After a stunning round of midweek games in the Bundesliga, the action will step up another gear this weekend. Bayern Munich took a huge step towards the Bundesliga title and could emphasise their dominance this coming weekend. Meanwhile, there will be vital fixtures for two sides looking to finish the season in the Champions League places.
SC Freiburg vs Bayer Leverkusen
These two sides were involved in fixtures this past week that really caught the attention. Bayer Leverkusen had gone into their fixture with Wolfsburg in dazzling form and were looking as though they were a certainty for a Champions League place this season. However, they were floored in their midweek game, as Wolfsburg beat them 4-1.
Leverkusen’s Champions League hopes are now hanging in the balance, and only a win will do from this fixture. They will be the first of the Champions League hopefuls to play this weekend, and a victory would see them move up to third. However, if they drop points, then Borussia Monchengladbach and RB Leipzig will have a perfect opportunity to increase the gap between the sides.
Freiburg also have European hopes of their own this season, but their chances of achieving that have taken a hit since the restart, as they have failed to win any of their last three fixtures. During that time, they have drawn twice and lost once.
Their most recent game came against Eintracht Frankfurt, where they squandered a 3-1 lead in the final ten minutes to take just a point. The gap between themselves and sixth-placed Wolfsburg was increased this week, as there is now a four-point difference between the sides.
Freiburg haven’t beaten Bayer Leverkusen since 2017, and have never won away from home against their opponents this weekend. Leverkusen should have enough quality within their ranks to keep that record going this weekend.
Bayern Munich vs Fortuna Dusseldorf
Two sides at the opposite ends of the table will also do battle this weekend, with Bayern Munich keen to extend their lead at the top of the Bundesliga. They have taken a giant stride regaining their title by beating Borussia Dortmund in midweek, while RB Leipzig, Monchengladbach and Wolfsburg all failed to take advantage of Dortmund’s defeat as they all dropped points.
Bayern’s lead at the top is now seven points, which would seem impossible to catch. They have been in splendid form since the winter break as they have dropped just two points. Meanwhile, they have won all three games since the restart, and in that time they have scored eight goals. Their 1-0 win over Dortmund last time out highlights that they are the best team in Germany this season.
Fortuna Dusseldorf have been in steady form since the restart, and are now just one-point away from Mainz. Dusseldorf have been in the relegation playoff spot for much of the season, but their win last time out against Schalke has given them a newfound belief that they can get out of danger.
They showed incredible resilience in that victory, as they came back from a goal down to take all three points. A win this weekend would seem unlikely, but it could lift them as high as 14th in the Bundesliga.
The overall record doesn’t make for pleasant reading for Dusseldorf fans, as they have never beaten Bayern Munich in five competitive attempts. The meeting earlier in the season was a routine 4-0 win for the side from Bavaria, and gamblers will be expecting this fixture to play out in a similar fashion.
Borussia Monchengladbach vs Union Berlin
Borussia Monchengladbach were given a second chance of life this past week with Bayer Leverkusen slipping up. They believed that their chances of finishing in the Champions League places was gone after they were beaten by their rivals a couple of weeks ago. But, Leverkusen’s defeat coupled with Monchengladbach’s draw with Werder Bremen have seen them go back up to fourth.
However, fans will not be getting ahead of themselves, as the performance at Bremen was lacklustre, to say the least. Their inability to beat the side second-bottom of the Bundesliga speaks volumes for the troubles that they have had since the restart, as they have won just once in the three fixtures. However, they will still take confidence that they are not out of the Champions League race just yet.
No team has been more hindered by the lack of fans in attendance that Union Berlin since the restart. They excelled this season with the help of their home fans, as they enjoyed playing in the hostile atmosphere that made the game difficult for the opposing teams.
Since the restart, they are yet to win and have lost two of the three fixtures. Their fortunes picked up a little in midweek as they were able to secure a hard-fought draw against Mainz. It was a must not lose game for Union, and they were able to fight back from a goal down to get the much-needed point.
Union Berlin will take pride in their performance from earlier in the season against Monchengladbach, as they recorded a 2-0 win on that occasion. However, Monchengladbach have scored a remarkable 31 goals in their nine home games this season, and that will make them the preferred selection for gamblers for this fixture.
