Bundesliga

Record champions Borussia Düsseldorf aim to heal their cup wound against Bad Homburg at the very same venue on Matchday 9. Meanwhile, Fulda hosts a direction-setting clash: TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell and Post SV Mühlhausen meet level on 8:8 points — the winner edges toward the play-off places, the loser will have to keep a closer eye on the bottom.

SV Werder Bremen – Borussia Dortmund

“Why shouldn’t we be able to do what Grünwettersbach did?” says BVB coach Evgeny Fadeev — a direct nod to Bremen’s 0:3 slip in Grünwettersbach that gives Dortmund a psychological springboard. Werder want to stay unbeaten at home and quickly get back on track after losing top spot. “Despite the last match we go in with confidence. We definitely want to keep the points in Bremen,” stresses coach Cristian Tamas, while cautioning that Dortmund at full strength can beat anyone. Whether the Borussen will be at full strength is unclear: Anders Lind is still dealing with a hip issue. After their first home win of the season (3:1 vs. Grenzau), Dortmund are targeting a first victory over Bremen following two 1:3 defeats last season.

TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen – TSV Bad Königshofen

Two days after their cup coup and ticket to the 2026 Final Four, the title holders return to league business. Against bottom club Bad Königshofen, Ochsenhausen want to set the pace early on Friday, pounce on any weekend slip-ups elsewhere and climb into the play-off places. The TSV badly need a result: the away win in Grünwettersbach on Matchday 3 remains their only victory, and the gap to safety is already four points. Talented Andre Bertelsmeier will likely be absent after reaching the last 32 at the WTT Star Contender in Oman.

TTC OE Clarity-Telefonie Systeme Bad Homburg – Borussia Düsseldorf

Four days after the cup exit in a deciding double at the same venue, the record champions get a shot at revenge. The new TTBL leaders want a response but may be without Dang Qiu: the world No. 9 withdrew from the WTT Star Contender in Oman due to injury. Bad Homburg come in buoyant — beyond the Final Four berth, back-to-back league wins over Bad Königshofen and Saarbrücken lifted the TTC to tenth. Another win over Düsseldorf would pull them toward mid-table.

TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell – Post SV Mühlhausen

Mühlhausen are in a dip: just one win from the last five league matches — a 3:1 at bottom club Bad Königshofen. Their lower-mid-table berth stems from a perfect three-win start; since then came Wednesday’s gut-punch cup exit in a deciding double against holders Ochsenhausen. The turnaround is the target in Fulda. The hosts also sit at 8:8 and have beaten every side from the league’s lower half so far. A question mark hangs over star man Dimitrij Ovtcharov, who is competing at the WTT event in Oman. Without him, Fulda cannot field a player with a positive TTBL record.

TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau – 1. FC Saarbrücken-TT

A day before the cup quarter-final, Saarbrücken seek redemption away to next-to-bottom Grenzau: on Matchday 8 the FCS missed the leap to the summit with a home defeat to Bad Homburg as favourites. Darko Jorgic remained outstanding, winning his singles to move to a league-best 8:0 record. “It hardly gets tougher, sportingly, if Saarbrücken turn up with their best team,” says Grenzau manager Markus Ströher. Pressure is building on the TTC after losing the six-pointer to Dortmund — they’re in the drop zone. “We’ve often shown we can acquit ourselves well against stronger teams and sometimes handle less pressure better,” Ströher adds.

TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt – ASC Grünwettersbach

Grünwettersbach travel with momentum after the statement 3:0 over then-leaders Bremen, yet with the reminder that it followed three straight defeats. Another away win at a title contender could lift the Karlsruhe side into the play-off spots. Bergneustadt, beaten in the top-of-the-bill clash at Düsseldorf, want an immediate response and lean on the leadership of Benedikt Duda (10:4). Fourth place keeps them on course, but they are level on points with chasers Ochsenhausen — slips are costly in such a tight table.

Matchday 9 fixtures

Friday, 21 November:
19:00 SV Werder Bremen – Borussia Dortmund
19:30 TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen – TSV Bad Königshofen

Saturday, 22 November:
16:00 TTC OE Clarity-Telefonie Systeme Bad Homburg – Borussia Düsseldorf

Sunday, 23 November:
14:00 TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell – Post SV Mühlhausen
17:00 TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau – 1. FC Saarbrücken-TT
18:00 TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt – ASC Grünwettersbach

All matches are live on Dyn.

Picture: Dimitrij Ovtcharov of TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell (Photo: Tomafocus)