Sporting Life
The Bundesliga trophy
The Bundesliga trophy

Bundesliga return: Fixtures, kick-off times, how to watch, latest betting odds, tips and preview for German league's matches

By Sporting Life
Football
Sun May 24, 2020 · 5y ago

Fixtures, kick-off times, how to watch, latest betting odds and preview for German league action this weekend.

Sunday, May 24

Koln v Fortuna Dusseldorf

Fortuna Dusseldorf head coach Uwe Rosler

Koln

  • Form: LWWWLD
  • League position: 10th
  • Manager: Markus Gisdol
  • Key players: John Cordoba, Sebastiaan Bornauw
  • Familiar names: Toni Leistner (on loan from QPR), Anthony Modeste (ex-Blackburn)
  • Team news: Richard Czichos (match fitness - doubtful), Niklas Hauptmann (match fitness - doubtful)

Fortuna Dusseldorf

  • Form: DLWDDD
  • League position: 16th
  • Manager: Uwe Rösler
  • Key players: Dawid Kownacki, Kaan Ayhan
  • Familiar names: Uwe Rosler (ex-Man City and Southampton striker, Brentford, Wigan and Leeds boss), Mathias 'Zanka' Jorgensen (ex-Huddersfield), Markus Suttner (ex-Brighton), Zack Steffen (on loan from Man City)
  • Injured: Kaan Ayhan (suspended), Kownacki (knee), Steffen (knee), Bernard Tekpetey (thigh - doutbful)

Our prediction: Koln v Dusseldorf (Sky Bet odds: )

Opta stats

  • Köln’s run of nine Bundesliga games without a defeat against Düsseldorf (W5, D4) ended with a loss in this fixture in the Hinrunde this season (2-0 away).
  • Köln won 2-0 in their last Bundesliga home game against Düsseldorf in February 1997 (goals from Toni Polster and an own goal from Jörg Bach).
  • Köln have scored in each of their last 12 Bundesliga games, netting 29 times in total. They last had a longer scoring run in the top-flight from August to November 1994 (14 games).
  • Mark Uth has had a hand in a goal in each of his eight Bundesliga games for Köln (5 goals, 4 assists); his longest such run in the competition.
  • Fortuna Düsseldorf have lost just one of their seven Bundesliga games under head coach Uwe Rösler (W1, D5): a 4-1 defeat to Borussia Mönchengladbach on MD22.
  • Fortuna Düsseldorf are unbeaten in their last four Bundesliga games, something they also managed midway through the 2018/19 season (4 wins back then). However, they’ve taken just six points from these four games.

Friday, May 22

Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin

Hertha Berlin

  • Form: LWLDDW
  • League position: 11th
  • Manager: Bruno Labbadia
  • Key players: Krzysztof Piatek
  • Familiar names: Salomon Kalou (ex-Chelsea), Dedryck Boyata (ex-Man City and Celtic), Marko Grujic (on loan from Liverpool)
  • Team news: Kalou (not selected), Karim Rekik (knee), Marius Wolf (ankle - doubtful)

Union Berlin

  • Form: WLWDLL
  • League position: 12th
  • Manager: Urs Fischer
  • Key players: Sebastian Andersson
  • Team news: Sheraldo Becker (thigh), Akaki Gogia (match fitness), Kevin Schlotterbeck (suspended)

Our prediction: Hertha 2-1 Union (Sky Bet odds: 8/1)

Opta stats

  • Hertha Berlin have won just one of their five competitive matches against Union Berlin (D2, L2): a 2-1 away win in Bundesliga 2 in September 2012.
  • Hertha’s Vedad Ibisevic scored against Hoffenheim last time out – his first top-flight goal since 4th October 2019 (3-1 win vs. Düsseldorf). He’s scored five goals in his last six Bundesliga games under Bruno Labbadia (previously at Stuttgart in 2013).
  • Hertha Berlin have scored multiple goals in three Bundesliga games in a row for the first time since September/October 2019. They last managed this in four consecutive top-flight matches in October/November 2017 under Pal Dardai.
  • Union Berlin have won just one of their last five Bundesliga games (D1, L3): a 2-1 triumph in Frankfurt on MD23. A 2-0 defeat to Bayern last time out marked the first time they’ve lost two BL matches in a row during the Rückrunde.
  • Union Berlin lost 2-1 in both of their previous Friday evening games in the Bundesliga this season (vs. Frankfurt on MD6 and vs. Schalke on MD13).
  • Union Berlin have won two of their last three Bundesliga away games (2-0 in Bremen and 2-1 in Frankfurt). They’ve picked up more wins and points (6) in these two games than they did in their first 10 top-flight away games this season (W1, 5 points).

