FSV Mainz 05 - Bayern München

We have the next Round of 1.Bundesliga ahead and it will be started with Mainz and Bayern this Friday evening. Although Mainz was playing against Hertha on Sunday they have to play today again. No one know if this is a disadvantage for the small club who had to play a lot of matches recently. How much energy have the players left for the last month? This can be an important question for Coach Schmitt. If they do not want to get the second lose in a row they have to invest a lot and maybe bring more as 100%. The memories are good against Bayern because they beat them in March but can they do this for a second time?

The record is very bad against Munich at home. With only 2 wins they had not much to celebrate but lost already 7 times. Moreover they could not keep a clean sheet in all the matches against giant Bayern. This makes it more and more difficult to get a win but hope should be there according to their hope performances this Season. They were very successful in their Arena and could score in all matches so far at least 2 goals. As mentioned above the memories how to beat Bayern are fresh and there. In all matches against Bayern was Bungert involved if he stand in the starting lineup is doubtful as he fight for a place in central back with Bell. Beside the long term injured players like Muto, Berggreen and Serdar is Gbamin out for the match today according to his red card in last game. He may will be replaced from Frei in midfield. Some changes are possible in offensive too according to give some players a rest. Whom Schmitt allow this is not out yet.

Bayern was not in their best shape what two defeats showed and also the last game in Bundesliga against Leverkusen. It was hard work and a lot of luck too that they got the 3 Points. This let Ancelotti work a bit more relaxed but he has to deliver with his team after Leipzig overcome them in Bundesliga and took the lead. After 39 Rounds Bayern is not the leader in Bundesliga what is a big disaster for this big club. If they do not want to fall behind more and hold the pressure on RB Leipzig high they have to win and win, nothing else. A lot of hope is on key striker Lewandowski who scored twice in his last 3 meetings in Mainz. This is absolutely needed but the polish guy got not the right assists lately and therefore scored less. For this reason Coach Ancelotti plans with two new wings (Ribery / Robben) in the starting lineup. In this case Costa and Müller sit on the bench first. Also Vidal is ready again and should start from beginning on. This can move Kimmich on the bench (but Alonso stays in Munich what makes it possible that he starts again maybe) while Lahm take his normal position on back wing again. In central back is Boateng back from slight injury and also an option for Ancelotti. 

Erzgebirge Aue - 1.FC Nürnberg

This encounter includes two teams which different form. Aue was not able to get more as 3 Points from the last 5 games (4 defeats) while Nürnberg coming in absolutely top shape with collecting 13 Points in the last 5 matches. They have done their work and are back in business after an horrible start. With the next win they can close the gap to the top more and more and with only 2 Points behind they can hope for more. On the other side needs Aue every Point to leave the danger zone. Therefore it can be a hard fight today.

Aue had good performances and invest a lot for their game play but they was not able to reward them for this they did. Therefore they have to less Points and the situation is not the best right now. After good games like to Dresden and KSC they can not continue the way they played and had to bear with some set backs. The last game was also good but they lost 2-6 to 1860 but this was only due to some mistakes from referee who turned this match to the other side. After falling down to relegation place 16 it is very hard to find good words also some problems with their attacker Köpke who could not train the last days and is a big doubt now. He scored already 6 goals and is very hard to replace because none in the squad is a real alternative to him here. Options are Wegner but he was injured for long time and not inform now, Toshev plays no role in Coach Dotchev’s system, in this case midfield player Adler or Nazarov must play in attack and replace Köpke there. All other players are ready, only long term injured players like keeper Männel, Bertram and Kluft. For this reason not many changes are expected as the team did a good job in Munich despite the lost game.

The start was nothing for Nürnberg and their big aims but after winning to Bielefeld they were able to start a good run and won 3 matches without conceding a single goal although the opponents were tough. Only in Cup and the last league match they were stopped. Nevertheless they want to continue the good results and coming closer to the top. The team looks much more balanced as to begin but have to replace some important guys now. Of course with Alushi, Margreitter and Parker are three players back in team training who were injured longer now but should be no option for the match in Aue. Also Erras is working on his comeback while new injured Matavz is out for some weeks now and let Coach Schwartz think a lot who can replace him. Instead of Matavz can Sylvestr or Teuchert play in attack but also Burgstaller is an option in 4-2-3-1 system. Also a 4-4-2 is possible with the named players. Additional not sure is if both missing players Bulthuis and Behrens from Monday can play or not. If the situation is getting better for Schwartz, if not he has to think about. In central midfield can play Leibold or Möhwald, central back Mühl. So he has some options as well.

FC St. Pauli - 1.FC Nürnberg

The monday night game take place in Hamburg when St. Pauli hosts Nürnberg to finish Round 11. Both had Cup games against BL teams last week and both were not successful to advance. Nevertheless the form is more on Nürnberg’s side as on the home team from Coach Lienen. St. Pauli has big problems lately and they need results now if they want to come out of the bottom, to get some hope back. The winless run from 4 games (including Cup 5) is hard for a traditional strong home team and not expected as well while Nürnberg started an excellent winning streak and coming with 4 wins in a row to Hamburg.

The start was almost the same as the run now, they lost to begin 3 matches and started to collect Points as they won to Bielefeld, followed from two draws but then the negative run arrived again and is there yet. According to the weak performance against Sandhausen Lienen changed in Cup on 5 positions what was not so bad because most of them were in trouble. Because some of the starters were not available due to several reasons. In this case youngster Koglin gave his starting debut but should be out of the eleven this game again. Both key defenders Sobiech and Ziereis returned on Friday in team training and should be ready to start today. Also Heddenstad is back in training and a real option for the right back wing. For this reason Hornschuh is free for the central back if one of both mentioned defenders are not at 100%. Attacker Bouhaddouz and midfield player Kalla are still out while Sobota is a big doubt at the moment.

It was not the best start for Nürnberg and they were all a bit disappointed about but after they could turn the match around against Bielefeld they are on track and running from win to win. They have maybe the same run like last Season and Coach Schwartz find the right balance after being in cross fire of the supporters. The situation has changed and he can work relaxed now but of course has to deliver results. The aims are higher in Nürnberg as in Sandhausen. But before the Cup game some problems arrived because with starter Bulthuis and Möhwald were two players out injured, if they return is not sure yet. Also not sure is if midfield player Behrens can start after getting injured against Schalke in Cup. His shoulder is a big problem and allow no training so far. The situation is getting worse if all three can not play as Coach Schwartz has no real alternative then. Mühl plays in central back for Bulthuis then but can also play in central midfield. For this reason Leibold can move back in central midfield while Salli returns into the starting lineup since his red card against Union Berlin.

Bundesliga Informations for Saturday

FC Augsburg - Bayern München

- Bayern won 8 of the last 10 matches with Augsburg.

- Augsburg won twice against Bayern because both times they were already champion.

- Bayern is unbeaten since 18 BL matches (14-4-0).

- And did not lose a single road game in the last 13 (10-3-0).

- Augsburg conceded less goals as in all other Seasons after 8 BL games (11).

- Bayern scored in all their last 17 BL games at least one goal and has one of the best offense.

- They can look at 10 different Scorers this Season so far.

- Augsburg is winless since 3 BL games under new Coach Schuster (0-1-2).

- They won only 1 of the last 6 BL matches at home (1-2-3).

VfL Wolfsburg - Bayer Leverkusen

- Wolfsburg won 4 of the last 5 BL matches with Leverkusen.

- Only the last encounter on 1.April 2016 was lost ..... 0-3 in Leverkusen.

- At home VfL won all the last 6 BL games with Bayer and won 15 from 20 home games.

