The German Bundesliga is set up for an explosive finish this season, as we get treated to Round 31 match-ups this weekend. The first game of our three match preview for this weekend promises to be a showstopper, as Borussia Dortmund entertain FC Koln at the Signal Iduna Park ( 15:30 CEST/14:30 GMT). These two great German rivals will square off on Saturday (April 29th). The second match to be covered in our exclusive preview, will be another enticing face-off between RB Leipzig and FC Ingolstadt 04, which will take place at the famous Red Bull Arena, and the third and final clash will see FC Darmstadt 98 welcome SC Freiburg to the Jonathan-Heimes-Stadion am Böllenfalltor.
BORUSSIA DORTMUND vs 1. FC KOLN
3-Way: 1: Borussia Dortmund -312; X: +548 Draw; 1.FC Koln +1150
Spread -1.5: Borussia Dortmund-125 ; 1.FC Koln +125
Total +3.5 : +110; Under -116
BORUSSIA DORTMUND
The Borussia Dortmund has enjoyed another excellent season throughout this dramatic German Bundesliga campaign, which has seen the club go from strength to strength, and this German side will enter Saturday’s skirmish, astute to the fact that a place in the Champions League next season is all but cemented, and a win against F.C. Koln would guarantee this club a well earned position, among the elites of European football once more.
At home, Borussia Dortmund has the best record in the German Bundesliga this season, and this resurgent side has won eleven of their fourteen matches played on home soil. Further still, the side is yet to be beaten all season at the Signal Iduna Park, which has become an impregnable fortress for all visiting sides throughout this campaign.
Borussia Dortmund is experiencing an superb run of form recently, during which the side has gone unbeaten in fourteen matches played as the hosts, and this home side has won seven of their previous ten matches domestically. It would be wrong to underestimate Dortmund this season, The club is a momentous force in German football, and is playing a free and fearless brand of exciting football at present. Additional confidence booster came on Wednesday afternoon when the BVB defeated the German Bundesliga champions, the FC Bayern Munich with 3:2 in the Semi-finals of the Bundesliga Pokal.
Ace striker Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, is enjoying another blistering season for this in form, Borussia Dortmund side. The Gabonese player has been in exceptional form, and has netted 27 goals this season, scoring a grand total of 34 in all competitions.
This sensational striker has five braces to his name this season, and the prolific forward found the net in his latest match, helping to seal all three points with a deciding goal against Borussia Monchengladbach.
Midfield general Sebastian Rode is a doubt ahead of this weekend’s clash, the 26 year old German is recovering from a Muscular based injury, and is likely to miss out on a place in the starting eleven. Fellow midfielder Julian Weigl is also expected to miss Saturday’s league clash, but could feature after a return to first team training this week.
Turkish midfielder, and passing maestro Nuri Sahin, is currently nursing an Ankle injury. Despite this, the 28 year old playmaker is set to make a return to the first team in these next few days, which makes this creative talent a likely selection for coach Thomas Tuchel, ahead of Saturday’s league contest.
1.FC KOLN
The 1.FC Koln is currently ranked 8th in the German Bundesliga, just five points away from a Europa league qualification spot. The club will be desperate to take home all three points when they travel to Borussia Dortmund this Saturday, as they attempt to close the gap on Hertha BSC Berlin. However, this side is without a win in their five previous matches played on home soil, and has won just three of their fifteen matches played on the road this season.
F.C Koln is currently enduring a lengthy barren spell that has seen this side go three straight matches without a victory (D2, L1). Securing all three points this Saturday, would help to set this struggling team back on the right track.
The French forward Anthony Modeste is FC Koln’s top goalscorer this season. The striker has been in excellent form for his club throughout this campaign, and has netted 24 goals in the Bundesliga, which includes two hat-tricks, and three braces. Yuya Osako provides the bulk of assists for his club, setting up six goals this season. This impressive playmaker has also found the net six times in all competitions.
