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

Bayern Munich’s midfielder Jamal Musiala celebrates after scoring his team’s first goal with Lennart Karl and Aleksandar Pavlovic during their UEFA Champions League league phase day 8 match against PSV Eindhoven at Philips Stadion in Eindhoven on Jan. 28, 2026. (AFP)
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Updated 29 January 2026
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Invincible no more, Bayern aims to make amends against Hamburg in Bundesliga

  • Bayern made a record start to the league through 18 rounds
  • Jamal Musiala scored from a narrow angle in Wednesday’s win over PSV Eindhoven

BERLIN: Bundesliga opponents suddenly know Bayern Munich are 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 visit on Saturday.
Like Augsburg before, Hamburg have not shown much to suggest they can pull off an upset.
Merlin Polzin’s team have not won a game since early December after beating Werder Bremen in the Northern derby and they haven’t scored in their 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 their superiority after Augsburg’s 2-1 win derailed their 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 host Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday. Frankfurt haven’t had much to cheer of late but they did snap their run of conceding three goals in every game this year when they lost only 2-0 to Tottenham in the Champions League on Wednesday.
The club are reportedly close to signing coach Albert Riera from Slovenian league leader NK Celje as Dino Toppmöller’s replacement.
High-flying Hoffenheim host Union Berlin on Saturday. Christian Ilzer’s team are 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 host improving Mainz on Saturday before Stuttgart entertain 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 they will “decide on further consequences after further internal deliberations.”


Sabalenka debuts engagement ring during Indian Wells win

Updated 07 March 2026
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Sabalenka debuts engagement ring during Indian Wells win

  • World number one sported the striking oval-cut diamond ring for the first time in competition after getting engaged to Georgios Frangulis late on Tuesday

INDIAN WELLS, California: Aryna Sabalenka’s performance in a 6-4 6-2 second-round win over Japan’s Himeno Sakatsume was not the only thing that dazzled at Indian Wells on Friday, with the world number one also showing off her shiny new engagement ring.
The 27-year-old sported the striking oval-cut diamond ring for the first time in competition after getting engaged to Georgios Frangulis late on Tuesday.
“It feels super comfortable and shiny,” ‌she told ‌reporters.
“We double-checked if there was a ‌possibility ⁠to lose the ⁠diamond, and there was none. I was pretty confident wearing it, hoping it might even distract my opponent.”
Sabalenka, who has made the final of the WTA 1000 event twice in the last three years, said that while the proposal came as ⁠a complete surprise to her, the ‌entire team was in ‌on the engagement secret.
“I saw Georgios and I was crying ‌half of the time, because I thought ‌that I looked ugly, not prepared, and this is such a beautiful moment,” she said.
“I stopped everything, and I asked the videographer and the photographer to make sure ‌that my face was not (in the pictures), just the ring, and side ⁠views and ⁠from the back, just so you guys wouldn’t be shocked by the way I looked.
“But it was a beautiful moment.”
Sabalenka was asked what she has learned about Frangulis, the CEO of global health-food brand OakBerry, and what he has learned about her since they began dating in 2024.
“What I have learned about him? He likes Oakberry a lot,” the four-times Grand Slam champion said. “What he has learned about me? That I’m crazy,” she added with a laugh.