Bundesliga matchday 11 preview: Der Klassiker post-Kovac

After a 5-1 thrashing by Eintracht Frankfurt, Niko Kovac was shown the door at Bayern Munich. RB Leipzig have scored 16 goals in their last three matches in all competitions—all wins.

We still have just five points separating Gladbach from 9th place Hoffenheim, and we have Der Klassiker this weekend. Welcome to Matchday 11 (All times CT).

FC KÖLN vs. HOFFENHEIM (Friday at 1:30pm, FS2):

Defeat to Rhineland neighbours Fortuna left the Billy Goats second from bottom in the table. Florian Kainz is out with a heel injury, so Birger Verstraete is expected to deputize. Simon Terodde has accounted for a third of Cologne’s goals so far, too bad that Cologne’s total is just nine which is bottom of the league.

It’s now four wins on the bounce after Hoffenheim downed Paderborn last week. Victory on Friday will vault them all the way up to second for at least overnight. Robert Skov and Jürgen Locadia got their first goals for the club, while Pavel Kaderabek was also on target. A win would also set a professional record for consecutive wins in all competitions for the club at six. 

HERTHA BERLIN vs. RB LEIPZIG  (Saturday at 8:30am, FS1)

Vladimir Darida returns from suspension as Hertha looks to bounce back from a derby loss to Union last week. Dodi Lukebakio is expected to start ahead of fellow top club scorer Javairo Dilrosun. Arne Maier returned to training this week from a knee injury, but the match may come too soon for him to return to action.

Leipzig put eight past Mainz last week with TImo Werner netting a hat-trick of goals and assists. The last 16 of the Champions League looms as well as they defeated Zenit St. Petersburg in midweek. Leipzig have been scoring at a rate of a goal every six shots right now. The only downer is that Marcel Halstenberg is out for two weeks with a thigh injury joining Willi Orban on the injured list. 

SCHALKE vs. FORTUNA DUSSELDORF (Saturday at 8:30am, FS2)

Amine Harit got a stoppage time goal last week to end the Royal Blues’ three-match winless streak as they defeated Augsburg. Weston McKennie played at centre-back after Salif Sane went out with a knee injury. He could go there again with Benjamin Stambouli out indefinitely and Matija Nastasic unable to train this week with Achilles trouble.

Rouwen Hennings proved the difference in Fortuna’s Rhineland win over Cologne last week. Zack Steffen got his second clean sheet of the season and Alfredo Morales is also expected to start. Steffen is still at the top of the saved chart with 42, but is now joined by Union’s Rafal Gikiewicz. 

MAINZ vs. UNION BERLIN (Saturday at 8:30am, Fox Soccer Plus)

It is in no way “Hakuna Mateta” at the Opel Arena as Jean-Philippe Mateta is still out for the 05ers who slumped to their biggest loss in their 114-year history. The 8-0 loss placed them just two points above the danger zone in 15th. Their record against the promoted clubs is good so far have netted wins over Cologne and Paderborn earlier this year. 

Sebastian Polter’s last-minute penalty sent the Iron Men into delirium as they took Berlin Derby honors. Union are just a point ahead of Mainz in the table. They are looking for their third straight win in all competitions which would be a first under Urs Fischer. 

SC PADERBORN vs. FC AUGSBURG (Saturday at 8:30am, Fox Soccer Matchpass)

Paderborn’s last home match was a 2-0 win over Fortuna in matchday nine. It was their first win of the year. A 3-0 loss last week to Hoffenheim leaves Paderborn bottom of the league three points behind their opponents. They have opened the season losing eight of their first ten. 

Alfred Finnbogason and Florian Niederlechner will look to jump start Augsburg’s offence which has scored 12 goals, but have allowed twice as many. FCA are currently winless in their last six matches and are just three goals ahead of second-bottom Cologne even on points.  

BAYERN MUNICH vs. BORUSSIA DORTMUND (Saturday at 11:30am, FS2)

Hansi Flick is interim coach for Bayern after Niko Kovac was sacked following the 5-1 defeat to Frankfurt. Flick enjoyed a 2-0 win over Olympiakos in the Champions League on Wednesday to ensure a place in the last 16. Robert Lewandowski, who scored again in midweek, has 21 goals in 17 competitive matches this season. 

Dortmund are on a high thanks to downing Wolfsburg, 3-0, last week, and then coming from 2-0 down to defeat Inter Milan in the Champions League. Achraf Hakimi and Thorgan Hazard were the standout performers in both games and should start on either wing at the Allianz.

Jadon Sancho, however, is doubtful with a thigh strain while Marco Reus is also a doubt. BVB last won at the Allianz in 2014. They will go top with a win at least until Gladbach play on Sunday.

BORUSSIA MÖNCHENGLADBACH vs. WERDER BREMEN (Sunday at 6:30am, FS1)

The Foals’ only loss has come to BVB in the league this season. Otherwise, they continue to find ways to win and stay atop the Bundesliga. Last week saw victory over Bayer Leverkusen while Thursday saw a stoppage time win over Roma in the Europa League. Alassane Plea is in contention after coming off the bench on Thursday following a groin problem, but fellow striker Breel Embolo is definitely out with a thigh injury.

The Green-Whites are getting healthier and Milot Rashica has scored four times in his last five matches since coming from injury. However, Bremen have drawn their last five league matches, including against a Freiburg team they led twice last week. Both the 19-year old Josh Sargent and the 41-year old Claudio Pizzaro are options in attack. 

WOLFSBURG vs. BAYER LEVERKUSEN (Sunday at 8:30am, FS1)

The last unbeaten in the Bundesliga fell as Wolfsburg lost to Dortmund last week. Now, the Wolves have a six-match winless streak in all competitions. Their last three matches in that span saw them outscored, 12-2, including a 3-1 reverse to Belgian side Gent in the Europa League. Despite all that, victory on Sunday could see them back in the top four. 

Die Werkself kept their last 16 hopes alive in the Champions League with a 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid. It was their second win in their last eight competitive matches. Leon Bailey came back from injury last week, but will miss this week’s match after getting sent off in the loss to Gladbach. Lars Bender (thigh) is also a doubt. 

SC FREIBURG vs. EINTRACHT FRANKFURT (Sunday at 11am, FS2)

Die Breisgauer came from behind twice to draw Bremen and remain fifth in the table, just four points from the top. Oddly enough, they are undefeated in the league against non-promoted sides as their losses were to Cologne and Union. Four-goal striker Luca Waldschmidt is a doubt again after sitting out the Bremen stalemate with a foot problem, while Janik Haberer is unavailable due to suspension.

The Eagles are just one point behind Freiburg and coming off a 5-1 win that cost their former coach the Bayern job. Five different players scored for Frankfurt in the win over Bayern including Gonzalo Paciencia, while Andres Silva emerged from an Achilles problem. Bas Dost might join them on Sunday after being rested in the Europa League loss to Standard Liege.