BUNDESLIGA

Bundesliga Preview – Leipzig aims High


The 2020-21 Bundesliga season enters match day 25 this weekend with nine games scheduled to be decided.
RasenBallsport Leipzig play host to Eintracht Frankfurt in the stand out game of the weekend.
Julian Nagelsmann’s Leipzig are second on the standings, two points adrift of the leaders, Bayern Munich.
They will be keen to return to winning ways after crashing out of the UEFA Champions League following a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool in midweek.
Domestically, Leipzig have been in rude health as they last dropped points in the final week of January, in the dramatic 2-3 loss to Mainz 05. 
They are currently on a six-game winning streak but Sunday’s opponents have also been in inspired form.
Eintracht Frankfurt have amassed 43 points from 24 games this season and are currently in the Champions League places.
Adolf Hütter’s team saw their 11-game unbeaten run which included a famous victory over Bayern München snapped two weeks ago against Werder Bremen.
Andre Silva has been the main threat for Frankfurt this term with fearsomely potent displays in front of goal.
The Portuguese attacker has netted 19 times in the league already, and is level with Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Braut Haaland but is 12 of the league’s top marksman Robert Lewandowski.
Finding goalscoring joy against  RB Leipzig may however be anything but straightforward as the Red Bull club have conceded the fewest number of goals in the division (20) this term.
Eintracht Frankfurt have not lost to RB Leipzig in their last three meetings which makes Sunday’s clash even more intriguing.
The champions, Bayern München will make the trip to Weserstadion to face Werder Bremen.
Hansi Flick’s team are still riding the Crest of a wave following last week’s brilliant 4-2 comeback victory over Borussia Dortmund in the ‘Klassiker’.
Usual suspect Lewandowski was particularly brilliant at the Allianz Arena as he weighed in with a superb hattrick and will now seek to reach similar heights against an resurgent 12th place Werder Bremen who are unbeaten in their last three games. 
Bayern have been uncharacteristically leaky in defence, letting in a whopping 34 goals this season.
Werder Bremen will look to exploit defensive frailities against the Bavarians who have not lost to them in their last 20 meetings.
Third placed VfL Wolsfurg will facr with relegation doomed Schalke 04 at the Volkswagen Arena on Saturday.
Wolfsburg will be tipped as heavy favorites to pick up maximum points as they have not lost a game at home this season and boasting a water-tight defence which has let in  just eight goals this campaign.
Meanwhile, Schalke 04, firmly rooted to the bottom of the standings, have yet to win away from home this season.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen will go toe to toe against Arminia Bielefeld at the BayArena with crucial points up for grabs.
Arminia Bielefeld have not recorded a win in the league in their last seven games and they have not scored in their last four games.
Leverkusen are three points behind the Eintracht Frankfurt who are in the final Champions League spot, a win for them against a team who they have not lost to in their last four games could boost their hopes for a place in Europe’s elite competition next season.
Borussia Dortmund slipped to sixth position on the log following a loss to Bayern München. They will attempt to get their league journey back on track as they are four points behind the Champions League places, when they host Hertha Berlin.
Dortmund secured a place in the Champions League quarter final after playing out a 2-2 draw with Sevilla but eventually prevailing 5-4 on aggregate. They will hope to replicate their goalscoring exploits against a Hertha Berlin team who have shipped in 43 goals this season. 
FC Union Berlin will face FC Köln on Saturday. Union Berlin have been the surprise package this season. They are in seventh position, one place behind the European slots having amassed 35 points already this season.
Facing a Köln team who are without a clean sheet in nine games and without a win in four games could be the perfect opportunity to maintain the pressure on their rivals.
FC Augsburg and Borussia Mönchengladbach will kick start this round of matches when they clash on Friday evening.
Seven points is all that separates both teams. Mönchengladbach have been awful in recently. Five straight losses, no wins in seven and no clean sheet in five games has made then drop to 10th place on the league table but facing Augsburg, a team they have not lost to in nine games could help them rejuvenate their season.
In addition, SC Freiburg will travel to the Opel Arena to face 1. FSV Mainz 05 and VFB Stuttgart will host 1899 Hoffenhiem.

Fixtures.Friday, March 12FC Augsburg vs Borussia Mönchengladbach 
Saturday, March 13Werder Bremen vs Bayern München VfL Wolsfurg vs FC Schalke 04 1. FC Union Berlin vs 1. FC Köln 1. FSV Mainz 05 vs SC Freiburg Borussia Dortmund vs Hertha BSC 
Sunday, March 14Bayer 04 Leverkusen vs Arminia Bielefeld RB Leipzig vs Eintracht Frankfurt VfB Stuttgart vs 1899 Hoffenhiem

Sammy Wejinya

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