tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52550711078549287182024-03-14T09:18:59.780-06:00The World As I see it German Bundesliga soccer news and a mix of Canadian and US politicsalbertacowpokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10481945636963459213noreply@blogger.comBlogger383125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255071107854928718.post-86636624720222046792014-05-10T04:33:00.002-06:002014-05-10T11:59:48.031-06:00Bundesliga Matchday 34 Preview: Will Hamburg keep the relegation playoff spot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnoM6LD_yPNzocVa_kfpqouBGRmlnUoqxkJeY_raQKmD4iiLacF4xaHiJEb3HBJEuqTcqfd1l8GRceXHfh7V0YHJfmBSnc0HjuObIK_2mXyqto2O2SdanpAlVthvtSDEuZt5cH73KVS6g/s1600/Alaba-Dortmund.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnoM6LD_yPNzocVa_kfpqouBGRmlnUoqxkJeY_raQKmD4iiLacF4xaHiJEb3HBJEuqTcqfd1l8GRceXHfh7V0YHJfmBSnc0HjuObIK_2mXyqto2O2SdanpAlVthvtSDEuZt5cH73KVS6g/s1600/Alaba-Dortmund.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
Despite Bayern's successful domestic season, the final matchday on Saturday promises to be a nailbiter. The primary question will be, can Hamburg keep the relegation playoff spot. Three teams are currently in the relegation zone, separated by just two points.<br />
<br />
VFB Stuttgart is safe and remains in the Bundesliga for next season. The Schwaben will meet Bayern Muenchen, a game that will be primarily for pride among the two southern neighbours. Bayern has clinched the title and Stuttgart is safe. Borussia Dortmund is traveling to Berlin and this will be an opportunity for the Borussen to test the pitch in Berlin, ahead of next weekend's DFB Pokal game against Bayern Muenchen.<br />
<br />
Dortmund has clinched spot two with Schalke and Leverkusen seven and ten points behind respectively. Schalke plays 17th placed Nuernberg and Leverkusen hosts Bremen. Both sides should be able to win those matches. Wolfsburg and Gladbach, sides that still have a chance to clinch a Champions League spot meet head to head in Wolfsburg. The two sides are separated by two points. A Leverkusen loss and a Wolfsburg win would move Wolfsburg into a UCL spot, but that's a long shot.<br />
<br />
The bottom three have difficult tasks as well. Hamburg plays Mainz, a side that came close to capturing a spot in Europe this year. Can Hamburg get at least a draw? Nuernberg faces Schalke and looks doomed to play in the 2nd Bundesliga next season, while Braunschweig faces Hoffenheim. The odds are that Hamburg will have enough to make it to the relegation playoff.<br />
<br />
1. FC Koeln has won the right to play in the Bundesliga next season. Paderborn and Greuther Fuerth require Sunday to confirm, which of the two gets promoted directly and who wins the relegation playoff spot, with Paderborn leading Greuther Fuerth by two points for second spot. Paderborn plays ninth placed Aalen, while Greuther Fuerth faces SV Sandhausen, which sits in tenth spot.<br />
<br />
For Bayern it was a successful season, even with the loss against Real Madrid. For Bayern and Dortmund the focus will be on the DFB Cup, followed by preparation for Brazil 2014 in June. <br />
<br />
<br />
Hertha BSC vs Borussia Dortmund 0-4<br />
FC Augsburg vs Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1<br />
VfL Wolfsburg vs Bor. Mönchengladbach 3-1 <br />
Bayern München vs VfB Stuttgart 1-0 <br />
Bayer Leverkusen vs Werder Bremen 2-1 <br />
Schalke 04 vs 1. FC Nürnberg 4-1<br />
Hannover 96 vs SC Freiburg 3-2<br />
FSV Mainz 05 vs Hamburger SV 3-2 <br />
1899 Hoffenheim vs Eintr. Braunschweig 3-1<br />
<br />
<b>Posn Team GP W D L GF/GA Points</b><br />
<br />
1 FC Bayern 34 28 3 2 95:23 90<br />
2 Dortmund 34 23 5 7 80:38 71<br />
3 Schalke 34 19 7 8 63:43 64<br />
4 Leverkusen 34 19 4 11 57:44 61 <br />
5 Wolfsburg 34 18 6 10 63:50 60<br />
6 M'gladbach 34 16 7 11 59:43 55 <br />
7 Mainz 34 16 5 13 52:54 53 <br />
8 Augsburg 34 15 7 12 47:47 52<br />
9 Hoffenheim 34 11 11 12 72:70 44<br />
10 Hannover 34 12 6 16 46:59 42 <br />
11 Hertha BSC 34 11 8 15 40:49 41<br />
12 Bremen 34 10 9 15 42:66 39 <br />
13 Frankfurt 34 9 9 16 40:57 36<br />
14 Freiburg 34 9 9 16 42:61 36<br />
15 Stuttgart 34 8 8 18 50:63 32 <br />
16 Hamburg 34 7 6 21 49:75 27 <br />
17 Nürnberg 34 5 11 18 37:70 26<br />
18 B'schweig 34 6 7 21 29:60 25
albertacowpokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10481945636963459213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255071107854928718.post-8553507360259770482014-05-03T16:17:00.000-06:002014-05-03T16:17:05.938-06:00Bundesliga: Relegation teams decided, relegation playoff not until final matchday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The bottom three clubs in the Bundesliga lost their respective matches and all of them will now end up in the relegation zone. With the relegation teams decided, the playoff spot will have to wait until the final matchday. Hamburg, Nuernberg and Braunschweig have 27, 26 and 25 points respectively. Hamburg travels to Mainz, while Nuernberg is hosted by Schalke and Braunschweig hosts Hoffenheim next weekend. Bayern, Dortmund and Schalke are assured a Champions League spot next season, while Wolfsburg and Gladbach might push Leverkusen out of the fourth spot. Wolfsburg and Gladbach meet head to head next weekend, while Leverkusen hosts Bremen. The remaining teams will not be able to get a Euro League spot next season.<br />
