Bundesliga Match Day 16: Midweek Wrap-Up
In the shocker of the Match Day, it was Fortuna Düsseldorf pulling off the stunner in downing the previously unbeaten boys from Borussia Dortmund.
F95's poor place in the table meant nothing in this game as Düsseldorf jumped out to a 2-0 lead behind goals from Dodi Lukebakio and Jean Zimmer. F95 held control of the game until Paco Alcacer put BVB on the scoreboard in the 81st minute.
There would be no magical comeback from there , however, as Dortmund suffered its first league loss of the season against one of the unlikeliest teams in the Bundesliga.
Does this mean that BVB is all-of-a-sudden susceptible or weak? HELLLLLLLLLLLLL no! It just means they are like any other team in a competitive league. They are still the leaders of the pack, they just don't have that same unbeatable swagger they played with previously.
Prediction: Borussia Dortmund 4, Fortuna Düsseldorf 1 (L)
Bayern Munich 1, RB Leipzig 0: Franck Ribery worked his magic and scored a beautifully tricky goal to give Die Roten a very important three points. Sitting just six points behind Dortmund now, Bayern is poised to push the league leaders in the second half of the season.
Die Roten Bullen, meanwhile, has nothing to be ashamed of. Leipzig played a very tough and rugged game, but in the end just fell victim to Ribery's incredible display of quality.
Prediction: Bayern Munich 4, RB Leipzig 2 (W)
Borussia Monchengladbach 2, FC Nürnberg 0: Thorgan Hazard and Alassane Plea found the back of the net as Die Fohlen will now zero in on its match tomorrow against Dortmund. Both teams should be primed to put on a show to close out the first half.
Prediction: Borussia Monchengladbach 2, FC Nürnberg 1 (W) Hertha Berlin 2, FC Augsburg 2: Augsburg is better than they've shown and Hertha Berlin is on a roller coaster ride of peaks and valleys. The result was fitting specifically for those reasons, but I'd expect each team to be a little better (and consistent) in the second half of the season.
Die Fuggerstädter's Martin Hinteregger opened the scoring with a goal in the 8th minute before Die Alte Dame's Mathew Leckie (28') and Ondrej Duda (31') gave Hertha Berlin a 2-1 lead. Ja-Cheol Koo knotted the game in the 39th minute, but the teams played a scoreless second half, which set up the draw.
Both of these teams have potential to do some damage in the second. I'm not suggesting that either can make a run up the table and get into a top six position, but both will be a handful for the likes of Dortmund, Bayern, M'Gladbach, and the rest of the frontrunners.
Prediction: Hertha Berlin 1, FC Augsburg 1 (W)
Wolfsburg 2, VfB Stuttgart 0: The Wolves stormed past Stuttgart as Josuha Guilavogui and Wout Weghorst powered the Wolfsburg to a victory. Stuttgart will be happy to end an eminently forgettable first half of the season after this weekend. Die Schwaben is in big trouble as it pertains to relegation. It would be a shame to see another year where a squad with such players as Mario Gomez and Benjamin Pavard (for now anyway) falters into being relegated.
Prediction: Wolfsburg 2, VfB Stuttgart 1 (W)
Bayer Leverkusen 2, Schalke 04 1: In a battle of underachievers, it was Bayer Leverkusen who underachieved the least to win the game (or does that make them a loser in the grand scheme? I don't know, I am confusing myself). Anyway, Die Werkself showed some life, but once again, did not get the production it is hoping for from its young core. Aleksandar Dragovic and Lucas Alario provided the scoring for Leverkusen, while Schalke (with yet another subpar performance) received its goal when the American duo of Weston McKennie and Haji Wright hooked up.
McKennie headed a ball down right down on Wright's foot, who flicked it into the net. Schalke needs a midseason regroup in the worst way as Domenico Tedesco seat is getting scorching hot.
Prediction: Schalke 04 2, Bayer Leverkusen 2 (L)
SC Freiburg 1, Hannover 96 1: In what I thought it would be a hard-fought, close game the two teams obliged and provided just that. Freiburg's Gian-Luca Waldschmidt gave Breisgau-Brasilianer an early 1-0 lead with a goal in the third minute of play, but Hannover's Martins Felipe scored just 11 minutes later to knot the game at a score that would not change.
Prediction: SC Freiburg 2, Hannover 96 2 (W)
Eintracht Frankfurt 2, Mainz 2: Mainz gonna Mainz. M05 continued to be the ultimate pest to the Bundesliga's upper-echelon as it forced a draw with Die Adler. Mainz's Robin Quaison and Eintracht Frankfurt's Luka Jovic traded braces to give the game its final result, but this was another example of how the Bundesliga is strengthening from top to bottom. Mainz may not have top 6 six aspirations, but it has not folded up or rolled over for anyone. With multiple teams as scrappy as Mainz in the league, no game is a "gimme" for the league powers.
Prediction: Eintracht Frankfurt 3, Mainz 1 (L)
Werder Bremen 1, Hoffenheim 1: Hoffenheim's Leonardo Bittencourt and Werder Bremen's Theodor Gebre Selassie traded goals to account for the scoring, but this yet another example of the Bundesliga's strength in numbers. Both of these teams will be fight for a top six position in the second half of the season and it either can put a good six week run of consistently strong play together, the table could be a weekly jumble, which is exactly what the league needs!
Prediction: Werder Bremen 1, Hoffenheim 1 (W)
Weekly record: 6-3
Season record: 65-79
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.
