Last week, one of Europe’s most beloved football leagues, the German Bundesliga, resumed. Teams are already getting into the necessary rhythm, and each match will be significant. Certainly, this weekend will not be short of emotions due to the intriguing and unpredictable encounters that await us on the German pitches.
The 18th round was supposed to start on Friday with the clash between Mainz 05 and Union Berlin, but it was postponed due to a frozen stadium. Heavy snowfall on Wednesday affected large parts of Germany. The home team announced that there was a risk to the “safety of the spectators” due to icy sections in the stands of the MEWA Arena, especially in the away fans’ sector, as well as on the road leading to the stadium. At the moment, there is no scheduled new date for the match.
This is the second match from the Bundesliga this season that has been postponed. The first one was Bayern Munich against Union Berlin, and in both cases, the team from the capital was involved. Nevertheless, there are still eight matches scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, and we will explore the most interesting ones among them.
The Battle for Europe – Freiburg vs. Hoffenheim (Saturday, January 20, 16:30 CET)
This match promises to be one of the most unpredictable in this round, as both teams are closely positioned in the standings – Freiburg is seventh with 25 points, while Hoffenheim is eighth with 24 points.The Black Forest team started the year with a goalless draw at home against Union and will now seek to make amends in front of their own fans, especially since a victory could propel them into the European zone.On the other hand, Hoffenheim had a good start to the campaign but experienced a dip in form in November and December, registering only one win and six winless matches, a streak that continued into 2024 after a 0-3 defeat to Bayern Munich last week.
Three points tomorrow would certainly restore confidence to Pellegrino Matarazzo’s men and allow them to look more boldly towards the Top 6.The bookmaker Betway favors the home team, offering odds of 2.08 for a Freiburg win, while the odds for a Hoffenheim victory are set at 3.40. The draw is priced at 3.80.
Borussia Dortmund Seeks Consistency Against Troublesome Cologne (Saturday, January 20, 16:30 CET)
The season in Germany for the “Yellow-Blacks” from “Signal Iduna Park” is not going as well as expected, unlike their performance in the Champions League, where Edin Terzic’s charges emerged as winners of a group that included Paris Saint-Germain, Milan, and Newcastle. In the Bundesliga, however, the team is only fifth and lags behind the fourth-place by three points. Talking about the title seems futile, as the leader Bayer Leverkusen is a whopping 15 points ahead.
Coach Terzic cannot be pleased with the situation, especially given the numerous absent players from the squad. For the Saturday match, a total of seven players will be unavailable. Karim Adeyemi, Julien Duvanvil, Felix Nmecha, and Julian Rieerson are sidelined with injuries, while Mats Hummels is unwell. Sebastian Aler and Rami Bensebaini, on the other hand, are with their national teams for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Realistically, Dortmund’s goal for the spring will be to secure a Top 4 finish in the Bundesliga and make a potential breakthrough in the Champions League, where they face a manageable opponent, PSV Eindhoven, in the Round of 16. “Yellow-Blacks” have already been eliminated from the DFB-Pokal, and their 3-0 victory in the last round against Darmstadt halted a streak of four consecutive winless matches in the league. Jadon Sancho made a good impression, contributing an assist in his return from loan from Manchester United.
Betting company Betway is confident that Borussia Dortmund is the favorite in this clash with odds of 1.72 for a win against 4.50 for the home team, Cologne. The odds for a draw are set at 4.20.
Stuttgart Must Secure Victory Against Bochum to Continue Champions League Pursuit (Saturday, January 20, 16:30 CET)
The “Swabians” have been one of the pleasant surprises of the campaign, along with Leverkusen. Sebastian Hoeness’s team is in an excellent third position, but only one point ahead of fourth-placed RB Leipzig. However, last week Stuttgart suffered an unpleasant 1-3 defeat away to Borussia Monchengladbach, and now they face another trip, this time to Bochum. At first glance, this seems like a relatively easier task, but we know that surprises can happen anywhere in Germany.
The bad news for Hoeness is that he won’t be able to rely on his leading goal scorer, Serru Girosi, at least until the end of the month, as he is participating with Guinea in the Africa Cup of Nations and is currently injured. Hiroki Ito, Jung Woo-Young, and Silas Wamangituka are also representing their countries in the Asian Cup and Africa Cup of Nations. Nicholas Nartey is sidelined with an injury.
