Group A
Napoli will travel to Amsterdam looking to maintain their perfect start against an Ajax side smarting from their late defeat against Liverpool. The Italians have arguably been the standout side in the competition so far and can take a giant leap towards qualification with a victory in the Dutch capital.
Elsewhere it will be a first ever meeting of Liverpool and Rangers at Anfield with both sides needing wins for different reasons. Liverpool will look to Europe to gain some form after stuttering in the league while Rangers are yet to get off the mark in their return to the top table.
Group B
Club Brugge have arguably been the biggest surprise package in the tournament so far and will look to claim another scalp when they host Atletico Madrid.
The Belgians have made a perfect start and another victory would open a big gap between themselves and third place in the group.
Porto will be aiming to get off the mark after two defeats in their first two games when they host Bayer Leverkusen. The Germans are struggling domestically but did defeat Atletico last time out so they’ll have some belief travelling to Portugal.
Group C
Bayern Munich have once more made an impressive start to a Champions League group stage and will get the action underway on Tuesday when they host Viktoria Plzen in the early kickoff.
The German champions defeated their two biggest group rivals in September and will be expecting to dispatch of their Czech visitors to maintain their lead in the group.
Inter Milan meanwhile will host Barcelona in what is the biggest game of the week.
Both sides came up short when facing Bayern and both defeated Plzen so they’ll view these two upcoming games as the key to deciding who will follow Julien Nagelsmann’s side into the last 16.
Group D
Sporting are another side who have impressed, taking six points in what looked the most open group on paper.
They travel to Marseille on Tuesday who desperately need a win if they are to stand any hope of reaching the next round. The French side have started well in the league but have struggled badly in Europe in recent years and will be desperate to give the home support something to cheer.
Tottenham will visit Eintracht Frankfurt in the other Group D clash looking to bounce back from their weekend defeat to bitter rivals Arsenal and take steps towards qualification. It will be far from easy against the Europa League winners who will also have their sights on the latter stages.
Group E
AC Milan head what has been a very tight and unpredictable Group E and will host Chelsea on Wednesday night with injuries to key players disrupting their preparation.
French pair Mike Maignan and Theo Hernandez will miss the clash against Graham Potter’s men who needs points themselves having stuttered in their opening two games.
Salzburg are unbeaten thus far but have also yet to win but a victory over Dinamo Zagreb at home would put them in good stead heading into the turn in the group. The Croatians will be aiming for another surprise victory having stunned Chelsea last month.
Group F
Holders Real Madrid have made a serene start to their title defence and host Shakhtar on Wednesday looking to maintain their 100% record.
The visitors have also made a good start to the group and look favourites to join their hosts in the next round.
Celtic will travel to Leipzig looking to build on their credible draw against Shakhtar last time out and will need to get something to keep their qualification hopes alive as will the bottom side from East Germany.
Group G
Erling Haaland has been in utterly sensational form this season with 17 goals so far and the visit of FC Copenhagen will offer the Norwegian another chance to add to his tally.
The Danes picked up a draw against Sevilla three weeks ago but will be up against a Manchester City side brimming with confidence after sticking six goals past their local rivals Manchester United.
Sevilla have made a terrible start in La Liga and need to get something at home to Borussia Dortmund to avoid being cut adrift in terms of qualification. Victory for the Germans will see them move five points clear of their hosts with just three games to play.
Group H
Benfica have been another surprise outfit this season, winning nine of ten games in all competitions and two 100% records will go head to head in this group when they host PSG.
The Lisbon side claimed a stunning victory away at Juventus last time out and even a point here at home to the French champions will boost their chances of repeating what they did last year when they knocked Barcelona out in the group stages.
Juventus will be looking to avoid the same fate as the Spaniards and nothing less than three points against Maccabi Haifa in Turin will do, with manager Max Allegri under all sorts of pressure.
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Although Christensen and Azpilicueta will decrease Chelsea’s depth in this position, the task of replacing Rudiger will be the toughest part. The German has played over 800 minutes more than teammates in the same position and has been one of the best defenders in the league this season.
Here are four potential defenders who could replace Rudiger next season.
Kounde has been the favoured replacement for many Chelsea fans as the Frenchman has been on the radar of many top clubs over the last two seasons.
The 23-year-old has made 28 league appearances this season, helping Sevilla keep 11 clean sheets in their battle for a Champions League spot.
When compared to Rudiger, Kounde matches up very well defensively. They both have won a similar number of tackles and win the majority of them in the defensive third. Rudiger attempts more tackles against players dribbling at him than Kounde, but they are both successful 60% of the time.
The Sevilla defender has made the same number of clearances that Rudiger but is more successful in winning possession after pressing his opponent. Kounde is comfortable passing from the back and wins 63% of his duels.
Due to his age and potential, Kounde is likely to have a high value in the current market. It has been reported that he has a release clause worth £80 million but Sevilla could accept a fee between £60 million and £70 million.
Chelsea could avoid paying a fee at all for a defender as Levi Colwill, who is currently on loan at Huddersfield, has shown he can play in Rudiger’s role.
