The Matchday Preview

All season long premium subscribers will receive exclusive previews for the upcoming round of Bundesliga fixtures. Today, game week 26 kicks off!

All season-long premium subscribers will receive exclusive previews for the upcoming round of Bundesliga fixtures. Today, game week 26 kicks off! Eintracht Frankfurt face a must-win encounter for their dwindling Champions League hopes, Mainz 05 face a winnable contest in the uphill relegation battle, and there are many other enticing encounters to keep you entertained this weekend.

Mainz 05 v VfL Bochum

A 1:0 victory on Bo Henriksen’s Bundesliga debut 4 weeks ago looked like the boost Mainz needed to spark into life. Looking back now, it seems more like a one-off triumph rather than a catalyst for change. Die 05er have taken one point from their 3 matches since Henriksen’s debut, including a disastrous 8:1 defeat to FC Bayern on the weekend. It was Mainz’s heaviest Bundesliga defeat since November 2, 2019 (8:0 v RB Leipzig), and a surefire sign that the belief in survival is beginning to fade from the squad. 

Die 05er haven’t been in the second Bundesliga since 2009, and if they want to maintain their top-flight status for another year, they must overcome this winnable contest against VfL Bochum. 

Bochum have a healthy 7-point buffer to the relegation zone, but the West German outfit are slipping into murky waters again after suffering their third consecutive Bundesliga defeat last weekend. 

Not only Bochum’s recent run of results will fill Mainz with hope, but also the side’s away form gives Mainz a fair chance of coming away with 3 points. Only Mainz themselves have taken fewer points away from home this season, with Bochum winning just one of their 12 fixtures on the road this season.

Even the historical head-to-head comparison sees Mainz with a great advantage. VfL Bochum have not won a league match in Mainz since the 1999/2000 campaign, with the West-German outfit suffering two consecutive defeats in the MEWA-Arena since returning to the topflight in 2021. 

Prediction: Mainz 05 Win

VfL Wolfsburg v FC Augsburg

Not a lot has changed in Wolfsburg since our last preview for matchday 25 in the Bundesliga. The North German outfit’s winless run stretched onto 10 matches following a 2:0 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen, and manager Niko Kovač remains in the job despite the next lackluster result. 

The lack of quality from SV Darmstadt, Mainz 05, and FC Köln means Wolfsburg have no real threat of slipping into the relegation battle, yet the reality of having only 25 points after 25 matchdays is a hard pill to swallow for a club with one of the larger wage bills in the division. Dreams of returning to European competition can now be completely swept off the table, with a monumental 15 points separating Wolfsburg from Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League position. 

On the other hand, FC Augsburg can dream again about participating in European competition for the first time since 2015. The 1:0 triumph over FC Heidenheim was Augsburg’s third victory in a row, allowing Jess Thorup’s side to end the matchday in the top half of the table for the first time since early December. 

Jeffrey Gouweeleeuw opened his season account with a fine drop kick early in the first half, but it was the strong defense that was key this weekend. After failing to keep a single cleansheet across the opening 24 Bundesliga matchdays, Augsburg have now kept their opponents off the scoresheet twice in a row. 

Prediction: Draw

Union Berlin v Werder Bremen

For the first time since Nenad Bjelica’s appointment in late November, Union Berlin have lost consecutive matches in the Bundesliga. An inspired Frederik Rønnow kept Union in the contest, but all in all, Die Eiserne were toothless as they sunk to a 2:0 defeat against VfB Stuttgart. 

Since the Croatian’s arrival, there has been a clear upturn in form, but it has more to do with a strong defensive structure, rather than a startling reversal in attacking form. Die Eiserne have scored just 6 goals from their 9 matches in the new year, and the January additions of Yorbe Vertessen and Chris Bedia have failed to get out of the gates. Neither player has opened their Bundesliga account, while Chris Bedia (signed for €2m from Servette FC) has only featured for 43 minutes despite being fit throughout. 