<br />
Hamburg lost its home match 4-1 against Bayern Muenchen, while Nuernberg lost 2-0 against Hannover at home. Braunschweig lost to Augsburg 1-0. <br />
<br />
Read more about the games in <a href="http://www.dw.de/bundesliga-bottom-three-fail-to-win-and-fourth-still-up-for-grabs/a-17610907" target="_blank">Deutsche Welle.</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
SC Freiburg vs Schalke 04 0-2<br />
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Bayer Leverkusen 0-2<br />
1. FC Nürnberg vs Hannover 96 0-2<br />
VfB Stuttgart vs VfL Wolfsburg 1-2<br />
Borussia Dortmund vs 1899 Hoffenheim 3-2 <br />
Bor. Mönchengladbach vs FSV Mainz 05 3-1<br />
Eintr. Braunschweig vs FC Augsburg 0-1 <br />
Hamburger SV vs Bayern München 1-4 <br />
Werder Bremen vs Hertha BSC 1-0<br />
<br />
<b>Posn Team GP W D L GF/GA Points</b><br />
<br />
1 FC Bayern 33 28 3 2 94:23 87<br />
2 Dortmund 33 22 5 7 76:38 68<br />
3 Schalke 33 18 7 8 59:42 61<br />
4 Leverkusen 33 18 4 11 55:43 58 <br />
5 Wolfsburg 33 17 6 10 60:49 57<br />
6 M'gladbach 33 16 7 10 58:40 55 <br />
7 Mainz 33 15 5 13 49:52 50 <br />
8 Augsburg 33 14 7 12 45:46 49<br />
9 Hoffenheim 33 10 11 12 69:69 41 <br />
10 Hertha BSC 33 11 8 14 40:45 41<br />
11 Hannover 33 11 6 16 43:57 39<br />
12 Bremen 33 10 9 14 41:64 39 <br />
13 Frankfurt 33 9 9 15 39:55 36<br />
14 Freiburg 33 9 9 15 41:58 36<br />
15 Stuttgart 33 8 8 17 50:62 32 <br />
16 Hamburg 33 7 6 20 47:72 27 <br />
17 Nürnberg 33 5 11 17 36:66 26<br />
18 B'schweig 33 6 7 20 28:57 25
albertacowpokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10481945636963459213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255071107854928718.post-54047243571717851312014-05-03T04:21:00.001-06:002014-05-03T09:37:56.231-06:00Bundesliga Matchday 33: Season Decision for relegation? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFxl-uFwZ6IpTMpZSATMRghpAqKPjJ3X2tRZ5x9diosc8rUE3mi2tr7GcDs3u40K3EgZHtx0VFrFtcdNTHZk5LgJV36cqXmVFCHhCxgeElNEl_fzZ1YjgoJ7e5b1wegApy2ooCL_geuco/s1600/Hamburg+wins+German+BL+1982+and+1984.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFxl-uFwZ6IpTMpZSATMRghpAqKPjJ3X2tRZ5x9diosc8rUE3mi2tr7GcDs3u40K3EgZHtx0VFrFtcdNTHZk5LgJV36cqXmVFCHhCxgeElNEl_fzZ1YjgoJ7e5b1wegApy2ooCL_geuco/s1600/Hamburg+wins+German+BL+1982+and+1984.jpg" /></a></div>
Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have won top spot and second place respectively for this season, while the third and fourth Champions League spot is still up for grabs among four clubs, Schalke, Leverkusen, Wolfsburg and Gladbach. Will this matchday be the decision for relegation? Eintracht Braunschweig and Nuernberg's relegation have all but been decided, while Hamburg still has a vague chance of overtaking VFB Stuttgart, but Hamburg can't do it on its own.<br />
<br />
All games this weekend will be played on Saturday, as will those on the last matchday. Hamburg hosts FC Bayern Muenchen this weekend. Pep Guardiola won't be capturing a treble this year after going down 5:0 in aggregate against Real Madrid. His tactics of domination football have been criticized and he has something to prove this weekend, ahead of the DFB Pokal game against Dortmund on May 17. With Munich as the favorite in Hamburg, the club, which is the only side in the Bundesliga that has never faced relegation, will at least try to capture the relegation play off spot.<br />
<br />
Braunschweig hosts Bayern's neighbour FC Augsburg, another difficult task. Augsburg, due to goal difference is no longer likely to capture a spot on European play for next season. Nuernberg hosts Hannover 96 and all bets are off for this match. Der Club can only hope to capture the relegation play off spot.<br />
<br />
Of the top four Bayern travels to Hamburg, while Dortmund hosts Hoffenheim and Leverkusen hosts Frankfurt. Schalke 04 travels to Freiburg. Gladbach and Mainz battle for the fourth Champions League spot and barring a draw, that could be decided this matchday. A Gladbach win dumps Mainz from European competition next season.<br />
<br />
Sit back and enjoy the venues this weekend, matchday 33 will in likelihood be the big decision day, leaving only the DFB Pokal game in Berlin on May 17th, where Dortmund has the opportunity to decrown Bayern Muenchen. <br />
<br />
SC Freiburg vs Schalke 04 0-2<br />
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Bayer Leverkusen 0-2<br />
1. FC Nürnberg vs Hannover 96 0-2<br />
VfB Stuttgart vs VfL Wolfsburg 1-2<br />
Borussia Dortmund vs 1899 Hoffenheim 3-2 <br />
Bor. Mönchengladbach vs FSV Mainz 05 3-1<br />
Eintr. Braunschweig vs FC Augsburg 0-0 <br />
Hamburger SV vs Bayern München 1-4 <br />
Werder Bremen vs Hertha BSC 1-0<br />
