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Bundesliga return: Fixtures, kick-off times, how to watch, latest betting odds, tips and preview for German league's matches on May 26-27, 2020

By Sporting Life
Football
Mon May 25, 2020 · 4y ago

Fixtures, kick-off times, how to watch, latest betting odds and preview for German league action taking place in midweek.

Tuesday, May 26

Borussia Dortmund v Bayern Munich

Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich are both hoping for Bundesliga success

Dortmund

  • Form: WWWWWW
  • 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), Schulz (muscular), Zagadou (knee), Witsel (groin)

Bayern

  • Form: WWWWWW
  • 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), Thiago (groin), Tolisso (ankle), Süle (match fitness)

Our prediction: Dortmund 2-1 Bayern (Sky Bet odds: 12/1)

Opta stats

Dortmund's Paul Lambert (left) battles for the ball with Manchester United's Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
  • Borussia Dortmund have lost five of their previous six Bundesliga matches against FC Bayern (W1), conceding 24 goals in those games.
  • Bayern’s Robert Lewandowski has scored 12 goals in his last six Bundesliga matches against Dortmund. The Pole has netted 16 Bundesliga goals overall against his former side – only Klaus Allofs has more (18).
  • Dortmund have won each of their last six Bundesliga games. They last managed more consecutive wins between April and August 2012 under Jürgen Klopp (7 matches across two seasons).
  • Dortmund have picked up 33 points from their 13 league games on home soil this season, more than any other Bundesliga side – they are also the only side yet to lose at home (W10 D3).
  • Bayern are enjoying an eight-game winning run in all competitions and could win nine on the bounce for the first time under manager Hansi Flick.
  • Bayern have earned 29 points away from home in this season’s Bundesliga, a league-high. They are also the only Bundesliga team to score in every away league match this season.
  • Bayern have scored 80 goals across their first 27 league matches this season – a Bundesliga record. Hansi Flick has seen his side net more goals than any other coach after their first 17 Bundesliga games in charge (55).
  • Bayern’s Thomas Müller has had a hand in more Bundesliga goals than any other player under manager Hansi Flick (20; 7 goals, 13 assists). He has been directly involved in one more goal while playing for Flick than in his 42 games under Niko Kovac (19).

Bayer Leverkusen v Wolfsburg

Kai Havertz: Four goals from his last two games

Leverkusen

  • Form: WWDWWW
  • League position:
  • Manager: Peter Bosz
  • Key players: Kai Havertz, Leon Bailey, Kevin Volland, Mousa Diaby
  • Team news: L. Bender (foot), Tah (back), Volland (foot) all doubts

Wolfsburg

  • Form: WWDDWL
  • League position:
  • Manager: Oliver Glasner
  • Key players: Wout Weghorst, Jerome Roussillon
  • Team news: Gerhardt (head injury), Mehmedi (Achilles tendon), Otavio (ankle), William (knee) all out and Camacho (ankle), Guilavogui (knee) both doubtful

Our prediction: Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 Wolfsburg (Sky Bet odds: 9/1)

Opta stats

  • Bayer Leverkusen have scored in each of their last 34 Bundesliga matches against VfL Wolfsburg – no other side has ever managed a longer scoring run against one particular side in Bundesliga history.
  • Bayer Leverkusen have only lost one of their last eight Bundesliga games against VfL Wolfsburg (W5 D2) – before this run, the Werkself had lost six of their previous eight meetings (W1 D1).
  • VfL Wolfsburg have taken eight points from their last five Bundesliga away games against Leverkusen (W2 D2 L1), twice as many points as they took from their first 17 Bundesliga trips there (4; D4 L13).
  • Leverkusen have won each of their last seven home games across all competitions; they last went on a longer such run at home within a single season in 1996/97 under Christoph Daum (11).
  • Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz has had a hand in a goal in each of his last six Bundesliga games. Seven consecutive Bundesliga games with a goal involvement would see him equal a club record since detailed data collection began in 2004/05.
  • Wolfsburg’s Wout Weghorst has scored eight of his 11 Bundesliga goals this season away from home. The Dutchman has netted four times in his last two away games (3 vs. Hoffenheim, 1 vs. Union Berlin).
  • Wolfsburg are undefeated in their last four Bundesliga away games (W3 D1). They last had a longer unbeaten run on the road between December 2014 and March 2015 (5).