Saturday, May 23

Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen

Kai Havertz in action during Bayer Leverkusen's 4-1 win at Werder Bremen

Borussia Monchengladbach

  • Form: WDWLWW
  • League position: 3rd
  • Manager: Marco Rose
  • Key players: Denis Zakara, Alassane Plea, Marcus Thuram
  • Team news: Zakaria (knee), Fabian Johnson (muscular - doubtful)

Bayer Leverkusen

  • Form: WWWDWW
  • League position: 5th
  • Manager: Peter Bosz
  • Key players: Kai Havertz, Leon Bailey, Kevin Volland, Mousa Diaby
  • Team news: Volland (foot), Lars Bender (foot - doubtful)

Our prediction: Monchengladbach 2-1 Leverkusen (Sky Bet odds: 9/1)

Opta stats

  • Mönchengladbach have won six of their last eight Bundesliga games against Bayer 04 Leverkusen (L2). Borussia previously went 26 BL matches without a win against the Werkelf from 1994 to 2010.
  • Borussia Mönchengladbach and Augsburg are the only teams yet to record a Bundesliga clean sheet this calendar year.
  • Gladbach’s Ramy Bensebaini has had a hand in six goals in 12 Bundesliga games for the Foals (5 goals, 1 assist). He’s already bettered his tally from 101 Ligue 1 matches with Montpellier and Rennes (4; 3 goals, 1 assist).
  • Bayer 04 Leverkusen have won eight of their 13 Bundesliga away games this season (D1, L4). They’ve taken 25 points on the road this term (same as RB Leipzig) - only Bayern have picked up more away from home (29).
  • Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz has recorded 10 of his 13 goal involvements this Bundesliga season in the Rückrunde. He has had a hand in at least one goal in each of his last five BL games (4 goals, 3 assists).
  • Leverkusen head coach Peter Bosz is averaging 1.95 points per Bundesliga game in 2019/20 - the second-best return for a Werkself coach in the top-flight. Only Sascha Lewandowski averaged more points per game from 2012 to 2013 (1.98).

Freiburg v Werder Bremen

Freiburg

  • Form: WDLLWD
  • League position: 7th
  • Manager: Christian Streich
  • Key players: Luca Waldschmidt, Robin Koch
  • Team news: Lukas Kübler (knee)

Werder

  • Form: LLLLDL
  • League position: 17th
  • Manager: Florian Kohfeldt
  • Key players: Milot Rashica, Max Eggestein
  • Familiar names: Claudio Pizarro (ex-Chelsea), Nuri Sahin (ex-Liverpool), Davy Klaassen (ex-Everton)
  • Team news: Niklas Füllkrug (torn ACL), Kevin Möhwald (knee), Pizarro (thigh), Omer Toprak (calf - doubtful)

Our prediction: Freiburg 2-0 Werder (Sky Bet odds: 11/1)

Opta stats

  • With 37 points after 26 matches, Freiburg are enjoying their joint second-best Bundesliga season in club history. They currently have one point more than what they finished with last term.
  • Freiburg have scored just four goals from open play across their last 15 Bundesliga games – a league-low in this timeframe. SCF had netted 17 goals in this manner across their first 11 BL games this season.
  • Werder Bremen have taken just one point from their last seven Bundesliga games – a league-low. With a game in hand still, they are currently five points off 16th place, and nine points adrift of 15th.
  • 18 points from 25 games represents Werder Bremen’s worst-ever Bundesliga season. In league history, all of the 37 teams that have had 18 points or fewer to their name after 25 games have been relegated.
  • Bremen have conceded a league-high 14 headers this Bundesliga season (including 3 against Leverkusen last time out). They let in just three goals in this manner across the whole of last season.
  • Werder Bremen’s Leonardo Bittencourt has scored six of his 20 Bundesliga goals (30%) against Freiburg – he hasn’t netted more than three goals against any other side (Wolfsburg).
Our best bets for the latest Bundesliga action

