The Bundesliga enters an intriguing weekend fixture list as Bavarian giants Bayern Munich look to get one step closer to their tenth league title in succession at the expense of domestic rivals Borussia Dortmund. Other key fixtures can be surveyed around the league this weekend, including RB Leipzig’s clash with high-flying SC Freiburg in a match that has direct Champions League implications, while VfB Stuttgart and Hertha Berlin are up against it when it comes to their bids to avoid the drop come the end of term. Here is 101 Great Goals’ betting tips preview for matchday 25.
Arminia Bielefeld (14th) vs FC Augsburg (15th)
Close in the table and close on paper; this is not an easy one to analyze. Arminia Bielefeld can boast slightly better form than their FC Augsburg counterparts when the pair clash at SchücoArena on Saturday, posting a 2-2-2 record whereas the visitors have lost three in that same time span and can bank a 1-2-3 run of results. Fuggerstädter have not lost against Bielefeld in their last six encounters though while winning through that period, but their leaky defense of late in conjunction with just one win of late means Die Arminen probably are favorites, but only just.
Hertha Berlin (16th) vs Eintracht Frankfurt (10th)
Capital outfit Hertha Berlin is in dire straights this season and currently finds themselves sitting 16th in the table and in line for a relegation playoff date if the 2021-22 Bundesliga season was to come to an end at the time of writing. Visiting Eintracht Frankfurt, a perennial contender for the outside European places are in midtable mediocrity at the minute, with both sides coming into proceedings at the Olympiastadion on the back of three-match losing streaks. Hertha’s complete inability to mount an effective defense this season and boasting the second-worst goals allowed total in the Bundesliga means that Die Adler should come away with all three points despite their own struggles.
VfL Bochum (11th) vs Greuther Fürth (18th)
Bochum’s players celebrate a goal during the German Cup (DFB Pokal) quarter-final football match Bochum v Freiburg in Bochum, western Germany on March 2, 2022. – – DFB REGULATIONS PROHIBIT ANY USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS AS IMAGE SEQUENCES AND QUASI-VIDEO. (Photo by Ina FASSBENDER / AFP) / DFB REGULATIONS PROHIBIT ANY USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS AS IMAGE SEQUENCES AND QUASI-VIDEO. (Photo by INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images)
A rematch between promoted pair VfL Bochum and Greuther Fürth presents what is, on paper, a very one-sided affair if the current Bundesliga season is the end all be all measuring stick at the weekend. Fürth sits bottom of the table and looks destined to return to the 2.Bundesliga come the end of the season, while Bochum has turned a head or two this campaign with a cadre of credible results highlighted by a shock 4-2 win against champions Bayern Munich. With Fürth boasting the worst defensive record in the German top-flight while losing both of their previous fixtures against Bochum, this could be relatively one-sided.
VfL Wolfsburg (12th) vs Union Berlin (7th)
Neutral fan-favorite Union Berlin put an end to a recent poor run of form that saw them lose three on the bounce when they ran out 3-1 winners against Mainz 05 last weekend but could be up against it when they visit Wolfsburg on Saturday despite Die Wölfe sitting well below expectations this term. Wolfsburg has taken seven points from a possible twelve of late, however, and they are just ahead of Union in their recent head-to-head clashes (2-3-1) with both wins coming at Volkswagen Arena. With goals in their last four matches, the VfL could sneak a tricky three-point haul against a Union side that is difficult to beat.
RB Leipzig (4th) vs SC Freiburg (5th)
In a match with direct Champions League implications, revitalized RB Leipzig under former FC Schalke 04 boss Domenico Tedesco clash at Red Bull Arena with Christian Streich’s high-flying SC Freiburg as both outfits sit level with TSG 1899 Hoffenheim on 40-points. RBL has been in fine fettle since Tedesco took the reigns from Jesse Marsch which has included 10-goals across their last three fixtures. Freiburg remains in the dog fight for the Champions League and has already earned wins against Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund this term while boasting the joint-best defensive record in the league alongside Bayern. Leipzig is 2-2-0 against Breisgau-Brasilianer in recent meetings, but the Black Forest outfit could sneak a draw.
Bayern Munich (1st) vs Bayer Leverkusen (3rd)
LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY – OCTOBER 17: (BILD OUT) Karim Bellarabi of Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Omar Richards of Bayern Muenchen battle for the ball during the Bundesliga match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and FC Bayern München at BayArena on October 17, 2021 in Leverkusen, Germany. (Photo by Alex Gottschalk/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
It is always hard to bet against the juggernaut that is Bayern Munich given the sheer dominance the Bavarian giants have exhibited over the Bundesliga landscape in the last decade and on the surface this term that dominance looks set to continue as Bayern sits 8-points clear of rivals Borussia Dortmund but come up against a very tricky opponent at the weekend in Bayer Leverkusen who are one of the top goalscoring outfits (63-goals) in the league. But Bayer will be without key hitman Patrick Schick and midfielder Karim Bellarabi, which dents their offensive capabilities considerably. Bayern has quite a few fitness concerns of their own, including Manuel Neuer, Leon Goretzka, and Alphonso Davies, but their overwhelming depth in quality should make good on the fact that they have seen Bayer off in five of their last six meetings in recent seasons.
VfB Stuttgart (17th) vs Borussia Mönchengladbach (13th)
Neither Stuttgart nor Gladbach will be too pleased with the 2021-22 Bundesliga campaigns that they have been able to muster this season after the pair finished 9th and 8th respectively last term, with Die Schwaben looking particularly destined for relegation after failing to secure a single win in their last nine league outings which has included seven losses. Die Fohlen are hardly in a good place of their own but have at least managed a handful of decent results in recent weeks and still have an outside shot at a top-half finish. Despite the point gap, the data between the two sides paint a picture that could suggest a draw is on the cards, especially with Gladbach managing just one win in their last four.
1.FSV Mainz 05 (9th) vs (2nd) Borussia Dortmund
There is a real chance for an upset on the cards here. Dortmund may be considerably off the pace set by Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga this season once again, but they remain an outfit that is heavily stocked with talent in all areas of the park. Their one clear weakness, however, has been their inability to defend consistently and this is where Mainz 05 can potentially sneak a three-point haul. Die Nullfünfer has plenty of ability to hit their opponent on the break (an Achilles heel for Dortmund) while crafting good chances at a consistent rate. Moreover, they have won their last five on the bounce at MEWA Arena, while boasting the best defensive record at home in the league and tasting defeat just once in the process. Mainz could truly come away with three points here considering their last two wins at home were against Bayer Leverkusen (3rd) and Hoffenheim (6th) respectively.
1.FC Köln (8th) vs (6th) TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
No one expected Köln to be sitting in the top half of the Bundesliga table this season and at one stage, Die Geißböcke were flirting with dreams of Champions League football next season. Still sitting just four points behind fourth, that dream has not yet died, but a test against a capable Hoffenheim outfit along the Rhein at RheinEnergieStadion presents a very intriguing clash between two outfits that could potentially upset the apple cart. Die Kraichgauer into the Bundesliga weekend on the back of three successive wins and remain the best attacking side (47-goals) outside of the top four. Köln is capable in their own right however and is one of the more difficult sides to beat across 90-minutes and has suffered just six losses in the league while goals from Anthony Modeste (15) remain vital. Hoffenheim have utterly dominated the recent head-to-head though (6-0-0) and their current vein of form could see them over the line here.
