Bundesliga Matchday 7 Preview: FCB and BVB try to break gridlock, crunchtime for Freiburg

With the midweek DFB Pokal competition out of the way, all eyes will turn to the Bundesliga. With only three goals separating top runners Bayern and Dortmund, both sides will attempt to gain the point advantage and the top of the table.  Pep Guardiola and Juergen Klopp rested some of their star players during the DFB Pokal and should be well prepared to meet the challenges.  For SC Freiburg its crunch time if the side is to move up from the leagues basement.

Both Bayern and Dortmund have home pitch advantage when Bayern hosts Wolfsburg and Dortmund hosts beleaguered SC Freiburg on Saturday.  For Freiburg it will be a major task to overcome the Borussen.  Wolfsburg, currently in sixth spot with three wins and three losses, the appearance at the Allianz arena will be a difficult one.

The Friday opener, which will be broadcast and GolTV Canada at 2:30 pm EDT, will feature FC Augsburg hosting Bourussia Moenchengladbach. Both sides have nine points to their credit, with three wins and three losses.

Third placed Bayer Leverkusen hosts fourth placed Hannover 96.  Both teams need a win to maintain contact with the leaders of the league.  The home team advantage has to go to Leverkusen.  Hannover also has to overcome the midweek thumping by FC Bayern.  Hoffenheim hosts Schalke 04 and the two clubs are separated by one point.  Schalke needs a success to live up to the expectations of a top contender in the Bundesliga.  This may be a difficult task in Sinsheim.

Berlin hosts Mainz 05 and both sides were eliminated by 2nd Bundesliga outfits, Koeln and Kaiserslautern from DFB Cup competition.  Despite an early surge in the league this season, both sides have now suffered losses and will try to  make up the deficit.  Berlin has the home pitch advantage.

The final Saturday match is in Frankfurt with Hamburg as the visitors.  Both teams require a success story.  This should be a closely contested match and all bets are off.

To conclude the matchday, Werder Bremen host Nuernberg and Stuttgart travels to Braunschweig.

With six games in the books, a pattern is emerging with Bayern and Dortmund establishing their dominance of the league.  Leverkusen and Hannover are still close enough to challenge the league leaders, making their result important this weekend.  Failing disasters, both Dortmund and Munich should emerge victorious.  With Champions League week ahead of the sides next week, the line ups will be based on strategy.  Dortmund will host Olympique Marseille next Tuesday, while Bayern travels to Manchester City.  Schalke 04 travels to Basel, while Leverkusen takes on San Sebastian at home. 


Friday 27 September

FC Augsburg vs Borussia M'gladbach   2-2

Saturday 28 September

Borussia Dortmund vs SC Freiburg     
FC Bayern vs VfL Wolfsburg     
Bayer Leverkusen vs Hannover 96     
1899 Hoffenheim vs Schalke 04     
Hertha BSC vs FSV Mainz 05     
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Hamburger SV     

Sunday 29 September
Werder Bremen vs Nürnberg     
Eintracht Braunschweig vs VFB Stuttgart


Place-----Team-----------------------GP---W---D----L---GF/GA ---Pts
1--------Borussia Dortmund-----------6----5----1-----0------16:5-------16
2--------FC Bayern Muenchen--------6----5----1-----0------13-2-------16
3--------Bayer Leverkusen-------------6----5----0-----1------15:7-------15
4--------Hannover 96--------------------6----4----0-----2-----10:8-------12
5--------Borussia M'gladbach----------7----3----0-----4-----17:13------10
6--------FCAugsburg--------------------7----3----0-----4------8:11-------10
7--------VFL Wolfsburg-----------------6----3----0-----3-------9:8--------9
8--------Mainz 05-------------------------6----3----0-----3------9:12--- ----9
9-------Werder Bremen------------------6----3----0-----3-------5:8---------9
10------ Hertha BSC Berlin-------------6----2----2-----2-----10:7---------8
11------1899 Hoffenheim--------------- 6----2----2-----2-----15:15--------8
11------VFB Stuttgart--------------------6----2----1-----3-----11:9----------7
13------Eintracht Frankfurt--------------6----2----1-----3-----8:10----------7
14------FC Schalke 04-------------------6----1----1-----4------6:14----------7
15------1. FC Nürnberg------------------6-----0----4-----1-----6:9-----------4
16------Hamburg--------------------------6----1----1-----4-----11:16---------4
17------SC Freiburg----------------------6-----0----3-----3------8:12---------3
18------Eintracht Braunschweig--------6-----0----1-----5------3:15---------1