Marcel Hartel will return to the squad after serving out his red card suspension, following his dismissal against second team opposition Fortuna Dusseldorf 11. The clubs Center forward Simon Zollar is also a doubt, after a persistent Thigh problem has prevented the striker from returning to the match day eleven, and recent casualty Pawel Olkowski is expected to be sidelined due to muscular problems.
BORUSSIA DORTMUND vs. 1.FC KOLN PREDICTION
Borussia Dortmund will be focused on extending the gap between themselves and Hoffenheim at the top of the table, and this dominant club will be looking to utilise their home advantage and muscle out all three points away from the visiting side this Saturday.
Meanwhile, FC Koln will be seeking to narrow the gap between themselves and Hertha Berlin BSC, if they wish to keep their aspirations of playing European football alive next season.
I will take the under the 3.5 goals as the two teams have combined 4 or more goals only once in their last five meetings in the German Bundesliga.
MY PICK: Under 3.5 goals (-116)
RED BULL LEIPZIG vs. FC INGOLSTADT 04
3-Way: 1: RB Leipzig -182; X: +370 Draw; FC Ingolstadt 04 +666
Spread -1: RB Leipzig -119 ; FC Ingolstadt +114
Total +2.5 : Over -143; Under +134
RED BULL LEIPZIG
The RB Leipzig is currently the team to beat in this season’s German Bundesliga. The high flying side has put together three wins on the bounce at home, and is unbeaten in their last five competitive league matches. The club is currently ranked 2nd in the German Bundesliga, just eights points adrift of the table topper’s Bayern Munich, and six points clear of Borussia Dortmund. A win on Saturday would clinch the automatic qualification for Leipzig, and would extend their winning run to four consecutive matches.
The club has won twelve of their fifteen matches played on home soil, only having lost twice all season as the hosts. RB Leipzig shared the spoils in their latest trip to Schalke 04 (1:1) and has won six of their previous ten league matches domestically. The side is ranked 9th in terms of overall goals scored at home this season, and has averaged over two goals in ten of their fifteen home appearances.
German forward Timo Werner is the clubs top goalscorer, having netted on seventeen occasions in all competitions, the in form striker has managed three braces, and his last goal came against Schalke 04 last weekend.
The clubs twenty five year old Swedish striker Emil Forsberg has a grand total of eight goals this season, the striker last scored in RB Leipzig’s previous clash against Darmstadt 98 back in April.
Amongst the list of absentees for Saturday’s hotly anticipated fixture, is the Swiss shot stopper Fabio Coltorti, who has been struck by a virus, and Lukas Klostermann , who currently carries a Cruciate Ligament injury.
FC INGOLSTADT 04
FC Ingolstadt 04 is currently in the midst of a relegation scrap, having endured a disastrous German Bundesliga season up to now. The side is ranked second from bottom, four points away from the relegation playoff position currently occupied by Augsburg, and seven points clear of Darmstadt 98, whose fate has already been decided. It is imperative that coach Maik Walpurgis claims all three points, on his sides away trip to RB Leipzig this Saturday.
This will be a tall mountain to climb as the side has lost their last two matches, and has suffered defeats in their previous two home and away fixtures. It has been difficult for this weekend’s visiting side to galvanize any momentum all season, and their recent run of form has seen the side win just four of their last ten previous competitive games in the German league.
The Israeli midfielder Almog Cohen is the highest scoring player for Ingolstadt this season, with seven goals, who last netted against opponents Darmstadt 98, in what was a thrilling (3-2) triumph over their bottom dwelling rivals. Dario Lezcano follows closely behind his fellow team mate with five goals accumulated throughout this Bundesliga campaign.
The clubs Loanee Defender, Anthony Young has been struck by illness, and will miss Saturday’s match, and German forward Moritz Hartmann is expected to be out for the rest of the season with a thigh injury.
RB LEIPZIG vs. FC INGOLSTADT 04 PREDICTION
RB Leipzig has enjoyed an excellent season, and their impressive home form going into this match, will worry the visiting side this weekend. The visiting side has only managed to claim four victories from their fifteen matches on the road this season. To add insult to injury, RB Leipzig has the third best home record in the league, winning 12 of their 15 matches played.