- The last defeat at home was in October 2010 with 2-3.

- Leverkusen scored in all their last 28 BL games at least 1 goal.

- The last time they end up goalless against VfL was in October 2002 when they lost 0-2.

- Since Season 2006/07 Bayer has the weakest start ever with only 10 Points after 8 Rounds.

- Both teams in some trouble, Wolfsburg winless at home, Leverkusen are out of form too.

- Wolfsburg won only 1 of the last 8 home games while Bayer lost 4 of the last 5 road games.

Werder Bremen - SC Freiburg

- Both clubs meet each other the 33. time this Saturday.

- Bremen could not win one of the last 3 home games with Freiburg (0-2-1).

- In 2016 Bremen conceded incredible 54 goals what is very weak, defensive problems, of course.

- They conceded in this Season already 21 goals what is one of the weakest numbers for them.

- Since they lost to Bayern 0-1 at October 2015 they always score at least one goal at home.

- Since 7 matches is Bremen winless against a newcomer in the league (0-3-4).

- The last win against a new promoted team was celebrated against Paderborn 4-0 two years ago.

- The first time since 20 years has Freiburg lost all the first 4 BL road games..

- The last time this happened was Freiburg relegated in the end.

- The only team who has also no Points on the road is Darmstadt 98 .......

Dynamo Dresden - Eintracht Braunschweig

The next Round is short ahead and leader Braunschweig can take advantage and expand their lead with a win. This can put additional pressure on all the teams behind but the game is not an easy one in Dresden. Home strong Dynamo is supported very huge in their own stadium although they had some problems lately. Nevertheless they want to move on and turn things around after the not expected Cup knock out to Arminia what was a bit unlucky anyway. They are going into this match to make amends for their fans and themselves too, therefore they should be very hot.

Newcomer Dresden had a really good start into the new Season with an unbeaten run from 5 matches what let them dream a lot but the next matches were not as expected. The derby to Aue was lost 0-3 what was incredible and the first shock above all for their fans. The next three matches they move on winless but they could stop the negative run to promotion candidate Stuttgart with 5-0 at home. Against Heidenheim 0-0 and Bielefeld in Cup they were not able to score sort of failing huge in front of the goal although the opportunities were there.  

Dresden’s Coach Neuhaus has not worries in front of the game to Braunschweig as he has all available and can choose from a lot. This means maybe that he move back all his changes he has made in Cup. Because the rotation was not from success and he needs to get back on track now. Müller, Lambertz and Kutschke were all rested in Cup and can start here again while Kreuzer, Hauptmann and Testroet sit on bench again. But it is not sure if last one is out of the starting lineup as he was able to produce a lot of dangerous situations, the only luck was not with him.

An incredible start for Braunschweig with 5 wins in league in a row, the only set back was the Cup knock out to Würzburg. They showed also that they can work with this and are on track immediately. If the Cup knock out or the 0-2 to Stuttgart they fall not in some crisis. They move on and continue their good way what is a great sign for the good spirit and strength in team this Season. From the last 4 matches could they win 3 and draw to Heidenheim, but all the victories were celebrated at home what is their main fortress. The matches were all close and they won all last 3 with a one goal margin. Nevertheless the team is much more prepared and know how to bring close games to a successful end. The experience from last Seasons are big and their trend are really positive ……

Due to the Cup knock out in first Round Eintracht had the whole week to prepare for Dresden and also could watch the game in Cup from Dresden. But Lieberknecht wants not to look about Dresden, he wants to see his team active and control the game as well. He can not count on long term injured players like Ofosu Ayeh, Biada and Abdullahi so far. To swallow a bitter pill has Moll who came from Dresden to Braunschweig and was really hot for the showdown with his old team but he saw the fifth yellow card against Fürth and is suspended today. This brings Coach Lieberknecht to think a lot as he has to build a new central part in midfield, maybe Boland can play there. In offense he has a lot more to choose and can rotate there anyway. Nyman had not the best day lately what let Lieberknecht think to move Hernandez in attack while Khelifi can play on the left wing in midfield. Also some other changes are possible ….

1.FC Kaiserslautern - VfL Bochum

Important match for the home team above all not to lose too much Points to the teams ahead. With a win they can jump out of the red zone and get some light back. But with a lot of absent players they have to calculate with this regions in table what is not the best anyway. On the other side Bochum is looking to get closer to the top and maybe return into the promotion race in the upcoming weeks but there are wins needed immediately.

To begin they were only able to get 2 draws out of the first 5 Rounds, at Round 6 they could celebrate the first win but after this one it was going down again. With 3 defeats in a row and only 4 goals scored so far they are far away from best. For this reason they have to improve huge above all in their offensive play as they have the weakest offense so far. In the last 3 they did not score a single goal what made it impossible to get anything anyway. Additional they had not so much luck this Season and a lot of injuries let them fall in a deep crises. With Halfar, Mudjza and Pryzybylko they have 3 long term injured starters already and with Zoua is an important guy still injured with knee problems. The next bad news was the injury from midfield hope Kerk who gave his starting debut last Round but got injured this week in training. He is confirmed out for the rest of the year now. This means a lot of important players not available for Coach Korkut and therefore the offensive is suffering a lot without all this guys. With midfield player Ring was the next important player not available in Braunschweig last week and he is a big doubt again. No one know if he can start today after facing a back injury. The other doubtful players Pollersbeck, Heuback and Koch should be ready and start today. The next good news are that Gaus and Osawe are back in the squad after suspension and both can be in the starting lineup immediately according to the problems mentioned above.

Bochum’s start was average and they were not able to bring more stability in their play and performance so far what is seen in the results so far. After good matches they were not able to continue what let them back in the midfield although they had much more aims this Season. The injury worries arrived in Bochum as well and they can not count on following players … Fabian, Losilla, Stöger, Celozzi and also Gyamerah is out now. The youngster was on a good way to be a starter but the luck was not with him. Some changes can be made by Coach Verbeek compared to the last game while Cousane could not convince as back wing is Hoogland planned there this game. In central back move Dawidowicz into the starting lineup and complete the defensive line. If Cousane plays in central midfield then is more as open as he had not the best day against Sandhausen, in this case Wydra is the next option or alternative there.

Bayern München - Bor. M'Gladbach

The classic from former years is coming back more and more as with Bayern and Gladbach hosts two top sides each other. It was always a big game in the 70s and a very close and hot one as well. Both teams were big rivals at this time but the way from both clubs were different in recent years. Nevertheless this is the top match of the Round and will be played on Saturday evening.

A lot of trouble in Munich above all after failing to win in all 3 last matches (Bundesliga). Above all Rummenigge was not amused about the performance and attitude of the team against Frankfurt and he said that this was not Bayern Munich worthy. He wants to see a reaction in all competitions, also Coach Ancelotti was not very pleased about the performance in Frankfurt. This is the first time since years that this happened and they are not happy with the team. Under Guardiola all was well and they are working like machines, Ancelotti gave them to much tolerance maybe. He wants to change some of this and want to see a reaction, of course. This was already there under the week when they were able to win the CL match against PSV Eindhoven with 4-1. This was already a statement again and they were absolutely dominating the game in the first 40 minutes but showed also some weakness in defense. Although they are firing from all guns they lead only 2-1 at half time. A much higher result was possible but they wasted too much. Maybe they are back on track now and showed that the strength is still there what was a real sign for the Bundesliga anyway. According to the strong performance it is not far away that the same starting lineup get the next chance but with a lot to choose from he can change always short before the game, of course.