Colwill has operated on the left side of a back three and a back four this season in his 28 Championship appearances. His quality and positioning skills have helped Huddersfield in their fight for promotion back to the Premier League.
The 19-year-old has a pass completion of 78% and 86% in his own half. He averages 1.3 interceptions per game, 1.7 tackles, and 4.2 clearances on his way to 11 clean sheets so far this season.
The Englishman wins 65% of both ground and aerial duels and has only made one error leading to a shot.
Huddersfield have taken many young English players on loan from the Premier League before with the likes of Emile Smith Rowe, Trevor Chalobah and Ben Chilwell all having stints at the club.
Current manager Carlos Corberan has predicted a bold future for Colwill.
“I think he is going to be one of the most important centre-backs for this country in the future. I am seeing a player with a lot of potential and a lot of personality.”
N’Dicka has the potential to be a like-for-like replacement for Rudiger after being a shining light for Frankfurt in a disappointing domestic campaign.
The Frenchman has played 30 of Frankfurt’s 32 league games as the club currently sits in 12th. Defensively, he averages over four clearances per game along with 1.9 tackles and 1.5 interceptions. He has made more tackles, interceptions, blocks, and clearances than Rudiger this season, and is more effective when pressing the opponent.
The 22-year-old has also shown that he can progress the ball in a similar fashion to Rudiger. Both defenders have a dribble success percentage of 71%, with N’Dicka attempting twice as many dribbles, and completing over 84% of their passes. He has also scored four times and picked up four assists in the Bundesliga this season.
Frankfurt had better luck in their European campaign as they made their way to the Europa League final after beating West Ham. N’Dicka had a special game in the second leg as he managed to win three tackles, made three interceptions, four clearances including one off the line, won eight of his 12 duels, and completed 87.1% of his passes.
Jokso Gvardiol
Gvardiol, much like Kounde, has been linked with many clubs over the last 12 months. Manchester City, Tottenham, and Bayern Munich have all shown interest in the centre-back, who has shown he is very comfortable on the left side of a back three.
The Croatian intercepts far more often than the aforementioned defenders and averages a similar number of tackles per game. He is also very efficient when pressing in the midfield third but does not clear the ball as often as other centre-backs.
The 20-year-old has attempted almost six times as many dribbles as Rudiger and only has a slightly lower success percentage at 68.3%. He has also progressed the ball the same distance as Rudiger this season while attempting 80 fewer carries.
After a poor start to the season, RB Leipzig are currently fifth and one point off a Champions League spot. Their Europa League campaign came to end in the semi-finals after losing to Rangers.
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]]>Moriba flew to Germany to complete his medical and eventually sign a five-year deal with Leipzig before the deadline.
The 18-year-old’s current contract with Barcelona was set to expire at the end of next season and the five-time Champions League winners wanted to extend Moriba’s contract as he was seen as an important part of the club’s future.
Barcelona manager, Ronald Koeman, expressed his disappointment with the situation after Moriba and his agent failed to come to an agreement with the club over a new deal.
“I think the situation is horrible. He has had the chance to play for the first team. He is the future of this club.
My advice to him is that money is not the most important thing. It is about playing games. But the player and his agents have decided differently. I am disappointed.”
Club president Joan Laporta also explained the club’s standpoint and the values and beliefs he wants to instil into academy graduates.
“What we don’t want is our players made at La Masia who don’t want to renew. He’s a player we’ve given opportunities to, but the club is above all.”
After the contract talks broke down, Moriba was sent to train with the youth team during pre-season.
Moriba made 18 appearances for Barcelona last year including his Champions League debut in Blaugrana’s second leg fixture against PSG. He scored one goal for the club which came in a 2-0 victory against Osasuna, and it was assisted by none other than Lionel Messi.
After six years at the club, Marcel Sabitzer has left to join Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich along with former teammate Dayot Upamecano and manager Julien Nagelsmann. Sabitzer played 39 times for Leipzig last season and was a pivotal part of the midfield, playing in a deeper role than usual.
Moriba is the ideal replacement for Sabitzer not in terms of the future but also the present. The Guinean international can operate in a box-to-box role for the German side, much like Sabitzer did, but can also play a purely defensive role if necessary.
He often came on as a substitute for Sergio Busquets and played in holding midfield and occasionally filled in at centre-back when asked by Koeman. Being 6”1, Moriba’s build helps him fit in these different positions.
The youngster is able to play in these various roles due to his impressive positional intelligence. When going forward, he is comfortable receiving the ball with both feet and his positioning, as well as runs from deep help, create space for his attacking teammates.
Due to his young age, his physicality leaves something to be desired from a midfielder of his type. However, his intensity and ability to carry out the high press in coordination with his teammates make up for the lack of strength he currently possesses. His athleticism allows him to burst into spaces with quick acceleration but is not as proficient over longer distances.
Moriba’s main competitors for a starting position will be Tyler Adams and Amadou Haidara. Despite a resounding 4-0 win over Stuttgart, Leipzig have had a relatively poor start to the season after suffering 1-0 defeats to both Wolfsburg and Mainz.
Leipzig’s first two fixtures after the international break will be against Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga and Manchester City in the Champions League. Moriba will be hoping to get some minutes in both of these huge games.
