The Bundesliga will provide yet another exciting weekend of fixtures in Matchday 24.
Bayer Leverkusen vs. Werder Bremen
After an embarrassing 6-2 loss to Borussia Dortmund last weekend, Bayer Leverkusen parted ways with manager Roger Schmidt. The new man in charge of the club is Tayfun Korkut, who will make his debut as manager against Werder Bremen.
Leverkusen have lost four straight matches in all competitions, three of which have been in the Bundesliga, putting them tenth in the league table. Bremen are in opposite form, having won three consecutive matches.
Serge Gnabry will be a player to watch in this match, as the young midfielder has netted nine goals in ten away fixtures this season. Leverkusen have been experiencing defensive woes lately, as they have conceded 15 goals during their four-match skid.
Bayern Munich vs. Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt will look to take points from both of their league meetings against Bayern Munich for the first time since the 1995-96 season. However, their recent run of form will be a concern going into Saturday’s match. Frankfurt have lost their last four Bundesliga matches, which has taken a hit to their European dreams.
Bayern Munich is flying high at the moment. The Bavarian club have not lost since November and are seven points clear at the top. Their 5-1 thrashing of Arsenal mid-week was a perfect display of their attacking abilities.
Darmstadt vs. Mainz
Mainz are set to travel to lowly Darmstadt this weekend. The 11th-place club have not won in their last three Bundesliga matches and will have the opportunity to build on their away record.
Darmstadt appear to be on their way out of the league, as they sit 11 points out of 16th. Their three wins have all come at home this season, and a victory Saturday may give a glimmer of hope for their season.
RB Leipzig vs. Wolfsburg
Two clubs at opposite ends of the table will meet on Saturday. RB Leipzig will look to stay on course for a UEFA Champions League place, while Wolfsburg try to maneuver their way towards safety from relegation.
In the reverse fixture, Leipzig came away with a 1-0 victory. Emil Forsberg scored the only goal of the match.
SC Freiburg vs. Hoffenheim
A top half of the table clash between SC Freiburg and Hoffenheim will be one of the best matches to watch this weekend. Eight points separate the two clubs as Hoffenheim’s European dreams are alive and well.
The reverse fixture was a 2-1 win for Hoffenheim at home, which stretched their unbeaten run against Freiburg to six matches. Since the winter break, Hoffenheim have won four of their seven fixtures in the Bundesliga.
Hertha Berlin vs. Borussia Dortmund
The marquee match-up of the weekend pits the third and fifth-place clubs against each other on Saturday afternoon. Borussia Dortmund have a six-point lead on their opponents and have already faced them twice this season.
Both of the two previous meetings ended in a draw, however, the DFB-Pokal match-up went to penalties where Dortmund came away victorious.
Hertha Berlin have lost their last five Bundesliga away fixtures, including a loss to Hamburg last Sunday. Additionally, they have only won once in their last four matches.
Dortmund is flying high after defeating Benfica 4-0 mid-week, which saw them advance to the UEFA Champions League quarter-final round. In league play, they have won their last three by a combined score of 12-2, including a 6-2 win over Leverkusen last weekend. They are undefeated against their opponents in their last six meetings.
Ingolstadt vs. FC Köln
Two struggling clubs will face each other in hopes of recording an important victory. Both Ingolstadt and FC Köln have lost four of their last five and are trending downward.
Köln have struggled with goal-scoring as a unit. Anthony Modeste leads the way for the club, but they have not won a match when he doesn’t score. After a promising start, the club are now eight points out of a Champions League spot.
For Ingolstadt, the goal is just to stay in the league for another season. They are five points from safety and a win would be a massive result for them.
Schalke vs. FC Augsburg
A struggling Schalke side is in desperate need of a win and this match may provide them that opportunity. They have only taken one win from their last six league games, losing to Borussia Mönchengladbach 4-2 last weekend. A draw against Mönchengladbach mid-week in the Europa League will have the club in better spirits, but a fatigued line-up may see some changes.
FC Augsburg are just one point ahead of their opponents in the table, as they have won two of their last five Bundesliga matches. They are unbeaten against Schalke in the two club’s last four encounters.
Hamburg SV vs. Borussia Mönchengladbach
An in-form Borussia Mönchengladbach side will travel to Hamburg SV in hopes of continuing their five-match unbeaten run. They defeated their opponents less than two weeks ago in a DFB-Pokal quarter-final, winning 2-1. It’s been a fantastic start to 2017 for Mönchengladbach, who find themselves in the top half for the first time since Matchday seven.
It was a relieving victory last weekend for Hamburg, as they knocked off Hertha Berlin. However, they are still not out of relegation danger just yet. Five points separate them and Ingolstadt, and they are level with Wolfsburg on points in 16th. Volksparkstadion will be a welcome sight as the club have not lost a Bundesliga match there in six matches.
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