Yousouffa Moukoko is applying for a World Cup ticket, SC Freiburg for the lead in the table, Schalke for the first win under coach Thomas Reis – the preview of the 14th matchday of the Bundesliga.
VfL Wolfsburg – Borussia Dortmund (Tuesday, 6.30 p.m.)
There are still two Bundesliga games to go before Youssoufa Moukoko celebrates his 18th birthday, but only this one game at VfL Wolfsburg before what is probably the most important sporting decision in the life of the Borussia Dortmund striker. On Thursday (November 10th, 2022) national coach Hansi Flick will announce which 26 professionals are flying to the World Cup for Germany. Moukoko has long been considered a representative of the classic center forward as a candidate. After his two goals in the 3-0 win over VfL Bochum, his first brace in the Bundesliga, there are even calls for him to be taken with him.
There is a lot of hype about a 17-year-old teenager without an international match, who will be the focus of the BVB game due to the forthcoming nomination, who are three points behind leaders FC Bayern trying to keep the gap as possible until the World Cup break.
That will be challenging, because even before the task on Friday at Borussia Mönchengladbach, VfL Wolfsburg are waiting for an opponent who has been convincing recently. The 4-0 win against VfL Bochum was followed by a 3-0 win at 1. FSV Mainz 05. Captain Maximilian Arnold scored a goal worth seeing in the away win. He too is hoping for a nomination and, should Flick not already have his squad together, has the last chance to apply.
FC Bayern Munich – SV Werder Bremen (Tuesday, 8.30 p.m.)
FC Bayern internationals don’t have to worry about being nominated for the World Cup. Due to a shoulder injury, there were slight doubts as to whether Manuel Neuer would be fit in time. He dispelled these doubts in Bayern’s 3-2 win at Hertha BSC.
Doubts remain, however, as to whether the defense of the new league leaders meets the highest standards. Since Werder Bremen should be a very good touchstone. However, striker Niclas Füllkrug, who is also considered a candidate for a place in the German World Cup squad, is out with back problems. “He’ll probably be available again against Leipzig,” coach Ole Werner gave the all-clear before leaving for Munich that Füllkrug might have to turn down an invitation from the national coach.
Mitchell Weiser, who set up both goals in the arduous 2-1 win against FC Schalke 04, probably comes too late, one for Füllkrug and one for his strike partner Marvin Ducksch.
For the 111th time – and thus more often than any other pairing – the duel between FC Bayern and Werder Bremen is on. There was a time when the North Germans were considered the enemy of Bavaria. However, Bremen have not won any of the last 25 Bundesliga duels with four draws.
VfL Bochum – Borussia Mönchengladbach (Tuesday, 8.30 p.m.)
Successes against Eintracht Frankfurt and 1. FC Union Berlin had given VfL Bochum courage in the relegation battle under new coach Thomas Letsch. However, two clear away defeats followed at VfL Wolfsburg (0:4) and Borussia Dortmund (0:3).
For this reason alone, Bochum will be happy to be able to play again in their stadium on Castroper Straße. With Borussia Mönchengladbach, a team is visiting that has not yet won a game away from home.
Thomas Letsch said: “If we can build on the many things that went well against Dortmund and act with the same vigor as in our two recent home games, we have our chance against Borussia.”
Gladbach will continue to be without goalkeeper Yann Sommer. For the Swiss, it will also be tight with a view to the World Cup.
Gladbach won both games against Bochum last season. The second half of the game at VfL sadly made history when referee assistant Christian Gittelmann was hit in the back of the head in the 69th minute by a full beer mug thrown by a Bochum fan. He was dazed and had to be taken to the hospital for an examination. The game was then stopped by referee Benjamin Cortus.
VfB Stuttgart – Hertha BSC (Tuesday, 8.30 p.m.)
VfB Stuttgart, eleven points, 16th place in the table, against Hertha BSC, eleven points, 15th place in the table: These facts say everything about the importance of the game in which VfB alludes to a disastrous series. The Swabians have conceded at least one goal in each of their last 28 home games. The early goals conceded are currently even more worrying. In the game at Borussia Dortmund (0:5), VfB fell behind in the second minute, against FC Augsburg (2:1) and at Borussia Mönchengladbach (1:3) it was the fourth minute.
Michael Wimmer, who is applying for continued employment as head coach after the World Cup break, “wants to question himself that I might be able to get the boys onto the field better in the first five minutes”.