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]]>The German – who is turning 34 in July, has attracted interest from Europe’s elite since guiding Hoffenheim into the Champions League.
He joined RB Leipzig in 2019 after they had secured Champions League football, and is now, after two successful seasons in East Germany, looking to take the next step to super-club Bayern Munich.
Bayern have already agreed a deal to sign Nagelsmann’s colleague Dayot Upamecano at the end of the season, and in the boss they will be sweeping yet another of the Bundesliga’s top talents.
A breaking point in the deal could be the recipients. Red Bull are canny operators nowadays. In return for their prized asset, they are looking for a reported fee of £21.7m, which smashes the record set for managerial compensation.
He was linked heavily with the Tottenham job this week after Jose Mourinho’s dismissal, but with his interests clearly vested in Bayern’s court, it could see the beginning of a managerial merry-go round.
Hansi Flick, Bayern’s current boss, is favourite to replace the outgoing Joachim Low in the German national team. Then, as Nagelsmann’s move to Bayern moves closer, a slot at RB Leipzig is open.
Don’t forget that Marco Rose has already signed for Dortmund for next season from Borussia Monchengladbach, and Adi Hutter for Monchengladbach from Eintracht Frankfurt. Werder Bremen and FC Koln also have managerial changes in horizon.
In fact, as per Jasmine Baba on Twitter, can anyone get their head around it?
My old ass having to jot all this down because I will forget someone pic.twitter.com/vtvEsNvgtX
— Jasmine Baba ???? (@_jasminebaba) April 26, 2021
The question is who for RB Leipzig, and when will they care to announce it.
Will they follow the Red Bull route to pluck from neighbours Salzburg? Jesse Marsch is a likeable character and clearly a wonderfully talented coach. Erik ten Hag of Ajax could also be an option.
Tottenham could also be a player in any deal for Die Roten Bullen. The managerial shortlists are likely to be similar, and could contribute to what will an interesting managerial summer for all parties.
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This game will be played in Budapest at the Puskas Arena due to COVID-19 restrictions preventing travelers from the UK entering Germany. As it stands however, the second leg is still due to be played at Anfield at the beginning of March.
This is the first competitive encounter between both of these sides. However, this is the third English opponent in the Champions League for Leipzig since the start of 2020. The hosts eliminated Tottenham at this stage last season and beat Manchester United in their final group game to progress to this stage of the competition.
The German side come into this game on a back of a four-game winning run, having lost just once in their last seven games in all competitions, with their recent win coming at home against Augsburg on Friday night. Christopher Nkunku netted his fifth goal of the season before Dani Olmo scored a penalty at the second attempt to move the German side three points behind leaders Bayern Munich at the top.
Julian Nagelsmann’s side is full of confidence and are unbeaten in their last six matches in the Champions League having got revenge against Manchester United. The hosts lost the first game 5-0 at Old Trafford but won the home tie 3-2 to knock the Red Devils out of the Champions League and secure a place in this season’s last 16 draw.
Former Manchester City man Angelino will look to put more despair on another Premier League side as he did in the previous round. The Spaniard is the club’s leading goal scorer this season with seven goals.
The Reds’ Premier League form went from bad to worse when his team suffered three straight defeats in the league for the first time in seven years. Jurgen Klopp will hope a return in Europe can spark some life back into their season.
Defeat to Leicester City on the weekend put more pressure on the defending Premier League champions who have recorded just one win in their last eight. Mohammed Salah opened the scoring for the Reds but individual mistakes led to Liverpool conceding three in seven minutes.
They did progress as Group D winners however, winning four, drawing and losing once to secure their passage to this stage. At the time of their last Champions League match against Midtjylland, Liverpool were level on points with Premier League leaders Tottenham, but now are 13 points behind Manchester City at the top.
Klopp will look to inspire his side once more in this competition as he did in 2019. The Liverpool manager has said that the Reds’ title defence is over leaving the Champions League their only route to silverware this season.
Salah has been in excellent form even in testing times and is the leading Premier League goal scorer with 17 goals. The Egyptian will look to trouble a Leipzig backline who have conceded 12 goals in the Champions League, more than any other side who has qualified this season.
Team News
Liverpool target Ibrahim Konate returned from injury during Leipzig’s win over Augsburg at the weekend. Peter Gulasci spent five years at Liverpool without ever making a first-team appearance and will get the chance to face his old club
The German side rested their two centre backs, their captain and first choice striker as they prepared for this huge clash against Liverpool on Tuesday. However they will be without Emil Forsberg, Konrad Laimer and Dominik Szobaszlai.
James Milner picked up a hamstring injury on Saturday and won’t be available whilst Fabinho is still out.
Naby Keita has returned to training having been sidelined since December but the midfielder will not be ready for the trip to Budapest to take on his former club.
Divock Origi and Ben Davies traveled with the squad to Hungary having recovered from their injuries and participated in training today.
The backline continue to be an issue but despite the struggles on the weekend and given the injuries, the assumption is that Ozan Kabak will get another chance alongside captain Jordan Henderson.