Werder Bremen - another side who looked on the rise a few weeks ago - have experienced their fair share of recent setbacks with just 1 point from their last 3 league matches. The talented Justin Njinmah scored his 6th goal of the campaign in the 2:1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund, but it was yet another quiet afternoon from the star man Marvin Ducksch. The 30-year-old has now failed to contribute a goal or assist in 5 consecutive Bundesliga matches for the first time since earning promotion to the topflight with Bremen two years ago. 

Prediction: Werder Bremen Win

FC Heidenheim v Borussia Mönchengladbach

After storming up the table off the back of an 8-match unbeaten run between December and February, FC Heidenheim have fallen upon more difficult times again. The Bundesliga rookies have collected only 1 point from their last 4 league matches, with the 1:0 defeat to FC Augsburg sinking Thomas Frank’s side to 11th in the table. 

One of the more notable declines during this downturn in form has been Tim Kleindienst. The 28-year-old was instrumental in Heidenheim’s promotion after scoring 25 goals in 32 matches, however, he has struggled to translate this quality into the topflight. The Heidenheim forward has scored just once in his last 9 appearances in the Bundesliga, missing undeniable sitters against the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt. 

Hoping to leapfrog this struggling Heidenheim outfit are Borussia Mönchengladbach. Die Fohlen were the next Bundesliga side to be dispatched from the Pokal on Tuesday following a defeat to third-tier FC Saarbrücken. The club from the Saarland are in 9th place in Germany’s 3rd tier, yet they have already dispatched Eintracht Frankfurt, FC Bayern, and now Borussia Mönchengladbach from this year’s competition. 

For Gerardo Seoane and Borussia Mönchengladbach, it is another fixture that puts into question the mentality of the squad. With the likes of Manu Koné, Florian Neuhaus, and Julian Weigl Gladbach have technical excellence across the pitch, yet Die Fohlen have routinely failed to show the necessary grit to bring scrappy results across the finish line this season. 

Prediction: FC Heidenheim Win

SV Darmstadt v FC Bayern

After a 6:0 defeat to FC Augsburg 2 weeks ago, Darmstadt fans were fearing for the worst when Die Lilien traveled to Leipzig last weekend. A 2:0 defeat was a respectable result in the end, but it does little to help the desperate table situation where Darmstadt find themselves. Torsten Lieberknecht’s side have failed to win since the 7th of October, and the gap to FC Köln in the relegation playoff spot has now widened to 5 points. 

Nor does it help that the mighty FC Bayern are traveling into town this weekend. Der Rekordmeister looks likely to relinquish his Bundesliga crown to Bayer Leverkusen this season, but Thomas Tuchel’s side has found its form again since last week. A 3:0 win over S.S. Lazio was followed by a statement 8:1 triumph over Mainz 05 last weekend. 

With Darmstadt conceding 8 goals of their own in this reverse fixture last October, Torsten Lieberknecht may contemplate rotating his entire side ahead of a more winnable encounter against VfL Bochum next weekend. 

Prediction: FC Bayern Win

TSG Hoffenheim v VfB Stuttgart

After two consecutive victories, TSG Hoffenheim’s push for Europe took a hit last weekend following a 3:1 defeat in Frankfurt. Die Breisgauer took the lead through a John Anthony Brooks header, but just 16 minutes later, the US international came crashing back down to earth again after earning his first Bundesliga red card on his 249th appearance in the competition. Not only will Brooks be suspended for this fixture, but his centerback partner Ozan Kabak was also dismissed later in the second half, leaving Pellegrino Mattarazo with a bit of a defensive headache for Saturday. 

It doesn’t help the situation that one of the league’s strongest attacking outfits roll into town on the weekend. VfB Stuttgart have been exceptional this year, winning 6 of their last 7 Bundesliga fixtures to create an 11-point gap between them and RB Leipzig in 5th place. This superb rise has not gone unnoticed by Julian Nagelsmann, selecting 4 VfB Stuttgart players for the upcoming international camp. 