Eintracht Frankfurt v Freiburg

Freiburg in action against Leipzig

Frankfurt

  • Form: WLLLLL
  • League position:
  • 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: Paciencia (thigh) out

Freiburg

  • Form: DLLWDL
  • League position:
  • Manager: Christian Streich
  • Key players: Luca Waldschmidt, Robin Koch
  • Team news: Kübler (knee) out, the following players all doubtful - Haberer (ankle), Koch (back), Ravet (muscular), Waldschmidt (ankle)

Our prediction: Eintracht Frankfurt 1-1 Freiburg (Sky Bet odds: 6/1)

Opta stats

  • Eintracht Frankfurt have lost three of their last seven home matches against SC Freiburg in all competitions (W3 D1) – SGE had previously enjoyed a seven-game unbeaten run on home soil against SCF (W6, D1).
  • Freiburg have won 13 Bundesliga games against Frankfurt; they have only enjoyed more victories against Schalke in the division (14).
  • Eintracht Frankfurt have lost five consecutive Bundesliga games for the first time since February/March 2017. They last suffered six defeats on the bounce in the winter of 2000/01.
  • Frankfurt’s Martin Hinteregger has scored eight goals from corners in the Bundesliga this season – no other player has managed more than six in a season since detailed data collection began in 2004/05.
  • Freiburg failed to score for the fifth time in 2020 in their loss to Bremen – they only drew a blank twice in the whole of the Hinrunde. Eight goals from ten Rückrunde matches represents Freiburg’s worst such return for ten years (6 goals in 2009/10).
  • After winning each of their first three away games this season, Freiburg have only picked up one win in their last 11 matches on the road (D5 L5): 2-1 in Mainz on matchday 18.
  • Freiburg’s Nils Petersen hasn’t scored in his last nine Bundesliga games – his longest goal drought in a Freiburg shirt. He did, however, score in both games against Frankfurt in 2019, and has six Bundesliga goals against SGE – more than versus any other side.

Werder Bremen v Borussia Monchengladbach

Cardboard cutouts of supporters at Borussia Monchengladbach

Werder

  • Form: LLLDL
  • League position:
  • 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: Füllkrug (torn ACL), Möhwald (knee), Pizarro (thigh), Toprak (calf) all out while Vogt (hip) is a doubt

Gladbach

  • Form: DWLWWL
  • League position:
  • Manager: Marco Rose
  • Key players: Denis Zakara, Alassane Plea, Marcus Thuram
  • Team news: Embolo (ankle), Strobl (hamstring), Zakaria (knee) all out, Johnson (muscular) doubtful

Our prediction: Bremen 1-2 Monchengladbach (Sky Bet odds: 15/2)

Opta stats

  • Mönchengladbach are unbeaten in their last eight Bundesliga games against Werder, their joint-longest such run against any current top-flight side (level with Mainz).
  • Werder Bremen have lost four of their last five Bundesliga home games against Mönchengladbach (W1) – they had previously enjoyed a 24-match unbeaten run at home against the Foals, a run which began in 1988 (W17 D7).
  • Werder Bremen’s 1-0 win in Freiburg was their first victory for four months (1-0 in Düsseldorf on 18th January). It was only their second clean sheet of the season. SVW had only picked up one point from their seven-game winless run.
  • 21 points from 26 games represents Bremen’s worst-ever Bundesliga season. The last team to survive with 21 points or fewer at this stage were Hoffenheim in 2012/13 (20 points).
  • Bremen have lost each of their last seven Bundesliga home games, which is a new negative club record. Only Hansa Rostock (2004/05) and Tasmania Berlin (1965/66) have ever suffered more home losses on the bounce in the Bundesliga (both 8).
  • Bremen’s Leonardo Bittencourt has had a hand in a goal in each of his last three games (1 goal, 2 assists). He has been directly involved in more goals during this timeframe than across the first 23 matchdays combined (2).
  • Mönchengladbach haven’t kept a clean sheet in 2020 and have conceded 16 goals in the Rückrunde - almost as many as they let in during the whole of the Hinrunde (18).
  • Mönchengladbach have won each of their last three away matches. The Foals last won four consecutive games on the road in the Bundesliga in 1994/95.