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Bayern Munich were held last week by Werder Bremen, but their Champions League winning streak is now at 15. Hoffenheim have not had the strongest of starts in the league, but they will be in the Round of 32 in the Europa League and Bayer Leverkusen are set to follow. Let us feast into the upcoming fixtures as we head into Matchday Nine.
(All times US Central time on ESPN+ unless stated)
VfL WOLFSBURG vs. WERDER BREMEN (Friday at 1:30pm)
Wolfsburg continued their unbeaten streak with a win away to Schalke and moved up to sixth in the table. Wout Weghorst scored for the fourth time in five matches and John Brooks spearheads the joint-stingiest defense in the league allowing just five goals so far. Kevin Mababu and William have returned to training after injuries.
Werder Bremen got yet another 1-1 draw last weekend, their fifth in succession. However, this 1-1 draw was a little more credible as it was at Bayern. Josh Sargent seet up Maximilian Eggestein for the Green-Whites’ goal and could have gotten a couple more if it weren’t for Manuel Neuer. He and Milot Rashica should continue up front.
BORUSSIA DORTMUND vs. FC COLOGNE (Saturday at 8:30am)
Erling Haaland continues to score at a torrent pace. He got four in a 33-minute span last weekend against Hertha Berlin and got another one in the Champions League in the victory over Club Brugge on Tuesday. In all competitions, Haaland has 17 goals in 13 matches and is one behind Robert Lewandowski in league play with ten.
Meanwhile, the Billy Goats lost to the other Berlin side, Union, last Sunday and their winless streak is now at 17 as they lie 17th. It does not help that Jonas Hector continues to be out and it hasn’t helped that they have conceded a league-high six penalties so far. They only have one multi-goal scorer in Sebastian Andersson with two.
RB LEIPZIG vs. ARMINIA BIELEFELD (Saturday at 8:30am)
Tyler Adams could be at right back as he was last Saturday in the draw against Eintracht Frankfurt. He was rested in the Champions League loss on Tuesday to Paris Saint-Germain. Regardless of who is in the back, they are alongside Wolfsburg with the stingiest defense in the league allowing just five goals.
Bielefeld are currently on a six-match losing streak that sees them in 16th position in the table. Fabian Klos has yet to score on the year. They will need to make their shots count. They have the fewest at 61 shots while their opponents are top in the department with 135.
UNION BERLIN vs. EINTRACHT FRANKFURT (Saturday at 8:30am)
Die Eisernen continue to be the surprise package in the league. They are unbeaten in their last seven and currently sit fifth in the league after their win last Sunday over Cologne.
Max Kruse has been a large part of that with four goals and five assists in eight matches. Taiwo Awoniyi, on loan from Liverpool, netted his second goal of the season in the win.
Die Adler are going in the opposite direction as they are winless in their last five. They currently sit 11th after three straight draws. Aymen Barkok has had a hand in Frankfurt’s last three goals, but will be playing no part in Saturday’s proceedings. Bas Dost is set to rejoin Andre Silva in the lineup. Amin Younes and Filip Kostic are also healthy again.
FC AUGSBURG vs. SC FREIBURG (Saturday at 8:30am):
Despite being reduced to ten men late, Daniel Caligiuri scored a late equalizer for Augsburg against Borussia Mönchengladbach to snatch a point.
The point puts them into 10th position entering this weekend. Alfred Finnbogason could make his 100th competitive appearance for Die Fuggerstädter while Andre Hahn and Rami Khedira could make their 100th league appearances.
Freiburg have a reputation for overachieving, but that has not been the case this season. They have not won since the opening weekend. They currently sit two points clear of the danger zone. Nicolas Hofer is expected to return to action by Lucas Holer is not.
VfB STUTTGART vs. BAYERN MUNICH (Saturday at 8:30am)
Die Schwaben have not lost since Matchday One, but will be facing a very tough test in Bayern. They are currently on a run of four successive draws that sees them in eighth in the table. That test gets sterner as they will be without Nicolas Gonzalez who suffered a knee injury after netting in three straight games. Sasa Kalajdzic willhope to rediscover his scoring touch after not scoring in his last five.
Bayern Munich assured themselves a place in the last 16 of the Champions League with a mostly comfortable 3-1 win over FC Salzburg on Wednesday. Of more pressing concern is that they are just one point clear of Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen at the top of the table. Lewandowski did not play against Bremen last week, but is expected to feature this weekend to add to his league-leading 11 goals.
BORUSSIA MÖNCHENGLADBACH vs. FC SCHALKE 04 (Saturday at 11:30am)
Gladbach again dropped points late in league play last week against Augsburg, but recovered nicely in a 4-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk. Marcus Thuram and Alassane Plea have been together in the lineup just twice this season, but both should feature at Borussia Park on Saturday. They hope to return to winning ways at home in league play has they have a win and three draws fo far.
A win is what Schalke are craving as their league winless streak extended to 25 after a loss to Wolfsburg. Their last win was on January 17th against Gladbach at the Veltins Arena. Alessandro Schöpf is available again. Along with Germany international Suat Serdar, who returned from a hamstring injury last weekend. The Royal Blues need all the help they can get to get themselves off the bottom of the table.
