Bochum, Stuttgart, Cologne, Schalke, but also Leipzig – five teams in the Bundesliga recently had massive problems away from home. They all get the chance to change that on Matchday 13.
Borussia Mönchengladbach – VfB Stuttgart (Friday, 8.30 p.m.)
Since mid-October, the coach at VfB Stuttgart is no longer called Pellegrino Matarazzo, they are looking for a successor in the country. Or maybe they found him long ago. Michael Wimmer, 42, is currently his temporary successor. With him, VfB have picked up six points in three league games – more than in nine games under Matarazzo.
But Wimmer couldn’t change anything about Stuttgart’s away phobia. This year Stuttgart has not yet won an away game in the Bundesliga, most recently there was a 0:5 at BVB. It’s just stupid that there’s another away game on Friday evening. Opponent then is Borussia Mönchengladbach – and that’s a team that has won four Bundesliga games this season, they were always home games.
Borussia Dortmund – VfL Bochum (Saturday, 3.30 p.m.)
After 90 minutes “jogging around” (emre can’s quote) in the meaningless Champions League game in Copenhagen, Borussia Dortmund should go a step further in the Bundesliga. VfL Bochum is the only team that has lost all their games away from home this season. The last time Bochum were able to take something with them as a guest was on matchday 32 of last season – in the crazy 4-3 win in Dortmund.
After the 4-0 defeat in Wolfsburg last week, Bochum have taken responsibility for themselves. There will not be a similarly defenseless performance, if only because the derby is “something special” for the fans, said coach Thomas Letsch: “You fall twice, then you’re over in Dortmund. I’m looking forward to the game.”
1. FSV Mainz 05 – VfL Wolfsburg (Saturday, 3.30 p.m.)
She doesn’t have such good memories of her next opponent at 1. FSV Mainz 05. In the last Bundesliga game against VfL Wolfsburg, Mainz was a player behind after almost twenty minutes and was 0:5 behind at the break, it was also the final result. In general, Wolfsburg are not Mainz’s favorite opponents: Mainz have lost five of the last seven games against VfL.
The Mainzers should also be worried about the development of the opponent before the reunion. Wolfsburg’s start to the season wasn’t good, but VfL have impressed recently. They are unbeaten there for five games.
TSG Hoffenheim – RB Leipzig (Saturday, 3.30 p.m.)
At TSG, coach André Breitenreiter has closed the bulkheads. Hoffenheim have only conceded 13 goals this season. After FC Bayern and Union Berlin, these are the third lowest in the league and for TSG the best value in eleven years. But that can’t hide the fact that things haven’t been going particularly well lately. From the last six games there was only one win (at bottom Schalke), also three draws and two defeats. That’s not enough for the high TSG demands.
The trend in Saxony is different. No team is currently unbeaten in the Bundesliga longer than RB, namely five times. Coach Marco Rose has led his team from twelfth to sixth since taking office. With Rose, Leipzig collected 14 points in seven games. However, they have been waiting for an away win for a long time, more precisely for eight games. The absence of Timo Werner is all the more inconvenient.
FC Augsburg – Eintracht Frankfurt (Saturday, 3.30 p.m.)
Eintracht is still in the Champions League frenzy, so the tough everyday league awaits in Augsburg. However, the Hessians come with concentrated away power. The Glasner team not only made it through to Sporting Lisbon (and made it through to the round of 16), but also in the Bundesliga. Frankfurt have won three of their last four away games in the Bundesliga, moving up to sixth place in the away table.
The good start to the season for the Augsburgers has recently been clouded a bit. They were without a win five times in a row (two draws, three defeats), with the last home game having a strange and, from the FCA point of view, rather disappointing course. After a 3-0 lead against Leipzig, it was only 3-3 in the end. Now coach Enrico Maassen has to rebuild his midfield. Carlos Gruezo and Elvis Rexhbecaj are yellow-banned.
Hertha BSC – Bayern Munich (Saturday, 3.30 p.m.)
After gloomy late summer days on matchdays three to seven (without a win), FC Bayern has long been back in Bayern mode. Munich’s goal record is now 38. Another goal festival like last time against Mainz with six goals – and the age-old record from the 1976/77 season would be set. At that time, Bayern shot the league short and small after 13 matchdays with 44 goals.
The chances are not too great that Hertha from Berlin will end Munich’s recent winning streak. The capital city do not have much self-confidence, there have only been two wins so far this season. And a look at history doesn’t bode well either: Hertha got a point from the last seven games against Bayern Munich.
Werder Bremen – FC Schalke 04 (Saturday, 6.30 p.m.)
The two promoted teams will play the top game on Saturday evening – why not, after all Werder and Schalke are still big names in the league. So far, things have gone much better for Bremen than for the other climber from Gelsenkirchen. With the winning goal scored late against Hertha, Bremen once again demonstrated their dangerousness, especially in the final phase: almost half of their goals of the season (10 of 21) came after the 82nd minute. The fact that Niclas Füllkrug overcame his jammed goal with the goal against Hertha is further good news for SV Werder.
The Royal Blues would be happy if they ever scored. Even under the new coach Thomas Reis, Schalke’s harmlessness on the offensive initially remained. Schalke scored a meager 11 goals after 12 matchdays, just as many scorer points as Werder striker Füllkrug alone. The last six defeats in a row mean a negative club record for Schalke. The bottom of the table should start scoring soon, otherwise there will be a long, all the more depressing winter World Cup break.
Bayer Leverkusen – 1. FC Union Berlin (Sunday, 3.30 p.m.)
With the crazy last-minute win against Borussia Mönchengladbach, Union Berlin successfully fended off the attack of the pursuers, including a certain FC Bayern Munich, and defended the lead in the table. Hard to believe, but Union has been at the top for seven matchdays now. Almost even harder to believe: Union has 17 points more than their opponents from Leverkusen, who started the season as a Champions League participant.
Even after the change of coach from Gerardo Seoane to Xabi Alonso, Leverkusen have not made any significant progress and have even slipped down to the relegation place. One reason for the crisis, in addition to the vulnerable defense (25 goals conceded), is the conspicuous weakness at home: Of the previous six games this season at the BayArena, Leverkusen only won against current bottom team Schalke (4-0 on Xabi Alonso’s debut). A win against the league leaders could be a real mood booster.
SC Freiburg – 1. FC Cologne (Sunday, 5.30 p.m.)
SC Freiburg is spending the winter in the European Cup for the first time and has even had its best season ever in the Bundesliga so far: 24 points from 12 games, SC Freiburg has never had so many points in its club history. Freiburg has only lost once in the past ten games, but with the 0:5 at Bayern Munich all the more clearly.
Köln have even conceded five goals away from home twice in a row. FC are groaning under a long list of injuries and the double burden, but recently surprised with their willingness to run: last week, the Cologne team only played internationally on Friday due to the game being abandoned at 1. FC Slowacko. Two days later they still showed the best mileage of the season, ran more than the rested Hoffenheim team (122.5 kilometers versus 119.7). But Freiburg is also one of the strongest running teams in the league. Unlike FC coach Steffen Baumgart, Christian Streich was able to rest almost his entire first eleven in the meaningless game against Qarabag in the Europa League.