Bundesliga Matchday 10 Preview: After the Pokal

Bayern look to be on the way back up while Gladbach has come crashing down to Earth. Freiburg do battle, but they were the only top flight side in the DFB Pokal to be bounced by a lower-division side in Holstein Kiel. It’s now after the Pokal. Welcome to Matchday 10.

VfB STUTTGART vs. EINTRACHT FRANKFURT (Friday at 2:30pm CT, Fox Soccer Plus)

Stuttgart remain bottom of the table winning just once in their last nine matches including back-to-back 4-0 defeats in their last two matches. They are still looking for their first goal under new manager Markus Weinzirel. Mario Gomez will be looked upon to break that duck and get Stuttgart back in the right direction.

Eintracht’s form of five wins from their last six competitive fixtures is matched only by Borussia Dortmund. However, they needed a late equalizer from Sebastian Haller to maintain that run. Haller’s six goals and five assists means he’s been involved in more goals this season than any other player.

BAYERN MUNICH vs. SC FREIBURG (Saturday at 9:30am CT, FS2)

After managing to see off fourth-tier Rodinghausen on Tuesday, Bayern are back at the Allianz after four successive away matches. Robert Lewandowski has an impressive 13 goals in 12 matches against Freiburg. He was an unused sub on Tuesday and is expected to return to the lineup as are James Rodriguez, Mats Hummels, and Jerome Boateng. 

While Christian Streich has never lost to a Niko Kovac-managed team, Freiburg have never won in Bavaria (Bayern, 1860, or Unterhaching) in 28 Bundesliga visits. More disappointingly, they followed an impressive win against Borussia Mönchengladbach with an exit in the DFB Pokal to second-tier Holstein Kiel. Worse, they lost top-scorer Nils Petersen in the loss.

VfL WOLFSBURG vs. BORUSSIA DORTMUND (Saturday at 9:30am CT, Fox Soccer Plus)

Wolfsburg have already matched their win total from last season’s Hinrunde and are coming off a win in the Pokal against Hannover 96. John Brooks has played every minute of every match for the Wolves this season and will be tested against BVB’s attack.

Dortmund required extra time to dispose of Union Berlin in the Pokal on Wednesday. Paco Alcacer did not feature on Wednesday, but when does feature, he scored a goal every 18 minutes he has played. Jadon Sancho may also return to the lineup in place of Christian Pulisic.  

SCHALKE 04 vs. HANNOVER 96 (Saturday at 9:30am CT, Fox Soccer Matchpass)

With just two wins all season, Schalke lie just one point ahead of Hannover in the relegation play-off spot. They did win against FC Köln on Wednesday night in the Pokal. One question for the Royal Blues will be how Weston McKennie will be used after being used just about everywhere except in goal this season.

Local rivals Wolfsburg ended Hannover’s Pokal run. It’s been over one calendar year since Hannover won an away match in the Bundesliga (October 2017 over Augsburg). Miiko Albornoz may make his 100th appearance for Hannover in all competitions while Bobby Wood is one away from passing Eric Wynalda for most Bundesliga goals by an American striker. Tom Dooley leads all Americans with 20 Bundesliga goals. 

BAYER LEVERKUSEN vs. TSG 1899 HOFFENHEIM (Saturday at 9:30am CT, Fox Soccer Matchpass)

Die Werkself has gone goal crazy in the last two matches. They put six past Werder Bremen at the Weser Stadion and then put five past Gladbach in the Pokal. Karim Bellarabi is definitely the man in form and has been involved in a goal every 29 minutes he has played for Leverkusen. 

Hoffenheim ended a five-match winless streak in all competitions with an emphatic 4-0 win, their first clean sheet since April, over Stuttgart last week, but were bounced by RB Leipzig in the Pokal. Reiss Nelson has scored four goals in 254 minutes of Bundesliga play. 

FC AUGSBURG vs. FC NÜRNBERG (Saturday at 9:30am, Fox Soccer Matchpass)

Alfred Finnbogason is FCA’s leading scorer with three goals in the last four matches and missing the first five with injury. Augsburg are off to their best-ever Bundesliga start as they are currently ninth in the table. 

To say Nürnberg are struggling is an understatement. They have shipped 13 goals in their last two away matches. Der Club has a good record in Augsburg where they have not lost since 1974. They required penalties to dispatch Hansa Rostock from the Pokal. Mikael Ishak will miss the match due to a knee injury.

HERTHA BERLIN vs. RB LEIPZIG (Saturday at 12:30pm CT, FS2)

Hertha is back on form after holding league-leaders Dortmund last weekend and then knocking off Darmstadt in the Pokal. They are unbeaten in their last five matches in all competitions. Ondrej Duda is third in scoring in the Bundesliga with six goals. 

Leipzig are unbeaten in their last eight league matches, but their last two were goalless draws. Squad rotation has been common for Leipzig and Saturday should be no exception after the Pokal win against Hoffenheim. Leipzig has the stingiest defense in the league conceding just nine goals—one ahead of Hertha. 

BORUSSIA MÖNCHENGLADBACH vs. FORTUNA DUSSELDORF (Sunday at 8:30am CT, FS1)

Gladbach have come back to Earth with a thud. Their miserable run at Freiburg continued last weekend and they were thrashed 5-0 in the Pokal by Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday. Gladbach missed Alessane Plea in the match on Wednesday and his absence was deeply felt. The Foals are have won seven league matches on the bounce at Borussia Park.

Fortuna ended a five-match losing streak in all competitions with a win in the Pokal over Ulm. Dodi Lukebakio and Marvin Ducksch scored two each in the match, but the latter will likely return to the bench in Gladbach, with Benito Raman expected to be recalled. Adam Bodzek is also set to return at the expense of Takashi Usami.

MAINZ 05 vs. WERDER BREMEN (Sunday at 11:00am, FS2)

After their 3-2 loss in the Pokal against Augburg, The 05ers are now winless in their last seven matches in all competitions. While Mainz have conceded just 10 goals this season, they have scored just five with their goal last week against Bayern their first in 497 league minutes. It is their worst-ever run under Sandro Schwarz.  

Bremen were given a 6-2 hiding by Leverkusen on Sunday, but rebounded with a 5-1 win over Weiche Flensburg on Wednesday. Forty-year old Claudio Pizzaro started on Wednesday, but is likely to go back to the bench on Sunday. Josh Sargent is still waiting for his maiden first-team callup.