The home team is the clear favorite in this game, but except of the win for RB Leipzig, I also expect at least 3 goals, which is why I am taking the over 2.5 goals.
MY PICK: Over 2.5 goals (-143)
SV DARMSTADT 98 vs. SC FREIBURG
3-Way: 1: SV Darmstadt 98 +245; X: +254 Draw; SC Freiburg +131
Spread +0.5: SV Darmstadt 98 -137 ; SC Freiburg +127
Total +2.5 : Over -108; Under +104
SV DARMSTADT 98
SV Darmstadt 98 will go into this weekend’s German Bundesliga Round 31 clash, knowing that their fate has been sealed, with relegation just a formality, as the side gets set to entertain F.C Freiburg this Saturday. Darmstadt 98 has had the season from hell, and the club currently sits at the bottom of the German Bundesliga table, seven points adrift of relegation neighbors Ingolstadt. On the other hand, recent form has seen the doomed club win their last two games, but is it too little, too late for the hosts of Saturday’s hotly anticipated clash against a high flying Freiburg side?
The Darmstadt 98 currently has the 16th best home record in the league this season, managing just five wins from a possible fifteen. However, the side has lost more than they have won on home soil, having been defeated seven times as the hosts. Alternatively, the side will take encouragement from their last home affair, in a close match that saw Darmstadt emerge victorious, and take all three points against Schalke 04 (2:1)
German Striker Sandro Wagner is the clubs top goalscorer with fourteen goals in the German Bundesliga, and fifteen in all competitions. The Turkish defender Aytac Sulu is the club’s second best attacking threat, with a total of seven goals this season. The striker last netted a goal against Hamburger SV.
The SV Darmstadt 98 will have to make do without Peter Neimayer for Saturday’s showdown, the player is expected to be out for a lengthy period following an Achilles tendon injury. Dominik Stroh-Engel is sidelined after picking up a virus, and centre forward Terrence Boyd will also be absent for saturday’s clash, troubled by an ankle injury.
SC FREIBURG
SC Freiburg is currently ranked 6th in the German Bundesliga standings, and are just two points away from claiming the Europa league qualification spot, currently occupied by league rivals Hertha BSC Berlin. The club will be desperate to collect all three points against bottom dwellers Darmstadt this Saturday, in an attempt to broaden the points margin between themselves and a momentous Werder Bremen side that also has their hearts set on the Europa league qualification for next season.
FC Freiburg will go into this weekend’s contest, brimming with confidence having won their last home match in impressive fashion, against Bayer Leverkusen, in a match that ended 2:1. The side has won their last two matches on home soil, but away from home, Freiburg lost their latest encounter to a rampant RB Leipzig, who demolished a weary looking Freiburg side (0:4).
The striking duo of Florian Niederlechner and Nils Petersen top the clubs goal scoring chart, tied at nine goals each for the season, whilst Maximilian Philipp trails closely behind, claiming eight goals for this campaign.
The clubs current goal threat Maximilian Philipp, will miss Saturday’s skirmish with a thigh injury, and is expected to be out for two to three weeks, along with fellow teammate Vincenzo Grifo, who has picked up a knee injury, and will not return to the side until early May.
SV DARMSTADT 98 vs. SC FREIBURG PREDICTION
SV Darmstadt will want to finish the closing stages of this season on a high note. After their dismal German Bundesliga campaign, the side has managed to carve out a couple of consolatory victories recently, which is sure to boost the bottom sides confidence, going into Saturday’s away trip to Freiburg.
Alternatively, the pressure is on Freiburg to close the gulf between themselves and Hertha BSC, with the proposition of Europa league football at stake, will they buckle under the pressure, or produce the goods when it really matters? I like the over in this one and the both teams to score.
MY PICK: Over 2.5 goals (-108)
Additional Pick: Both teams to score YES (-130)