BAYER LEVERKUSEN vs. HERTHA BERLIN (Sunday at 8:30am)
Die Werkself is one of two unbeaten sides in the Bundesliga along with Wolfsburg and are winners in their last five. Lucas Alario is in form himself with three straight braces in league play and seven goals in his last five matches. A 4-1 win over Hapoel Beer-Sheva in the Europa League all but assures they will be in the Round of 32 in that competition.
Hertha are looking for more consistency. They lost last time out against Dortmund after a win over Augsburg. Matheus Cunha is finding some form with four goals in his last three matches. It will be he, Krzysztok Piatek, and Dodi Lukebakio who will need to supply the goals for Hertha with Jhon Cordoba out for the rest of the year.
MAINZ 05 vs. HOFFENHEIM (Sunday at 11am)
The 05ers finally got in the win column after victory over Freiburg. That win has Mainz oout of the drop zone and into 15th. Jean-Philippe Mateta scored a hat trick in a 38-minute span last weekend and now has seven goals on the year. Mainz will also be boosted with the return of Danny Latza from suspension.
Andrej Kramaric is also on seven goals for the year. The Croatian international returned last week after missing four matches in isolation. Kramaric was also on the scoresheet in the 2-0 win over Slovan Liberec that sees Hoffenheim through to the last 32 of the Europa League. Ryan Sessegnon got his maiden goal last week the Sinsheimers.
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WERDEN BREMEN vs. FC KOLN (Friday at 1:30pm)
Josh Sargent finally got on the board in the Green-White’s third successive 1-1 draw of the year. Just one loss from the first six matches of the season is a welcome departure from last season. A now-fit Milot Rashica could join Sargent in the attack in place of Manchester United loanee Tahith Chong.
The Billy Goats are the third of the three teams who are winless so far this season and hope to get one before the second international break. Their 6-1 defeat to Bremen on Matchday 34 last season is still fresh in their minds as is the fact that they are on a 16-match winless streak after their 2-1 loss to Bayern Munich.
RB LEIPZIG vs. SC FREIBURG (Saturday at 8:30am)
Leipzig lost top spot in the league after their loss to Borussia Mönchengladbach last Saturday, but are buoyed by their defeat of PSG in the Champions League on Wednesday. Dayot Upamecano has started all ten competitive matches for Leipzig, but this will not be #11 due to a thigh injury. Yussuf Poulsen is expected back in the starting XI after impressing off the bench on Wednesday.
Freiburg have been winless in their last five after an opening day win. They have also dropped a league-high nine points from winning positions so far. Nils Petersen could be back in the starting XI ahead of Lukas Kubler. Petersen leads Freiburg with three goals including one last week which was his 26th strike as a substitute.
UNION BERLIN vs. ARMINIA BIELEFELD (Saturday at 8:30am)
Union are on a record five-match unbeaten streak after their win over 10-man Hoffenheim last week. Andreas Luthe is looking to remain between the sticks with Loris Karius on standby. Captain Christopher Trimmel and defender Robin Knoche are available again after missing out last week.
Bielefeld are currently on a four-match losing streak after Dortmund defeated them at home last weekend. They could fall into the relegation zone if results go against them on Saturday, which they are just two points clear of right now. They might be looking to Cebio Soukou and Sergio Cordova to jump-start the second-most anemic offense with just four goals so far.
MAINZ 05 vs. SCHALKE 04 (Saturday at 8:30am)
Here is the battle at the bottom of the table. The 05ers are in last place with zero points so far. They currently have the second-worst defense (18 shipped) and the joint-third worst attack (five scored). Another loss would be a record to start the season. Last week’s loss matched them with Fortuna Dusseldorf from 1991-92 for six matches winless to start.
Schalke are in 17th and have the worst attack (just three scored) and the worst defense (20 shipped—though eight were against Bayern). Oh, they have not won since January 17th—22 matches ago. They have drawn two of their last four and were easy winners in their DFB Pokal tie against Schweinfurt, 4-1. Hopefully for the Royal Blues, things might be looking up for them.
FC AUGSBURG vs. HERTHA BERLIN (Saturday at 8:30am):
Augsburg got back to winning ways with a 3-1 win over Mainz last time out thanks to a brace from Andre Hahn and a overhead kick from Ruben Vargas. They continue to surprise in sixth place in the table and are the only team to score against Dortmund in the league so far. Florian Niederlechner is a doubt with an abdominal strain, but they are not lacking in attacking depth with Hahn, Michael Gregoritsch and Alfred Finnbogason.
Hertha can only hope to return to winning ways. They got back to getting points after a draw against Wolfsburg ended a four-match losing streak. Matteo Guendouzi impressed off the bench for Hertha Berlin against Wolfsburg and just might get his first start of the season. They have scored ten goals so far this season and boast an attacking trio of their own in Matheus Cunha, Jhon Cordoba, and Dodi Lukebakio.
VfB STUTTGART vs. EINTRACHT FRANKFURT (Saturday at 8:30am)
Die Schwaben are unbeaten since their opening loss. Two wins and three draws have led them to joint-seventh with Union Berlin. Their eleven goals are the fourth-most with only the top three ahead of them. Nicolas Gonzalez, who lead Stuttgart with the goals last season, could start in place of Sasa Kalajdzic who has not scored in his last three.
