By Rich
Bundesliga competition resumes this weekend, with a schedule disrupted by the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. One of the first matches this weekend takes place in the German capital when 1. FC Union Berlin host VfB Stuttgart. Union have been inconsistent so far in 2022: the club started the year just 1 point outside the top 4, but that gap has now grown to 6. The club is currently in 7th place and is 4 points outside of the European qualification spots. Their opponents were on the losing side to Union Berlin in the 2019 promotion/relegation playoff, a fate the club is struggling to avoid this season. Last week’s 3:2 win over Gladbach helped keep their hopes of escaping the relegation zone alive, thanks in large part to the duo of Borna Sosa and Sasa Kalajdzic. Stuttgart have won just 1 of 12 away matches this season. Also on Saturday, Bayern München will have a chance to open up a 12-point lead in the table when they visit 4th-place Hoffenheim. Hoffenheim are currently enjoying the 3rd-best Bundesliga campaign in their history, and are coming off a clean sheet last weekend against Köln. Bayern are coming off a 1:1 draw with Leverkusen last weekend and a 7:1 UEFA Champions League win over Red Bull Salzburg, a game that included a Lewandowski hat trick. Lewandowski has scored 14 goals in 23 competitive appearances against Hoffenheim. This match is also a significant one for Bayern: it will be Bayern’s 1,934th in the Bundesliga, leveling the all-time appearance record held by SV Werder Bremen. Among Sunday’s matches will be an important Rhine Derby between hosts Bayer 04 Leverkusen and nearby 1. FC Köln. Both clubs have European football ambitions next season. Leverkusen are currently handicapped by the absence of Patrik Schick, who is sidelined by a calf injury, and who had supplied 20 of the club’s 64 goals this season. Köln are still looking to return to form following their loss to Hoffenheim last weekend, and striker Anthony Modeste has failed to find the back of the net for 2 straight games. Leverkusen are currently unbeaten in 7 home Bundesliga matches, but Modeste was able to score a fixture in the reverse fixture this season, and the Billy Goats have yet to lose 2 straight under coach Steffen Baumgart. The big match on Sunday is, of course, that between hosts Borussia Dortmund and visitors DSC Arminia Bielefeld. Dortmund are still anticipating the return of Erling Haaland, who suffered a groin strain against Hoffenheim at the end of January. Haaland had been averaging a goal every 72 minutes, the best such ratio in the league this season.
Bundesliga competition resumes this weekend, with a schedule disrupted by the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. One of the first matches this weekend takes place in the German capital when 1. FC Union Berlin host VfB Stuttgart. Union have been inconsistent so far in 2022: the club started the year just 1 point outside the top 4, but that gap has now grown to 6. The club is currently in 7th place and is 4 points outside of the European qualification spots. Their opponents were on the losing side to Union Berlin in the 2019 promotion/relegation playoff, a fate the club is struggling to avoid this season. Last week’s 3:2 win over Gladbach helped keep their hopes of escaping the relegation zone alive, thanks in large part to the duo of Borna Sosa and Sasa Kalajdzic. Stuttgart have won just 1 of 12 away matches this season. Also on Saturday, Bayern München will have a chance to open up a 12-point lead in the table when they visit 4th-place Hoffenheim. Hoffenheim are currently enjoying the 3rd-best Bundesliga campaign in their history, and are coming off a clean sheet last weekend against Köln. Bayern are coming off a 1:1 draw with Leverkusen last weekend and a 7:1 UEFA Champions League win over Red Bull Salzburg, a game that included a Lewandowski hat trick. Lewandowski has scored 14 goals in 23 competitive appearances against Hoffenheim. This match is also a significant one for Bayern: it will be Bayern’s 1,934th in the Bundesliga, leveling the all-time appearance record held by SV Werder Bremen. Among Sunday’s matches will be an important Rhine Derby between hosts Bayer 04 Leverkusen and nearby 1. FC Köln. Both clubs have European football ambitions next season. Leverkusen are currently handicapped by the absence of Patrik Schick, who is sidelined by a calf injury, and who had supplied 20 of the club’s 64 goals this season. Köln are still looking to return to form following their loss to Hoffenheim last weekend, and striker Anthony Modeste has failed to find the back of the net for 2 straight games. Leverkusen are currently unbeaten in 7 home Bundesliga matches, but Modeste was able to score a fixture in the reverse fixture this season, and the Billy Goats have yet to lose 2 straight under coach Steffen Baumgart. The big match on Sunday is, of course, that between hosts Borussia Dortmund and visitors DSC Arminia Bielefeld. Dortmund are still anticipating the return of Erling Haaland, who suffered a groin strain against Hoffenheim at the end of January. Haaland had been averaging a goal every 72 minutes, the best such ratio in the league this season.
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