<br />
<b>Posn Team GP W D L GF/GA Points</b><br />
<br />
1 FC Bayern 33 28 3 2 94:23 87<br />
2 Dortmund 33 22 5 7 76:38 68<br />
3 Schalke 33 18 7 8 59:42 61<br />
4 Leverkusen 33 18 4 11 55:43 58 <br />
5 Wolfsburg 33 17 6 10 60:49 57<br />
6 M'gladbach 33 16 7 10 58:40 55 <br />
7 Mainz 33 15 5 13 49:52 50 <br />
8 Augsburg 33 13 8 12 44:46 47<br />
9 Hoffenheim 33 10 11 12 69:69 41 <br />
10 Hertha BSC 33 11 7 15 41:43 44<br />
11 Hannover 33 11 6 16 44:58 39<br />
12 Frankfurt 33 9 9 15 39:55 36<br />
13 Freiburg 33 9 9 15 41:58 36<br />
14 Bremen 33 10 8 14 39:64 36 <br />
15 Stuttgart 33 8 8 17 50:62 32 <br />
16 Hamburg 33 7 6 20 47:72 27 <br />
17 Nürnberg 33 5 11 17 36:66 26<br />
18 B'schweig 33 6 8 19 28:56 26
albertacowpokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10481945636963459213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255071107854928718.post-92186909435362507902014-04-26T15:39:00.001-06:002014-04-27T11:32:22.371-06:00Bundesliga: Matchday 32 - Relegation spots may have been decided <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhATFSXtH_zCqima6RlZZfnE-45Id6Fasqp1qqqIcg8dxzwTtRUs8kV-1t7Tewv9qje01xaOZQl-4g_tR6b2MxFqsJryCnvokbu29UpNUWgyU7mexZakcQm21ehpSFlDQJ27fSXbwS6Fk8/s1600/Goetze+Injury.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhATFSXtH_zCqima6RlZZfnE-45Id6Fasqp1qqqIcg8dxzwTtRUs8kV-1t7Tewv9qje01xaOZQl-4g_tR6b2MxFqsJryCnvokbu29UpNUWgyU7mexZakcQm21ehpSFlDQJ27fSXbwS6Fk8/s1600/Goetze+Injury.jpg" height="199" width="320" /></a></div>
While the relegation spots may have been decided this weekend, with a loss by both Nuernberg and Braunschweig, Stuttgart gained a valuable point to move into relatively safe territory. The battle for third and fourth spot will continue and may not be decided until the final matchday.<br />
<br />
Bayern fielded a weakened side ahead of the Real Madrid game next week and Bremen caused them some heartache. Theodor Selassie put Bremen on the scoreboard in the tenth minute, but Franck Ribery equalized ten minutes later, Bremen's Aaron Hunt once again took the lead for Bremen prior ot the halftime whistle. The second half saw three goals by Bayern's Claudio Pizzaro, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Arjen Robben for a 5-2 victory.<br />
<br />
Hannover and Stuttgart played to a scoreless draw on Friday's matchday opener, giving Stuttgart a valuable point. With two matches left, Stuttgart is in a relatively safe spot to avoid relegation. For Hannover there was nothing at stake. Leverkusen and Dortmund played to a 2-2 draw with all goals in the first half. Lars Bender put Leverkusen ahed in the 7th minute. Oliver Kirch
equalized in the 29th minute, but Gonzalo Castro’s header put Leverkusen
ahead once more in the 35th. A handball by <span style="color: #222222;">Roberto Hilbert gave Marco Reus the chance to equalize for a 2-2 halftime draw. For Leverkusen the point put them two points ahead of Wolfsburg, which only managed a 2-2 draw against SC Freiburg. </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222;">Berlin walked away with three over over Eintracht Braunschweig, which almost guarantees relegation for the one season Braunschweig club. 2-0 was the final score. Berlin is in 11th spot with no chance for European play next season. Mainz shut out Nuernberg 2-0 moving into sixth spot and leaving Nuernberg with an all but guaranteed relegation. For Mainz the remaining matchdays will determine Euro League competition. </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222;">Hoffenheim and Frankfurt played to a scoreless draw with nothing at stake for the next two encounters. Both teams can now concentrate on the next season. FC Augsburg defeated Hamburger SV 3-1 on goals from Hahn and Altintop, all in the first 45. Hamburg got one back just before the halftime whistle. The second half remained scoreless for a 3-1 Augsburg win. Augsburg occupies 8th spot, with a remote chance to qualify for the Euro League, while Hamburg remains in the relegation playoff spot, </span><span style="color: #222222;">five points behind Stuttgart and just one point ahead of Nuernberg. </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222;">Three clubs are in the relegation zone, Hamburg, Nuernberg and Braunschweig. Hamburg plays on Sunday in Augsburg and can secure the relegation playoff spot with a win. The final match on Sunday is Schalke against Moenchengladbach. A goal at the 35 minute mark by Patrick Herrmann secured three points for Gladbach. The Borussen move into sixth spot with a chance to qualify for Champions League action next season. </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span>
<br />
<br />
Friday April 25<br />
<br />
Hannover 96 vs VfB Stuttgart 0-0<br />
<br />
Saturday Apr 26<br />
<br />
Bayern München vs Werder Bremen 5-2<br />
FSV Mainz 05 vs 1. FC Nürnberg 2-0 <br />
VfL Wolfsburg vs SC Freiburg 2-2 <br />
Hertha BSC vs Eintr. Braunschweig 2-0 <br />
1899 Hoffenheim vs Eintracht Frankfurt 0-0 <br />
Bayer Leverkusen vs Borussia Dortmund 2-2<br />
<br />
Sunday April 27 <br />