The team from Gladbach has a lot of problems on the road, they were not able to win a single match in Bundesliga this Season so far. At home it is different they won 3 of 4 and were very close at the last one too but they missed two penalties what was absolutely incredible. Of course such matches happen where nothing work although they had a lot of opportunities to win. Despite the bad result the moral was there and they showed a real good match in Glasgow against Celtic where it is not easy to get anything but they won 2-0 there. Both lame duck Hahn and Stindl (shot the penalties against HSV) scored the goals in this game and made some compensation. With this win they are back in business in CL and can hope for more now, all depends on the upcoming matches. Nevertheless this should gave them self confidence for the game in Munich as well. Coach Schubert is still unbeaten in all 4 last games against Bayern. He won 3-1 and draw in Munich last Season …….

If he can continue this depends on how good can Gladbach replace a lot of missing players. They were able to compensate this in Glasgow already but the second time this week it would be a hard one because with 3 times winless Bayern is coming a hard nut now. It may stand the same starting lineup on the pitch as in Glasgow, only Raffael is maybe an option but not sure yet. If Hermann move out of the starting lineup but they try to risk not to much with him after injury.

VfB Stuttgart - 1860 München

In this encounter are two teams involved which both are running behind their expectations. Both received hard defeats last weekend and they are looking forward for better times right now. VfB lost really incredible against Dresden 0-5 while 1860 got a harsh 1-3 defeat in their home stadium. For this reason Stuttgart fall down to Place 6 and the absolutely top favorite for promotion has a lot of work to do if they want to be able to be in the race until the end, although they are only 2 Points behind Place 2. Today’s opponent has much more problems despite a good start because the last 5 games were nothing. Only 1 Point they got out of these games and they are back where they were already last Season but never want to be. Therefore it can be the next hard Season after dreaming from 1.Bundesliga after the first Rounds.

Stuttgart started an average start and after only 6 Points after 4 Rounds Coach Luhukay left, interim Coach Janßen did a good job but they signed unknown young Coach Wolf. With Janßen and Wolf they could go 3-1-0 but the weekend showed an incredible downtrend what makes Wolf a bit stunned right now. He need results according to the position they are at the moment. He claims that this should not happen again but looking forward as well and said that the team want to show a much better side this time. He is very positive about the performance for the 1860 game and believe in success here.

Changes may are not possible about the situation in squad right now, Hosagai is out with a broken toe while Terodde returns and should be in the starting lineup immediately after the alternative with Mane as striker failed in Dresden, although he was the man at home against Fürth. Some changes in team are possible where Asano can play right offensive while Großkreutz move back and play instead of Klein there. Additional can Özcan start on an offensive position while Zimmermann moves back and play the open position in midfield (Hosogai is missing).

To begin it was all well in Munich and all are dreaming because of 7 Points out of 4 matches buth with the unlucky defeat to Union 1-2 the trend is going more and more down. Of course they were able to get a deserved 2-2 against St. Pauli but the upcoming 3 matches were all lost with 1-7 goals (Hannover, Würzburg, Düsseldorf). Above all the last game gave a lot of concern about the performance and attitude of the team. If they continue like this it is very hard to avoid any worst case.

Coach Runjaic trying a lot this week with training behind closed doors and so on. He gave also not many information about his team before the game in Stuttgart. The only one was that Rodnei will start as central back and that Boenisch is not ready to be in the squad as he face a slight injury. Additional there are not many options to change anything according to the full injury list with 9 players. Therefore they have to wait till many of the players return above all Aigner is a key factor for the play from 1860. Both Rodnei and Andrade showed some better performances after coming in against Düsseldorf what put them in a good position to start. First one was already mentioned from Runjaic …… Two youngster can be in the squad as well with Jakob and Weber according to the bad situation with injured players at the moment. Nevertheless this match is very important for the team and also for the Coach, if they get the next defeat it would be hard to hold Runjaic as he has nothing what speaks for him then.

Eintracht Braunschweig - 1.FC Kaiserslautern

Leader Eintracht Braunschweig hosts bottom side 1.FC Kaiserslautern to end up Round 9. The home side wants to continue their good start with 6 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat while Kaiserslautern wants to leave the danger zone. Because they are not very pleased with the current 16. Place.

It was an incredible start for Braunschweig with 5 wins in a row but they could not hold it anymore and lost deserved 0-2 against Stuttgart. Nevertheless they got back on track and won to Düsseldorf and showed that they can react on a lost game. But overall the form is looking a bit down as they were very close to concede the second defeat in Heidenheim but were able to draw this game before the break. Now after two weeks preparing for the next matches they should be more fresh and have reload their batteries what can help anyway. 

Coach Lieberknecht can count on almost the same guys who stand on the pitch in Heidenheim, only Biada got injured in team training this week. This means that maybe Schönfeld returns into the starting lineup and the system can be a 4-4-2. Additional it can be that he changes some more as he has a strong squad and a lot to choose from. With Correia and Baffo are two guys very close to the starting eleven and also in offensive he has with Hernandez a good option too. The attack will be build with Nyman and Kumbela. Overall he will think what is the best against this opponent and decides …….

The start was not as expected and they had only 2 Points on their account after 5 Rounds, the atmosphere was getting better after the first win to Dresden at home but they could not confirm it in the next matches. With 0-3 against Heidenheim and bottom team Bielefeld 0-0 they are back to old style. Therefore it can be very important for them how they come out of the break.

The sitatuion in squad is not the best according to their long injury list because with Halfar, Jacob, Przybylko and Mudjza are still 4 starters not available. Also Osawe is not in the squad after his suspension from the club due to some ridiculous behavior. A big doubt is additional behind Zoua who may face a late test if he can play or not. It would be important to have him in the squad otherwise Görtler is the only option in attack for today.

Last but not least miss midfield player Gaus with suspension this game because he was sent off against Bielefeld. A lot of hope they have to all the ill players from last week. With Heubach, Ziegler, Moritz and Koch they had 4 players who did not train due to the mentioned reason above. According to all the bad news now some good one ….. with Ewerton they have one player ready who can start the first time today and help to get more stability in defense while second one Kerk can help to leverage the offensive play.

Bor. M'Gladbach - Hamburger SV

HSV has nothing to celebrate this Season so far, today?

This encounter should be a clear thing on paper but it can be very different anyway. Gladbach was doing really well at home and won all three of their games in their stadium while Hamburg had not much to earn on the road and lost all 3 matches so far. But they have hope to turn things around above all after new Coach Gisdol could work two weeks with the team now and also the good results against Gladbach from last Season.

It looks like that Gladbach has two different teams or two faces. One at home where they are running from win to win and one on the road where they could only earn 1 Point so far. They were absolute harmless in second half against Schalke and lost deserved 0-4. It was maybe the change from Coach Schubert in half time because he take an eye on more offensive power and replaced defender Vestergaard with captain and midfield player Stindl which took them in much danger in defense. According to stats was Vestergaard one of the best players from Gladbach with the most ball action and most won duels man vs. man.  Therefore they are very happy that they play at home and hope that they can continue the run there.

Compared to the last away game Schubert maybe changes twice. He field both rested players Stindl and Wendt who replace Johnson and Vestergaard. This means that Christiansen move into the middle while Wendt take his preferred position on the wing. In offensive is Stindl back in team as mentioned above and he should be needed as with Raffael is an important offensive player not available again. Also Hazard returned with some knee problems from national team and is still a doubt. If he must pass Herrmann can be the first option to replace him. Up front plays Hahn who is very hot against his former club.

According to stats and all the last games speaks not much for Hamburg here but they have some hope. After the 1-1 to begin of the Season against Ingolstadt at home they were not able to collect a single Point. They got 5 defeats in a row and running very vulnerable from week to week and hope for better times. Also Coach Gisdol was not able to turn things around in his first game as HSV Coach and they lost to Hertha 0-2. They showed not much in this game although a reaction was expected from the team with the new man on the sideline. 

