Fireworks Expected when On-form Harry Kane and Bayern Meet Exciting Frankfurt

Bayern's Harry Kane, right, with teammates applaud their fans after the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Pafos FC and FC Bayern Munich at Alphamega stadium in Limassol, Cyprus, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
Bayern's Harry Kane, right, with teammates applaud their fans after the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Pafos FC and FC Bayern Munich at Alphamega stadium in Limassol, Cyprus, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
TT

Fireworks Expected when On-form Harry Kane and Bayern Meet Exciting Frankfurt

Bayern's Harry Kane, right, with teammates applaud their fans after the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Pafos FC and FC Bayern Munich at Alphamega stadium in Limassol, Cyprus, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
Bayern's Harry Kane, right, with teammates applaud their fans after the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Pafos FC and FC Bayern Munich at Alphamega stadium in Limassol, Cyprus, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

Expect goals when the most on-form striker in European soccer meets an opponent whose every game is a goal-fest.

Bayern Munich and Harry Kane — who has 17 goals in nine club games this season — take on Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday in the Bundesliga.

Second-placed Borussia Dortmund faces third-placed Leipzig as they compete to be Bayern's closest rival, The Associated Press reported.

Key matchups Bayern has won every game it's played this season but hasn't won in Frankfurt since 2022. Win or lose, Frankfurt is always entertaining. Its eight games in all competitions have yielded a total of 47 goals — almost six per game — after a 6-4 win last week over Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Dortmund is two points off the top and the only undefeated team except for Bayern as it prepares to host Leipzig on Saturday. Leipzig has recovered from losing 6-0 to Bayern on the opening day and won four in a row since.

Kasper Hjulmand hasn't lost any of his first five games as coach of Bayer Leverkusen but the team still hasn't found its rhythm. Tightening up a defense which has conceded in each of those games could be key against Union Berlin on Saturday.

Players to watch Kane's goals grab the attention but Michael Olise's contribution to Bayern has been almost as important. A goal and two assists in Bayern's 5-1 win over Pafos on Tuesday kept up Olise's run of either scoring or setting up a goal in each of his Bundesliga and Champions League games this season.

Nicolas Jackson finally scored in his fifth game for Bayern on Tuesday, his first goal since arriving from Chelsea on loan. With Kane in such strong form, the Senegal striker's chances to make an impact have been limited.

Can Uzun is Frankfurt's key player with five goals and three assists in five Bundesliga games as the 19-year-old attacking midfielder starts to fulfil his potential.

Who’s out Leverkusen will be without striker Patrik Schick for the first time in the Bundesliga this season. He has a hamstring injury and missed Wednesday's 1-1 draw with PSV Eindhoven.

Mainz goalkeeper Robin Zentner misses his team's game with Hamburger SV on Sunday as he serves the first game of a two-game ban. Zentner was red-carded for a reckless foul on Dortmund's Karim Adeyemi last week.

Off the field Last-placed Borussia Moenchengladbach is winless and drifting. Caretaker coach Eugen Polanski is heading into his third game in charge on Sunday against Freiburg. That's as many as Gerardo Seoane managed before he was fired last month.

Gladbach sporting director Roland Virkus resigned on Tuesday and the club has said it will sort out the director role before appointing a coach.



Chelsea’s Maresca Says Delap Shoulder Injury Looks Bad

Football - Premier League - Leeds United v Chelsea - Elland Road, Leeds, Britain - December 3, 2025 Chelsea's Liam Delap on the pitch before the match. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Leeds United v Chelsea - Elland Road, Leeds, Britain - December 3, 2025 Chelsea's Liam Delap on the pitch before the match. (Reuters)
TT

Chelsea’s Maresca Says Delap Shoulder Injury Looks Bad

Football - Premier League - Leeds United v Chelsea - Elland Road, Leeds, Britain - December 3, 2025 Chelsea's Liam Delap on the pitch before the match. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Leeds United v Chelsea - Elland Road, Leeds, Britain - December 3, 2025 Chelsea's Liam Delap on the pitch before the match. (Reuters)

Chelsea forward Liam Delap may face another spell on the sidelines with a shoulder injury after being forced off in the first half of Saturday’s 0-0 Premier League draw at Bournemouth, manager Enzo Maresca said.

Delap, who moved to Stamford Bridge from Ipswich Town in June, had also picked up a hamstring injury early on in the season and returned to the side only last month.

"He has been unlucky. We are also a bit unlucky because we need that kind of a No. 9," Maresca told reporters after the match.

"Unfortunately, he has already been out for two months and he has to be out again. We don't know for how long, but it looks quite bad, his shoulder."