<br />
FC Augsburg vs Hamburger SV 3-1<br />
Schalke 04 vs Bor. Mönchengladbach 0-1<br />
<br />
<b>Posn Team GP W D L GF/GA Points</b><br />
<br />
1 FC Bayern 32 27 3 2 89:22 84<br />
2 Dortmund 32 21 5 7 73:36 65<br />
3 Schalke 32 17 7 8 57:42 58<br />
4 Leverkusen 32 17 4 11 53:43 55 <br />
5 Wolfsburg 32 16 6 10 58:48 54<br />
6 M'gladbach 32 15 7 10 55:39 52 <br />
7 Mainz 32 15 5 12 48:49 50 <br />
8 Augsburg 32 13 7 12 44:46 46<br />
9 Hoffenheim 32 10 11 11 67:66 41 <br />
10 Hertha BSC 32 11 7 14 40:42 41<br />
11 Frankfurt 32 9 9 14 39:53 36<br />
12 Freiburg 32 9 9 14 41:56 36<br />
13 Hannover 32 10 6 16 42:58 36 <br />
14 Bremen 32 9 8 14 39:64 36 <br />
15 Stuttgart 32 8 8 16 49:60 32 <br />
16 Hamburg 32 7 6 19 48:68 27 <br />
17 Nürnberg 32 5 11 16 36:64 26<br />
18 B'schweig 32 6 7 19 28:56 25
albertacowpokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10481945636963459213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255071107854928718.post-46571208632470986692014-04-25T05:38:00.001-06:002014-04-26T12:22:32.409-06:00Bundesliga Matchday 32 Preview: Critical and decisive weekend <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfSQ_qAl1WUfUOhH56Fn19eLkegMOFei-5fJKbhhTk3CJZJu4B-WF15kBkL12hVoVvPjtDSzGT5PzMPcjrN3O6Kh75jTMftHyI6L5TnUuXUAkmgnj0FcAfN1yGmtGXCRECn7Xab5i8hFw/s1600/Schalke+vs+Dortmund.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfSQ_qAl1WUfUOhH56Fn19eLkegMOFei-5fJKbhhTk3CJZJu4B-WF15kBkL12hVoVvPjtDSzGT5PzMPcjrN3O6Kh75jTMftHyI6L5TnUuXUAkmgnj0FcAfN1yGmtGXCRECn7Xab5i8hFw/s1600/Schalke+vs+Dortmund.jpg" height="199" width="320" /></a></div>
This matchday is critical and decisive for several clubs. For some it is to secure spots in the Champions and Euro League, while others will be battling for their retention in the top tier. <br />
<br />
With three matchdays remaining, Bayern Muenchen and Borussia Dortmund are assured of Champions League competition next season. FC Schalke 04 can secure its spot with a win over Leverkusen on Saturday, while Gladbach, Leverkusen and Wolfsburg will have to wait.<br />
<br />
Gladbach, Mainz and Augsburg appear to be in position to clinch a Euro League spot. The remainder of the league turns to the relegation battle. A win for Frankfurt, Hannover and Freiburg would secure play in the Bundesliga next season, while Hamburg, Nuernberg and Braunschweig could know their fate as early as this weekend.<br />
<br />
Nuernberg travels to Mainz, while Hamburg faces a fiesty Augsburg side. At the top of the league, Dortmund travels to Leverkusen, while Schalke and Gladbach face a tough battle in Gelsenkirchen, which can clinch Schalke's third place position and end Glabach's hopes. Braunschweig battles Berlin. A loss for Braunschweig means a return to tier two. <br />
<br />
Friday April 25<br />
<br />
Hannover 96 vs VfB Stuttgart 0-0<br />
<br />
Saturday Apr 26<br />
<br />
Bayern München vs Werder Bremen 5-2<br />
FSV Mainz 05 vs 1. FC Nürnberg 2-0 <br />
VfL Wolfsburg vs SC Freiburg 2-2 <br />
Hertha BSC vs Eintr. Braunschweig 2-0 <br />
1899 Hoffenheim vs Eintracht Frankfurt 0-0 <br />
Bayer Leverkusen vs Borussia Dortmund 2-2<br />
<br />
Sunday April 27 <br />
<br />
FC Augsburg vs Hamburger SV <br />
Schalke 04 vs Bor. Mönchengladbach<br />
<br />
<b>Posn Team GP W D L GF/GA Points</b><br />
<br />
1 FC Bayern 32 27 3 2 89:22 84<br />
2 Dortmund 32 21 5 7 73:36 65<br />
3 Schalke 31 17 7 7 57:41 58<br />
4 Leverkusen 32 17 4 11 53:43 55 <br />
5 Wolfsburg 32 16 5 11 58:48 53<br />
6 Mainz 32 15 5 12 48:49 50 <br />
7 M'gladbach 31 14 7 10 54:39 49<br />
8 Augsburg 31 12 7 12 41:45 43<br />
9 Hoffenheim 32 10 10 12 67:66 40 <br />
10 Hertha BSC 32 11 7 14 40:42 41<br />
11 Bremen 32 9 8 14 39:64 36 <br />
12 Frankfurt 32 9 9 14 39:53 36<br />
13 Freiburg 32 9 9 14 41:56 36<br />
14 Hannover 32 10 6 16 42:58 36 <br />
15 Stuttgart 32 8 8 16 49:60 32 <br />
16 Hamburg 31 7 6 18 47:65 27 <br />
17 Nürnberg 32 5 11 16 36:64 26<br />
18 B'schweig 32 6 7 19 28:56 25
albertacowpokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10481945636963459213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255071107854928718.post-59051852573670231722014-04-20T05:59:00.000-06:002014-04-20T12:19:19.375-06:00Bundesliga Matchday 31: BVB defeats Mainz, Wolfsburg wins in Hamburg<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqgeXQtYcbHljbvKK1fSkSNVBUr3hVK4UlEx02bn84uixM2fNRVQdVuiUIhDutWGwoqRVAM4l_4wjWT4q2ZtB3yeecPmfFn5JPqc5aYoUQo749ZKgJGAmr9PPbzDxy3b8NphwQXjwJZE/s1600/Bayern+wins+over+Braunschweig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqgeXQtYcbHljbvKK1fSkSNVBUr3hVK4UlEx02bn84uixM2fNRVQdVuiUIhDutWGwoqRVAM4l_4wjWT4q2ZtB3yeecPmfFn5JPqc5aYoUQo749ZKgJGAmr9PPbzDxy3b8NphwQXjwJZE/s1600/Bayern+wins+over+Braunschweig.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
Bayern Munich, with a mediocre first half performance defeated Bundesliga taillight Braunschweig 2-0. BVB defeated Mainz 4-2, while in Saturday's late match, Wolfsburg won in Hamburg, moving provisionally into a Champions League qualifying spot. Freiburg and Hannover walked away with victories, creating that important breathing space to avoid relegation. Stuttgart, Hamburg, Nuernberg and Braunschweig are in immediate danger of relegation. <br />