When they need some extra motivation they should watch the vidos from both games from last Season, because they won both, 3-0 on the road and 3-2 at home. According to news has Coach Gisdol some problems with his personal and he must changes some compared to the last game. Captain and head of the defense Djourou got injured in team training under the week and is out, for him can play Cleber beside Spahic in central back. The next doubt is behind attacker Wood who returned slight injured from national team. If he can not play Gregoritsch can be the first option in offense. Up front should get Lasogga the next chance and he should help with his power to score some goals. It would be very interesting to see what Gidsol has worked out with his team in the two weeks now.

Borussia Dortmund - Hertha BSC Berlin

After the international break Bundesliga is starting this Friday evening again. The first encounter is an top class between third Borussia Dortmund and second Hertha BSC Berlin which both could win 4 of their first 6 matches. This can be an important one for Dortmund if they do not want to lose the contact to leader Bayern Munich total.

After the second defeat against Leverkusen 0-2 before the break a lot of trouble about Coach Tuchels statements that most of the opponents playing to aggressive against them and make a lot of tackles and fouls. This is why they have a lot of problems and also a lot of injured players. But this happened against a team who has too much advantage against smaller clubs. What would Bayern say, they have the problem for years now. Are they already moaning in Dortmund about this?

One of the positive aspects is that long term injured Reus returns into team training this week but he is not ready for this game as he was away too long now. He should get back to his full fitness in the next weeks and they know that he needs the time and Tuchel wants to give him this at least. But overall after the actual situation they hope that he recover soon. But it is more the defensive who have a lot of missing player now. Both Bender and Subotic are still out longer but with Sokratis they have one more on the list. This means that Bartra who has some problems lately must start although he is not ready yet. Additional returned both back wings Guerreiro and Pisczek injured from their national teams. A lot of important guys out in defensive right now what makes Tuchel not very happy. He has to build up a new defensive line. With Schmelzer and Passlack he has two guys for both wings ready. In offensive he can count on the good playing guys …..

After Hertha knocked out of the Europe League qualy against Bröndby most of the experts were thinking of a hard Season for them but it was all different right now. The team from Berlin is doing very good so far and staying straight behind Bayern Munich what is a big success so far. But in this case we should mentioned what teams they have played so far ….. with Freiburg, Ingolstadt, Hamburg, Frankfurt and weak Schalke none of the top teams …. Only Bayern Munich and there they lost very easy 0-2 and looked really helpless. This is the next big test now against the second big team in Bundesliga. Overall a hard game for them, could they not win much in Dortmund lately.

Hertha arrive in Dortmund also with some problems as they miss the head of their play Darida in midfield who his one of the most important player. Also Pekarik is still not available, he starts running this week again but is no option for this game. A big doubt is Swiss guy Lustenberger who face an injury. If he can start it should be the same lineup in defensive as at least but if not? This means Stark move forward to central midfield while Brooks comes in for the central back positon then. In offensive it can be that Kalou’s chance is getting bigger to get some minutes now. He is fully fit now also mental wise what let him be a real option for Coach Dardai. In this case Haraguchi must on bench but this should not the case for this game as he returned with a lot of self confidence and very motivated from national team where he scored a goal (Australia 1-1).

Infos BL-Matches for Saturday

Bayern München - 1.FC Köln

- Attention Bayern !!! Only against Bremen more defeats 26 as against Cologne 23 in BL history.
- At home they lost 9 times to Cologne what is incredible for them.
- But the last 6 games in Munich were all won from Bayern with 18-2 goals.
- They were able to win the 5 matches to begin a Season the 10. time.
- Next home match for Bayern, next top match. After Hertha, now Cologne .....
- Cologne is unbeaten in 10 of their last BL matches (only Bayern 15 longer).
- Last time Cologne was so good placed was in August 1989 in front of the game in Munich.
- But the last time they had such a good position lost they easy 1-5 in Munich.



Hertha BSC Berlin - Hamburger SV

- Hertha won 5 of their last 6 matches against Hamburg.
- Only the match in March 2016 was lost with 0-2 but this happened in Hamburg.
- In all their 5 wins Hertha could keep a clean sheet against Hamburg.
- Against no other team Hertha celebrated so many victories as against Hamburg 21.
- They scored in incredible high of 65 goals against HSV so far.
- With 10 Points after 5 matches Hertha has the second best start in their BL history this time.
- On the other side HSV has with 1 Point after 5 matches their club negative record this Season.
- Bruno Labbadia was sucked and new Coach Gisdol is on bench for the first time today.
- Since 2010 had HSV 13 Coaches so far what speaks not much for stability on this position.



SC Freiburg - Eintracht Frankfurt

- Both teams meet each other the 25. time now.
- Frankfurt was able to get an average from 1,5 Points against Freiburg what is the second best value.
- Only against SV Darmstadt 1,7 Points they have an higher average.
- In the 24 matches so far there were only 3 draws between these teams.
- 11 time won Frankfurt, 10 times won Freiburg ..... very even outcome overall.
- In the last 7 BL matches Eintracht was only able to get 1 win (1-3-3).
- This was in September 2009 with 2-0.
- 3 defeats on the road and 2 wins at home is the actual outcome for Freiburg this Season.
- If the streak continues SCF is set for the win today but it would be a tough match anyway.
- Frankfurt is unbeaten since 3 matches, 4 times managed they at least last Season between Round 2-5.

1.FC Nürnberg - Union Berlin

Both teams were expected in the upper half but only Union did the job with 14 Points so far while Nürnberg disappointed a lot this Season. They celebrated their first win last weekend what is far away from good and with only 5 Points they are on Place 16 and in danger right now. They need to bring all their power on the pitch to get out of the trouble as soon as possible otherwise it would be a very tough Season for them.

To begin with 2 draws and a lucky advance in Cup they were not really on track but the upcoming 4 matches were all lost what made the situation in Nürnberg very explosive. The last match was not well too as they started with a missed penalty, fall behind but managed to get the win in the end what was very important for Coach Schwartz.

For Union it was different, they had problems to begin with getting only 2 draws but were able to get back on track with 4 wins in a row. This latest victories let them get a lot of self confidence and they are coming to Nürnberg with a lot of motivation and believe in their strength that they can walk on and end up an excellent September month.

It is not far away that Coach Schwartz is still in need for positive results according to the situation there. They started the positive trend last weekend but they have to continue this way otherwise it would be very hard for him to work without any pressure there. According to the news are not many changes expected that he wants to count on the same lineup as in Bielefeld but with Leipold they have one guy doubtful. If he can play he is the man maybe on the back wing while Sepsi showed a good performance after he came in and is a real option too. Leipold’s normal position is the offensive wing but there plays Burgstaller right now after Schwartz change the system to 4-1-3-1 with Matavz as lone striker. Burgstaller showed a real uptrend what can be key for the team as he can lead the other guys with his excellent fighting spirit. Not available are important key players like keeper Schäfer, defender Margreitter, midfied player Alushi and Erras.

After the good run from Union Coach Keller has not reasons to changes his successful team but he has a lot of good options in hand as well what let him think about. This is may to hold the quality high in training and also to show the players that they are all needed. Top striker Quaner was out with muscle problems against St. Pauli what allow Hosnier to start and he scored the leading goal what was self advertising of course but Quaner maybe returns this evening. In this case Coach Keller has to decide between his two top strikers whom he let start. On the left offensive wing Redondo could convince in recent matches what put him in a great position while new signing Hedlung must wait for his chance on this position. He is on bench again despite his fitness has improved and should be at 100% now.