Chelsea, who played to their first goalless draw since a home clash with Crystal Palace in August, were left in fourth place in the league table with 25 points from their 15 games.

"I think it was a game where we lacked and we missed a little bit of quality in the last third," Maresca said.

"For me, there were many mistakes. We missed some passes in the last third, some moments that we could shoot and didn’t."

Chelsea will next face Atalanta in a Champions League clash on Tuesday before hosting Everton on Saturday.


Gyokeres Urges Arsenal to Bounce Back After Villa End Unbeaten Run

Football - Premier League - Aston Villa v Arsenal - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - December 6, 2025 Arsenal's Viktor Gyokeres in action with Aston Villa's Ian Maatsen. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Aston Villa v Arsenal - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - December 6, 2025 Arsenal's Viktor Gyokeres in action with Aston Villa's Ian Maatsen. (Reuters)
TT

Gyokeres Urges Arsenal to Bounce Back After Villa End Unbeaten Run

Football - Premier League - Aston Villa v Arsenal - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - December 6, 2025 Arsenal's Viktor Gyokeres in action with Aston Villa's Ian Maatsen. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Aston Villa v Arsenal - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - December 6, 2025 Arsenal's Viktor Gyokeres in action with Aston Villa's Ian Maatsen. (Reuters)

Arsenal forward Viktor Gyokeres said the Premier League leaders must quickly move on from Saturday’s disappointing 1-2 defeat at Aston Villa after a 95th-minute winner from Emiliano Buendia ended their 18-match unbeaten run.

The win, the ninth for Villa in their last 10 games, allowed them to close the gap on top of the table, putting pressure on Mikel Arteta's Arsenal.

“It's football. If you score in the last few seconds or minutes, that is an unbelievable feeling, so it goes both ways,” Gyokeres said, according to Arsenal's website.

"Today, unfortunately, it was the other way. It's tough, but you learn from it.

“You can always find some positives, but it's still a very difficult way to lose a football game."

While Arsenal still maintain their pole position after Saturday's games, Pep Guardiola's Manchester City are now just two behind after their 3-0 win over Sunderland and Villa trail the leaders by three points.

“We are of course disappointed with the result," the Swedish striker said.

“It's not a great feeling right now, but it's only December and there are a lot of games to play.

“If we focus on what we can control and do in our favor and focus on the next game, we'll be better."

Arsenal will next face Club Brugge in a Champions League game on Wednesday, before hosting Wolverhampton Wanderers next Sunday.


Wissa Delighted with Long-Awaited Newcastle Debut

Football - Premier League - Newcastle United v Burnley - St James' Park, Newcastle, Britain - December 6, 2025 Newcastle United's Yoane Wissa reacts. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Newcastle United v Burnley - St James' Park, Newcastle, Britain - December 6, 2025 Newcastle United's Yoane Wissa reacts. (Reuters)
TT

Wissa Delighted with Long-Awaited Newcastle Debut

Football - Premier League - Newcastle United v Burnley - St James' Park, Newcastle, Britain - December 6, 2025 Newcastle United's Yoane Wissa reacts. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Newcastle United v Burnley - St James' Park, Newcastle, Britain - December 6, 2025 Newcastle United's Yoane Wissa reacts. (Reuters)

Newcastle United forward Yoane Wissa said he was left with goosebumps after making his long-awaited debut for the club in a 2-1 Premier League win over Burnley at St James' Park, adding that the squad's quality can fuel a strong season.

The 29-year-old DR Congo international joined Newcastle from Brentford in September for 55 million pounds ($73.31 million) but suffered a knee injury while on international duty soon after, delaying his debut.

He came on as a substitute in the 75th minute against Burnley, replacing Nick Woltemade, to a warm reception from the home fans.

"It has been a long time coming," Wissa told the BBC after Saturday's match. "Over the last 11 weeks, I've learned about the team and the players. It has been a long road but I'm happy in the end.

"It gave me goosebumps (when I came on). I'm buzzing now.

"It can be an excellent season because we have so many quality players."

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said Wissa, who scored 20 goals and registered five assists in 39 matches across all competitions last season for Brentford, will need time to regain peak fitness.

Newcastle will not have to worry about losing him to the Africa Cup of Nations, as he has not been included in DR Congo's squad.

"A real lift to have such a quality player back into our ranks," Howe told Newcastle in an interview.

"He's quite a long way short of his best physical levels. That's just with the injury that he's had and the time that he's had out. We're going to have to build him up slowly but surely and try and get him back to his very best.

"But a very exciting player to have."

Newcastle are 11th in the league table with 22 points from 15 matches.

Next, they travel to German side Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Wednesday.