MATCHDAY: Unbeaten Dortmund hosts Bremen, improving Lens travels to Le Havre
Thu, Oct 19, 2023
Soccer News (AP)
A look at what's happening in European soccer on Friday:
GERMANY
Borussia Dortmund hosts Werder Bremen to restart the Bundesliga after the international break. Dortmund is one of three unbeaten teams after seven rounds, along with Bayer Leverkusen and defending champion Bayern Munich. But the game leaves little time for Dortmund coach Edin Terzic to work with his international players, particularly Germans Mats Hummels, Julian Brandt, Niklas Sule and Niclas Fullkrug, who had to hurry back from the United States to prepare. Fullkrug joined Dortmund in the offseason from Bremen and this will be his first game against his former club. Last season, Fullkrug played a role as Bremen scored three late goals from the 89th minute to recover from 2-0 down and win 3-2 in Dortmund.
FRANCE
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After losing four of its first five games this season, Lens looks to make it four league games unbeaten when it plays at promoted Le Havre. The teams are separated by one point, with Le Havre in 13th place, one spot above Lens. Last season, Lens finished second behind Paris Saint-Germain to qualify directly for the Champions League, and coach Franck Haise must decide whether to rest any key players ahead of Tuesday's group game at home against PSV Eindhoven.
SPAIN
Granada visits Osasuna in a match between struggling teams in the Spanish league. Second-to-last-place Granada has just one win this season, a 3-2 victory over Mallorca in the third round. It lost three times after that, but is coming off three straight draws, including against Barcelona at home before the international break. Osasuna, sitting in 12th place, has only one win in its last six league matches - at Alaves before it lost 4-0 at Real Madrid entering the break. It lost four of those six matches - with a draw against Sevilla in addition to the loss to Madrid.
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