Bundesliga Match Day 27: Preview and Forecast
- Chuck Smith
- Mar 15, 2018
- 5 min read
Bayern Munich dispatched Besiktas in its UEFA Champions League game on Wednesday, but it was a sloppy and largely uninspired effort. If Die Roten flew into Istanbul and subsequently hammered the Black Eagles, it might have been possible that Bayern would be due for a let down game. Unfortunately for Leipzig, Bayern may have actually been looking past Besiktas toward this match-up with Die Roten Bullen. Last season, these two squads hooked up for what we thought was the game of the year when Bayern outlasted Leipzig 5-4 on an extra time goal from Arjen Robben. Maybe this one will not have the same theatrics, but we are still expecting a great match.
Leipzig is coming off a 1-1 UEFA Europa League draw with Zenit, but in terms of how Ralph Hasenhüttl's side views its season, the Bayern game holds much more significance. Leipzig was widely regarded as the most potent and youthful threat to Bayern's reign atop the Bundesliga after a tremendous 2016/2017 season, but this campaign has not been quite as fluid or consistent for Die Roten Bullen. The "will he or won't he" saga of Naby Keita before he ultimately signed a deal with Liverpool was probably a blow to team morale, but that doesn't account for the squad's bouts with unmotivated and sometimes careless play. A win here would help ease some of that pain and perhaps ignite the team to make a run a getting one of the coveted Champions League berths.
Meanwhile in Munich, Bayern has been an imposing force that has been able to brush aside most challengers with ease under Jupp Heynckes. In fact, Die Roten is 24-1-1 in all competitions since Heynckes took over. It's an astoundingly impressive run by Bayern. With the confidence and tactical aptitude that Heynckes has instilled, it is hard to think Bayern will slow down any time soon.
Prediction: Bayern Munich 3, RB Leipzig 1
The slate of games on this week's schedule feature some tough match-ups that could help weed out some of the cluster in the standings. We are not going to lie, though, these predictions do not exactly have a 100% confidence level.
VfB Stuttgart 2, SC Freiburg 1: Stuttgart is undefeated in its last six games (four wins, two ties) and has really been impressive. Die Schwaben has a new life behind players like Mario Gomez and Holger Badstuber, who have provided stability to the Stuttgart core group of players. For Freiburg, it's been an up-and-down run. With two wins and five draws in its last nine games, Freiburg is not getting blown out or even losing much, but is just not ready to close out games as of yet. We expect Stuttgart to continue its winning ways.
Werder Bremen 2, Augsburg 2: Bremen has just one loss in its last five games (three wins, draw) and has played with much more passion and effort than earlier in the season. They've looked inspired and re-energized as the season hits its home stretch. Augsburg is no push over, however. Coming off of a 3-1 dismantling of Hannover 96, Augsburg has been a roller coaster in its own right, but has at least showed the ability to compete on a regular basis. This one just seems like it will end with two teams playing solid, but ultimately neither will be able to seal the deal.
Hoffenheim 2, Borussia Monchengladbach 2: M'Gladbach's rampant underachieving makes this a hard game to predict or really even prognosticate that M'Gladbach can accomplish a draw. After every Weekend Wrap-Up we swear off picking M'Gladbach; yet ultimately get suckered right back into picking them the following week. Hoffenheim has been playing well with Serge Gnabry playing an ever-important role, but we feel like they will let down a bit and allow M'Gladbach to secure a draw. For M'Gladbach, Thorgan Hazard and Lars Stindl need to be more effective than they've been...it's really that simple.
Eintracht Frankfurt 3, Mainz 1: Frankfurt's surprise meltdown late in the game against BVB was not in line with the form the Eagles have shown this season, but it did show that it still has a way to go until it is officially one of the Bundesliga's new crop of blue bloods. In this contest, however, the Eagles should be able to get back on course against Mainz, which has won only once in its last seven games.
Hertha Berlin 2, Hamburger SV 1: Hamburger was utterly awful as it was out-manned against Bayern last week. Even worse, there was no life to the squad or the game. It was an embarrassing performance. It's time for Der Dinosaur to get German phenom Jann-Fiete Arp in the lineup every game. If the team is this bad and in such a downward spiral that is likely result in relegation, why not give the supporters a reason to stay engaged? For Hertha Berlin, which has won just once in its last nine Bundesliga games, this should be an opportunity to taste victory for the first time since February 10th.
Schalke 04 2, Wolfsburg 0: Under Domenico Tedesco the Royals Blues look confident, capable, and on their way to locking up a Champions League spot. With four wins in their last five games, Schalke is primed to keep that pace going against an Wolfsburg side that has completely unraveled. What is making Schalke's run so impressive is that it seems each game a different Schalke man steps up to keep the team heading in the right direction.
Borussia Dortmund 4, Hannover 96 1: We like that Hannover has been a pest this season, but after Augsburg put a whooping on them last week, we think confidence might be a little shaken. Dortmund, meanwhile, is starting to see all of its weapons meld together a bit. Marco Reus, Michy Batshuayi, Christian Pulisic, Andre Schurrle, and Mario Gotze have provided a pretty formidable core of scoring threats over the past month. BVB, in fact, has been exciting to watch. We expect to see more of those offensive fireworks in this contest.
Bayern Leverkusen 2, FC Koln 1: Leverkusen has been powered by its youth movement and should be able to parlay that momentum into a victory over Koln this weekend. We've been a fan of the Koln revival, but Leverkuse appears to be clicking at the moment and primed to hang on to that fourth and final Champions League position.
Last week's record: 8-1
Season record: 28-26
Note: Predicted ties count as a win if correct and as a loss if there is a winner; conversely if a game is predicted to have a winner but ends in a tie, it will count as a loss.
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