |
| Crosses from Open Play | 11 | 8 |
| Distance Covered | 234.8 km | 243.5 km |
| Intensive Runs | 1330 | 1317 |
| Successful passes from open play (%) | 80.2% | 88.5% |
| Sprints | 323 | 329 |
| Tackles won | 196 | 196 |
| Aerial Duels Won | 28 | 34 |
| Woodwork | 2 | 1 |
Analysis
The promoted SV Elversberg side starts off in fourth place with an efficient attack. This side is able to net 7 goals from just 23 shots, including two strikes against the woodwork. Yet the sixth-placed Bayern Munich boasts unmatched structure with 67% ball possession and a phenomenal 88.5% pass accuracy. Combining these skills with endurance, which is measured by their 243.5km of coverage, Elversberg’s low block will be penetrated. Bayern’s pressure will immediately break Elversberg’s low block and secure their away win.
The Pick: Bayern
Conclusion
The Bundesliga offers an interesting slate of matches that offer opportunities for clubs to gain early momentum in the league. The weekend is packed with crucial games featuring Bayern Munich, Dortmund, Leverkusen, and Leipzig. Clubs that have just been promoted to the league will get tested by facing experienced Bundesliga clubs. Bayernâs trip to Elversberg is among the most intriguing matches to look forward to this weekend. Dortmund will also be expected to keep their good run going against Paderborn. The league standings are only just beginning to take shape, meaning that each point counts even more. Matchday 3 will bring more twists, excellent performances, and ideas about which teams can challenge for the Bundesliga title.
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