Hoffenheim vs Borussia Dortmund
PreZero Arena, Sinsheim
Saturday, 17-10-2020 @4:30pm
Hoffenheim suffered a setback with defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt before the international break but their performances beforehand suggest they can get something from their match with Borussia Dortmund this weekend.
The club’s front line have been in top form with Andrej Kramaric netting a hat-trick against Cologne on the opening weekend before firing twice in a stunning 4-1 win over reigning champions Bayern Munich.
Hoffenheim brought an end to Munich’s winning run and can also cause problems for last term’s runners-up Borussia Dortmund, who have lost three of their last six Bundesliga assignments going back to last campaign.
Borussia Dortmund’s goals featured an average of 3.68 goals per game last season. Both teams scored in 19 of Hoffenheim’s 34 league matches last campaign. Hoffenheim have won five of their last six Bundesliga matches.
Freiburg vs Werder Bremen
Schwerdwald Stadion, Freiburg
Saturday, 17-10-2020 @4:30pm
The River Islanders have been on a roll for over the past several months. They seem to have learnt a lesson from their near-miss with relegation in the previous campaign, and are determined to not let anything of that sorts happen again.
As of now they have a 100% winning record in the league, disregarding their only loss against Hertha in the opener. And to further fuel their confidence, they also do have a great h2h record against this rival – including a win to nil on the road just four months back.
Likely, Werder Bremen have the upper hand this Saturday at the Schwarzwald-Stadion.
However, they still had finished one point above outright relegation, and had to go through the playoffs to ensure their stay in the top flight. Meanwhile, the Breisgau Brazilians had been in the running for a Europa League ticket all season long, and missed out on it by a whisker.
They are also at home this weekend, and have been performing well lately at this ground. For the reasons, expect Freiburg to score at least once this weekend.
Florian Kohfeldt’s men recorded 17 of the preceding 21 overall wins. 16 of the former 21 overall clashes had goals from both teams. Since 2001, only twice have the hosts won at this stadium. The visitors have scored two or more goals in nine of the former fourteen encounters at this ground.
Hertha Berlin vs Stuttgart
Olympiastadion, Berlin
Saturday, 17-10-2020 @4:30pm
The Old Lady have been going through a worrying stretch lately. They did have a good campaign in 2019-20, and had finished comfortably in the mid-table.
However this time around, they seem to be on a course to end up in the relegation zone.
The team desperately needs a break, and this match-up appears to have come in the right time. The Swabians had been promoted to the top flight just at the end of the last season, and are still getting adjusted to life here.
If Bruno Labbadia’s men have serious aspirations about this campaign, they need to make the most of this fixture, and get back onto their tracks.
Considering the results of previous h2h encounters (particularly the ones at this stadium), it’s expected that Hertha will get the job done.
However, in terms of recent form, they are definitely inferior to that of Pellegrino Matarazzo’s men, and for that reason, it’s doubtful if the hosts will keep a clean sheet.
The Old Lady had recorded a 3-1 win at home the last time these two locked horns on the pitch. At this venue, the home team are on a four-game winning run. They had scored two or more goals in seven of the former eleven appearances at this stadium. In the past 29 years, the guests have won just twice at this ground.
Mainz 05 vs Bayer Leverkusen
OPEL ARENA, Mainz
Saturday, 17-10-2020 @4:30pm
The 05ers were one of the worst teams in the competition the last season, and had managed to finish just above the relegation cut-off in the process.
They have carried over that form to this new campaign as well, and have so far maintained a 100% losing record. In fact, with a 2-11 goal-scoring record from their total three matches in the Bundesliga so far in 2020-21, they have ascertained themselves as the worst team in the league along with Schalke.
Meanwhile, the Company’s Eleven have been one of the best teams in the German top flight for the past several years, and the last year, they even had qualified for the Europa League. And to put it precisely, they had missed out on a CL entry by a margin of just two points.
Going on, they also do have a great h2h record against this opponent. Likely, expect Bayer Leverkusen to record a win this Saturday.