Paderborn v Hoffenheim

Paderborn

  • Form: DLLLLD
  • League position: 18th
  • Manager: Steffen Baumgart
  • Key players: Sebastian Vasiliadis
  • Familiar names: Dennis Srbeny (ex-Norwich), Abdelhamid Sabiri (ex-Huddersfield)
  • Team news: Luca Kilian (thigh - doubtful), Sven Michel (groin - doubtful)

Hoffenheim

  • Form: LLDLDL
  • League position: 9th
  • Manager: Alfred Schreuder
  • Key players: Andrej Kramaric
  • Familiar names: Havard Nordtveit (ex-Arsenal, West Ham and Fulham)
  • Injured: Ishak Belfodil (knee), Sargis Adamyan (ankle - doubtful), Ilhas Bebou (thigh - doubtful), Kramaric (ankle - doubtful), Nordtveit (muscular - doubtful), Diadie Samassekou (muscular - doubtful), Kostas Stafylidis (muscular - doubtful)

Our prediction: Paderborn 1-2 Hoffenheim (Sky Bet odds: 8/1)

Opta stats

  • Hoffenheim have kept a clean sheet in all five of their competitive matches against SC Paderborn 07 – they haven’t registered as many consecutive shutouts against any other team in professional football.
  • Paderborn have lost each of their last four Bundesliga home games, conceding 12 goals in total (an average of 3 per game). Their last home victory came against Eintracht Frankfurt in December 2019 (2-1).
  • Paderborn’s Dennis Srbeny has lost all four Bundesliga games in which he has scored in. No player in BL history has ever lost his first five.
  • After the 3-0 home loss against Hertha BSC, Hoffenheim are without a win in their last six Bundesliga matches (D2, L4) – their longest such run since between November 2018 and January 2019 (7 games, D6).
  • Hoffenheim have failed to win any of their last three Bundesliga away games (D2, L1), however they do possess the best away defence this season, having only conceded 12 goals in 12 games on the road.
  • Hoffenheim won all three games against promoted sides in the Hinrunde (only Bayern and Leipzig also managed this). They are unbeaten in six Bundesliga games against newly promoted teams (W5, D1).

Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund

Erling Haaland celebrates his goal against Schalke

Wolfsburg

  • Form: DWWDDW
  • League position: 6th
  • Manager: Oliver Glasner
  • Key players: Wout Weghorst, Jerome Roussillon
  • Team news: Yannick Gerhardt (head injury), Joshua Guilavogui (knee), William (knee), Ignacio Camacho (ankle - doubtful)

Dortmund

  • Form: LWWWWW
  • League position: 2nd
  • Manager: Lucien Favre
  • Key players: Erling Braut Haaland, Marco Reus, Julian Brandt
  • Familiar names: Jadon Sancho (England/ex-Man City), Emre Can (ex-Liverpool)
  • Team news: Reus (thigh), Nico Schulz (muscular), Dan-Axel Zagadou (knee), Giovanni Reyna (muscular - doubtful), Axel Witsel (groin - doubtful)

Our prediction: Wolfsburg 1-3 Dortmund (Sky Bet odds: 12/1)