Hertha even fell 3-0 down against FC Bayern on the last matchday, but closed the gap to 3-2 before the break. It wasn’t enough to equalize, but as has happened more often this season, the performance of the Berliners gave us courage for the coming task. This is also the case before the duel at VfB, but coach Sandro Schwarz warned: “We mustn’t quarrel with fate, don’t think the points will come.”
1. FC Cologne – Bayer Leverkusen (Wednesday, 6.30 p.m.)
Comparing the squads of the two teams, it is more of a sensation than a surprise that 1. FC Köln have five points more than Bayer Leverkusen before the direct duel on matchday 14. A draw would be enough for the Cologne team to definitely go into the World Cup break ahead of their Rhenish rivals.
In view of the trend of the past few weeks, coach Steffen Baumgart’s team should probably be satisfied with a draw. The ongoing English Weeks have gotten to the point, especially since the Cologne team run an average of 116.47 kilometers per game, the second-highest running effort of all Bundesliga teams (behind Union Berlin).
Twelve points from 13 games are still far too few for the claims and potential class of Leverkusen. But the 5-0 win against 1. FC Union Berlin last matchday is seen as a possible turning point.
However: Leverkusen only got four points from the six away games this season and have lost more often (4 times) than in the whole of last season (3 times). Both guest appearances were lost under the new coach Xabi Alonso: 1:5 in Frankfurt, 0:2 in Leipzig
1. FC Union Berlin – FC Augsburg (Wednesday, 8.30 p.m.)
Nine goals conceded in twelve Bundesliga games, and then five in 30 minutes at Bayer Leverkusen: Urs Fischer got a bit angry after all. “For me that was youth football, we didn’t do it well,” complained the coach after the 0:5.
But the hearty defeat hardly spoils the overall picture, which still shows the “Iron” as one of the surprise teams in the Bundesliga in a positive sense. Union is the favorite against Augsburg, especially since there have been five wins and a draw at the Alte Försterei so far.
Union is in third place in the table despite having the third least ball possession (44.6 percent). However, opponents Augsburg (44.1) have the lowest game shares of all 18 clubs. With a net playing time of around one hour, Augsburg and Union are only on the ball for around 25 minutes per game on average.
RB Leipzig – SC Freiburg (Wednesday, 8.30 p.m.)
Many had expected that the second in the table would play in the duel between Leipzig and Freiburg. However, very few would have believed that this would be the sports club from Breisgau. The team coached by Christian Streich is showing remarkably stable performances, recently winning comfortably against Werder Bremen, at FC Schalke 04 and also against 1. FC Köln, each 2-0.
Freiburg, which had just one point less than Bayern before the match day, is also wintering in the European Cup and the DFB Cup. So there is a chance of reaching the final in Berlin again. In the 2021/22 edition, the SC came close to winning the cup for the first time. But the final was lost – on penalties against Leipzig.
Eintracht Frankfurt – TSG Hoffenheim (Wednesday, 8.30 p.m.)
Both the bitter defeat against Borussia Dortmund and the intoxicating victory at Sporting Lisbon, which meant progress in the Champions League, left no negative consequences for Eintracht Frankfurt in so-called everyday life. Despite falling behind early on, the Hessians won 2-1 at FC Augsburg.
Sebastian Rode stands for Eintracht’s recent successes like no other player. The game tipped over against Sporting after he was substituted on, in Augsburg he quickly equalized. Rode has been shining in an unusual role as a goalscorer this season, has already set his personal record for an entire season with three goals and is currently a real snapper: he only needed four shots for his three goals.
TSG have only taken one point from the last three games and have a noticeably worse record against the teams in the top half of the table than against those in the bottom half. In this respect, there is a lot to be said for Frankfurt.
FC Schalke 04 – 1. FSV Mainz 05 (Wednesday, 8.30 p.m.)
Six points from 13 games corresponds to an average of less than 0.5 points per game for FC Schalke. Even if the relegation place could be reached with 27 points at the end of the season, the Gelsenkirchen team would have to more than double their average for the remaining games.
That shows how enormously important the duel with 1. FSV Mainz 05 will be, especially since Bayern are the last opponents before the World Cup break. The appearance at Werder Bremen was quite encouraging, but in the end there was also a defeat in the second game under coach Thomas Reis.
The only Mainz Bundesliga win against Schalke was a long time ago. In May 2011, the Rheinhessen won 3-1 under coach Thomas Tuchel. Today’s coach Bo Svensson played 90 minutes back then.