Bayer Leverkusen vs Mainz 05
BayArena, Leverkusen
Saturday, 27-06-2020 @4:30pm
Bayer Leverkusen’s Champions League aspirations took a huge hit when they were beaten by Hertha Berlin at the Olympiastadion last weekend and they need results to go their way on the final day if they are to finish in the Bundesliga’s top four.
Die Werkself must beat Mainz at the BayArena and hope that Hertha do them a favour at the same time by defeating top-four rivals Borussia Monchengladbach.
If Gladbach draw and Leverkusen win, an inferior goal difference is almost certain to condemn Peter Bosz’s team to a fifth-placed finish and a season of Europa league football, so only a win and defeat for their rivals is likely to be enough.
Mainz had looked in trouble heading into the final stretch of the campaign but Rouven Schroder’s men won three of their last matches – against Eintracht Frankfurt, Borussia Dortmund and Werder Bremen – as they confirmed their Bundesliga status for another season.
Leverkusen, and in particular young star Kai Havertz, impressed in the early stages of the Bundesliga restart as they won their opening two matches following the resumption.
However, home defeats against Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich put them on the back foot in their bid for Champions League football and a draw at Schalke followed by the loss in Berlin are likely to prove their undoing.
With Gladbach expected to gain the point they need, Leverkusen are up against it but they should keep fighting until the end as they bid to finish the season on a high – they also have a German Cup final with Bayern to look forward to.
Mainz, meanwhile, have done everything they needed to do to survive and ultimately stayed up thanks to the victory over Bremen. They may not be at full tilt now that the pressure is off.
Both teams have scored in six of Leverkusen’s last eight league matches. Mainz have won three of their last four matches to secure their safety. Mainz have scored seven goals in four away games since the Bundesliga resumption.
Monchengladbach vs Hertha Berlin
Borussia Park, Monchengladbach
Saturday, 27-06-2020 @4:30pm
Borussia Monchengladbach can guarantee qualification for next season’s Champions League if they take maximum points against resurgent Hertha Berlin on the final day of the season at Borussia Park.
Gladbach are in pole position to land fourth spot in the Bundesliga, having leapfrogged Bayer Leverkusen into the Champions League places with victory over Paderborn on the penultimate matchday of the season.
Leverkusen had themselves been on course to make the top four only to lose to Hertha last time out but the Berlin outfit may struggle to repeat the feat against Gladbach, who have been a force on home soil this season.
They have won 11 of their 16 home assignments in the Bundesliga this campaign and their home goal tally of 38 is bettered only by Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
The Foals have shown they have attacking quality beyond forwards Alassane Plea and Marcus Thuram, with both players having been sidelined recently but the likes of Jonas Hofmann, Lars Stindl and Patrick Herrmann impressing in their absences.
They have won 11 of their last 14 league fixtures and should be fancied to get the job done against a Hertha Berlin side who dazzled at the start of Bruno Labbadia’s tenure but have fizzled out a touch recently.
Hertha have lost three of their last four league fixtures, eradicating the possibility of a late push for a European spot after falling to defeats against Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt and Freiburg.
They did claim the scalp of Leverkusen last time out but that was at the Olympiastadion and they have struggled on the road recently.
Hertha Berlin have won only two of their last six matches. Borussia Monchengladbach have conceded in six of their previous seven league wins. Borussia Monchengladbach have failed to score in only one of their 16 home league matches this season.
Werder Bremen vs Koln
Wohninvest WERSERSTADION, Bremen
Saturday, 27-06-2020
Werder Bremen must win on the final day of the season if they are to have any chance of extending their 39-year stay in the Bundesliga but the same old problems could haunt them against Cologne at the Weserstadion.
Bremen must claim maximum points and hope that Fortuna Dusseldorf lose away to Union Berlin in order to move out of the bottom two and into the relegation playoff position.
Florian Kohfeldt’s men had an excellent opportunity to pull themselves out of danger last time out but fluffed their lines in their six-pointer with Mainz, losing 3-1, and they are expected to buckle under pressure against the Billy Goats.
They have shown some signs of improvement since returning to action after the season’s hiatus, beating Freiburg, Schalke and Paderborn, who they thumped 5-1, but all of those results came on the road and Bremen have struggled in their own backyard this season.
Bremen have collect a miserly six points from 16 fixtures at the Weserstadion all season, winning only one league game, drawing three and losing 12 and netting only nine home goals.
That unfavourable record coupled with the fact Cologne travel to Bremen with nothing to play for and could therefore treat the game as a free hit does not bode well for the hosts.
Cologne are yet to win since the Bundesliga resumption but are guaranteed safety thanks to their run of form at the start of the Ruckrunde – the second half of the campaign – and they held Eintracht Frankfurt to a draw last time out.
That was their sixth stalemate of the season and a draw could be the way to go this time around.
Bremen have continued to struggle for goals at home since football has returned, failing to score at the Weserstadion since the restart, suggesting the absence of fans has not eased the pressure on Kohfeldt’s men.
Cologne are winless in their last nine league encounters. Both teams have scored in Cologne’s last ten Bundesliga fixtures. Three of Werder Bremen’s last four contests have featured under 2.5 goals.
Union Berlin vs Fortuna Dusseldorf
Stadion An der Alten Forsterei, Berlin
Saturday, 27-06-2020
Consecutive wins over Cologne and Paderborn earlier this month sealed Union Berlin’s top-flight status and with nothing at stake for them, they could be vulnerable at home to Fortuna Dusseldorf.
Union Berlin were thumped 4-0 in their hat-trick bid at Hoffenheim last weekend and were seemingly low on motivation with their survival already secured, registering just two shots on target in what was a limp display.
Prior to a hard-fought 1-0 win over Paderborn, Union Berlin had failed to win in five home league games and were held to draws against out-of-sorts duo Mainz and Schalke.
Urs Fischer’s men have scored two or more in only one of their last nine league contests and that lack of scoring prowess makes them easy to swerve in their final game of the campaign.
Fortuna Dusseldorf were 2-1 winners when these sides met earlier in the season and their desperation for points makes them a good punting proposition against such modest opposition.
Although victory doesn’t secure Fortuna’s survival, it does reward them with a second bite of the cherry in a relegation playoff and we are predicting them to tee up just that with victory in the German capital.
Fortuna’s struggles can be put down to them drawing too many matches. The visitors have shared the spoils in 12 of their 33 games this season, which includes nine draws in their last 14 league encounters.
That said, the Dusseldorf outfit have improved markedly since the appointment of Uwe Rosler who has made them a difficult side to beat.
Fortuna have lost only two of their last 11 league matches and those defeats came against top two Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. They were extremely unfortunate to lose 1-0 at home to Dortmund, having twice struck the woodwork and limiting their guests to only three shots on goals.
Rosler’s men have recorded 2-2 draws with Hoffenheim and Leipzig this month and this rates a far easier assignment.
Union Berlin have won only one of their last six league games and have scored two or more just once in nine outings.
Fortuna have lost only two of their last 11 league matches and those defeats came against Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. Both teams have scored in the last four meetings between the sides, with Fortuna winning the reverse fixture at home 2-1.
The other match-day 34 Bundesliga fixtures @4:30pm
-Dortmund vs Hoffenheim
-Wolfsburg vs Bayern Munich
-Frankfurt vs Paderbon
-Freiburg vs Schalke
-Augsburg vs Leipzig
