Bundesliga, eyes on the match between Union Berlin and Stuttgart: predictions on the 3:30pm games.
A Saturday in the Bundesliga is, as usual, full of highlights. Day 23 of the German top flight kicks off on Friday with a top-of-the-table clash between Borussia Dortmund and Leipzig, the two teams aspiring to be the anti-Bayern Munich, while the Bavarians take to the pitch in late afternoon in Stuttgart.
A few hours earlier it will be the turn of Union Berlin, the big surprise of this tournament. The Capitolini, who before 2019 had never played in a top league championship, have been a splendid reality for a couple of seasons now, strong with a project that started from afar and is under the banner of total sustainability. In the first half of the championship, they were at the top of the table for several weeks and, although they were overtaken by Bayern Munich, in 2023 they gave the defending champions a run for their money thanks to a long series of positive results, including qualification for the Europa League round of 16 against Ajax. A week ago, however, Urs Fischer’s men suddenly came back down to earth: in the direct clash with Bayern, they came off worst and were already down 3-0 after one half of play. The heavy defeat caused Union to slip to third place, -3 behind the leading duo Bayern-Borussia Dortmund.
The Berlin outfit are expected to redeem themselves in the match against Steffen Baumgart’s Cologne: Trimmel and his team-mates have never lost at home, while the Billy Goats are struggling away from home, having won only once in eleven matches.
The other match predictions
Not less interesting is the direct clash between Bochum and Schalke 04, respectively second-last and last. The club from Gelsenkirchen gave the impression a few weeks ago that they were a goner with one foot and a half left in the lower division, but they are now unbeaten in five matches, and last Saturday they won the match against a direct competitor such as Stuttgart, returning to winning ways after months.
Kral of Schalke 04
Schalke really believe it and could emerge unscathed from the away game against a Bochum side who, by contrast, are in freefall. Augsburg, who often tend to do well at home, can also avoid defeat: the Bavarians will face the inconstant Werder Bremen. The challenges between Borussia Monchengladbach and Freiburg – the latter being Juventus’ next opponent in the Europa League – and between Mainz and Hoffenheim should not disappoint in terms of goals, with the home side definitely favourites in light of the Sinsheim side’s never-ending crisis, having been defeated in their last five matches.