Meanwhile, Die Adler are winless in their last three after a 1-1 draw with Bremen. The attacking trio of Andre Silva, Bas Dost and Daichi Kamada will be key to getting Frankfurt back to winning ways. They will also be boosted by the return of Filip Kostic who is back to full training after a six-week absence. Defensively they have not had a clean sheet in their last eleven games.
BORUSSIA DORTMUND vs. BAYERN MUNICH (Saturday at 11:30am)
Erling Haaland got a brace against Club Brugge in the Champions League on Wednesday. It was also their seventh clean sheet in nine competitive matches with only Augsburg and Lazio finding the goal against BVB so far this year. Mats Hummels, who has scored BVB’s last three league goals, should return to the fold after missing the Brugge match with a thigh issue.
Bayern had a scare against FC Salzburg on Tuesday, before getting four unanswered goals late and winning 6-2 to extend their winning streak in the Champions League to 14. Bayern are at the top of the goal scorers charts so far in the Bundesliga with 24—11 more than the next in line in BVB. Robert Lewandowski on his own has scored ten in league play which is more than ten teams have in total.
VfL WOLFSBURG vs. HOFFENHEIM (Sunday at 8:30am)
The good news for Wolfsburg is that they have allowed just four goals so far and are one of two teams unbeaten in the Bundesliga. However, they have just scored five this season and have managed five draws from the opening six matches. They are in 11th in the table as a result. John Brooks has been the only defender to start all six matches for the Wolves so far.
Hoffenheim are hoping to transfer their Europa League form into league play after an emphatic 5-0 win over Slovan Liberec from the Czech Republic. Currently in league play, they are winless in their last four after a 3-1 loss to Union last week. Andrej Kramaric, Pavel Kaderabek, and Kasim Adams are available again after being in isolation post-international break, but Sebastian Hoeness is unlikely to rush them back into the fold.
BAYER LEVERKUSEN vs. BORUSSIA MÖNCHENGLADBACH (Sunday at 11am)
Lucas Alario is on a hot streak of his own with five goals in his last three league matches. They will be coming from a trip to Israel after knocking off Hapoel Beer-Sheva in the Europa League. Die Werkself are the only other unbeaten team in the Bundesliga and the lineup will more closely resemble the one that beat Freiburg more than the one that beat Hapoel.
It’s been a good past few days for the Foals. On Saturday, they became the first team to beat RB Leipzig and then travelled to Ukraine and put six past Shakhtar Donetsk to top Group B after draws with Inter Milan and Real Madrid. They will likely be battling Die Werkself for a top four spot assuming the other three will be Bayern, BVB, and Leipzig. Gladbach are another team unbeaten since their opening loss with Dortmund.
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(All times US Central time on ESPN+ unless stated)
SCHALKE 04 vs. VfB STUTTGART (Friday at 2:30pm)
A horror start doesn’t even begin to describe the Royal Blues’ plight. After last week’s loss in the Revierderby, they are winless in their last 21 matches. Their -17 goal difference is also frightening. Ozan Kabak is serving the fourth of his five-match ban, so he will not be facing his former club.
Die Schwaben have found their strengths to becoming more of a threat on eight points from the first five matches and in fifth place. Stuttgart are unbeaten in their last four, though the most recent result was a 1-1 draw with FC Koln. Sasa Kalajdzic has had a hand in five of the team’s ten goals so far this season.
EINTRACHT FRANFURT vs. WERDER BREMEN (Saturday at 9:30am)
After a decent start, Die Adler had a nightmare against Bayern Munich, losing 5-0. The loss dropped them down to eighth position. They will be looking to bounce back through Andre Silva and Bas Dost who have combined for five of Frankfurt’s seven goals so far. Dost has been a bogey man for Bremen as he has five goals and three assists in four matches against the Green-Whites.
Speaking of the Green-Whites, they are one place above Frankfurt at present. A three-man backline did well to hold Hoffenheim last weekend. However, they were dealt a ghoulish blow as Niklas Fullkrug is out for several weeks with a calf injury. Josh Sargent should start again for Bremen, though it would be news if Milot Rashica did the same.
FC COLOGNE vs. BAYERN MUNICH (Saturday at 9:30am)
The synopsis for the Billy Goats reads like a horror flick: A team with a 15-match winless streak takes on killer team in Bayern Munich. They may have to make do without Jonas Hector due to a neck problem. The last two matches have shown some light though with back-to-back 1-1 draws.
Just facing Bayern these days is a frightening prospect. Just ask Frankfurt and Atletico Madrid. Lokomotiv Moscow almost pulled a shocker on Tuesday, but Joshua Kimmich laid the axe to those hopes as it’s two out of two wins in the Champions League for the Bavarian club. Only Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig have been able to escape with point against Bayern this calendar year, will the Goats be able to do the same?
FC AUGSBURG vs. MAINZ 05 (Saturday at 9:30am)
Augsburg’s trip to Leverkusen was not such a scream as they fell to a 3-1 defeat on Monday. That makes it back-to-back defeats for Die Fuggerstäder. They will have to make do without Alfred Finnbogason who is out with a thigh injury. Florian Niederlechner and Michael Gregoritsch are expected to continue in attack.
