With European matches midweek the Bundesliga gets back underway in a huge way with a full slate of matches.
Friday’s match pits Hertha Berlin and all but relegated Hannover 96. The capital club is looking to bounce back after a humiliating loss the previous weekend to Borussia Monchengladbach while Hannover is now manager-less after the firing of Thomas Schaaf who was hired in December to help the club avoid relegation.
Berlin is an absolute rock when playing opposition that would be considered of a lower standard than themselves. Hannover has been so lacking of emotion of late and even with chairman Martin Kind to assume full 100% ownership at the end of this season it will be starting in the second division in 2016-17.
Predicition: 2-0 Hertha, Vedad Ibisivic and Salomon Kalou score and not make it a game
FC Ingolstadt has done everything they could have in their first season in the Bundesliga. They have earned points not only at home but on the road and now they can start to consider life in a second season in the top division of Germany.
Borussia Monchengladbach presents a different target. Under Andre Schubert the Foals have become an attacking force that is hard to handle. While susceptible at the back the club has gone from zero points from their first five matches to fourth place. American Fabian Johnson has been a particular focal point in the attack and has been operating with efficiency unseen with the United States national team.
Prediction: Foals 2-1, Ingolstadt has a stubborn defense but still can be broken.
Eintracht Frankfurt is in the same position as they were in the 2010-11. After the sacking in the second half of the season the team was lifeless and didn’t do enough to escape the drop. Niko Kovac has been hired to make sure the Eagles survive but without last years top goal scorer Alex Meier that looks more and more difficult. While more defensively sound the team is still lacking that attacking edge.
Hoffenheim has shown real life under new manager Julian Nagelsmann. Points like that picked up in the final seconds of last weeks match have the club just outside the drop when two months ago. 14 points have been picked up in the eight matches under the youngest manager in Bundesliga history. Their trajectory have only been looking up.
Prediction: 1-0 Hoffenheim, not enough evidence to show Frankfurt can score and survive. THIS WRITER IS A FRANKFURT FAN.
Hamburg plays host to Darmstadt. At the beginning of the season both were seen as candidates for the drop. HSV had participated in two consecutive relegation playoffs but survived both. Darmstadt is another tiny club who is basking in the sunlight afforded to them by playing in the top division.
Darmstadt has been a tough cookie. A scrappy draw after giving up two goals to end the first half showed their resilience and with a gauntlet remaining they need all they can muster. Hamburg is merely needing a few more points to be safe and prepare for yet another year in the Bundesliga. They remain the only team to have always resided in the league and has never been relegated.
Prediction: 1-0 HSV cause the dinosaurs get results at random.
Stuttgart and Bayern typically have contested for top honors as strongly followed clubs in the south of Germany. When the times have been good Stuttgart can be a scary opposition. Sadly it has been a long while since Bayern was defeated in this tie.
With the Champions League still in though VfB COULD pull away with a point or three in this one. Sadly Stuttgart has not had a win in their last five while they started the second half on fire they have just lost Didavi to Wolfsburg on a free transfer and do not seem as interested when they were expecting to fight it out for survival.
Prediction: Bayern 2-1 and don’t need to get out of second gear. Benfica beware.
Werder Bremen last year in the second half went from relegation candidates to nearly making Europe under club legend Viktor Skrypnyk. Again they are in relegation trouble but now face another in FC Augsburg who have previously fought off the drop though are in trouble this season.
Picking up six points from their last nine and being knocked out of the Europa League has left this side scrambling for their Bundesliga lives. In the reverse fixture Werder Bremen traveled south and got a 2-1 win. Now at home they look to make the most of this relegation six pointer.
Predicion: 2-1 Werder Bremen as Claudio Pizzaro keeps them alive and above the drop zone.
Mainz has been the quiet heavy hitters in this years Bundesliga and are challenging for the Champions League places. Right in their path is VfL Wolfsburg fresh off their 2-0 victory over Real Madrid in the quarterfinals of the Champions League. Dieter Hecking would be a fool to risk his players when the second leg is on Tuesday.
For Mainz this is the perfect situation to gain ground on a European place. If Wolfsburg wasn’t occupied with the knockout phase this would be a very tricky tie but despite the Wolves being outside the European places Champions League second leg takes precedence.
Prediction: 1-0 Mainz over the rearguard of VfL.
Few derbies in Europe are as fierce as the Revierderby. Rome derby, El Clasico, Superclasico, the Old Firm are a few who are able to rival the passion that this match brings out. Schalke 04 would love to get into Europe next year and are a club that needs it or they will never stop being in a state of constant change.
Borussia Dortmund will be a little exhausted after their Europa League match against English side Liverpool. Despite this they will not have forgotten they way they triumphed 3-2 at home in the hinrunde. This match means all to both sets of fans and the players will act accordingly.
Prediction: Dortmund 3-1, Schalke might fire Andre Breitenreiter for being humiliated in the derby.
Another smaller derby presents itself as FC Koln and Bayer Leverkusen take each other on in the final match of matchday 29. Both clubs are in totally different trajectories at present.
Koln fell asleep in the dying moments against Hoffenheim and allowed an equalizer, the club is lucky they have enough points to survive another year. Leverkusen has been looking like they might make Europe and need a shot in the arm to get themselves there. Chicharito is the superstar and will probably have a contribution that will tip the scales.
Prediction:1-0 Bayer, Chicharito scoring the matches only goal.
Fox family of networks has a full slate of matches to see on tv. Fridays match between Hertha Berlin and Hannover 96 to be shown on FS2. Saturday early matches Bayern and Stuttgart on FS1, Frankfurt and Hoffenheim on Fox Soccer Plus and Fox Deportes, and Ingolstadt v Borussia on FS2 with the late game of Wolfsburg v Mainz on FOX. Sunday double header of the Revierderby with Schalke and Dortmund on FS1 and Bayer and Koln on FS2 and Fox Deportes
