Match Day 20: Bundesliga Weekend Preview

As Bayern Munich continues its curb stomping of the field, this weekend's slate of games doesn't appear to have much intrigue on the surface. But not so fast! There are some deeper story lines to follow even if the games don't initially appear to be impactful. Take peek below at some of the more intriguing fixtures --- and as a bonus my 20 STAR locks (highly exaggerated and these will likely be wrong, opening me up for ridicule, which is fair game!):

Bayern Munich vs. Hoffenheim

Hoffenheim coach Julian Nagelsmann was long considered a primary target of Bayern to succeed Jupp Heyckes, but that seems to have cooled a bit according to ESPNFC.com. Regardless, Naglesmann has given Bayern some frustration in their recent matchups. Mark Uth, who is headed to Schalke 04 in July on a free transfer, provides the bulk of the scoring punch for Hoffenheim, but I would expect the overall lack of attacking depth will lead whatever combination of Mats Hummels, Jerome Boateng, and Niklas Süle to focus on shutting down Uth. Hoffenheim, which is winless since December 13, appears to have its hand full in this one.

Bayern is currently one of the world's best attacking sides and I am not sure Hoffenheim, despite Nagelsmann's tactics and Bayern loanee Serge Gnabry's exciting potential, will be able to ward off the Bayern buzzsaw.

Prediction: Bayern Munich 3, Hoffenheim 1.

FC Koln vs. Augsburg Augsburg blanked FC Koln back on September 9, but this Billy Goats squad has experienced a bit of a resurgence under new manager Stefan Ruthenbeck . This is a revenge game of the largest magnitude...okay, maybe not, but Koln has been playing much better of late and Augsburg has been inconsistent at best. Simon Terodde will stay hot and Koln will keep it's long climb out of the basement going with another win!

Prediction: FC Koln 2, Augsburg 1.

RB Leipzig vs. Hamburger SV

Leipzig is in search of a cure for its wildly erratic performance and a match-up against a struggling Hamburger SV side is probably just what the doctor ordered. Struggling could be a vast understatement for Hamburger SV, which canned manager Markus Gisdol in favor of Bernd Hollerbach after last week's loss to FC Koln. Hamburger is reeling and Leipzig is hungry to get back on the right track...all this leads up to an unsuccessful debut for Hollerbach (Does his voicemail just say "Holler bach" ? ). Expect Timo Werner to apply massive amounts of pressure to Hamburger and help RB Leipzig pull away for win, despite the loss of full-back Marcel Halstenberg for the season with a knee injury.

Prediction: RB Leipzig 2, Hamburger SV 1.

Borussia Dortmund vs. SC Frieburg

Dortmund has been an off-the-field debacle over the past few weeks, while Frieburg has been a pleasant surprise this season with its timely offense and spectacular set piece performance. Peter Stoger has steadied Dortmund's on the field performance enough to ensure that the club has not fallen completely out of the race, but eventually the off-the-field drama has to take effect. Is it his week against a game Freiburg side? Perhaps, as Freiburg has been formidable (despite not always being successful) and should command Dortmund's respect; especially with Nils Petersen looking to get back on the scoresheet after a drought.

Prediction: Borussia Dortmund 3, SC Freiburg 2