<br />
Nuernberg hosts Leverkusen and Stuttgart welcomes Schalke 04 on Sunday, both very difficult matches for the relegation candidates. A win or draw for Leverkusen will move the side, which has been struggling since the winter break, back into fourth spot. Schalke can narrow the gap to second placed Dortmund.<br />
<br />
In Friday's matchday opener Hannover won in Frankfurt 2-3. Andreasen opened the scoring for Hannover in the second minute while Lanig got the equalizer in the 13th. Stindl move Hannover ahead in the 20th and Ya Konan increased the lead to two in the 29th. Meier narrowed the gap for Frankfurt in the 68th, but was the denied the equalizer. Both Franfurt and Hannover have 35 points, seven clear of the relegation playoff spot. FC Augsburg and Hertha BSC Berlin battled to a scoreless draw, occupying eighth and tenth spot respectively. Both sides are clear of relegation. <br />
<br />
Dortmund defeated Mainz 4-2 with Okazaki scoring the opener on 14 minutes. Lewandowski's goal in the 18th minute equalized for a 1-1 draw after 45. Okazaki put Mainz ahead in the 53rd, but goals by Pisczk (56), Reus (penalty 79th) secured the three points for Dortmund. BVB enjoys a six point lead over third placed Schalke, while Mainz trails Gladbach by one in seventh spot. Bayern Muenchen struggled through the first half, with a weakened Bayern side, against league taillight Braunschweig. Goals by Pizzaro (75th) and Mandzukic (87th) secured the 2-0 win for Bayern. For Braunschweig the situation is getting critical.<br />
<br />
Freiburg walked over Borussia Moenchengladbach 4-1, one of the surprises of this matchday. For Freiburg the win created an important buffer from relegation, while Gladbach remains in a fight for a Euro League qualification spot. Werder Bremen defeated Hoffenheim 3-1. While Volland scored the opener in the Weser Stadion, in the third, Bargfriede (18th), Garcia (78th) and Petersen (90th), ensured the three points for the Hanseaten. Hoffenheim is in 9th spot, with Bremen in 11th.<br />
<br />
Hamburg lost an important home match against Wolfsburg 1-3. Perisic (2nd), Bruyne (42nd) and Olic (49th) were the scorers for Wolfsburg and Ilicevic (58th) got one back for Hamburg. Hamburg, the only Bundesliga side that has never faced relegation, must now face that reality. For Wolfsburg there is a good opportunity for Champions League qualification. <br />
<br />
Sunday's matches see Leverkusen at Nuernberg, while Stuttgart hosts Schalke 04.<br />
<br />
<b>Thursday 17 April </b><br />
<br />
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Hannover 96 2:3 <br />
<br />
<b>Saturday 19 April </b><br />
Werder Bremen vs 1899 Hoffenheim 3:1<br />
Borussia Dortmund vs FSV Mainz 05 4:2 <br />
Eintr. Braunschweig vs Bayern München 0:2<br />
FC Augsburg vs Hertha BSC 0:0 <br />
SC Freiburg vs Bor. Mönchengladbach 4:2 <br />
Hamburger SV vs VfL Wolfsburg 1:3<br />
<br />
<b>Sunday 20 April</b><br />
<br />
1. FC Nürnberg vs Bayer Leverkusen 1-4<br />
VfB Stuttgart vs Schalke 04 3-1<br />
<br />
<b>Posn Team GP W D L GF/GA Points</b><br />
<br />
1 FC Bayern 31 26 3 2 84:20 81<br />
2 Dortmund 31 21 4 7 71:34 64<br />
3 Schalke 31 17 7 7 57:41 61<br />
4 Leverkusen 31 17 3 11 51:41 54 <br />
5 Wolfsburg 31 16 5 10 56:46 53 <br />
6 M'gladbach 31 14 6 11 54:39 48 <br />
7 Mainz 31 14 5 12 46:49 47 <br />
8 Augsburg 31 12 7 12 41:45 43<br />
9 Hoffenheim 31 10 9 12 67:66 40 <br />
10 Hertha BSC 31 10 7 14 38:42 38<br />
11 Bremen 31 9 8 13 37:59 36 <br />
12 Frankfurt 31 9 8 14 39:53 35<br />
13 Hannover 31 10 5 16 41:57 35<br />
14 Freiburg 31 9 8 14 39:54 35<br />
15 Stuttgart 31 8 7 16 48:59 31 <br />
16 Hamburg 31 7 6 18 47:65 27 <br />
17 Nürnberg 31 5 11 15 36:62 26<br />
18 B'schweig 31 6 7 18 28:54 25
albertacowpokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10481945636963459213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255071107854928718.post-37852649680975298432014-04-12T14:01:00.002-06:002014-04-13T11:29:54.159-06:00Bundesliga Matchday 30: Dortmund shuts out Bayern <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHqOERJj5dDxczQXvQjnqOppEgGXPGItVtlUFOYxWVrNPNfMpd3zMhlU4qiGTU6if-vgsZ6ic9PpnaLA09rmOLXSnsV2APmTQSWwlnBUrCyEgvMNsgdd_r5XKCfSz7m8t8qQmHtuMGM9w/s1600/Dante-Reus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHqOERJj5dDxczQXvQjnqOppEgGXPGItVtlUFOYxWVrNPNfMpd3zMhlU4qiGTU6if-vgsZ6ic9PpnaLA09rmOLXSnsV2APmTQSWwlnBUrCyEgvMNsgdd_r5XKCfSz7m8t8qQmHtuMGM9w/s1600/Dante-Reus.jpg" height="223" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Three days after qualifying for the UCL semi-final, FC Bayern was shut out by rival Borussia Dortmund. Bayern appeared tired and often passes were inaccurate. Mkhitaryan scored in the 20th minute to give Dortmund the 1-0 lead for the first 45. Manuel Neuer was replaced by Raeder in the second frame. The substitution was as a precaution to ensure the keeper was fit for Wednesday's DFB Cup game.<br />
