Match Day 31: Weekend Preview and Forecast
- Chuck Smith
- Apr 26, 2019
- 5 min read
The back end of the Revierderby wasn't supposed to look like this when the season started.
Schalke 04 was an up-and-coming team with a bright coach and solid mix of youth and veterans that was inching toward making a serious challenge to Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. Simply put, Schalke was a team on the rise that looked like it was going to have a great chance to clinch another Champions League spot.
A funny thing happened on the way to reaching that end goal, though, as Schalke completely imploded from the outset. It has been a lost season for Die Königsblauen as Schalke is desperately trying to stave off the threat of relegation. This weekend against BVB won't make that task any easier.
Borussia Dortmund may no longer be the pace setter in the Bundesliga, but it is in a very enviable position. With each remaining game being imminently winnable, Dortmund is actually in a better spot that league-leading Bayern.
With upcoming fixtures against RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayern cannot afford a slip-up. All Dortmund has to do is take care of business on its end, starting this week with Schalke. Rivalry or not, this match should be all BVB.
Whatever slump Dortmund was in after the midseason break, it has regained its form and is looking very strong. I don't expect that to change as Marco Reus, Mario Gotze, and Jadon Sancho will be more than enough to power BVB past a reeling Schalke side.
Prediction: Borussia Dortmund 4, Schalke 04 1
Bayer Leverkusen 3, FC Augsburg 2: Martin Schmidt's rejuvenated Augsburg side has been scorching hot since he took over, but could run into some trouble against Leverkusen this weekend. Right now, Leverkusen is in a battle for a top six position and is currently on the outside looking in. It is a must win game for Die Werkself and it will need Kai Havertz, Kevin Volland, and Julian Brandt to take over against a very game side for Die Fuggerstädter.
Werder Bremen 3, Fortuna Dusseldorf 1: Die Werderaner may still be stinging from its tight 3-2 DFB-Pokal loss to Bayern on Wednesday, but Werder Bremen is a tough and resilient bunch. It's not just that mentality that has set Werder Bremen apart this season, though. Werder Bremen has a very talented mix of players and is storming toward a top six position. F95 won't slow that train down this week.
Expect Max Kruse, who was extremely vocal and fired up after the loss to Bayern, to show his true leadership form and guide Werder Bremen to an important "W" in this game.
Eintracht Frankfurt 3, Hertha Berlin 1: Die Alte Dame is winless in its last six games and even if Die Adler is distracted by is upcoming Europa League semifinal against Chelsea, it should be a game where Eintracht Frankfurt can get ahead early and keep applying pressure to a seemingly worn down Hertha Berlin side.
Mainz 05 2, Hannover 96 1: Mainz is one of the truly fun stories of the Bundesliga. On paper, there is not much reason to think that the squad is overly lethal. Sure, Die Nullfünfer has some talent on its roster, but it's not overwhelming. Sandro Schwartz has taken the mix of players he has and found a way to turn it into a mid-table team. If Mainz can shrug off hapless Hannover this weekend, it will have 39 points and could be in 10th place...far from the threat of relegation, which seemed to be a constant theme since the club re-joined the top flight in 2009 (with a few exceptions).
As for Hannover 96, things only continue to get worse. Niclas Fullkrug has decided to leave H96 and will transfer to Werder Bremen this summer. Fullkrug has been out of the lineup since December 19th with cartilage damage in his knee. Losing its top player, won't make life any easier next season for Hannover 96.
RB Leipzig 2, SC Freiburg 1: Freiburg is a Jekyll and Hyde team. Some weeks they execute Christian Streich's game plan and during others, they just fall apart early. The speedy and talented squad of Die Roten Bullen has more than enough skill to race past Breisgau-Brasilianer, but this feels like a game that Freiburg will make hard on the opposition.
With the whispers of Timo Werner leaving Leipzig for Bayern growing louder by the day, it seems like every game is a new audition for the 23-year-old. Werner has had a very good season, but a move to Bayern would represent a big change with regard to his career path. At times this season, Werner has looked like a player who was getting weary of constantly thinking he has to be at his best, while at others he has been a maddeningly effective menace. Werner's talent and speed are tantalizing and whether he moves on to Bayern, PSG or somewhere else, he will surely settle in and just be able to play without the worry of how one missed shot or one bad touch will be received.
Borussia Monchengladbach 3, VfB Stuttgart 2: There is no logical reason to think that Stuttgart keeps this one close...but I am idiot and I think they'll somehow push M'Gladbach to its limit before Die Fohlen pulls out a late win.
By all accounts, Stuttgart defender Benjamin Pavard has not had a great season. After a very solid showing as a right back in the 2018 World Cup for France, Pavard has struggled to find consistency within his game as a center back for Stuttgart. While many will dismiss Pavard's uneven performance as the result of playing with inferior teammates, I'd say there is at least some cause for concern. Given the form that he's shown this season, it's hard to think that Pavard could feature regularly at center back or right back for Bayern next season.
Hoffenheim 2, Wolfsburg 1: Hoffenheim's incredible run has carried it into sixth place, where it is firmly hanging on to the European slot. The problem, however, is that Wolfsburg is just a few weeks from being in that same position. The Wolves will no doubt want to knock off TSG1899 in hopes of clawing their way back into a chance for the Europa League.
Bayern Munich 5, FC Nurnberg 0: This game only goes one of two ways:
1 - Bayern just blows the doors off of Der Club.
2 - Bayern comes out unmotivated and relies on its superior talent and athleticism to squeak out a 1-0 or 2-0 victory.
Looking at the different trajectories that these two squads are heading, I'd assume Bayern is going to want to put Nurnberg away early. With the way Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller have been working in tandem, it could be a long day for Der Club. It would not shock me, however, if Muller gets bumped out to right wing in an effort to rest Serge Gnabry, which would pave the way for Leon Goretzka or James Rodriguez to man the 10 for Niko Kovac.
As for Nurnberg, it could be a long day at the park unless they can pack in their defense enough to stifle the shooting and crossing opportunities for Die Roten.
Last match day record: 6-3
Season record: 140-130
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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