Just eight rounds remain of this season’s Bundesliga and this weekend’s games could have a major impact on the standings from top to bottom.
Mainz and Arminia Bielefeld lock horns in a six-pointer near the bottom of the table. while RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich clash in a key title tussle.
Frankfurt Remain Resolute
Eintracht Frankfurt have occupied a top-four spot in the Bundesliga since the end of January and they do not look as though they are reading to give up their Champions League position going into this weekend’s match with Borussia Dortmund.
Frankfurt responded to a slight dip in form with a 5-2 thrashing of Union Berlin and they have only lost one of their last 15 league assignments.
As part of that run, they have beaten Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen and held Leipzig to a draw and they should once again be fancied to avoid defeat against one of the division’s big guns.
For a side determined to make the Champions League places this term, Dortmund’s tally of nine league defeats this season is poor and they are still struggling for consistency under interim boss Edin Terzic, managing one win in their last four matches.
The reverse fixture between these sides finished 1-1 earlier this season and a bet on a draw or a Frankfurt win at 11/10 in the double chance market looks a shrewd approach.
The more adventurous can get Frankfurt at a sizzling 33/10 to win the game.
Lewandowski Absence Won’t Stop Bayern
Leipzig are doing all they can to keep the pace with Bayern at the Bundesliga summit, but the Bavarians are well-versed in title pursuits and have gone from strength to strength recently.
After enduring a slight dip in form following the Club World Cup, Bayern responded with a run of six successive wins across all competitions, firing in an impressive 22 goals in the process, and they look in the mood for a game like this.
They made wins over Lazio and Dortmund look easy and should have the upper hand on Leipzig, who have shown an inability to cope with the bigger teams when losing to a wounded Liverpool side in the Champions League and twice throwing away the lead in a 3-3 draw with Bayern earlier this term.
With that in mind, it may pay to simply back Bayern to win this crucial contest at 7/5, despite the absence of the injured Robert Lewandowski.
Gladbach Can Get Back on Track
Borussia Monchengladbach have been one of the Bundesliga’s biggest underachievers this campaign.
However, a comfortable 3-0 defeat of rock-bottom Schalke last time out will surely have improved spirits at Borussia-Park, where they host Freiburg on Saturday.
Fortunately for Gladbach, Freiburg have lost three of their last five games, failing to see off relegation-threatened Mainz recently and the hosts look a decent bet at 20/27 to see off the Black Forest outfit.
*All odds correct at time of writing