By Rich
Hosts RB Leipzig and visitors TSG 1899 Hoffenheim played a scoreless tie on Friday, further dampening Leipzig’s hopes for a league title this season. This was the first time under coach Julian Nagelsmann that Leipzig have played 2 Bundesliga home games without scoring, and the first time in 4 meetings against his former club that Nagelsmann has failed to win as Leipzig’s coach. The week’s biggest Bundesliga news concerns the relegation battle at the bottom of the table, a battle that has now been complicated by Hertha. Hertha’s next 3 matches, against Mainz this weekend, Freiburg, and Schalke, are now postponed, as the entire senior squad and coaching staff went into isolation. Swab tests of Dodi Lukebakio, Marvin Plattenhardt, coach Pal Dardai, and assistant Admir Hamzagic came back positive for COVID-19. The positive results will keep the squad and coaches in isolation until the end of April, and a possible return of the club to league competition against Bielefeld on May 8. The postponement of the Hertha matches opens the door to Cologne and Bielefeld to escape the relegation zone this month. Cologne will travel to Leverkusen for Saturday’s late match in the Rhineland, and it will be Cologne’s first match following the departure of Markus Gisdol, who has been temporarily replaced by Friedhelm Funkel. Cologne are winless in 8 matches, are 3 points adrift of the relegation playoff spot currently occupied by Bielefeld, and will have to play on Saturday without standout midfielder Ondrej Duda, who is serving a 1-match ban. Bielefeld will travel to Augsburg earlier on Saturday and are coming off a 1:0 win over Freiburg. A win on Saturday could move the club as high as 14th place, and their competitors lost 1:0 to Schalke on their last time out. Augsburg’s fortunes have been hampered by a dearth of goals this season, as they are the 4th-lowest club in the league in goals scored this season. The club’s Florian Niederlechner, who scored 13 goals last season, has only found the net 3 times this season. Looking ahead to Sunday, Borussia Dortmund will look to win 2 consecutive matches when they host Bremen. Bremen are fighting to avoid being drawn into the relegation battle, having failed to win in their last 5 contests, including losses in each of the last 4. Dortmund’s Erling Haaland is without a goal in 2 matches, but has never failed to score in 3 consecutive matches.
Hosts RB Leipzig and visitors TSG 1899 Hoffenheim played a scoreless tie on Friday, further dampening Leipzig’s hopes for a league title this season. This was the first time under coach Julian Nagelsmann that Leipzig have played 2 Bundesliga home games without scoring, and the first time in 4 meetings against his former club that Nagelsmann has failed to win as Leipzig’s coach. The week’s biggest Bundesliga news concerns the relegation battle at the bottom of the table, a battle that has now been complicated by Hertha. Hertha’s next 3 matches, against Mainz this weekend, Freiburg, and Schalke, are now postponed, as the entire senior squad and coaching staff went into isolation. Swab tests of Dodi Lukebakio, Marvin Plattenhardt, coach Pal Dardai, and assistant Admir Hamzagic came back positive for COVID-19. The positive results will keep the squad and coaches in isolation until the end of April, and a possible return of the club to league competition against Bielefeld on May 8. The postponement of the Hertha matches opens the door to Cologne and Bielefeld to escape the relegation zone this month. Cologne will travel to Leverkusen for Saturday’s late match in the Rhineland, and it will be Cologne’s first match following the departure of Markus Gisdol, who has been temporarily replaced by Friedhelm Funkel. Cologne are winless in 8 matches, are 3 points adrift of the relegation playoff spot currently occupied by Bielefeld, and will have to play on Saturday without standout midfielder Ondrej Duda, who is serving a 1-match ban. Bielefeld will travel to Augsburg earlier on Saturday and are coming off a 1:0 win over Freiburg. A win on Saturday could move the club as high as 14th place, and their competitors lost 1:0 to Schalke on their last time out. Augsburg’s fortunes have been hampered by a dearth of goals this season, as they are the 4th-lowest club in the league in goals scored this season. The club’s Florian Niederlechner, who scored 13 goals last season, has only found the net 3 times this season. Looking ahead to Sunday, Borussia Dortmund will look to win 2 consecutive matches when they host Bremen. Bremen are fighting to avoid being drawn into the relegation battle, having failed to win in their last 5 contests, including losses in each of the last 4. Dortmund’s Erling Haaland is without a goal in 2 matches, but has never failed to score in 3 consecutive matches.
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