In the matchday opener on Friday, Bayern travel to Moenchengladbach, a team that has had an excellent finish to the halfway point. Gladbach is currently in third place two points ahead of Dortmund and four points behind second place Leverkusen. Bayern went through last year without losing a single Bundesliga match. Can this occur during its first test in 2014 in Gladbach? It could. Despite Bayern's star power, the home game advantage has to go to Gladbach.
Freiburg currently on top of the relegation zone, with just three wins for its efforts, will be hosting second place Leverkusen. Can the fiesty south Baden team finally earn three points and move up on the relegation zone? Leverkusen has the advantage here.
Fifth place Wolfsburg hosts Hannover and should come out on top in that match. Nuernberg hosts Hoffenheim. This could be a nailbiter, with both sides needing a win. Nuernberg is without a single victory this season and something need to give if the Der Club is to survive in the Bundesliga. Hoffenheim is in 11th spot.
Dortmunds hosts Augsburg and on paper should win this match. Augsburg cannot be counted out though and Dortmund has lost a few sure matches in Dortmund this season. It should be an interesting match.
In the final Saturday match Frankfurt hosts Berlin. Berlin has impressed during the first half of the season and with eight wins, four draws and five losses is well positioned in sixth spot. Not bad for a league debutant. Franfurt is currently in 15th spot. All bets are off for this match, in which Frankfurt has home advantage.
Two matches remain for Sunday when Bremen hosts newcomer Braunschweig, which is the taillight of the Bundesliga after the first half of the season. The second Sunday match sees Hamburg hosting Schalke. The Knappen are currently in seventh spot and have been inconsistent during the first half. Hamburg is in 14th spot. All things being equal Schalke should win this match.
Regardless of outcomes, it will be good news for all Bundesliga fans that the league is back. All eyes will be on Leverkusen and Dortmund to see if these two teams end up in a battle for second spot. Will Gladbach be able to maintain its present pace and will Schalke return to consistency? On the bottom of the league the questions are if Nuernberg can survive and can Freiburg finally move out of the relegation zone?
Friday 24 January
Bor. Mönchengladbach vs Bayern München 0-2
Saturday 25 January
SC Freiburg vs Bayer Leverkusen 3-2
VfL Wolfsburg vs Hannover 96 1-3
1. FC Nürnberg vs 1899 Hoffenheim 4-0
VfB Stuttgart vs FSV Mainz 05 1-2
Borussia Dortmund vs FC Augsburg 2-2
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Hertha BSC
Sunday 26 January
Werder Bremen vs Eintr. Braunschweig
Hamburger SV vs Schalke 04
Posn Team GP W D L GF/GA Points
1 FC Bayern 17 15 2 0 44:8 47
2 Leverkusen 18 12 1 5 34:19 37
3 Dortmund 18 10 3 5 40:22 33
4 M'gladbach 18 10 3 5 35:21 33
5 Wolfsburg 17 9 3 5 28:19 30
6 Hertha BSC 17 8 4 5 27:20 28
7 Schalke 17 8 4 5 32:26 28
8 Mainz 18 8 3 7 27:33 27
9 Augsburg 18 7 4 7 23:27 25
10 Stuttgart 17 5 4 8 29:31 19
11 Hoffenheim 18 4 6 8 36:42 19
12 Bremen 17 5 4 7 22:37 19
13 Hannover 17 5 3 9 23:31 18
14 Freiburg 18 4 5 9 19:33 17
15 Hamburg 17 4 4 9 33:38 16
16 Frankfurt 17 3 6 8 20:29 15
17 Nürnberg 18 1 11 6 21:33 14
18 B'schweig 17 3 2 12 10:32 11
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