After FC Bayern Munich overcame RB Leipzig to open up a seven-point gap atop the Bundesliga standings, the league leaders are looking to take their next step towards a ninth successive Meisterschale on Matchday 28.
Hansi Flick’s side are at home to face 1.FC Union Berlin on Saturday afternoon. The defending champions have been hit by a spate of injuries in recent weeks, with Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry certainly sidelined, while Niklas Sule and Leon Goretzka are both doubts.
Bayern have only dropped points on seven occasions this campaign, with one of those coming in the draw against Die Eisernen earlier this season.
The weekend’s Bundesliga action started on Friday night with home side DSC Arminia Bielefeld pipping SC Freiburg 1-0. Frank Kramer’s Bielefeld have consolidated on their spirited move to steer away to safety following an important point earn last weekend.
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There are three other Saturday afternoon fixtures to look forward to, headlined by UEFA Champions League-chasers Eintracht Frankfurt and VfL Wolfsburg facing off. The Eagles opened up a seven-point gap between themselves and Borussia Dortmund, who are one place behind, with victory at the Signal Iduna Park last week.
Meanwhile the Wolves, who are a further four-points ahead, are also on the cusp of qualification for Europe’s top tier
continental competition.
Second-placed Leipzig travel to SV Werder Bremen on the back of that heart-breaking defeat to Bayern last time out. Leipzig are looking to get back to winning ways and inspire a late season push. Elsewhere, Hertha Berlin are looking to keep themselves adrift of the
relegation zone when they host Borussia Mönchengladbach at the Olympiastadion.
Saturday evening sees VfB Stuttgart host Dortmund in what looks likely to be a highly entertaining Bundesliga match-up. Die Schwarzgelben’s chances of Champions League qualification are slipping further from their grasp, and Pellegrino Matarazzo’s impressive, newly promoted side are just four points behind them.
There is a Sunday double-header to look forward to which will have huge ramifications for the relegation battle. First up is FC Schalke 04 hosting FC Augsburg, with the Royal Blues
13 points off their nearest rivals at the bottom of the table. Relegation could be confirmed in the next two weeks if results don’t go their way.
That game is followed by Karneval clubs 1.FC Cologne and 1.FSV Mainz 05 meeting in a big relegation six-pointer. The hosts are two points adrift of their visitors, and are currently in
the relegation play-off spot. Whatever the result, it could go a long way to confirming which team will face Bundesliga 2’s third-placed team over two legs at the end of the
season.
The weekend’s action will also go on into Monday on Matchday 28, with 1899 TSG Hoffenheim welcoming Bayer 04 Leverkusen to the PreZero Arena. Both sides have had disappointing campaigns by their own high standards, but Die Werkself did return to winning ways last weekend against Schalke in their first game under interim head coach Hannes Wolf.