Atletico Madrid - Bayern München

Time for revenge? After the 0-1 last CL Season in Vicente Calderon Bayern Munich want to do better this time. According to their squad they can count on players which were not available last Season like Ribery and Robben but what players Ancelotti field is more as open as he has a lot to choose from.

To begin of the CL Season Atletico had a lot of problems with PSV Eindhoven but won in the end and this is what only count anyway. In LaLiga they are unbeaten so far and showed that their form is excellent when they got a 1-1 draw in Barcelona. The last match was very close but they could win 1-0 to LaCoruna and hold the contact to the top places. But according to news they got two players injured in this encounter what makes Coach Simeone not very happy. Both defender Gimenez and midfield player Fernandez are injured now and they miss the match with Bayern today. But both replacements played already last Season against Bayern as they had to replace some players as well. Savic in defence had an excellent day there and also Saul Niguez who scored the winning goal. He will start beside Gabi in central midfield again. The most important player Griezman is ready to play and he scored already 5 times this Season additional he got a great partner in attack with Gameiro (came from FC Sevilla) who scored also 2 goals so far. Both are working excellent together and can make a lot of trouble for Bayern’s defense.

After the late win in Hamburg Bayern got some good news on Monday because defender Hummels stands on the pitch and could train after he must left the field injured on Saturday. This means that all the top guns in defensive are ready but this can be a problem for Ancelotti as he has 3 great defenders for 2 places. One of the three Boateng, Hummels and Martinez sit on bench. It can be that Boateng is the one after his injury as he is not at 100% while Martinez is in great form and can not be out of the starting lineup. The wings are field with inform Ribery who was the difference in Hamburg game after he came in and on the other side with Müller. Robben is planned as joker then what should be a good choice at the end of the game. In central midfield they have a lot of players ready like Alonso, Thiago, Kimmich and Vidal. One of the 4 named guys must on bench. It is very open whom Ancelotti sit on bench as all are in good shape and have a lot of potential to help the team.

Borussia Dortmund - Real Madrid

This is the absolutely top match in Group F when Borussia Dortmund hosts Real Madrid in CL this evening. Real has not the best remembrance of Borussia as they lost the last meeting there. Overall they are not so successful if they have to play on German ground anyway.

It looks like that Dortmund is more prepared and competitive in all competitions this Season, also they are unbeaten 2016 at home what is a very good statement anyway. After the goal festivals against Legia, Darmstadt and Wolfsburg they had a bit problems with newcomer Freiburg but won in the end easy and deserved 3-1. This was exactly the match Tuchel wants to have as most of the crowd around the club are high flying with they expectations on them. This was absolutely key to get back on earth for some of them and was maybe a little bit of warning before the big match. In all latest games Coach Tuchel rotated a lot and it was not really to see which player are absolutely key in his system as they have 21 even players this Season in squad. This gives him a lot of options and the opponents do not know what they have to expect additional. With Real is the biggest opponent in town and of course all players are really hot to start but it will be very interesting to see what players impressed Tuchel in the last weeks that he gives them the possibility to start. Some doubt are behind Ramos, Aubameyang and Bartra according to the latest news but against Real Madrid they do all to start. A option can be Schürrle after his injury as he is back in team training and should be in the squad today. After the good start in CL against Legia they want to get something against Real of course too. They can count on their home strength and on the great atmosphere in Signal Iduna Park as well.

The defending Champion Real Madrid had a hard start into the CL league Season with a late win to Sporting at home. They had a lot of problems in this match and it looked more that Sporting win this one but with two late goals they turned the match in their way although it was not very deserved. After this match Real had a lot of problems in league too and could only get 2 draws against Villareal and Las Palmas. They are not in the form they had to the end of last Season. This is maybe according to the injury of some important players but nevertheless they did not lose a single game this Season anyway. Therefore we are having to much expectations on the team maybe. But if they want to get something in Dortmund where they never could win, they have to improve their performance from last matches. According to the last result in Dortmund they should be warned anway (3-2-0). To begin they managed two draws but the last three matches are all lost. Not available for Coach Zidane are Marcelo, Casemiro and maybe Pepe who face a knee injury.

1.Bundesliga Round 5 - Infos

FSV Mainz 05 - Bayer Leverkusen

- Both teams meet each other 20 times in BL and it is even with 8-4-8.
- If Bayer Leverkusen takes the lead in this match, then they are almost set for the win (10x = 8 wins).
- Since Martin Schmidt is on the sideline Mainz is without a win in 5 home games the first time now.
- The last time this happened was under Coach Tuchel where they had the same 5 matches run.
- The win in 6th game was against Bayer Leverkusen 1-0, maybe a good sign for today.
- Leverkusen can concede the 3th defeat in a row on the road was is a negative high for them.



Bor. M'Gladbach - FC Ingolstadt 04

- Both meet each other only last Season and Gladbach could not win and score a single goal (0-0 0-1)
- Ingolstadt was able to end up the run from Schubert who was on a 6 games winning streak.
- This happened with a 0-0 what was really deserved because Ingolstadt was very aggressiv.
- The last 9 home games were all won from Gladbach, longest run 1987 with 11 BL matches.
- Since Schubert is on the sideline Gladbach lost only 1 home game to Dortmund 1-3.
- In their last 17 home games they could collect 46 Points out what is even with giant Bayern.
- FCI is winless since 9 BL games (0-2-7) what is a new record in their club history now.
- They conceded in all these games at least 1 goal what would be not surprise against this offense today.
- The last win was celebrated also against Gladbach with 1-0 but at home.



Hamburger SV - Bayern München

- Bayern won 61 from 102 BL games with Hamburg and scored 231 goals in these - BL record !!!
- The last win from Hamburg against Bayern was 2009 with 1-0, exactly 7 years ago.
- Who was the Coach for Hamburg? Do know them anyone? Of course Bruno Labbadia.
- With the 4th win against Hertha Bayern has a new BL start record in history. 12 Points +13 goals.
- Bayern is very hard to beat at "Wiesn Time", the last club who was able to get a Point - HSV.
- Since this happened won Bayern all his 11 BL games to this time.
- Hamburg was the club with the lowest outcome of Points in 2016 with only 20 !!!
- HSV was only able to get two more Points as Stuttgart but they are already in 2.BL (4 games less).



Werder Bremen - VfL Wolfsburg

- Bremen lost 6 of the last 7 matches to Wolfsburg but the most important one was won last Season.
- With 3-2 at home they put them in a good position in relegation battle what was almost key for them.
- If Bremen and Wolfsburg meet each other on Saturday evening, 4 times VfL won.
- In BL history lost Bremen the first time all 4 matches to begin of a Season.
- Also the 14 goals against them was a new high for them.
- VfL did not conceded since 282 minutes on the road, in the last 3 without conceding.
- Both home matches were lost from Bremen despite a 1-0 half time lead with 1-2.
- It is also new that Bremen lose home games to begin of the Season, never happened before.

Borussia Dortmund - SC Freiburg

After 17 goals in the last 3 games Borussia Dortmund is aiming for the next goal festival. They are absolutely inform at the moment and whoever stands on the pitch for them all is well balanced and they work excellent together. It can be the next big show from BvB as the opponent from Freiburg looked a bit shake in the defensive work above all the young defensive central back was not always ahead of the action and this can be a real problem against fast playing Borussia, of course. Although they won to HSV 1-0 it was lucky because they allowed too much and Dortmund is using this opportunities all.

