Bundesliga, Bayer Leverkusen will attempt to stretch their lead at home to disastrous Mainz. More balanced match between Wolfsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt
In the Bundesliga, unlike in the Spanish La Liga and Serie A, no midweek round has been played. The chase for the top of the class, Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen, who are currently tied at the top of the table on 13 points, begins again this weekend. While the Bavarians will host Leipzig in the Saturday post-match, Xabi Alonso’s Aspirins have the chance to stretch their lead.
Leverkusen will be at home to disastrous Mainz, the bottom of the table with just one point in five matches. Bo Svensson’s red-and-whites got off to a poor start, only managing to avoid defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt. It is unlikely that they will get a positive result against one of the most in-form teams in the tournament (four wins and a draw), and one that is scoring a lot of goals, led by Boniface, the Nigerian striker bought in the summer from Union Saint-Gilloise. Right behind Alonso’s Rossoneri in the standings is the surprising Stuttgart, third together with Leipzig and Hoffenheim. The Swabians are coming off three consecutive successes against Freiburg, Mainz and Darmstadt: a series that could well be extended at home to a Cologne side still on a winless streak. Bochum, on the other hand, will do all they can to redeem the ugly defeat at home to Bayern Munich: at the Allianz Arena the Ruhr club conceded seven goals without scoring any. Things should be better at home – where they are still unbeaten – against Borussia Monchengaldbach: a draw cannot be ruled out.
The predictions for the other matches
Union Berlin, after losing narrowly in their Champions League opener at the ‘Bernabeu’ to Real Madrid, were surprised by Hoffenheim (0-2).
Gosens of Union Berlin
The Capitolini are struggling to cope with the double but after a week’s rest they should be able to impose themselves on newly promoted Heidenheim, still shaken by the four goals they conceded last Sunday in Leverkusen. Union, however, will have to watch out for the freshman, who had beaten Werder Bremen 4-2 at home. Finally, we end with the most interesting Bundesliga match of the afternoon, the one between Wolfsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt: two teams that are aiming high but have not enchanted so far (they are seventh and eighth respectively). The hosts come from a 1-0 defeat at Borussia Dortmund, while Eintracht drew 0-0 with Freiburg. The prediction remains open, but both should score this time.
Bundesliga: possible winners
- Union Berlin or draw (in Heidenheim-Union Berlin)
- Stuttgart (in Cologne-Stuttgart)
- Bayer Leverkusen (in Mainz-Bayer Leverkusen)
- Bochum or draw (in Bochum-Borussia Monchengladbach)
Matches with at least one goal per team
- Koln-Stuttgart
- Wolfsburg v Eintracht Frankfurt