Chris Führich returns, while Waldemar Anton, Maximilian Mittelstädt, and Denis Undav are all in line for their first caps. 

Prediction: VfB Stuttgart Win

SC Freiburg v Bayer Leverkusen

SC Freiburg and Bayer Leverkusen, Germany’s two Europa League outfits, go head-to-head this weekend. Die Breisgauer rediscovered their Bundesliga form on the weekend, battling out a 2:1 victory in Bochum that ended a 6-match winless run in the topflight. Michael Gregoritsch was the man of the match on Sunday, assisting Maximilian Eggestein’s opener in the first half, before scoring a well-timed header only a few minutes into the second. The Austrian international has endured a difficult campaign, but he is beginning to show his best form again in recent weeks. Since the 18th of February, Gregoritsch has contributed 4 goals and 2 assists in all competitions, including a crucial extra-time winner against RC Lens in the Europa League. 

Bayer Leverkusen, on the other hand, resumed business as usual in the Bundesliga with a supreme 2:0 victory over VfL Wolfsburg. An early red card to Wolfsburg’s Moritz Jens set the victory into motion, but Leverkusen nevertheless remained concentrated until the very end to not give their Northern hosts a sniff. Alejandro Grimaldo was supreme in an advanced role, Florian Wirtz added his 16th goal contribution of the campaign, and Exequiel Palacios dictated play in midfield with his best performance since returning from a lengthy muscle injury. 

Captain and goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky made headlines in German newspapers after dictating that half of the squad didn’t even know how Bayern played the day before, but you can’t really blame the Finnish international. Bayer Leverkusen have a 10-point buffer over FC Bayern, and they have not suffered a single defeat in their 25 league matches this campaign. It’s not a question of if they will win the league title, but rather, if they will do so while becoming the first club to ever go an entire Bundesliga campaign unbeaten!

Prediction: Bayer Leverkusen Win

Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Frankfurt

What’s been a mediocre Bundesliga campaign has been canceled out once more by another euphoric European evening. Wednesday’s 2:0 victory over PSV Eindhoven saw Borussia Dortmund pull into the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2021. Die Schwarz-Gelben struggled through large stretches of the second half, but a concentrated and determined defensive showing was ultimately rewarded. 

A stalwart defense has been the key throughout this impressive Champions League campaign, with no side keeping more cleansheets (4) or conceding fewer goals (5) throughout the entire competition. It’s pretty drastic to compare this to Dortmund’s Bundesliga campaign where they have rarely offered the same reassuring presence out of possession. This defense will be tested again on Sunday when an in-form Eintracht Frankfurt rolls into town. 

Die Adler have scored 10 goals across their last 4 Bundesliga fixtures and will be looking to come away with another victory from a match that could have monumental implications for the remainder of their season. If Die Adler lose to Dortmund, the gap will rise to an insurmountable 10 points. Yet, if they manage to beat Die Schwarz-Gelben, only 4 points will separate the two sides. 

The historical form speaks firmly in Dortmund’s favor - Frankfurt have won only 1 of the last 15 contests - yet Frankfurt are on the rise again since tumbling out of European competition in late February. Since their defeat to Union Saint-Gilloise, Frankfurt have been able to focus their complete resources on the Bundesliga, earning 7 points from the 3 matches post-Conference League exit. 

Last weekend, Frankfurt showcased a level of control and authority that Dino Toppmöller’s side have rarely brought to the table this campaign. An early red card to Hoffenheim’s John Anthony Brooks simplified proceedings, but Frankfurt were nevertheless electric throughout the victory. 

Particularly Mario Götze showed his World Cup winning qualities after crowning a man-of-the-match display with a goal and assist. It hasn’t been a fruitful campaign for the 31-year-old - just 2 goals and 2 assists in 25 fixtures - but Frankfurt fans will be hoping he can continue his scoring run when visiting his old stomping ground in Dortmund next weekend. 

Prediction: Draw