With 6-0 against Legia in CL, 6-0 against Darmstadt at home and 5-1 in Wolfsburg where they gave a real statement of their strength this Season. Above all Guerreiro and Dembele showed a lot of their potential and were absolutely ahead of all actions. Both youngsters are already well integrated and this is maybe key that they can deliver such performances every week.  Almost all have really fun to play in this actual good performing team. The only blow for Dortmund so far is that defending chief Barta got injured against Wolfsburg and should be out for this game, if he is fit he will be rested anyway due to the upcoming CL match against Real Madrid next week. With Ginter they have a good replacement for him and he made his job if he was needed so far. Therefore no quality lose for them as they have 21 even players this Season what is the next step for BvB this Season. Tuchel mentioned already that Götze, Aubameyang and Castro for Pulisic are sure in the starting lineup what looks like he wants to field almost his strongest lineup against promoted Freiburg. In central midfield can Rode play instead of Weigl but nothing special anyway. The history against Freiburg is very positive and they won the last 10 matches all while scoring always 3 or more in the last 5 home games against SCF.

With 6 Points out of 4 matches was Freiburg very successful to begin of the Season above all as newcomer. The only problem both victories were celebrated at home, on the road they were not able to get something so far. Coach Streich is not thinking to changes much against such a powerful playing team like Dortmund at the moment. He counts on the same defensive lineup as against Hamburg and field only a 4 men defensive line instead of 5. In this case Höfler plays again in central back while Abrashi takes the central midfield position from Höfler. Both did his job against Hamburg so why should I change said Streich. He believe in his eleven from last game what allow Petersen no hopes to move into the team because he needs physical strong players who run and work a lot against fast playing BvB. He is therefore only an option at the end of the match maybe. For Stenzel it is a special match as he is on loan from Dortmund and can make some self advertising here with a good performance what can be difficult if he must play against Guerreiro.

Bayern München - Hertha BSC Berlin

Top match of Round 4 take place in Munich when Bayern hosts Hertha BSC on Wednesday evening. Both teams won all their 3 matches so far and stand on top of the table, therefore one team lose the first Points, of course. In the past 31 matches in Munich Hertha was not much successful because they won only 2 of these games. The last 10 were all lost anyway and they could score only 4 goals in these matches what makes it a big task for them although they have nothing to lose and played very stable in the first 3 matches what can maybe let them hope for more this time.

The last home game was not the best from Bayern and they were a bit lucky as well although the better class has decide the match in the end. Without some important players they had to play against Ingolstadt what was seen in their style of play and also the space they gave Ingolstadt for counter attacks. In this match they have to come from behind but they managed this job above all keeper Neuer saved them many times. He was the best player on the pitch for Bayern where new signing Sanches is far away right now. He had again a lot of problems in midfield and need some time to know all processes better.  After 5 matches without conceding a goal in all competitions Bayern conceded first time this Season. According to news can there be some changes from Ancelotti because some of the ill players are back and can move into the starting eleven again.

With Lahm, Alaba and Hummels they have still ill players which are not 100% ready but should be on bench (Coach Ancelotti said in an interview that he decides if he put one or two of them in the starting lineup or not), only Müller returns for sure, also Boateng can give his debut as starter. In this case the following changes are possible, Boateng comes in for central back, Kimmich moves forward and takes Sanches position according to his weak performance against FCI while Müller plays on the wing for Coman who had also a bad day lately. In attack all hopes are on Lewandowski of course.

Big surprise in Berlin as they could win all their matches in BL what makes the best start in their BL history possible. They won the last two games with 2-0 what allow them to travel with a lot of self confidence to Munich. Keeper Jarstein concedes only 1 goals, same like Neuer and he hopes that his defensive line can hold the pressure stand for yet another surprise. But it is not all well in Berlin above all after the big injury from one of their key players Darida who got injured against Schalke and is out for weeks now. This missing hurts Coach Dardai a lot, was he the man with the most distance he run every game. A real worker what is needed in team which both replacement candidates are not like. With Stocker and Kalou Coach Dardai is thinking about but they are really different to Darida. In this case this miss can be a key puzzle for Hertha BSC. All the other positions remain the same like last game as with Brooks (defender) they have one guy who is not ready yet.

VfL Wolfsburg - Borussia Dortmund

Great match between two good teams expected this evening. Dortmund coming from two excellent wins (both 6-0) to Wolfsburg where they could score 12 goals in 3 days. It looks like that they have found the offensive power after having some problems to begin of the Season. Also it is not important which players stands on the pitch as the squad is big and well balanced this Season what can be key in the upcoming weeks. With Wolfsburg they face one of the three teams which could keep a clean sheet in all 3 BL matches so far. The offensive power is still not there in Wolfsburg but they are working on it and want to hurt Dortmund, of course.

Although both central defenders Dante and Naldo left the club they have found their form in defense very early. Maybe key is that Bruma has a lot of experience and plays really great so far, if beside Knoche or Wollscheid he is head of the defensive line and organize very well. Also back wing Rodriguez who wants to leave the club as well has found back to his normal form and gave the team more stability and also options for the offensive play with his crosses into the box. Despite the good defensive play, the offensive has still to improve above all national player Gomez wasted a lot against 1899 last Saturday. He said that he still need some time but he feels on a good way and sooner or later he will score and help the team.  Nevertheless with 5 Points they started well although they scored only in first game but was close in last anyway. Against Cologne they had a weaker performance and did hard at home. Maybe it is better if they can play away from home when they get more space but this will be there against Dortmund at home anyway too. Both missed players Gustavo and Didavi are back and ready for Dortmund. This gives Hecking additional options, if he changes maybe Arnold and Caligiuri must back on bench.

After the good CL match in Warschau 6-0 rotated Tuchel in his starting lineup a lot. Nevertheless the quality was there again and they overcome Darmstadt very easy 6-0 again. Now he has to think about the starting lineup again and it is not sure with what eleven he wants to play against Wolfsburg. With Pulisic and Castro he had two players with excellent performance, who both scored as well. If both sit on bench or can start is open. The players who was only on bench like Aubameyang, Rode and Götze are all expected in starting lineup this time. Aubameyang replace Ramos in attack of course, Rode can take the part from Weigl in central midfield while Götze can be an option for the middle or wing. Schmelzer got slight injured against Darmstadt and can be rested here while Guerreiro plays at left back wing this time. Reus and Bender are still out and no option, Schürrle is close to come back but he is only on bench then after his knee injury anyway. Both matches last Season could Dortmund decide for them and they hope to continue this run.

VfB Stuttgart - Eintracht Braunschweig

Heads up, who will win?

Wow what a great start into the Season from Braunschweig with 5 wins in a row. No one has expect this but they are on top and it would be hard to get them away from there in the next weeks. Too good and stable they are at the moment what makes it very difficult to beat them right now. Of course Stuttgart wants to be the first team to get something against the leader but they have to improve their home performance big.

I wrote already a lot on the weekend about VfB and I do not want to repeat all but some sentences should be mentioned. Start was average with some luck and they are on an up and downtrend right now. After Coach Luhukay left the club due to some problems with Manager Schindelsmeiser the situation is going to be better for some players above all Maxim and Takuma Asano who both were not the favorites for Coach Luhukay but their skills are needed if Stuttgart want to be successful. It was seen that both improved the play a lot in Kaiserslautern and they will also in the future. Interim Coach Janßen celebrated an important win with VfB in Kaiserslautern and let the hope come back to Stuttgart that they are able to get the promotion job done.

Eintracht from Braunschweig started incredible good with 5 wins in the league, the only light shock was the Cup knock out against Würzburger Kickers after extra time. Nevertheless they build up a very good and strong squad for this Season and the problems from last Seasons are gone, it looks like that they are a real competitor for promotion this Season. The last time they started with 5 wins was 2012/13 and in the end they were promoted what they would subscribe of course now.