<br />
While Robben and Ribery were starters, the Bayern game never gained the same flow as is customary for the record champions. Thomas Mueller replaced Ribery and Toni Kroos came in for Robben in the second half. Marco Reus scored shortly into the second half (49th) and Jonas Hofmann clinched the match with his goal in the 56th minute. This was Bayern's first home loss since October 2012.<br />
<br />
In the Friday evening opener, fans were treated to a scoreless draw in the first half, when Schalke 04 hosted Eintracht Frankfurt. Schalke took control in the second 45, with Meyer scoring the 1-0 lead for the Knappen. Julian Draxler appeared to score the second goal, but was ruled offside. The last 30 minutes remained interesting for fans of both sides, with several scoring opportunities on both sides. Farfan doubled the score before the final whistle and Schalke came a step closer to qualifying for the Champions League. Despite the loss Frankfurt, with an eight point buffer is relatively safe from relegation.<br />
<br />
After Bayern, Dortmund and Schalke as the top three there is a three way battle for the UCL fourth spot. Wolfsburg swapped places with Gladbach after the 4-1 win over Nuernberg, while Gladbach, after a 1-1 draw with Stuttgart is ahead of Leverkusen provisionally. Leverkusen hosts Berlin on Sunday. In any case the last UCL spot is far from decided. Mainz is still a player after the 3-0 thrashing Bremen. Augsburg, which travel to Hoffenheim on Sunday is still a contender for the last Euro League spot.<br />
<br />
Leverkusen moved back into fourth spot on Sunday, one point ahead of Wolfsburg, after defeating Hertha BSC Berlin 2-1. Hoffenheim defeated Augsburg 2-0 and is now mathematically clear of relegation. Augsburg remains two points ahead of Hoffenheim, but may have foiled its chances for obtaining an Euro League spot. <br />
<br />
Stuttgart, Hamburg, Nuernberg and Braunschweig are still very much attempting to avoid reletation, while Freiburg got some breathing space after a 2-0 win over Braunschweig. Stuttgart moved up one from the relegation play off spot by holding Gladbach to a 1-1 draw.<br />
<br />
With four matchdays remaining, it may take to the end to decide which teams are in the relegation spots.<br />
<a href="http://www.dw.de/dortmund-serve-bayern-a-slice-of-humble-pie/a-17563387" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="http://www.dw.de/dortmund-serve-bayern-a-slice-of-humble-pie/a-17563387" target="_blank">Deutsche Welle Matchday Wrap</a><br />
<br />
<b>Friday 11 April 14</b><br />
<br />
Schalke 04 vs Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0<br />
<b><br />Saturday 12 April 14</b><br />
<b><br /></b>Hannover 96 vs Hamburger SV 2-1 <br />
SC Freiburg vs Eintr. Braunschweig 2-0 <br />
Bor. Mönchengladbach vs VfB Stuttgart 1-1 <br />
FSV Mainz 05 vs Werder Bremen 3-0 <br />
VfL Wolfsburg vs 1. FC Nürnberg 4-1 <br />
Bayern München vs Borussia Dortmund 3-0<b><br /><br />Sunday 13 Apr 14<br /> </b>Bayer Leverkusen vs Hertha BSC 2-1 <br />
1899 Hoffenheim vs FC Augsburg 2-0<b><br /></b><br />
<b> </b><br />
<b>Posn Team GP W D L GF/GA Points</b><br />
<br />
1 FC Bayern 30 25 3 2 82:20 78<br />
2 Dortmund 30 20 4 7 67:32 61<br />
3 Schalke 30 17 7 6 56:38 58<br />
4 Leverkusen 30 16 3 11 50:37 51<br />
5 Wolfsburg 30 15 5 10 53:45 50<br />
6 M'gladbach 30 14 6 10 52:35 48 <br />
7 Mainz 30 14 5 11 44:45 47 <br />
8 Augsburg 30 12 6 12 41:45 42<br />
9 Hoffenheim 30 10 9 11 66:63 40 <br />
10 Hertha BSC 30 10 6 14 38:42 37<br />
11 Frankfurt 30 9 8 13 37:50 35<br />
12 Bremen 30 8 8 13 34:58 33 <br />
13 Hannover 30 9 5 16 38:55 32<br />
14 Freiburg 30 8 8 14 35:52 32<br />
15 Stuttgart 30 7 7 16 45:58 28 <br />
16 Hamburg 30 7 6 17 46:62 27 <br />
17 Nürnberg 30 5 11 14 35:58 26<br />
18 B'schweig 30 6 7 17 28:52 25
albertacowpokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10481945636963459213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255071107854928718.post-59679029889901178752014-04-09T05:25:00.001-06:002014-04-12T09:48:03.775-06:00Bundesliga Matchday 30 Preview: At least six clubs fighting relegation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJg27Q4EGzsbHs-h6CR5v49QsJgLioH9a2eU0V0Zjsa2uh9gut2MMjQY8u3EoxLTvp6LQDQVHRXpuub-MWIzNLDT1O7sfhEvciNyEvpf0ILkjBEUXZOeSU3DIgIHO2zjMtpI-TRDA2-E/s1600/Bayern+vs+Dortmund+(AFP,+Chirstof+Stache).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJg27Q4EGzsbHs-h6CR5v49QsJgLioH9a2eU0V0Zjsa2uh9gut2MMjQY8u3EoxLTvp6LQDQVHRXpuub-MWIzNLDT1O7sfhEvciNyEvpf0ILkjBEUXZOeSU3DIgIHO2zjMtpI-TRDA2-E/s1600/Bayern+vs+Dortmund+(AFP,+Chirstof+Stache).jpg" height="211" width="320" /></a></div>
With 15 available points, until the Bundesliga ends its season, there are at least six clubs facing relegation. Among the stalwarts are Hamburg, Bremen and Stuttgart. Only four points separate 18th placed Eintracht Braunschweig and 13th Hannover 96.<br />
<br />