Wednesday, May 27

RB Leipzig v Hertha Berlin

Timo Werner: RB Leipzig forward scores his second successive hat-trick against Mainz

Leipzig

  • Form: WWDDDW
  • League position:
  • 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: Konate (hamstring) out, both Ampadu (back), Laimer (knee) doubtful

Hertha

  • Form:
  • League position:
  • 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: Ascacibar (foot), Kalou (not included), Rekik (knee), Stark (groin), Wolf (match fitness) all out, Kraft (knock) doubtful

Our prediction: RB Leipzig 3-1 Hertha Berlin (Sky Bet odds: 9/1)

Opta stats

  • RB Leipzig have won six of their seven Bundesliga matches against Hertha BSC – losing the other 3-2 at home in December 2017. They have won more Bundesliga games against Hertha than they have versus any other side (6).
  • RB Leipzig have scored 26 Bundesliga goals against Hertha BSC – they’ve only netted more against Mainz (28). On the other hand, Hertha concede more goals on average against Leipzig than versus any other side in the competition (3.7 per game).
  • Leipzig’s Timo Werner has had a hand in 31 Bundesliga goals this season (24 goals, 7 assists). Since detailed data collection began in 2004/05, no other player has been involved in as many goals at this stage of a season.
  • Hertha’s Matheus Cunha has scored a goal in each of his last four league games, which is twice as many as he netted in 35 Bundesliga games for his former club and upcoming opponents, RB Leipzig (2 goals).
  • Hertha have scored eight headers in ten Rückrunde games (3 under Labbadia). They netted just twice in this manner across the entire Hinrunde. Vedad Ibisevic has scored a header in both of the two games under Labbadia so far.
  • All of the seven goals that Hertha have scored in the two games since Bruno Labbadia took charge of the club have come between the 51st and 77th minute.

Augsburg v Paderborn

Eduard Lowen: Augsburg midfielder scores a free-kick against Schalke

Augsburg

  • Form: DLLLLW
  • League position:
  • Manager: Heiko Herrlich
  • Key players: Ruben Vargas, Philipp Max
  • Familiar names: Stephan Lichtsteiner (ex-Arsenal), Reece Oxford (ex-West Ham)
  • Team news: Hahn (tendon) out, the following all doubtful - Finnbogason (knee), Giefer (foot), Iago (knock), Schieber (calf), Vargas (ankle)

Paderborn

  • Form: LLLLDD
  • League position:
  • Manager: Steffen Baumgart
  • Key players: Sebastian Vasiliadis
  • Familiar names: Dennis Srbeny (ex-Norwich), Abdelhamid Sabiri (ex-Huddersfield)
  • Team news: Kilian (match fitness), Michel (dental surgery) both doubtful

Our prediction: Augsburg 2-0 Paderborn (Sky Bet odds: 9/1)

Opta stats

  • FC Augsburg have won four of their last six competitive matches against SC Paderborn 07 (D1 L1), including two of their three top-flight meetings (Philipp Max’s goal won the reverse fixture 1-0 this season).
  • Augsburg’s 3-0 win at Schalke last time out ended a run of four Bundesliga defeats in a row. It was also their first clean sheet this calendar year.
  • Paderborn are without a win in their last eight Bundesliga games (D3 L5), and haven’t won since matchday 19 in Freiburg (2-0). However, SCP are unbeaten in two Bundesliga games for just the second time this season (D2).
  • In Bundesliga history, no side with a maximum of 18 points to their name after 27 matches (as Paderborn currently have) has ever managed to avoid relegation.
  • Paderborn conceded a goal in the opening 15 minutes for the 14th time this season against Hoffenheim (1-1) last time out - a league high. Across all of last season, no Bundesliga team let in more than 10 goals during in this period.
  • Paderborn’s Klaus Gjasula could become just the third player in Bundesliga history after Duisburg’s Tomasz Hajto (16, 1998/99) and Gladbach’s Stefan Effenberg (15, 1997/98) to be shown 15 yellow cards in a single season.

Fortuna Dusseldorf v Schalke

Schalke are without a win in nine as their drift away from the European battle continues

Dusseldorf

  • Form: LWDDDD
  • League position:
  • 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)
  • Team news: Steffen (knee) out

Schalke

  • Form: DLLDLL
  • League position:
  • 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: Harit (ligament), Mascarell (groin), Todibo (ankle) all out, the following doubtful - Serdar (shin), Stambouli (match fitness)

Our prediction: Dusseldorf 1-0 Schalke (Sky Bet odds: 17/2)