Opta stats

  • VfL Wolfsburg have lost their last four Bundesliga home games against Dortmund, by an aggregate scoreline of 11-2. The Wolves have never suffered five consecutive home defeats against any side in the top-flight.
  • Borussia Dortmund haven’t conceded in any of their last six Bundesliga meetings with Wolfsburg – they have never managed this against any other side in the BL, while this is a negative club record for the Wolves.
  • ll five of Renato Steffen’s goals this Bundesliga season have come in 2020 – no other Wolfsburg player has scored as many goals in the Rückrunde. Three of his last four goals have been headers.
  • Borussia Dortmund have won each of their last five Bundesliga games – only Bayern have also managed this. BVB have only once enjoyed a longer winning streak under Lucien Favre (6 wins between MD10 and MD15 last season).
  • 72 goals after 26 Bundesliga games and 31 goals after nine Rückrunde games are both new club records in the Bundesliga for Borussia Dortmund.
  • Dortmund’s Erling Haaland only needed nine games for his first 10 Bundesliga goals – only Paco Alcacer and Gert Dörfel required fewer matches (both 8). He would equal the BL record with an eleventh goal in his tenth BL outing.
The latest Sporting Life Accumulator

Bayern Munich v Frankfurt

Bayern

  • Form: DWWWWW
  • League position: 1st
  • Manager: Hansi Flick
  • Key players: Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Muller, Thiago, Lucas Hernandez
  • Familiar names: Philippe Coutinho (ex-Liverpool), Jerome Boateng (ex-Man City), Serge Gnabry (ex-Arsenal)
  • Team news: Coutinho (ankle), Corentin Tolisso (ankle), Javi Martinez (match fitness - doutbful), Niklas Süle (match fitness - doutbful)

Frankfurt

  • Form: DWLLLL
  • League position: 13th
  • Manager: Adi Hütter
  • Key players: Filip Kostic, Andre Silva, Evan N'Dicka
  • Familiar names: Gelson Fernandes (ex-Man City), Jonathan de Guzman (ex-Swansea), Erik Durm (ex-Huddersfield)
  • Team news: Dominik Kohr (suspended), Goncalo Paciencia (thigh)

Our prediction: Bayern 3-0 Frankfurt (Sky Bet odds: 15/2)

Opta stats

  • Frankfurt won 5-1 against Bayern in the Hinrunde this season – their biggest Bundesliga win against FCB since 1977 (4-0 back then). Head coach Niko Kovac parted ways with Bayern following the match.
  • FC Bayern have won 12 of their 13 Bundesliga home games against Frankfurt at the Allianz Arena (D1), with an aggregate scoreline of 40-6. They’ve only celebrated more BL home wins at the Allianz against Wolfsburg (14).
  • Only two sides in Bundesliga history have picked up more points from their first nine Rückrunde games than Bayern have currently (25): Bayern in 2013/14 under Pep Guardiola and in 2012/13 under Jupp Heynckes (both 27 points).
  • Bayern’s Hansi Flick saw his side score their 50th goal in his 16th Bundesliga game in charge last time out. No other head coach has reached this milestone as quickly in the competition.
  • Bayern have won each of their last seven matches across all competitions, and have taken 34 out of a possible 36 points from their last 12 Bundesliga games. The only game in which they dropped points came during a 0-0 draw against Leipzig on MD21.
  • Frankfurt are the weakest team away from home in the Bundesliga this season, picking up just seven points on the road. They’ve lost nine of their 12 away games this term, and have yet to keep a clean sheet away from Frankfurt.

Schalke v Augsburg

Schalke boss David Wagner spent three years as Huddersfield Town head coach

Schalke

  • Form: DDLLDL
  • League position: 8th
  • Manager: David Wagner
  • Key players: Ozan Kabak, Amin Harat
  • Familiar names: David Wagner (ex-Huddersfield boss), Rabbi Matondo (Wales, ex-Man City), Jonjoe Kenny (on loan from Everton), Matija Nastasic (ex-Man City), Benjamin Stambouli (ex-Tottenham)
  • Team news: Benjamin Stambouli (match fitness - doubtful)

Augsburg

  • Form: LDLLLL
  • League position: 14th
  • Manager: Heiko Herrlich
  • Key players: Ruben Vargas, Philipp Max
  • Familiar names: Stephan Lichtsteiner (ex-Arsenal), Reece Oxford (ex-West Ham)
  • Team news: Alfreo Finnbogason (knee - doubtful), Julian Schieber (calf - doubtful)

Our prediction: Schalke 1-1 Augsburg (Sky Bet odds: 11/2)

