Bundesliga: Match Day 22 Preview and Forecast
I have been shoveling dirt on the grave of Borussia Dortmund as they have been largely cold and dead while dealing not only with the Pierre-Emerick Aubamyeng debacle and its subsequent fallout.
It would be easy to think the downward trend of BVB would continue as the locker room's upheaval, but last week - coinciding with the arrival of Michy Batshuayi - Dortmund looked a bit rejuvenated and even a bit scary once again.
The Dortmund roster isn't short on talent by any means, but the players have lacked any cohesion during the 2017-208 season. That could all change, however, as BVB is building momentum, which will likely mean a long day for the boys from Hamburg SV.
Expect Batshuayi to be a threat and his supporting cast to look a like they have an extra gear. If Marco Reus makes his return, it could be an even great spark to the lineup (though it may not happen as he regains fitness after a long rehab from a knee injury).
Prediction: Dortmund 3, Hamburg 0
The rest of the fearless forecast is below...continue reading at your own risk:
RB Leipzig 3, FC Augsburg 1: Leipzig has to break out at some point and Augsburg is running a bit hot after stomping Eintracht Frankfurt 3-0 last week. It would be easy to think that Augsburg can keep that going, but they have been on a crazy up-and-down stretch that makes them a good opponent for Timo Werner to kick start the Leipzig against.
Bayer Leverkusen 4, Hertha Berlin 1: Leverkusen has been far from Neverkusen of late as it has not lost in its last six matches. Riding the young core of Leon Bailey, Kevin Volland, and Julian Brandt, Leverkusen looks to be the squad most ready to challenge Bayern Munich. Hertha Berlin, meanwhile, has not won a Bundesliga match since December 17th. We're not expecting that rrend to change.
Eintracht Frankfurt 2 , FC Koln 2: We like Koln a lot here...the resilience they have shown since firing Peter Stoger and the string of competitive matches that continued last week even in its loss to Dortmund. Frankfurt got blasted last week 3-0 by Augsburg, but recovered with a solid DFB-Pokal effort with a win over Mainz. We're riding the Koln train here....all aboard!!!
SC Freiburg 2, Hannover 96 1: Freiburg is another squad that has probably exceeded expectations of late, while Hannover has regressed a bit after a positive start to the season. We like Freiburg and their set piece success to edge Hannover in a competitive match.
Hoffenheim 2, Mainz 1: Talk about two teams in desperate need of a win and these sides would fit that bill. Hoffenheim has only won once since December 10, while Mainz has four losses in their last five matches. Julian Nagelsmann is losing a little bit of luster off of his stellar reputation with each passing week. He made his bones by making Hoffenheim consistently competitive, but they have unraveled of late.
Bayern Munich 3, Schalke 1: The Goretzka Bowl should be the game of the week, but it is hard to pick against Bayern when the Reds have been so dominant, even when they are bot off. We all know that has to end at some point, but it likely won't been this weekend even if Leon Goretzka, Guido Burgstaller, and company are at the top of their respective games.
Borussia Monchengladbach 3, Stuttgart 1: The slide of BMG is one of one the more disappointing stories of late in the Bundesliga. With a roster that is borderline exciting at times, they have underachieved. Perhaps a match up against Stuttgart is just what Monchengladbach needs to get back on the positive side, but the squad is 1-3 in its last 4 matches. Stuttgart, meanwhile, has just 1 win in its last 8 league fixtures. Thorgan Hazard and Lars Stindl will need to up their performance to get Monchengladbach back on the winning side.
Werder Bremen 2, Wolfsburg 2: This game could be sloppy, but both teams need a win to stay out of the relegation zone. We frankly don't think this game will solve much in the way of that.
Prediction record: 4 wins, 5 losses. Probably more beer needed. Yes, that is the reason for such an awful showing.
Note: Predicted ties count as a win if correct and a loss if there is a winner in the game; conversely games that end in ties, but where a winner is predicted count as a loss.
