The Koln Striker Will Be Looking To Continue His Goalscoring Form.
With Schalke finally grabbing a domestic win, and Stuttgart and Bayern Munich beginning to hit some form, it feels like the Bundesliga is finally taking a big, competitive swing at the smaller teams in the league. With Borussia Dortmund, Mainz, Hoffenheim and Leverkusen occupying the top four positions, and Schalke, Stuttgart, Bayern Munich and Hamburg all vying for those positions, there’s going to be a huge emphasis placed on taking maximum points from the rest of the league fixtures. Dortmund and Mainz have started exceptionally well, and their huge point leads over their challengers will give them a much-needed edge. Still, with twenty-three games left, anything could happen.
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich are finally beginning to play as ruthlessly and as strongly as we all know they can. Mario Gomez is fit and firing, Schweinsteiger is bossing the midfield, and Holger Badstuber is orchestrating it all from the back. They’ve got a strong core and a lot of good leaders, and it looks like a winning streak could be in the making here. I’m sorry Gladbach, but I see little chance of a positive result. Shoddy defenders, poor finishers, and they’re bottom of the league. 0-3, and that might be at half-time!
Eintracht Frankfurt v VfL Wolfsburg
This is a good one. Frankfurt are flying high, and currently hold 5th place in the Bundesliga. If it all ended today, they’d be heading to Europe. How shocking is that? Theofanis Gekas has shown how prolific he is in front of goal, but it’s been a team ethic that has lifted them to their lofty heights. Wolfsburg have shown themselves to be wildly inconsistent, and while they have a very strong squad compared to Frankfurt’s on paper, they haven’t proven themselves out on the pitch. I think this is Frankfurt’s. Gekas for a brace!
Hamburg SV v TSG Hoffenheim
This is another really big game. If Hamburg win, they can steal Hoffenheim’s third-place position, and vault themselves right into a Champions League spot. That is, if other results go their way. Only three points seperate the two teams, though, so the win is imperative. Hamburg have lost Ruud van Nistelrooy, which means Guerrero and Petric are the likely pairing up top for Hamburg. They’ve had some goalkeeping issues this season, and with Hoffenheim scoring so many lately, they may be in some trouble here. I’m going to play it safe, draw!
Nurnberg v FC Koln
Ugh, Nurnberg. Yes, they’re in ninth and their more fashionable (at least to me) opponents are still in the relegation zone, I still see the visitors taking this. They’ve turned themselves around under Frank Schaefer, the caretaker manager, and have finally begun to look dangerous. Last week, Novakovic hit a hat-trick, and he was barely played under Soldo. I think the Koln resurgence continues here.
SC Freiburg v Mainz
Thomas Tuchel has declared that his side will bounce back to winning ways against Freiburg, and I’m inclined to believe him. Tuchel, for me, has shown himself as one of the very best man managers in the league this season, with the way he motivates his players and instills belief in them. Mainz need the win to keep up with Dortmund at the top of the league, and I think they’ll nip it.
Enjoy!
