Gladbach looking to defeat Munich again
Bayern was the best team in Bundesliga´s first half, Gladbach the most surprising one. Having defeated relegation in the last game last campaign, they are fighting for the first positions in chart this year. On matchday one they were able to win against Munich. Friday will show if they can repeat that. Other important matches will be Schalke against Stuttgart on Saturday and HSV against Dortmund on Sunday.
Marco Reus will play for Dortmund next season.
37 points, a goal difference of plus 33 and the first rank in chart. That is what Bayern Munich has achieved in first half of this year´s Bundesliga season. Last year´s nearly relegated Borussia Moenchengladbach however is only 4 points behind Munich on rank 4. On matchday one Gladbach defeated Munich with 1-0 in Allianz Arena. Now they are looking to repeat this result on home turf. That is where they have not lost a match in 12 games. But FCB is the best team on foreign grounds.
On Saturday third placed team Schalke 04 will be playing against VFB Stuttgart. In history of German Bundesliga Schalke have not defeated a team on home grounds more often than Stuttgart. The statistics of both teams could not be more different. Schalke have won the last three while Stuttgart has been without a win in four games straight before the break.
Second placed Borussia Dortmund, the current champion, will play against Hamburger SV on Sunday. That is the matchup with the most goals scored in Bundesliga history. Over the last 25 games of those teams we always at least saw one goal. We might see some fire works on Sunday. Dortmund probably has to substitute young super talent Mario Goetze.
Hoffenheim is playing the worst season since their promotion to first Bundesliga. With the knowledge of having won the last two games Hanover is travelling to Sinsheim to extend their good run against Hoffenheim on Saturday.
Felix Magath´s Wolfsburg will receive 1. FC Cologne. Magath´s personal statistic against Cologne is astonishing. He has not lost a match against them for 13 games straight.
SC Freiburg and FC Augsburg as well as 1. FC Nuremberg and Hertha BSC Berlin will face on Saturday too. The night game will take place between 1. FC Kaiserslautern and Werder Bremen.
The last game of the first matchday after the winter break will be Bayer 04 Leverkusen against Mainz 05. With 26 points so far Leverkusen´s season is still to decide. Wolfsburg have won the championship with that exact count after 17 games three years ago and Frankfurt relegated last year with the same amount of points.
