1. FSV Mainz 05 (T-9th) - 1. FC Köln (T-6th)
Form: Mainz (2-2-2) - Köln (3-1-2)
Key personnel missing:
Mainz - Silvan Widmer, Marlon Mustapha, Jonathan Burkardt (doubt; illness), Stefan Bell (doubt; illness), Maxim Leitsch (exhaustion)
Köln - Sebastian Andersson, Dejan Ljubicic, Julian Chabot, Mathias Olesen, Dimitris Limnios, Jan Thielmann (doubt; fitness), Tim Lemperle (doubt)
Match preview:
Bo Svensson’s Mainz could be up against it when they welcome visiting Köln to MEWA Arena to open matchday 11 of the Bundesliga season as Die Nullfünfer have struggled mightily in front of home support this season and have yet to win (0-3-1) on their home patch. Visiting Die Geißböcke under fan-favorite Steffen Baumgart has a chance to climb into the top four depending on results this weekend and boasts marginally better form and a knack for scoring goals away from home. The return of Florian Kainz will also boost Köln’s prospects, and a narrow away win could be on the cards.
Prediction: Mainz 1-2 Köln
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (T-4th) - Bayern Munich (2nd)
Form: Hoffenheim (2-2-2) - Bayern (2-3-1)
Key personnel missing:
Hoffenheim - Benjamin Hübner, Luca Philipp, Kevin Vogt (red card), Ermin Bicakcic (fitness), Andrej Kramaric (doubt), Pavel Kaderábek (doubt), Ihlas Bebou (doubt)
Bayern - Lucas Hernández, Leroy Sané, Manuel Neuer, Bouna Sarr, Thomas Müller (illness)
Match preview:
Bayern comes into an away day trip to Sinsheim to clash with Hoffenheim after a DFB-Pokal win in midweek against fellow Bavarian outfit Augsburg and potentially could be back on track under Julian Nagelsmann after a 5-0 thrashing of neutral fan favorite Freiburg last weekend. Hoffenheim also secured a midweek win as well as getting back in the win column last weekend, but there is a sense that Bayern could finally be on the up once more after the manner in which they dispatched Christian Streich’s men. Both sides have fitness issues to some key figures, but Bayern’s historical dominance of Hoffenheim could come into play here.
Prediction: Hoffenheim 0-2 Bayern
Borussia Dortmund (T-6th) - VfB Stuttgart (T-14th)
Form: Dortmund (2-1-3) - Stuttgart (1-2-3)
Key personnel missing:
Dortmund - Sébastien Haller (out indefinitely), Thomas Meunier, Mahmoud Dahoud, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, Mateu Morey, Marco Reus (doubt), Mats Hummels (doubt)
Stuttgart - Josha Vagnoman, Pascal Stenzel (flu)
Match preview:
Dortmund is in the midst of what is yet another frustrating season in the Ruhr valley as the perennial best-of-the-rest outfit currently sits joint seventh in the table and already are seven points off the pace at the top, with Edin Terzić's men winless in their last three (0-1-2) and struggling for goals amid continued selection issues. Stuttgart, if the table is to be believed, is worse for ware but they did finally get off the mark with their first win of the season against Bochum last weekend and their goal difference is just -1 worse than the home side. This could go down as another frustrating day for Dortmund.
Prediction: Dortmund 1-1 Stuttgart
Bayer 04 Leverkusen (T-14th) - VfL Wolfsburg (13th)
Form: Leverkusen (1-2-3) - Wolfsburg (2-2-2)
Key personnel missing:
Leverkusen - Florian Wirtz, Karim Bellarabi, Sardar Azmoun, Piero Hincapié (red card), Exequiel Palacios (doubt)
Wolfsburg - Patrick Wimmer (doubt)
Match preview:
Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen has already suffered multiple set-backs since the former Spanish international midfielder took the reins at the Bay Arena and home support may not be enough to push them over the line against visiting Wolfsburg. The continued absence of Florian Wirtz is proving decisive, while Jeremie Frimpong offering their best outlet for goals is a worrying trend, but Wolfsburg has had its own struggles as well. However, Die Wölfe have snagged points in each of their last three league fixtures (1-2-0) and a near-clean bill of health could push them to another point haul here.
