Bundesliga matchday 17 preview

The Bundesliga holds its second Englische Woche of the season on Tuesday and
Wednesday as the campaign reaches the halfway mark on Matchday 17. Standout
games include Borussia Dortmund’s trip to Bayer 04 Leverkusen and a Bavarian derby
between FC Augsburg and FC Bayern München.

While Dortmund will be keen to show that Saturday’s 1-1 draw at home to 1. FSV Mainz 05
was only a blip, Leverkusen are desperate to turn their form back around after four games
without a win when the sides meet at the BayArena – level on points – on Tuesday. This
fixture tends to produce fireworks, with an average of over five goals scored across the last
seven meetings, so expect much more of the same when Lucas Alario, Leon Bailey & Co.
host the dynamism of Erling Haaland and Jadon Sancho.

Talk of Bundesliga firepower, though, usually only leads to one man: Robert Lewandowski.

His 21 goals so far this term is already a new Bundesliga record for a Hinrunde and is over
halfway to Gerd Müller’s historic haul of 40 from 1971-72. He and the champions now make
the short trip to Augsburg on Wednesday with a four-point lead at the top – their biggest
of the season – but will be wary of being caught cold in the January frost. That’s because
Die Fuggerstädter have scored inside the first 30 seconds in the last two Bavarian derbies
at the WWK-Arena.

Elsewhere at the top, closest challengers RB Leipzig host the season’s still surprise package FC Union Berlin as the league’s tightest defence takes on its second-most prolific attack.
The Berliners are only four points behind their opponents and haven’t lost against any team
in the top half of the table this campaign. Julian Nagelsmann’s side will look to avoid
becoming another victim to Die Eisernen’s march as they aim to end a two-game winless
run at the Red Bull Arena.

Not far behind them and clawing at the European places are SC Freiburg and Eintracht
Frankfurt. The former were unlucky to see their five-match winning streak ended in Munich
on Sunday, and it saw them leapfrogged in the table by their upcoming Luka Jovic-inspired
opponents. The Serbian scored twice against FC Schalke 04 on his second Frankfurt debut
following his loan from Real Madrid, meaning Eintracht are the only team to win all three
Bundesliga games in 2021.

Down at the bottom, though, Schalke’s defeat – combined with Mainz’s point – saw them
slip back to the foot of the table. American Matthew Hoppe has proven their great hope
with four goals in the last two games – the most of any player in the league in 2021
alongside Lewandowski – and will likely be needed again as Die Knappen look to dig
themselves out against fellow strugglers 1. FC Köln, who are themselves winless in five but
haven’t lost in Gelsenkirchen since August 2011.

The midweek action kicks off with Borussia Mönchengladbach at home to SV Werder
Bremen. The Foals haven’t lost to Die Grün-Weißen in nine meetings and are spearheaded

by nine-goal top scorer Lars Stindl. The Gladbach captain has seven Bundesliga goals
against Bremen, which is more than against any other club.

Last season’s top two in Bundesliga 2 face off for the first time since their promotion. DSC
Arminia Bielefeld finished 10 points ahead of VfB Stuttgart in 2019/20 but are currently
eight behind and only two clear of the relegation play-off spot. Pellegrino Matarazzo’s
Stuttgart have won a league-best 17 points on their travels this term, but head to the
SchücoArena without top scorers Silas Wamangituka and Nicolas Gonzalez.

Mainz may be off the bottom on goal difference but are still winless in eight and now have
to attempt to deal with Wout Weghorst, who has equalled Grafite’s VfL Wolfsburg club
record of 11 goals after 16 matchdays, and Ridle Baku, returning to his boyhood club for
the first time since his summer move and now with a Germany cap in his bags.
Two strikers in more indifferent form meet when Hertha Berlin host TSG Hoffenheim.

Matheus Cunha and Andrej Kramaric both started the season brightly but have struggled of
late, coinciding with dips for their respective teams as well. Which one will spark their side
back into life at the Olympiastadion?