The Bundesliga returns with an exciting new set of fixtures this weekend and will be headlined by the thrilling clash between Bayern Munich and Borussia Monchengladbach at the Allianz Arena on Saturday night.
There is a lot at stake as the German top division heads into the final few weeks of the season, with the clubs now intensifying their respective battles for European football and relegation.
Without further ado, let us take a look at what the Bundesliga has in store for us on Gameweek 31.
Hoffenheim vs RB Leipzig (Prediction: 1-2)
RB Leipzig will be aiming to strengthen their hold on their Champions League spot when they travel to the PreZero Arena to face Hoffenheim on Friday night.
Julian Nagelsmann’s men, who are third on the Bundesliga standings, were held to a 1-1 draw by bottom-placed Paderborn last weekend and will be looking to command a turnaround of their recent hit-and-miss form by collecting three points against Hoffenheim and move within a point of second-placed Borussia Dortmund.
Meanwhile, seventh-placed Hoffenheim, who recently sacked Alfred Schreuder from his managerial position, will head into the game on the back of a 2-2 draw with Fortuna Dusseldorf and will hope to reinforce their challenge for the Europa League spots by upsetting Die Roten Bullen this weekend.
Wolfsburg vs Freiburg (Prediction: 1-1)
Wolfsburg are set to welcome Freiburg to the Volkswagen Arena on Saturday as they look to build on their momentum after securing a 1-0 win over Werder Bremen last weekend.
The hosts, who are sixth on the points table, will be aiming to fend off their top-six competitors- including their weekend opponents- as the battle for the Europa League spots heats up with only four matchdays remaining.
Meanwhile, the visitors, who occupy eighth place on the standings, established a hard-fought 1-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach last Saturday and will be looking to surpass Hoffenheim in the league as they aim to keep their hopes of playing European football alive.
Fortuna Dusseldorf vs Borussia Dormund (Prediction: 0-3)
Fortuna Dusseldorf will play host to Borussia Dortmund at the Merkur Spiel-Arena on Saturday in a game that the dominant visitors look set to win.
Uwe Rosler’s men, who currently occupy the relegation playoff spot in the Bundesliga, blew their chances to claim a crucial three points during their 2-2 draw against Hoffenheim last week and will be hoping to avoid a mauling similar to their 5-0 defeat to Bayern Munich a fortnight ago.
Meanwhile, BVB’s perennial effort to knock the Bavarians off their perch collapsed with their Klassiker defeat a few weeks ago and they now look destined to fight RB Leipzig for second place.
The Dortmund giants secured a 1-0 win over Hertha Berlin last weekend and will be aiming to keep Die Roten Bullen at bay with a strong win at Dusseldorf.
Hertha Berlin vs Eintracht Frankfurt (Prediction: 1-0)
Hertha Berlin will be looking to make amends for their 1-0 loss to Borussia Dortmund last weekend when they welcome Eintracht Frankfurt to the Olympiastadion on Saturday.
The Berlin outfit’s chances of finishing in a Europa League spot appear slimmer by the day as they sit seven points away from the top six at ninth place and a defeat to their Frankfurt-based opponents will see those hopes effectively shattered.
Meanwhile, Eintracht Frankfurt, who currently occupy 11th place on the standings, will be aiming to get back to winning ways after their 2-0 defeat to Mainz on Saturday last week and will likely be happy to come away with a point as they sit seven points clear of the danger zone.
FC Köln vs Union Berlin (Prediction: 2-1)
FC Köln and Union Berlin will go head to head at the Rhein Energie Stadion on Saturday in a game that is particularly important for the visitors as they aim to steer clear of the relegation zone.
The hosts, who sit 12th on the Bundesliga standings, were in great form before the campaign was suspended but have failed to win five of their games since the restart, causing them to slip further down the table.
Fortunately for them, their Berlin opponents have also been in freefall, having taken just two points from a possible 15, leading them to their current position at 14th place.
This weekend’s game will, therefore, serve as the ideal opportunity for Koln to secure their first victory since the season resumed.
Paderborn vs Werder Bremen (Prediction: 1-1)
Paderborn are set to welcome Werder Bremen to the Benteler-Arena on Saturday as the two sides will lock horns in the ultimate bottom-of-the-table clash.
Steffen Baumgart’s men, who are currently placed at the bottom of the Bundesliga standings, made amends for their 6-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund by holding RB Leipzig to a 1-1 draw last weekend.
The hosts simply cannot afford to lose this encounter as they are eight points behind the safe zone and will subsequently be aiming to end their 11-game winless run.
Meanwhile, their Bremen-based opponents, who sit five points ahead in 17th place, suffered a 0-1 loss to Wolfsburg last Sunday and will be determined to win this weekend’s game as they will not have a better chance to escape relegation, especially since the next matchday will see them take on league leaders Bayern Munich.
Bayern Munich vs Borussia Monchengladbach (Prediction: 3-1)
All eyes will be on the Allianz Arena on Saturday night as Bayern Munich will play host to Borussia Monchengladbach in the marquee fixture of the weekend.
The Bavarians, who are seven points clear at the top of the standings, only need two wins to secure their eighth consecutive Bundesliga title after they established a 4-2 win over Bayer Leverkusen last weekend.
Meanwhile, the Foals, who sit fourth on the points table after suffering a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Freiburg last Saturday, will aim to strengthen their challenge for the Champions League spots with a favourable result against the league leaders.
Mainz vs Augsburg (Prediction: 1-0)
Mainz and Augsburg are set to go head to head at the Opel Arena on Sunday in what will be a crucial match for both clubs.
The hosts, who are only three points above the relegation playoff spot, secured a 2-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt last weekend and will now be looking to increase the gap between them and 16th-placed Fortuna Dusseldorf with a win over their Bavarian opponents.
Meanwhile, the visitors currently occupy 13th place on the standings after a 1-1 draw with FC Köln last Sunday and will aim to move further up the table to avoid a potential relegation scrap.
Schalke vs Bayer Leverkusen (Prediction: 0-2)
Bayer Leverkusen will be looking to reinforce their challenge for the Champions League spots when they travel to the Veltins-Arena to face a struggling Schalke side on Sunday night.
The hosts, who currently occupy 10th place on the Bundesliga standings, only managed a point from their 1-1 draw against Union Berlin a week ago and will be looking to put a stop to their downward spiral by securing their first win in 12 league games this weekend.
Meanwhile, the visitors are fifth on the table after suffering a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich last time out and will be desperate to secure a victory as they sit level on points with Borussia Monchengladbach, who occupy the last Champions League spot.
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