It’d be nothing but rocks for the 05ers so far this season as they are still without the meager threat of a single point. The last time Mainz opened a season with five defeats, Jurgen Klopp was their manager in 2005. They will hope for the same happy ending as they had on Matchday Six fifteen years ago with a win.
ARMINIA BIELEFELD vs. BORUSSIA DORTMUND (Saturday at 9:30am)
Bielefeld emerged from the darkness of the lower leagues for the first time in 11 years. However, they are stuck in the dark of three straight losses at present. However, they have made the Schuco a haunted house for Dortmund as they unbeaten in their last six against the Black and Yellow there.
The scary part for BVB is that in their last 17 visits to Bielefeld, they have won just twice. However, it was they who have done the spooking recently with wins over Schalke last Saturday and then Zenit St. Petersburg on Wednesday. They have also done some scary defending allowing just two goals so far in league play.
BORUSSIA MÖNCHENGLADBACH vs. RB LEIPZIG (Saturday at 12:30pm)
It looked like Gladbach would vanquish the big boss in Real Madrid on Tuesday after going 2-0 up, but Real recovered to snatch a point the last few minutes at Borussia Park. What could arguably have been six points in the Champions League is just two as they had a late lead on Inter Milan the previous week. They did come from behind themselves last weekend against Mainz.
RB Leipzig are top of the Bundesliga, but are coming back from their own horror show after being thrashed 5-0 at Manchester United. Die Roten Bullen will be looking to gore the Foals through Angelino, Emil Forsberg and Yussuf Poulsen and remain in the penthouse of the Bundesliga.
SC FREIBURG vs. BAYER LEVERKUSEN (Sunday at 8:30am)
For Freiburg, it started off brightly with a win against Stuttgart, but they are winless in their last four since—though three were draws. Yet, in each of those three draws, Die Breisgauer were ahead. Nils Petersen has not scored in his last three matches. They are hoping the Schwarzwald Stadion can be the haunted house for their opponents as they are unbeaten in their last five home matches.
Leverkusen were the last away team to win at Freiburg, though, on Matchday 29 last season. In fact, Die Werkself have only lost once in their last ten against Freiburg, so they have been Freiburg’s personal demon as of late. Leverkusen are also unbeaten in their first five for the first time in eleven years—though they will be coming off a loss in the Europa League to Slavia Prague on Thursday.
HERTHA BERLIN vs. VfL WOLFSBURG (Sunday at 11am)
Matteo Guendouzi may make his Bundesliga debut for Hertha. It’s not a moment too soon as Hertha have lost four on the bounce after their opening win against Bremen. Another bright spot for Hertha is that Jhon Cordoba has three goals in his last five matches, though his opener was not enough to hold off RB Leipzig last week.
Wolfsburg finally got a win last weekend against Bielefeld after four straight draws. They are one of three unbeaten teams left in the Bundesliga along with Leipzig and Leverkusen. However, they will be without captain Josuha Guilavogui who came off in the first half last week with a torn thigh muscle.
HOFFENHEIM vs. UNION BERLIN (Monday at 1:30pm):
Andrej Kramaric could be out of isolation after participating in international duty with Croatia. The two league matches without him were a loss to Dortmund and a draw to Bremen. However, their Europa League campaign has been unblemished with wins over Red Star Belgrade and Gent this past Thursday. Spurs loanee Ryan Sessegnon could make his full debut with the Sinsheimers in this one as well.
Loris Karius’s debut for Union could wait a little longer as he suffered a foot injury in training. Union are unbeaten in their last four, but their last three have all been draws. Defender Nico Schlotterbeck and forward Anthony Ujah are definitely out, but midfielder Grischa Prömel could return to the squad after missing last week’s draw with Freiburg. Five Bundesliga matches without defeat would be a new club record for Union.
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VfB STUTTGART vs. FC COLOGNE
Die Schwaben are a surprising fifth thanks in large part to the exploits of Sasa Kalajdzic. The Austrian international has been in the starting XI since Matchday 2 and has scored three goals and an assist. Nicolas Gonzalez is fit again, but could yet again be on the bench as Kalajdzic continues to perform.
The Billy Goats are winless in their last 14 matches (second only to Schalke), though they did earn a point against Eintracht Frankfurt. Another match winless will represent a club record. Neck whiplash will continue to sideline captain Jonas Hector while Marius Wolf and Ismael Jakobs got through their first matches unscathed.
BAYERN MUNICH vs. EINTRACHT FRANFURT
Four past Arminia Bielefeld and then four past Atletico Madrid for Bayern in the past week. the former saw both Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller each bag a brace while Kingsley Coman was the star for Bayern against the latter. They are not without personnel issues for this match. Corentin Tolisso is suspended for two matches after a red card while Serge Gnabry is in isolation after testing positive for the coronavirus.
Frankfurt are in fourth and one of four undefeated teams in the Bundesliga. Kevin Trapp is second in the league with 17 saves made. The attacking triumvirate for Die Adler now consists of Andre Silva, Bas Dost, and Daichi Kamada—one of each have at least been involved in all seven goals this season for Frankfurt. Silva has 11 goals in the last 14 league matches.
