Bundesliga, a Saturday afternoon of fire in Germany’s top league. All to be decided in the fight for salvation: predictions.
There are 180 minutes to go in the Bundesliga, and things are getting red-hot in the fight not to be relegated, where no verdict has yet been rendered. The penultimate day of the championship is likely to shed light on this issue and the first verdicts may come. Last resort for Hertha Berlin, bottom of the standings and now with one and a half feet in the Zweite Liga.
The Capitols have no other results at their disposal than victory if they want to avoid ending up in the lower division for the first time in a decade. And, with as many as six points to make up on the fourth-last, even winning both of their last two games would not be sure of making it. Fiery is Saturday afternoon’s scheduled direct clash with Bochum, which is precisely the team on which Pal Dardai’s men must make the run. Hertha is fresh from its disastrous performance in Cologne: a 5-2 victory that left little to the imagination and brought everyone right back down to earth after its success seven days earlier with Stuttgart. A week ago, on the other hand, Bochum scored a crucial victory, prevailing 3-2 over Augsburg in a match of many emotions. Given the stakes, it is complicated to single out a clear favorite, but the one at the Olympiastadion is a match that should give at least three goals overall, taking into account that Hertha certainly cannot be satisfied with a draw. Another match to keep an eye on for goal-seekers is Schalke 04-Eintracht Frankfurt: the club from Gelsenkirchen is third to last on 30 points and would currently be forced to play in the promotion-relegation playoff.
Schalke 04 took six from Bayern Munich last Saturday, but against Eintracht, now focused almost exclusively on the German Cup final, they probably have some extra motivation and would not be surprised if they at least avoid defeat.
The predictions on the other matches
A point is enough for Werder Bremen, inches away from safety, to be sure of playing in the Bundesliga again next season. Ole Werner’s green-and-whites should snatch at least a draw against Cologne, a team with no more goals.
Bittencourt and Weiser of Werder Bremen
Fullkrug and co. actually could have been safe long ago but the less than exciting results of the last few days have postponed the verdict. Werder in fact comes from three consecutive defeats, suffered against Schalke 04, Bayern Munich and Leipzig. Also complicating life again is Pellegrino Matarazzo’s Hoffenheim, which has only been able to beat Eintracht Frankfurt in the past month. The Sinsheim team is still a long way from mathematical salvation and has only two points more than the third-last. Unlikely to make a full haul against the highly motivated Union Berlin, the fourth force in the tournament, which in case of success would make history by qualifying for the Champions League for the first time: at least one goal on each side is to be expected.
Bundesliga: possible winners
- Schalke 04 or draw (in Schalke 04-Eintracht Frankfurt).
- Werder Bremen (in Werder Bremen-Cologne)
- Union Berlin or draw (in Hoffenheim-Union Berlin)
