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When Julian Nagelsmann announced his Germany squad for this month’s World Cup qualifiers on Thursday, Maximilian Mittelstädt was a surprising omission.

Alejandro Grimaldo has revealed that he held talks with Xabi Alonso about potentially following him to Real Madrid last summer.

Bayern Munich’s Raphaël Guerreiro is reportedly highly unlikely to extend his contract, which runs until 2026.

Borussia Dortmund maintained their current run of flawless form by defeating a tricky Mainz side 2-0 last Saturday and claimed a resounding 4-1 over Champions League opponents Athletic Club on Wednesday night. 

VfB Stuttgart succumbed to a 2-0 defeat in the UEFA Europa League at the hands of FC Basel. The Bundesliga club's captain Ermedin Demirović couldn't hide his disappointment. 

In front of a raucous atmosphere at St. Jakob-Park, it took Basel just three minutes to open the scoring. After Angelo Stiller was dispossessed in midfield, a careless backpass from Lorenz Assignon gave striker Albian Ajeti the chance to outstrength Ramon Hendriks, which he did magnificently, before rolling the ball under the onrushing Alexander Nübel.

Mainz opened their Conference League campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Omonia Nicosia, escaping a raucous atmosphere with all three points thanks to Nadiem Amiri’s decisive penalty.

Uwe Rösler will make his Bochum debut on Saturday in Kiel after being named as Dieter Hecking’s permanent replacement. Meanwhile, Hertha Berlin and Kaiserslautern host Preußen Münster and table-toppers Darmstadt, respectively, in their iconic stadiums.

Christian Ilzer’s side narrowly avoided relegation last season, finishing just three points above the playoff spot. However, a strong start to 2025/26 has lifted them into mid-table and within touching distance of the European positions.

Fortuna Düsseldorf will host Nürnberg in a clash of teams trying to correct their false start to the season. Meanwhile, SC Paderborn could momentarily climb to the top of the standings with a win away at Braunschweig.

In their first European campaign in nine years, Mainz return home from Cyprus after match day one with three points thanks to a Nadiem Amiri penalty.

Freiburg faced one of their toughest group stage tests on Thursday evening as they travelled to the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara to take on Bologna. The hosts, one of two Serie A representatives in this season’s Europa League alongside Roma, took to the field in their striking sky-blue strip and looked the more assured outfit during the early exchanges.

After coming out on the wrong side of a 2-1 scoreline against Freiburg last week, Basel are preparing for another match against Baden-Württemberg opposition, with Stuttgart making the relatively short trip over the Swiss border. 

FC Augsburg coach Sandro Wagner stated “there will definitely be changes” to his lineup after an “intensive” training week ahead of their clash with VfL Wolfsburg this weekend. 

Freiburg are aiming for two European wins in a row as they make the trip to Emilia Romagna to face Coppa Italia holders, Bologna.