After the win Janßen will not changes much as they have done 4 changes before the game against FCK and it was successful what he did. It may can be his last two games on the sideline as head coach as next week they want to present the new head coach in Stuttgart. Although some names are named but nothing official right now. The team has to concentrate them on the game anyway and see what happened. The second half was much better in Kaiserslautern what let some think about a system change from 4-4-2 to 4-2-3-1 with Maxim behind lone striker Terodde. Also Großkreutz can start on right back wing while inform Asano play on the left back wing. Both should be push a lot over the wings and put some pressure on Eintracht’s defense.

It is not expected that Coach Lieberknecht change his successful team although he had done it before the game to Sandhausen and it was a big surprise but afterwards it was a great idea from him because with Nyman he let an inform player start and this guy reward the Coach with the leading goal. The other guy was rested Khelifi who was only on bench against Aue but started this time. Hernandez and Biada rotated out of the lineup for both mentioned above and sit on bench. It can change this time again, you never know what Lieberknecht plans as he has a very good squad available with a lot of options this Season. This make them more and more unpredictable for the opponents what is a big advantage for them. This can lead in a very good and successful Season anyway. 

1.Bundesliga Sunday matches

The last two games of Round 3 includes 2 European League starters with Mainz and Schalke, Hertha was a candidate as well but did not manage the qualification against Bröndby. Both home teams are rested well and could prepare for the encounter while the other two teams played on Thursday. Mainz at home what should not be a big problem at all while Schalke stayed in Nice and travelled directly to Berlin on Saturday. If this can be a too big problem we will see but S04 is without a Point in the league and they are very hot after winning the game in Nice to get the Season started now.

We saw a lot of home wins in the 7 matches of Round 3 and also a lot of goals too. This means that these two matches can produce less goals and also the away teams can earn something on this sunday. Overall I favor the under and also the away side in both but lets take a quick look on some stats too.


FC Augsburg - FSV Mainz 05

- FCA could win only 1 time in 8 attempts to Mainz (1-2-5).
- The only win they could celebrate on Matchday 11 2013/14 2-1 at home.
- Since 5 matches is Mainz unbeaten against FCA (4-1-0).
- Only against Freiburg Mainz has a better run as against FCA right now.
- But Mainz could win only 1 of the last 8 BL matches (3-1 to Stuttgart / Round 33 - 15/16).
- In this period they played 4 times draw and lost 3 matches.
- After the first win Coach Schuster field the same lineup as in Bremen, only Caiuby is out injured.
- For him one of the new signed players Usami or Schmid can get a chance today.
- FCA at home still goalless, but they are doing very hard to score anyway.



Hertha BSC Berlin - FC Schalke 04

- The last duel won Hertha 2-0 although S04 was unbeaten in 14 before (12-2-0).
- Hertha started with 2 wins in a row into the Season what is a new club record for them.
- Never before they could start with 2 wins in a row, if they won the first match, they failed in 2nd.
- This is the 9. time that Schalke started with two defeats in a row in a new Season.
- Since 1988 it happened the 2nd time, first time was 2010/11 under Coach Magath - 4 defeats in a row.
- Schalke could not score in their 2 BL matches so far but conceded already 3.
- Hertha with an excellent start but also with some luck against Freiburg, winning goal 95. minute.
- Some rotations is possible for the starting lineup from S04 after the EL game in Nice.
- Hertha can count on the same lineup as in Ingolstadt, only defender Brooks is doubtful.

Arminia Bielefeld - Hannover 96

An interesting match between these two clubs, Bielefeld still winless this Season is suffering for the first win while Hannover has to look that they get not too much in trouble after getting only 1 Point from the last two matches what makes it more difficult in promotion battle if this run continues.
The start was average with 0-0 to KSC, then 0-1 in Munich to 1860 and a lucky Cup win against lower division team from Essen. Ok, they mean that they on a good way but after taking the lead 3-1 against Union at home they are too regardless and played only 4-4 in the end. The last game was close but they lost due to a late goal 1-2 what was really deserved against St. Pauli.
It was almost a rocket start for Hannover with 4-0 to FCK, 3-1 to Fürth and the Cup 3-2 after extra time against lower division team from Offenbach. All thinking they are on the right way but against Bochum 1-1 it was a light downtrend and after the national break 0-2 to Dresden at home was the worst case now. They have to be much more positive on the pitch and invest more as in the last games otherwise it is going to be a hard Season for them without reaching the goal promotion.

A lot of trouble and problems after the weak performance in the last game what makes Coach Rehm not very happy and he is thinking to changes his starting lineup on a few positions today. A lot of players are not in their best form and this is needed if a smaller club want to play a secure Season. The first change can be Börner who is back from injury again what puts him in a good position to replace Cacutalua in central back who had a bad day in Hamburg. Also both offensive wings Hemlein and Nöthe disappointed a lot, therefore some rotation or changes are possible on this positions as well. Tom Schütz can take the defensive part what makes Görlitz free for one of the offensive wings. Also youngsters Staude and Mak are candidates for the offensive wings. In attack can get Putaro a chance who can replace Ulm there. Up front with captain Klos should be clear.

Despite the harsh 0-2 home defeat to Dresden Coach Stendel will not change all on his system or lineup but some he has to changes anyway. Above all leader Sane is not available due to the red card he received in the end of the Dresden game. It is a big blow for Hannover here but they have to handle this now and with Standberg who starts first time today is a good replacement there. The next bad news was that Harnik got injured in training and is not ready for today's game. This means that Stendel has to change one more time. The options can be that Karaman replace him on the position he played or Füllkrug plays on the wing while Sobiech move in the middle as box player. The other positions should remain unchanged as mentioned above.

1.Bundesliga Infos to the matches

Bayern München - FC Ingolstadt 04

- Bayern won all the 3 meetings against FCI. But the last two was close with 2-0 and 2-1.
- FCB won 17 of their last 19 BL matches with 59-8 goals.
- Only Mainz could win in Munich in this period with 2-1 (19-1-1).
- Bayern miss some players due to illness or flu today. But the squad is strong enough.
- At "Wieso Time" Bayern never lost a game in the past, they are very strong to this special time.



Borussia Dortmund - SV Darmstadt 98

- Dortmund plays Darmstadt 7 times so far and SVD could win only 1 (4-2-1).
- The last meeting in Dortmund was an incredible one for SVD with 2-2 on Round 7.
- Hero of this game was captain Sulu who scored the equalizer in the 90. minute.
- BvB won 19 of their last 22 matches including last Season (19-3-0).
- The only team who could win in Dortmund was Bayern 17 month ago with 1-0 on 1. April 2015.



Eintracht Frankfurt - Bayer Leverkusen

- Bayer could win both meetings last Season with 3-1 and 3-0.
- They meet each other 62 times already (22-13-27).
- This match is set for goals, never in all the games they played 0-0.
- The average of the matches against each other is 3,1 goals, what let us hope for some spectacle.
- Bayer won 9 of their last 11 BL matches, what is a good run. They lost twice only.
- But these were the last two road games to Gladbach 1-2 and 1-2



1899 Hoffenheim - VfL Wolfsburg

- This match has a special goal guarantee because 16 matches produce 62 goals between these teams.
- The average is almost 4 (3,88) and let hope for some today, above all 1899 is on fire anyway.
- This is the encounter that is set for goals and only 2 meetings have more in BL history at the moment.
- The stats are positive for Wolfsburg as they are a big ahead of 1899 with 9-3-5.
- In the last 7 home games between both there were 5 home wins and 2 draws.
- The last away win was 2012 when Wolfsburg could win in Sinsheim 3-1.