Starten wir erfolgreich in die Rückrunde oder siegt der VfB? #BOCVFB
am Samstag startet #meinVfL #unserVfL in die Rückrunde und wir treffen im zweiten Heimspiel 2024 auf den VfB Stuttgart.https://t.co/VGiqXNIYyB pic.twitter.com/RYMxHgFPNo
— Klaus Severin (@Severin1Klaus) January 18, 2024
Bochum is in 14th place in the standings, with six points more than the relegation zone, and will fight tooth and nail to stay above it. Such teams are dangerous because they defend well and wait for the right moment to strike, as confirmed in the last round when Thomas Reis’s team scored a beautiful goal in just that way against Werder Bremen. However, Stuttgart remains the favorite for the ultimate success with odds of 2.00 from Betway, while the odds for a home win for Bochum are 3.60. The draw is set at 3.80.
The Derby of the weekend – RB Leipzig vs. Bayer Leverkusen (Saturday, January 20, 19:30 CET)
A real spectacle awaits us at the “Red Bull Arena” on Saturday, as two of the teams in Germany that play open and attractive football face each other.
Marco Rose’s “Red Bulls” could definitely be higher in the standings if it weren’t for some disappointing results, but they remain stable in fourth place with 33 points, just one behind third-placed Stuttgart. However, last week the team suffered another setback, losing at home to Eintracht Frankfurt 0-1. Now they have another home game, but this time against the leader Leverkusen, who is the only team in the top 5 European leagues that has not suffered a defeat this season. Shabi Alonso’s “Aspirins” definitely dream of something special and continue to fight on three fronts, being in the quarterfinals of the DFB-Pokal and the Round of 16 in the Europa League.
For this clash, Rose will not be able to count on the injured captain Willi Orban and Amadou Haidara, who is with his national team at AFCON. More serious squad problems for Alonso – Amin Adli, Odilon Kossounou, and Edmond Tapsoba are also with their national teams at AFCON, while Victor Boniface and Arthur are nursing injuries.
Since Leipzig climbed into the elite in 2016, statistics show that they have an advantage in direct duels against Bayer – 7 wins, 4 draws, and 4 losses. However, in September of last year, Leverkusen achieved a 3-2 victory at the BayArena, and now they will be seeking another.
Goals are expected in the match, and Betway offers odds of 1.54 for both teams to score at least one goal in the game.
Bayern Munich is unlikely to take their eyes off “Aspirins”
On Sunday, January 21, at 16:30 CET, the current champion Bayern Munich hosts Werder Bremen at the Allianz Arena.
The 2023/2024 season for Bayern started with an away game in Bremen, where Harry Kane scored his first goal for Bayern in a comfortable 4-0 victory. Since then, Thomas Tuchel’s team has continued to enjoy a productive domestic campaign, although they remain four points behind Bundesliga leader Bayer Leverkusen after Ezekiel Palacios scored the winning goal against Augsburg last weekend. Jamal Musiala scored twice for the champions in their 3-0 win against Hoffenheim in their first match of 2024.
Werder, on the other hand, occupies 13th place with 17 points but must be cautious of the teams below them. The guests this weekend are only six points above the relegation zone, having won only one of their last five matches. Bayern will once again be without Kim Min-Jae and Nusair Mazraoui due to their participation in the Asian Cup and AFCON. Tuchel will also be without Matthijs de Ligt, as the Dutch center-back suffered a knee injury, so new signing Eric Dier may make his debut. Bouna Sarr is a long-term absentee, while Serge Gnabry is expected to return in March.
The visitors from Bremen also have a long list of absentees for the match in Munich. Werder will be without the suspended Leonardo Bittencourt and Marvin Ducksch, as well as Nabil Keita, who is with Guinea at AFCON. Dudu is doubtful due to a viral illness, while Milos Veljkovic, Leon Augustin, and Amos Piper are out due to injuries.
It is hardly surprising to say that Bayern is the big favorite in the match, confirmed by the odds of 1.17 at Betway against 14.00 for Werder. The draw is set at 7.50. Expectations are for goals in the match, and the bet for at least three goals is 1.38, which is a good option for a bet.
Schedule for the matches of the 18th round in the German Bundesliga:
Friday, January 19:
postponed | Mainz 05 – Union Berlin
Saturday, January 20:
16:30 CET | Freiburg – Hoffenheim
16:30 CET | Cologne – Borussia Dortmund
16:30 CET | Bochum – Stuttgart
16:30 CET | Heidenheim – Wolfsburg
16:30 CET | Darmstadt – Eintracht Frankfurt
19:30 CET | RB Leipzig – Bayer Leverkusen
Sunday, January 21:
16:30 CET | Bayern Munich – Werder Bremen
18:30 CET | Borussia Monchengladbach – Augsburg
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