Opta stats

  • Schalke are without a win in their last eight Bundesliga games (D4, L4). They had a similar winless run between matchdays 19 to 26 last season, before ending it with a 1-0 win against Hannover on MD27.
  • Schalke have scored just two goals in their last eight Bundesliga games, fewer than any other side in this timeframe. They have equalled a negative club record with just four goals in nine Rückrunde games (previously only in 1965/66).
  • Schalke have shipped 19 goals in their last eight Bundesliga games – a league high-figure, and ahead of opponents Augsburg (18). Schalke have conceded 13 goals in their last four matches – as many as in their previous 11 games combined.
  • Augsburg have lost four Bundesliga games on the bounce for the first time since November/December 2018, and have taken just one point from their last six league matches.
  • No Bundesliga team have picked up fewer points in the Rückrunde this season than Augsburg (4; W1, D1, L7). FCA had previously averaged at least eight points from their first nine Rückrunde games in the competition.
  • Augsburg have conceded 54 goals after 26 matchdays this Bundesliga season – they've never shipped more at this stage of a campaign. Indeed, no other team are currently on a longer wait for a Bundesliga clean sheet than Augsburg (10 games).
  • Augsburg’s Florian Niederlechner has scored four goals in six Bundesliga games against Schalke – more than he’s netted against any other top-flight team.

Mainz v RB Leipzig

Ademola Lookman in action for RB Leipzig

Mainz

  • Form: WDLWDD
  • League position: 15th
  • Manager: Achim Beierlorzer
  • Key players: Jean-Philippe Mateta, Moussa Niakhate, Robin Quaison
  • Familiar names: Ji Dong-won (ex-Sunderland), Jeffrey Bruma (ex-Chelsea), Taiwo Awoniyi (on loan from Liverpool), Edimilson Fernandes (ex-West Ham)
  • Team news: Robin Zentner (knee)

RB Leipzig

  • Form: DWWDDD
  • League position: 4th
  • Manager: Julian Nagelsmann
  • Key players: Timo Werner, Dayot Upamecano, Marcel Subitzer
  • Familiar names: Ademola Lookman (ex-Everton), Ethan Ampadu (Wales/on loan from Chelsea), Angelino (on loan from Man City), Peter Gulacsi (ex-Liverpool)
  • Team news: Ampadu (back - doubtful), Emile Forsberg (tonsilitis - doubtful)

Our prediction: Mainz v RB Leipzig (Sky Bet odds: )

Opta stats

  • RB Leipzig’s 8-0 Hinrunde win over 1. FSV Mainz 05 was their biggest win in club history, and also Mainz’s heaviest ever defeat in any competition.
  • Leipzig’s Timo Werner scored a hat trick and set up three goals in the 8-0 Hinrunde win over Mainz. He became only the second player to be involved in six goals in a single Bundesliga game since detailed data collection began in 2004/05.
  • At least three goals have been scored in each of the seven Bundesliga meetings between 1. FSV Mainz 05 and RB Leipzig.
  • Mainz have only lost one of their last six Bundesliga matches (W2, D3): 4-0 in Wolfsburg on matchday 23. They are currently enjoying a three-game unbeaten run for the first time this season.
  • RB Leipzig have only won two of their last eight Bundesliga matches (D5, L1), taking just 11 of a possible 24 points in this timeframe.
  • Leipzig have only held a lead at the break in two of their last 11 Bundesliga games (4x level, 5x behind). They have scored more than four times as many goals in the second half as they have in the first during this timeframe (17-4).
  • Leipzig’s Yussuf Poulsen ended his run of 146 days without a competitive goal last time out against Freiburg, netting the equaliser in a 1-1 draw.

Odds via Sky Bet and correct as of 1730 BST on 19/05/20

Follow Sporting Life on social - find us on Facebook here or tweet @SportingLifeFC

Related content

Responsible gambling

We are committed in our support of responsible gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.Sky Bet's responsible gambling tools are detailed here and if you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, or visit begambleaware.org. Further support and information can be found at GamCare and gamblingtherapy.org.