Hannover and Hamburg go head to head on Saturday and a lot is at stake for the Hanseaten, who have never been relegated in the Bundesliga's 51 years of existence. Stuttgart level on points with Hamburg, faces Borussia Moenchengladbach, a side with Champions League aspirations. Gladbach is level on points with Wolfsburg. Both clubs trail fourth placed Leverkusen by one point. <br />
<br />
Braunschweig faces troubled SC Freiburg. Eintracht, which has gained four points in the last two outings, tails Hamburg and Stuttgart by two points and could possibly move upwards with a win over Freiburg. Nuernberg one point ahead of Braunschweig faces a formidable opponent in Wolfsburg. For the club it is reckoning time. Mathematically it is possible for all these clubs to avoid relegation, but this will require victories and a little help from the remainder of the league.<br />
s<br />
On the top end of the league, FC Bayern seems to have closed the chapter on this year's Bundesliga season and the focus has shifted to the Champions League and the DFB Cup. Whether or not Pep Guardiola will field the A team on Saturday, when the side hosts Dortmund remains to be seen. Dortmund put in a stellar performance against Real Madrid on Tuesday, but due to a first leg 3-0 deficit, the 2-0 victory has Dortmund out of the Champions League for this season. Dortmund aims at securing its current second spot, with currently a three point lead. The other focus is on the DFB Cup, the only silverware available to Juergen Klopp's side.<br />
<br />
Schalke hopes to pick up three points when Frankfurt comes to town. Frankfurt, though relatively safe from relegation can still mathematically sink into a relegation spot. Eight points separate the side from Nuernberg. Bayer Leverkusen hosts Berlin and this match could go either way. Leverkusen has not fully recovered from a slump after the winter break and Berlin, a side which looked like a Euro League likely, wants to get as close as possible, although it's nearly impossible. A loss for Leverkusen could move the side into sixth spot.<br />
<br />
While the league championship has been wrapped up, there is still lots to be decided for the 2013/14 season. The top match this week would undoubtedly be the Bayern/Dortmund match, but it depends what sides both Pep Guardiola and Juergen Klopp field. Will Dortmund become the second side this season to defeat the Super Bayern? <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Friday 11 April 14</b><br />
<br />
Schalke 04 vs Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0<br />
<b>Saturday 12 April 14</b><br />
<b><br /></b>Hannover 96 vs Hamburger SV 2-1 <br />
SC Freiburg vs Eintr. Braunschweig 2-0 <br />
Bor. Mönchengladbach vs VfB Stuttgart 1-1 <br />
FSV Mainz 05 vs Werder Bremen 3-0 <br />
VfL Wolfsburg vs 1. FC Nürnberg 4-1 <br />
Bayern München vs Borussia Dortmund <b><br /><br />Sunday 13 Apr 14<br /> </b>Bayer Leverkusen vs Hertha BSC <br />
1899 Hoffenheim vs FC Augsburg <b><br /></b><br />
<b> </b><br />
<b>Posn Team GP W D L GF/GA Points</b><br />
<br />
1 FC Bayern 29 25 3 1 82:17 78<br />
2 Dortmund 29 19 4 7 64:32 58<br />
3 Schalke 30 17 7 6 56:38 58<br />
4 Wolfsburg 30 15 5 10 53:45 50 <br />
5 Leverkusen 29 15 3 11 48:36 48<br />
6 M'gladbach 30 14 6 10 52:35 48 <br />
7 Mainz 30 14 5 11 44:45 47 <br />
8 Augsburg 29 12 6 11 41:43 42<br />
9 Hoffenheim 29 9 9 11 64:63 37 <br />
10 Hertha BSC 29 10 6 13 37:40 37<br />
11 Frankfurt 30 9 8 13 37:50 35<br />
12 Bremen 30 8 8 13 34:58 33 <br />
13 Hannover 30 9 5 16 38:55 32<br />
14 Freiburg 30 8 8 14 35:52 32<br />
15 Stuttgart 30 7 7 16 45:58 28 <br />
16 Hamburg 30 7 6 17 46:62 27 <br />
17 Nürnberg 30 5 11 14 35:58 26<br />
18 B'schweig 30 6 7 17 28:52 25
albertacowpokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10481945636963459213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255071107854928718.post-39713423055600234232014-04-05T10:10:00.000-06:002014-04-06T11:28:38.022-06:00Bundesliga Matchday 29: Bayern's undefeated streak stopped by FC Augsburg<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgja1jgkApfh-i34vJ0r5vb46m3ycINQPr9e_liAM53ln9lNCDG3PTarI1-nH4IyQ_Wr19Q_Dm8Xvi5TUnrYifhjbNZAT5SO09vgHLCL85YTjTCgkL3vS8Nn3y6acICtG8BpOcZwrJxIUE/s1600/Neuer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgja1jgkApfh-i34vJ0r5vb46m3ycINQPr9e_liAM53ln9lNCDG3PTarI1-nH4IyQ_Wr19Q_Dm8Xvi5TUnrYifhjbNZAT5SO09vgHLCL85YTjTCgkL3vS8Nn3y6acICtG8BpOcZwrJxIUE/s1600/Neuer.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">FC
Augsburg stopped Bayern's undefeated streak and Augsburg is the first team to
defeat "Super Bayern this season. How appropriate to have a
neighbouring club do it. Pep Guardiola grossly miscalculated Augsburg's
ability and as a consequence put three brand new guys on the pitch and
left them on. Although he brought on Alaba, Goetze and Mueller shortly
into the second frame, he miscalculated Augsburg's fighting spirit. <br /> <br />
This is exactly what happened last weekend with Hoffenheim and mid week
with ManU. I hope he realizes that ManU can win this with a 1-1 draw
or any kind of draw, other than scoreless. Guardiola is no Heynckes.