Opta stats

  • Düsseldorf are currently on a five-game unbeaten run in the league (W1 D4) – they last avoided defeat for more consecutive games at the start of 2012/13 (6 matches). However, F95 have only taken seven points from these five matches.
  • Fortuna Düsseldorf have drawn six of Uwe Rösler’s eight games in charge. The only other coach in Bundesliga history to draw six of his first eight matches was Thorsten Fink with HSV in 2011.
  • Fortuna Düsseldorf have thrown away a league-high 22 points from winning positions this season.
  • Fortuna Düsseldorf have won none of their five home games in 2020 (D3 L2), and only one of their last eight Bundesliga home matches (D3 L4), a 2-1 victory versus Union Berlin on matchday 17.
  • Schalke are currently enduring a longer wait for a win than any other Bundesliga side (9 games). They have only picked up seven points so far in the Rückrunde.
  • Schalke 04 have only managed two goals across their last nine Bundesliga matches – fewer than any other side in this timeframe. Their four Rückrunde goals are also a negative club record at this stage.
  • Schalke have shipped 16 goals in their last five Bundesliga games, as many as in their 12 previous matches combined. Their last clean sheet came on matchday 22.

Hoffenheim v Koln

Mark Uth celebrates his goal against Mainz

Hoffenheim

  • Form: LDLDLD
  • League position:
  • Manager: Alfred Schreuder
  • Key players: Andrej Kramaric
  • Familiar names: Havard Nordtveit (ex-Arsenal, West Ham and Fulham)
  • Team news: Belfodil (knee), Kramaric (ankle) both out, the following are doubtful - Adamyan (ankle), Stafylidis (muscular)

Koln

  • Form: WWWLDD
  • League position:
  • Manager: Markus Gisdol
  • Key players: John Cordoba, Sebastiaan Bornauw
  • Familiar names: Toni Leistner (on loan from QPR), Anthony Modeste (ex-Blackburn)
  • Team news: Risse (knee) out, Hauptmann (groin) doubtful

Our prediction: Hoffenheim 1-2 Koln (Sky Bet odds: 10/1)

Opta stats

  • TSG 1899 Hoffenheim are unbeaten in their last seven Bundesliga matches against 1. FC Köln (W4 D3) – they have only ever enjoyed longer unbeaten runs in their Bundesliga history against Augsburg and Hertha (both 8 games).
  • Hoffenheim are without a win in their last seven Bundesliga games (D3 L4) – they last endured a longer winless run between October and December 2015 (8 matches).
  • Hoffenheim have conceded at least once in each of their last eight Bundesliga games (17 in total) – their longest run without a clean sheet in almost two years (12 matches between April and October 2018).
  • Köln’s Jhon Cordoba scored his 11th goal of the season on matchday 27 – he has now netted more goals in his 23 appearances this term than in his previous three Bundesliga campaigns combined (10 goals in 69 games).
  • FC Köln have scored a league-high 14 headed goals this season.

Union Berlin v Mainz

Union Berlin captain Christopher Trimmel

Union

  • Form: LWDLLL
  • League position:
  • Manager: Urs Fischer
  • Key players: Sebastian Andersson
  • Team news: Becker (thigh) out, Gogia (match fitness) doubtful

Mainz

  • Form: DLWDDL
  • League position:
  • 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: Zentner (knee) out

Our prediction: Union Berlin 1-1 Mainz (Sky Bet odds: 11/2)

Opta stats

  • Mainz have scored at least once in all seven of their competitive matches against Union, winning four of the seven meetings (D1 L2).
  • Union Berlin’s 4-0 derby defeat at Hertha was their third consecutive Bundesliga loss. They are now without a win in their last four Bundesliga matches (D1) – they have never experienced a longer winless run in their short Bundesliga history before.
  • Union Berlin have already let in 23 goals across their first 10 Rückrunde games (2.3 per game) – they only conceded one more goal in the whole of the Hinrunde (24 – 1.4 per game).
  • Union Berlin have failed to score in consecutive games for the first time in their short Bundesliga history. They haven’t scored for 209 minutes, with Sebastian Andersson netting their last goal in Freiburg on 7th March.
  • Mainz’s loss to Leipzig was their 16th in 27 matches this season – one more defeat than they suffered in the whole of last term (15). The Zerofivers have only lost more league games across a whole campaign once before, in 2016/17 (17).
  • Mainz have conceded a league-high 60 goals this season. This is already a negative club record for the Zerofivers – they had never previously let in more than 57 goals (in 2006/07 and 2018/19).
  • Mainz have only lost one of their last ten matches against promoted sides (W7 D2), although that defeat came against Union in the Hinrunde (3-2)

Odds via Sky Bet and correct as of 1515 BST on 24/05/20

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