The last time these two locked horns was three months back, and then Peter Bosz’s men recorded a 1-0 win at home. They are also on a five-fixture winning run. They had recorded 13 of the former 20 overall wins. The guests have scored three or more goals in four of the former seven clashes at this stadium. At this venue, the combined scorecard for the preceding two encounters is 1-6, in favor of the visitors.
Augsburg vs RB Leipzig
WWK Arena, Augsburg
Saturday, 17-10-2020 @4:30pm
Augsburg and Leipzig are both unbeaten in the Bundesliga this season, with seven points from three games. Leipzig have shared the spoils in nine of their last 18 Bundesliga matches. Augsburg, for all their struggles, lost only six of their 17 home games last term.
Augsburg and Leipzig are locked together at the top of the Bundesliga with seven points from their first three games and they may have to settle for a point apiece when they do battle in Bavaria.
Augsburg finished 15th last season, only six points clear of relegated Fortuna Dusseldorf, but they have looked a different side already this term and much better is expected.
Heiko Herrlich’s men kicked off their campaign with a 3-1 victory at Union Berlin before overcoming Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at home and sharing the spoils in a goalless draw at Wolfsburg.
Augsburg relished the test against Dortmund and were a constant threat on the counter-attack, which offers hope against a Leipzig side who are also likely to see plenty of possession.
The loss of last season’s talisman Philipp Max to PSV has clearly not bothered them and they can make life tough for Leipzig, who needed an 80th-minute strike from departed striker Timo Werner to win 2-1 on the final day of last season.
Leipzig have lost only one of their last 13 away league games but four of those matches have ended as draws including at Bayer Leverkusen last time out.
In fact, Leipzig have shared the spoils in nine of their last 18 Bundesliga matches and may have to settle for a point here, too. Augsburg, for all their struggles, lost only six of their 17 home games last term and they look stronger at present.
Arminia Bielefeld vs Bayern Munich
Venue SchucoArena, Bielefeld
Saturday, 17-10-2020 @7:30pm
Bayern have won 21 of their last 23 league games, scoring three or more in 14 of those wins. Arminia Bielefeld’s three league games have featured just four goals, with them scoring twice.
Bayern have kept clean sheets in five of their last seven away games.
It has been an inconsistent start by Bayern, who were thumped 4-1 at Hoffenheim in their only Bundesliga away game this season, but they should be too strong here.
However, either side of that shock defeat, Bayern have thrashed Schalke 8-0 at home and edged out Hertha Berlin in a seven-goal thriller and that scoring prowess should be too much for newly-promoted Arminia Bielfeld.
Bayern Munich have won 21 of their last 23 league games, scoring three or more in 14 of those wins and the presence of Robert Lewandowski, Serge Gnabry and Thomas Muller makes them a formidable force.
Arminia Bielfeld have found goals considerably harder to come by in the early Bundesliga days. The hosts have claimed four points from three matches but those outings have featured just four goals, with them scoring only twice.
Arminia will be looking to keep things tight but Bayern are so explosive they can find their breakthrough.
Borussia Monchengladbach vs Wolfsburg
Borussia Park, Monchengladbach
Saturday, 17-10-2020 @9:30pm
Borussia Monchengladbach have won four of their previous six Bundesliga fixtures. Wolfsburg’s matches featured an average of 2.76 goals per game last term. Both teams scored in 23 of Borussia Monchengladbach’s 34 league assignments last season.
Borussia Monchengladbach face a challenging group in this season’s Champions League but must first navigate a Bundesliga contest with Wolfsburg, who finished 16 points behind them in the table last season.
Failure to kill games off cost Wolfsburg last season and they have started the 2020-21 season with three successive stalemates with Bayer Leverkusen, Freiburg and Augsburg.
Their misfiring front line will not have an easy Saturday evening away to Gladbach, either, with Marco Rose’s men having built their top-four pursuit around a solid defence last season, conceding only 40 goals.
Sunday’s fixtures
-FC Koln vs Eintracht Frankfurt @4:30pm
-Schalke 04 vs Union Berlin @7pm