1.FC Kaiserslautern - VfB Stuttgart

After not many weeks, Luhukay left already.

This encounter is a very important one for both. Above all FCK has not won this Season so far and only 2 Points on their side, this means if they continue this run they are involved in relegation battle early in the Season. On the other side relegated VfB has a lot of problems and they could only collect 6 of 12 possible Points so far. They are far away what they have expected and also what most of the experts has expected too.
Stuttgart was lucky to begin against St. Pauli if they could turn the match around after fall behind 0-1, next one in Düsseldorf was lost 0-1, while Cup 3-0 won to Homburg and also in Sandhausen 2-1 let them hope and dream for more but after they failed against Heidenheim 1-2 at home it looks like that it is not the same as before and a lot of trouble has arrived already.
The opener for FCK was good against Hannover but only the first 20-30 minutes then they lost the game very easy 0-4 and showed a lot of weakness above all in defensive. The next two matches to Würzburg 1-1 and Fortuna 0-0 was a little uptrend but the Cup knock out against lower division team from Halle was a big blow in their face. Also the not expected 0-2 defeat in Sandhausen what brought the team under Coach Korkut under huge pressure for the upcoming matches.

Although no one reach the normal form against Sandhausen, expect captain Halfar Coach Korkut can not changes much as he has not many available for this game today. They have with Przybylko, Moritz both injured and new signings Mudjza, Ewerton and Kerk 5 possible starters out. Also first keeper Weis is out due to his red card last weekend. This means that they have to field youngster Pollersbeck who give his debut for the first team today. The players who was not available in Sandhausen already they have only hope for Zoua that he can return after back problems, the others are all out. But he came late and was not in best shape anyway, therefore not an increase for the team.

It is the first match after Coach Luhukay said that he wants to leave VfB Stuttgart after some problems with the Club and also Manager Schindelsmeiser. Interim Coach Janßen has a lot to do and prepare the team for the important match. He may changes some of the positions as the options are there in the squad. A lot of players are looking to get into the starting eleven and they are much more motivated as under Luhukay because they see a new chance like Pavard, Mane and Asano. But also Großkreutz, Hosogai and Grgic are ready after their injuries and should be a real option for Janßen here. The same it was for Maxim who was not the favorite from Luhukay but he has a lot of potential to help Stuttgart out of the bad period now. Nevertheless Stuttgart has the problems with his former Coach but the injury list is less and they can get something here, of course.

Bayern München - FK Rostov

This is the start of the CL 2016/17 and also the weeks with a lot of matches for Bayern Munich. They are playing 6 matches in the upcoming 19 days what is a hard time for them. But they have the squad and they can rotate what smaller clubs not can as they have almost 22 even players. Coach Ancelotti said already that he wants to rotate a lot and give players a rest if they need it. He can be happy because the injury list is getting smaller after Robben and Boateng returns into team training this week but they are no option for today’s game but in the next weeks. With Kimmich he has one guy in back hand who is very hot after scoring two goals in the last two matches for Germany against Norway and on Friday for Bayern. He starts as Ancelotti mentioned already what means Alonso sit on bench and get a rest. He can play beside Vidal in central midfield who replace Sanches who had some problems against Schalke with a lot of mistakes, even not his best day there. Also attacker Müller can get some rest but it is his birth today therefore he will start and other guys like Ribery, Lahm and so on can be rested while full fit Costa can get a chance on the wing against deep defending Rostov. Maybe some speed is needed on the wings to beat the defensive minded opponent. Nevertheless Bayern was always able to find a way to win the first match in CL above all at home in recent years. 

They are playing first time against Rostov but they have a very good record against Russian teams, lost only 2 of 18 duels (10-6-2). The last 4 matches were won from Bayern, all against ZSKA Moskau. Coach Ancelotti played already with Juventus against them and he could win both 4-0 and 5-1. If Bayern win this game they can claim the next record for them. With 12 victories in CL in row at home (even with ManU in this category) they can take the pole position alone with the 13. win today.  

FK Rostov starts the first time in CL and they are an absolutely newcomer in this competition. With coming in as second last Season they have to qualify for the CL what they did with a lot of emotions. They could beat RSC Anderlecht in third qualification Round and in the play offs to CL they overcome Ajax Amsterdam with 1-1 and 4-1. They showed a great style of play against Ajax but in the past weeks they are only average in the league and could not continue their good run and play from last Season. Although they could win the game at the weekend they are absolutely weak on the road where they won nothing so far. This means a big duty for them this evening anyway. The players are almost all unknown maybe one player make some noise with his two two goals against Ajax. A 21 years old irani Azmoun can maybe make some trouble for Bayern Munich’s defensive guys. The preferred system from Rostov is 3-5-2 but in Munich they can play much more defensive minded with maybe 5-3-2. Of course they will count on counter attacks and their youngster up front but overall it is a big different in class and style of play of both. They can only hope that Bayern Munich has not the best day.

1.FC Nürnberg - 1860 München

Last Seasons successful team from Nürnberg maybe has lost their team spirit and Coach Schwartz stands under huge pressure already. After drawing twice to begin to Dresden 1-1 and Heidenheim where they lead in both but could not finish it. In Cup it was more as always against a lower division team and FCN did hard but advanced after penalty shot out. But after the Cup game they lost deserved 1-6 in Braunschweig although they took the lead again but was absolutely chanceless against the leader of the league. It was a big sign for the Team, Coach and Fans. They have to find them new again and start winning otherwise the situation is going to be worse in Nürnberg.

Struggling 1860 invested a lot into the squad and Coach Runjaic has to build up a new team. This should be not so easy as most of the players came late but nevertheless they lost only the opener 0-1 to Fürth. The other matches are all in their favor with 1-0 to Bielefeld, 2-1 to KSC in Cup and 0-0 to KSC again. This means they are unbeaten in 3 right now and they are working on it to expand this run. From game to game the team work well together and they have much more quality as last Season above all in offense. 

In the break Nürnberg played a test friendly against BL team Ingolstadt what they won 2-1. This was very important because the players get some self confidence and motivation back, also new signing Matavz and Parker got some match praxis what was important for the upcoming matches. Coach Schwartz plans with both in the starting lineup for this encounter anyway. Both came from Augsburg on loan and should help the team immediately. Parker can play on the wing for Salli who disappointed huge against Braunschweig while Matavz can play in attack beside Burgstaller in a 4-4-2 system instead the last practiced 4-2-3-1. A big problem is the absent from key defender Margreitter. He was already out in Braunschweig and the outcome was a disaster. He miss again and with Hovland replace him a guy who had not the best day against Eintracht. But Schwartz trust him more as youngster Mühl who is also and option there. In goal they must replace veteran Schäfer because of knee problems. This puts Kirschbaum into the starting eleven again but every time in the past he could not take advantage of this situation.

According to the last good result is the same starting eleven expected as in the last 2 matches. Although 1860 was in good shape Coach Runjaic was not so unhappy for a break as he could work with his team on some things and also to integrate the new guys in the team better. Some of the new guys like Ribamar and Stojkovic are still not ready also long term injured Sukalo but sooner or later they can be options and put some pressure on the guys who has a slight advantage at the moment. It looks like that the club has done their home work for this Season and they are much stronger and better prepared as last Season or two ago. With a 4-1-4-1 system with only Liendl in central midfield they are very compact and it is working anyway. A lite shock was to begin of the week for Coach Runjaic that key player Aigner could not train due to knee problems but he recovered fast and is ready for the match today what is very important for 1860.