Prediction: Leverkusen 1-1 Wolfsburg
SC Freiburg (3rd) - SV Werder Bremen (T-9th)
Form: Freiburg (2-3-1) - Bremen (3-1-2)
Key personnel missing:
Freiburg - Roland Sallai, Kimberly Ezekwem, Jonathan Schmid (doubt), Manuel Gulde (doubt)
Bremen - Jean-Manuel Mbom, Nicolai Rapp, Leonardo Bittencourt (fitness)
Match preview:
Bremen’s strong away form this season thus far (3-2-0) could be a real focal point when they travel to the foot of the Black Forest and clash with Christian Streich’s Freiburg, who are looking to bounce back from a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Bayern Munich last weekend. Freiburg remains a very credible outfit, but goals continue to prove to be the highest currency, and SCF has the fewest goals in the top seven as well as Bremen boasts a better attacking record than the home side. With an undefeated recent record against Freiburg as well (2-4-0), Bremen could sneak a win.
Prediction: Freiburg 1-2 Bremen
FC Augsburg (12th) - RB Leipzig (T-9th)
Form: Augsburg (3-1-2) - RBL (3-1-2)
Key personnel missing:
Augsburg - Felix Uduokhai, Tobias Strobl, Noah Sarenren Bazee, André Hahn, Niklas Dorsch, Rafał Gikiewicz (doubt), Reece Oxford (doubt)
RBL - Péter Gulácsi, Lukas Klostermann, Konrad Laimer, Yussuf Poulsen (fitness), Timo Werner (flu), Marcel Halstenberg (flu), Dani Olmo (doubt)
Match preview:
Bavarian outfit Augsburg welcomes Saxon outfit RBL to WWK Arena on Saturday but could be walking into another frustrating result if history is to be believed, as Marco Rose’s men have not lost against Augsburg in their last 11 competitive fixtures while also boasting a recent run of form against FCA (5-1-0) that paints a picture of one-way-traffic this weekend. Both sides are without a cadre of key players but the potential absence of Rafał Gikiewicz for Augsburg could be decisive as the Polish goalkeeper has stood tall on numerous occasions this season. RBL’s forward line could find joy here.
Prediction: Augsburg 0-3 RBL
Borussia Mönchengladbach (T-6th) - Eintracht Frankfurt (T-4th)
Form: Gladbach (2-2-2) - Frankfurt (4-0-2)
Key personnel missing:
Gladbach - Hannes Wolf, Florian Neuhaus, Jonas Hofmann, Ko Itakura, Yann Sommer, Christoph Kramer (doubt)
Frankfurt - Jérôme Onguéné, Ansgar Knauff, Makoto Hasebe, Aurélio Buta, Luca Pellegrini (doubt)
Match preview:
Gladbach and Frankfurt close the book on Saturday’s fixture list in a clash that has direct top-four implications for both sides as Frankfurt look to tap into the same level of performance that saw them end Union Berlin’s undefeated run recently, as well as a 4-0 thrashing of RBL a few weeks ago. Gladbach, who have improved their own levels of late, also earned a big result against RBL while putting Köln to the sword at Borussia Park but a swath of key injuries - including to key man Yann Sommer - could be a difference maker here. Frankfurt has their own fitness woes, but they could sneak this on the back of a marginally better goal return across the season thus far.
Prediction: Gladbach 1-2 Frankfurt
VfL Bochum (T-9th) - Union Berlin (1st)
Form: Bochum (1-1-4) - Union (4-1-1)
Key personnel missing:
Bochum - Update to come
Union - Update to come
Match preview:
Update to come
Prediction: Update to come
Hertha BSC (T-14th) - FC Schalke 04 (17th)
Form: Hertha (1-4-1) - Schalke (1-1-4)
Key personnel missing:
Hertha - Update to come
Schalke - Update to come
Match preview:
Update to come
Prediction: Update to come
