Champions pick up where they left off: Bundesliga reviews

Wolfsburg 2-0 Stuttgart
Dortmund 1-0 Cologne
Hertha 1-0 Hannover
Mainz 2-2 Leverkusen
Nurnberg 1-2 Schalke
Hoffenheim 1-1 Bayern
Bremen 2-3 Eintracht
Freiburg 1-1 Hamburg
Bochum 3-3 Monchengladbach

Wolfsburg started the new season on Friday night in much the same vein as they ended last. After a goalless first half, despite some excellent football from both sides, the champions forged ahead through Zvjezdan Misimovic's wicked curling effort from the edge of the box and last season's top scorer Grafite scored a trademark goal nine minutes from time, bustling his way through the Stuttgart defence and finishing in style to give his side all three points. Title favourites Bayern had fortune on their side at the Rhein-Neckar as Hoffenheim were denied a perfectly fine goal early in the first half. Josip Simunic's header clearly crossed the line by some distance before Michael Rensing clawed it out, but the officials missed it. Worse, Ivica Olic swept home Danijel Pranjic's (left back? Pranjic? What?) cross at the near post. The lead didn't last though as Chinedu Obasi scored a fine goal, set up by a deft touch from the fit-again Vedad Ibisevic.

None of the promoted clubs won, though Mainz took a very early lead against Leverkusen when Tim Hoogland headed in after five minutes. Two goals in as many minutes just before the break sent them in behind as Eren Derdiyok and Stefan Kiessling got the goals, but Mainz rescued a deserved point with Daniel Gunkel's expertly taken free-kick. Nurnberg were second best against Schalke for whom Kevin Kuranyi scored twice either side of the break, rendering Marek Mintal's late goal mere consolation. Freiburg recovered from a Jonathan Pitroipa strike in just the third minute of their game against Hamburg to share the points with Tommy Bechmann's second half equaliser ensuring a split of the points.

A game of two halves at Bochum where the visitors took a half-time lead of 3-0 with Juan Arango, Roberto Colautti and Roel Brouwers on target for Gladbach. Mimoun Azaouagh hit back five minutes after the break and then scored a belter from 25 yards for his second barely a minute later. After Danté was sent off for Gladbach on the hour, Bochum levelled it with Stanislav Sestak's header.

Tamas Hajnal's dangerous free-kick for Dortmund caused havoc in the Cologne defence and Marvin Matip was the unlucky defender who prodded it past his own keeper to hand Dortmund the win. 1-0 was enough for Hertha too who had Gojko Kacar's late goal to thank for the points at home to Hannover. Entertainment and Eintracht don't normally go hand in hand, but a five-goal thriller was served up between the Frankfurters and Werder Bremen. Eintracht were ahead after six minutes through Ioannis Amanatidis, but Mesut Ozil equalised from the spot shortly after. Amanatidis restored the lead before the break, only for Boubacar Sanogo to hit back on the stroke of half-time. Martin Fenin grabbed all three points in the 70th minute, heading home from a corner to hand Eintracht three valuable points.

A great start then for the champions, though Stuttgart look well capable of being right in there again this season. Worse news for Bayern whose squad looks ill-balanced. Players have been brought in with no thought as to how they'll operate. Mario Gomez looks like a signing purely to stop other clubs having him and Danijel Pranjic, one of Europe's better attacking midfielders/second strikers, is playing at left back.