Having the smallest stadium in the league isn't always something to be proud of, but sometimes the smallest ones make the most noise. This list looks at some of the smallest soccer stadiums in the world’s biggest top-flight leagues.
On Thursday, Feb. 27, FC Bayern Munich celebrates its 120th anniversary. It was on that date back in 1900 that photographer Franz John and 11 other men decided to found the club before playing their first competitive match that spring, defeating FC Nordstern 15-0.
That domestic dominance has continued to this day with a record 29 Bundesliga titles and 19 DFB-Pokal victories to go along with five triumphs in the Champions League.
Sometimes simplicity is the best approach, and that is the route that Eintracht chose during a Frankfurt protest on the scheduling of Monday matches this week.
Sure, the supporters could have brought in 100 flares, made several large banners and yelled their lungs out. Instead the Frankfurt faithful vacated a section of stands and placed a singular banner with one clear message: No Mondays.
Erling Håland continued his red-hot start to life at Borussia Dortmund, scoring his 12th goal in eight matches in Dortmund's 2-0 victory over Werder Bremen on Saturday.
Erling Haaland just cannot be stopped! It's 2-0 @BlackYellow! pic.twitter.com/PfkY3YLP3q
For years now, Manuel Neuer has been established as the premier sweeper-keeper in the world. The German World Cup winner and Bayern Munich No. 1 essentially redefined the position. But even Neuer gets things wrong from time to time.
A stunning mistake from Manuel Neuer vs Paderborn nearly cost Bayern three points on Friday. The visitors twice pegged back the reigning champions before Robert Lewandowski saved Neuer’s blushes with an 88th-minute winner for a 3-2 victory at Allianz Arena.
While the men’s Champions League Round of 16 begins this week, the women’s competition doesn’t return until the end of March with the staging of the quarterfinals. The question — on the back of four straight titles — is can anyone disrupt Lyon’s recent hegemony of the competition?
One potential answer is Wolfsburg.
The club won back-to-back European titles in 2013 and 2014, but in the five tournaments since, they’ve been bounced by Lyon four times (twice in the final, twice in the quarters). This season, the two clubs won’t possibly meet until the final.
The year is 2020. A top-of-the-table Bundesliga clash between Bayern Munich and Leipzig is being dictated by a fascinating duel between a 19-year-old Canadian and a 20-year-old American. Bayern Munich doesn’t win.
How ‘bout that for a bit of science fiction?! But that’s actually what happened on Sunday during the sort of match that proves a 0-0 scoreline can still be a damn good time.
Welcome back to Germany, Emre Can.
In his first Bundesliga match with Borussia Dortmund, six years removed from his last appearance in the German league, Emre Can reminded his home country what he’s capable of on Saturday.
Playing against his former club Bayer Leverkusen, Can launched a glorious long-range curling effort to score one of the best strikes of 2020. However, the home side at BayArena scored two late goals to record a wild 4-3 win over Dortmund.
It’s obviously far too early to say that Kylian Mbappé vs. Erling Haaland is the next generation’s version of Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi — and you can absolutely make fun of me for even bringing it up — but these two kids are not normal.
The 21-year-old Mbappé has already proven that he has no level. With a World Cup winner’s medal to his name and a Champions League strike rate of 19 goals in 30 appearances (to go along with 11 assists), there’s no doubt that Mbappé’s Ligue 1 domination would translate across all European leagues. He’s a phenomenon.
There’s a phrase for basketball players with prodigious 3-point shooting ability that says they’re within range as soon as they enter the arena. We may need to coopt that expression for soccer after this insane Florian Neuhaus goal vs Mainz on Saturday.
Borussia Monchengladbach maintained its spot in the top three of the Bundesliga with a 3-1 win over Mainz. Alassane Pléa scored two goals after Robin Quaison opened the scoring for the visitors, but we only care about the Neuhaus goal scored in the 88th minute.