The Bundesliga’s penultimate round of the 2021/22 Hinrunde [the first half of season] promises thrillers up and down the league, with more than 100 goals scored over the past three rounds of fixtures.
No fewer than 14 of those have come from Matchday 14 and 15 games involving VfB Stuttgart and reigning champions FC Bayern Munich, who kick-off the action at the Mercedes Benz Arena today [Tuesday].
The home side are unbeaten in their last three and will be hoping to pull clear of the relegation zone, while Bayern have lost just one on their travels this term and will be looking to Robert Lewandowski to produce the goods once again by adding to his tally of 16 league goals.
Bayern will, however, be without Joshua Kimmich and Marcel Sabitzer, while Leon Goretzka and Corentin Tolisso are also injury doubts, meaning last weekend’s match-winner Jamal Musiala could start in the centre of midfield.
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That game gets underway at 18:30pm [CET and Nigerian time] and precedes three more matches from 20:30 CET on tonight as VfL Wolfsburg face 1. FC Köln, 1. FSV Mainz 05 host Hertha Berlin and Arminia Bielefeld play VfL Bochum 1848.
Wednesday completes the Bundesliga Matchday-16 set with a further five fixtures, one of which sees Domenico Tedesco look to build on his stunning start to life as RB Leipzig head coach when he takes his new charges to Augsburg.
Leipzig, who appointed Tedesco after parting ways with American Jesse Marsch last week, dismantled Borussia Mönchengladbach in their first outing under the 36-year-old former FC Schalke 04 boss.
Josko Gvardiol, Andre Silva, Christopher Nkunku and Benjamin Henrichs were all on target in Leipzig’s 4-1 victory, one that also saw Angelino sparkle by providing two assists.
With four goals in his last five appearances in all competitions, Silva looks to be warming to life in Leipzig, but the visitors will face a stern test against a resurgent Augsburg side that have lost just twice at home all season and beat Bayern at the WWK Arena as recently as Matchday 12.
Wednesday’s early Bundesliga game promises plenty of excitement, too, with Gladbach welcoming Eintracht Frankfurt to Borussia Park at 18:30 CET as Adi Hütter faces his former employers for the first time since moving from Frankfurt to Gladbach last summer.
Defeat to Leipzig means that there have been 20 goals scored across the last four matches involving Hütter’s Foals, who are looking to arrest a run of three heavy losses in a row.
Gladbach’s most recent home game saw them hit for six by high-flying SC Freiburg and Frankfurt – who came from behind to beat Bayer Leverkusen 04 5-2 on Sunday – will be hoping to inflict a fourth successive top-flight defeat on their hosts.
Injury to Jonas Hofmann is a blow to the hosts, while Frankfurt have won four out of five in the league as Oliver Glasner’s side have begun moving in the right direction.
Meanwhile, second-place Borussia Dortmund are next up for SpVgg Greuther Furth at the Signal Iduna Park following the Cloverleaves’ first Bundesliga win of the season at the weekend in one of three more Wednesday night matches (all 20:30 CET).
Freiburg travel to the capital to take on 1. FC Union Berlin, who became the first team in Bundesliga history to lose at Greuther, while Leverkusen are at home to TSG Hoffenheim.