RB LEIPZIG vs. HERTHA BERLIN
Leipzig are top of the table and will be coming off a 2-0 win over Istanbul Baksehir in the Champions League on Tuesday night. Angelino had the brace for Die Roten Bullen who were semifinalists in the previous campaign. Yussuf Poulsen had a wonder goal against Augsburg last Saturday and is expected to start ahead of Dani Olmo and Christopher Nkunku.
If Leipzig are off to a dream start, it’s been a nightmare for Hertha since Matchday 2 as they have lost three on the trot. Matheus Cunha will face his former team in this one. He had just two goals in 35 league appearances for Leipzig, but has seven in 15 for Hertha. The next win for the Old Lady against a Julian Naglesmann side will be their first.
UNION BERLIN vs. SC FREIBURG
Andreas Luthe has kept his place between the sticks so far in spite of the arrival of Loris Karius from Liverpool. Die Eisernen got a draw at the Veltins-Arena. Union have scored a league-high four headed goals so far this season. However, four of their five goals conceded have also been headers.
Phillipp Lienhart got his first goal for Freiburg in last week’s draw against Werder Bremen. Freiburg are looking for a win on the road—something they have done just twice in their last 15 away from the Schwarzwald-Stadion. Christian Streich may keep an unchanged side with no new injury concerns. Ermedin Demirovic could push for his first Bundesliga start with Nils Petersen and Lucas Höler failing to find the net in each of their last two Bundesliga outings.
MAINZ 05 vs. BORUSSIA MÖNCHENGLADBACH
Mainz are the only team in the Bundesliga not to get a point yet this season. The 05ers have the joint-tamest attack (two goals) and the second-most charitable defense (12 shipped). Robin Quaison could make his 100th Bundesliga appearance on Saturday, but he would like his first league goal of the season to go with that. Jean-Philippe Mateta has not scored since back-to-back goals on Matchdays 1 and 2.
Gladbach nearly got victory at the San Siro, but had to settle for a 2-2 draw at Inter Milan. They are unbeaten since the opening loss against Borussia Dortmund. However, lapses in concentration have cost them points against Union and Wolfsburg. They have also conceded five of their six goals against in the second half in league play. They will look for more performances like the 3-1 win over Cologne last week and more from Jonas Hofmann.
BORUSSIA DORTMUND vs. FC SCHALKE 04
BVB will be looking to revert back to their league form against their near rivals following a 3-1 defeat to Lazio in the Champions League. Marco Reus scored against Hoffenheim last week and started against Lazio, but will likely start on the bench behind Gio Reyna. Haaland has 22 goals in 25 competitive outings for BVB, including 17 in 19 games in the Bundesliga. He scored in the 4-0 win over Schalke in this fixture last season.
The Royal Blues got their first point of the season with a draw against Union thanks to Frankfurt loanee Goncalo Paciencia. There would be no better opponent for Schalke to end their 20-match winless streak against their main rivals in the Revierderby. The last five have seen each win twice.
VfL WOLFSBURG vs. ARMINIA BIELEFELD
Wolfsburg are one of four teams that have just two goals so far. They are also one of three teams who have scored just twice. In four matches, they have four draws this season and are winless in their last seven at the Volkswagen Arena dating back to last season. Wout Weghorst got a point for Wolfsburg last week against Gladbach. However, Josip Brekalo is in isolation and is unavailable this week.
Bielefeld gave up four to Bayern Munich last Saturday. The performance was not bad, but it leaves them in 14th after back-to-back defeats. Ritsu Doan and Fabian Klos should retain their places in attack. Arne Maier could get a start after coming in on loan from Hertha Berlin.
WERDER BREMEN vs. HOFFENHEIM
The Green-Whites are enjoying a better start to this season as they are currently seventh. Milot Rashica returned to action after a long layoff due to a knee injury. However, he may still have to compete for minutes with Josh Sargent and Niclas Fullkrug who has four goals this season. Fullkrug has also scored three goals in the last four meetings against Hoffenheim.
Hoffenheim fell at home to Dortmund last weekend, but bounced back in the Europa League with a win over Crvena Zvezda (aka Red Star Belgrade). Andrej Kramaric was in isolation for the loss to Dortmund after the international break and is doubtful for this match. Where the goals will come from is the question as Kramaric has scored 10 of the Sinsheimers’ 12 goals.
BAYER LEVERKUSEN vs. FC AUGSBURG
Leverkusen ended a run of three straight draws with a win over Mainz and then followed that with a 6-2 win over Nice in the Europa League. Lucas Alario got the goal against Mainz while Karim Bellarabi got a pair against Nice. Die Werkself are now unbeaten in six in all competitions this season. They are also unbeaten in 18 against Augsburg.
Augsburg’s unbeaten run ended last week with a home loss to RB Leipzig. The Bavarians lost five away games in a row prior to the appointment of Heiko Herrlich; but have won three, drawn three, and lost one on the road since. Florian Niederlechner is still looking to open his account this season for Die Fuggerstädter.
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