Respect to FCAugsburg for<b> </b>for this performance<b>. </b></span></span><br />
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><br /></span></span>
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Dortmund came from behind to defeat VFL Wolfsburg 2-1, on goals from Robert Lewandowski and Marco Reus. Dortmund enjoys a three point lead over third place Schalke, while remains one point short of fourth spot behind Leverkusen, which continued its slump with a 2-1 loss against Hamburg. The HSV moved up into the relegation play off spot one point ahead of Nuernberg. </span></span><br />
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><br /></span></span>
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Stuttgart moved up into 15th spot, after defeating Freiburg 2-0. Both teams are threatend by relegation with Stuttgart even in points with Hamburg, while Freiburg is only two points removed. Eintracht Frankfurt picked up three important points against Mainz 05 and with 35 points has placed a large gap from the relegation zone. Mainz occupies seventh spot and still has a chance of qualifying for Euro League competition next season. </span></span><br />
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><br /></span></span>
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Third placed Schalke played to a 1-1 draw against Werder Bremen and has a comfortable seven point lead ahead of Leverkusen. Bremen has accumulated 33 points and may be able to avoid relegation. </span></span><br />
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><br /></span></span>
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">On Sunday Braunschweig hosts Hannover, while Hoffenheim travels to Berlin. </span></span><br />
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<b>Friday 4 April</b><br />
<br />
Hamburger SV vs Bayer Leverkusen 2-1<br />
<b><br />Saturday 5 April</b><br />
<br />
VfB Stuttgart vs SC Freiburg 2-0<br />
FC Augsburg vs Bayern München 1-0 <br />
Eintracht Frankfurt vs FSV Mainz 05 2-0<br />
Werder Bremen vs Schalke 04 1-1<br />
1. FC Nürnberg vs Bor. Mönchengladbach 0-2 <br />
Borussia Dortmund vs VfL Wolfsburg<b> </b>2-1<b><br /> <br />Sunday 6 April </b><br />
<b><br /></b>Eintr. Braunschweig vs Hannover 96 3-0<br />
Hertha BSC vs 1899 Hoffenheim 1-1<br />
<b> </b><br />
<b>Posn Team GP W D L GF/GA Points</b><br />
<br />
1 FC Bayern 29 25 3 1 82:17 78<br />
2 Dortmund 29 19 4 7 64:32 58<br />
3 Schalke 29 16 7 6 54:38 55<br />
4 Leverkusen 29 15 3 11 48:36 48<br />
5 Wolfsburg 29 14 5 10 49:44 47<br />
6 M'gladbach 29 14 6 9 51:34 47 <br />
7 Mainz 29 13 5 11 41:45 44 <br />
8 Augsburg 29 12 6 11 41:43 42<br />
9 Hoffenheim 29 9 9 11 64:63 37 <br />
10 Hertha BSC 29 10 6 13 37:40 37<br />
11 Frankfurt 29 9 8 12 37:48 35<br />
12 Bremen 29 8 8 12 34:55 33 <br />
13 Hannover 29 8 5 16 36:54 29<br />
14 Freiburg 29 7 8 14 33:52 29<br />
15 Stuttgart 29 7 6 16 44:57 27 <br />
16 Hamburg 29 7 6 16 45:60 27 <br />
17 Nürnberg 29 5 11 13 34:54 26<br />
18 B'schweig 29 6 7 16 28:50 25albertacowpokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10481945636963459213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255071107854928718.post-74689559508274309852014-04-03T15:29:00.001-06:002014-04-04T14:33:36.418-06:00Bundesliga Matchday 29 Preview: Six battle relegation, while Bayer 04 battles for UCL <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoySx0FSvr1IMJ55ELR37w9ZkgzBv0p4XLMESbZ83037dg6wsgYilP9bQEzD2nMU_3F1b-qrJLDAwSY4yMGvLgYBWGyEkUs1aShSFX-6yBCytSLMC8SO-sJQPCLL61ECkCL7tu1WGt3PU/s1600/Bayern+vs+Hertha+BSC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoySx0FSvr1IMJ55ELR37w9ZkgzBv0p4XLMESbZ83037dg6wsgYilP9bQEzD2nMU_3F1b-qrJLDAwSY4yMGvLgYBWGyEkUs1aShSFX-6yBCytSLMC8SO-sJQPCLL61ECkCL7tu1WGt3PU/s1600/Bayern+vs+Hertha+BSC.jpg" height="118" width="320" /></a></div>
When the Bundesliga takes to the pitch on Friday, the opener has one side fighting relegation and the other attempting to end a slump. Along with Hamburg five more clubs are fighting against relegation. Only one point separates Leverkusen from Wolfsburg, while Hannover, Freiburg, Nuernberg, Stuttgart, Hamburg and Braunschweig are only separated by seven points.<br />
<br />
When Hamburg hosts Leverkusen on Friday, you have a side in Leverkusen that has experienced a slump in its performance since the winter break and the sides one one draw last week against league taillight is not a lot to provide encouragement. Hamburg on the other hand is only one point above Braunschweig and is the only side that has never been relegated from the league. If Hamburg wants to avoid relegation the side needs a win. Milan Badlej is back from suspension and Ilicivic could be back. <br />
<br />
Freiburg travels to the Schwabenland on Saturday in an attempt to garner three points from 16th spot Stuttgart. Freiburg is five points clear of relegation, but there are still 18 points to lose. For Stuttgart to survive a victory is essential.<br />
<br />
Augsburg currently in eighth spot is clear of relegation, but the side will be playing for Bavarian bragging rights and perhaps league bragging rights, when the side hosts Bayern Muenchen. Bayern on the other hand only managed a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford midweek, and will have its eyes on the price next week, when Manchester United visits. Don't expect the A team on the pitch. After last week's 3-3 draw with Hoffenheim, the Bayern will be gunning for victory.<br />
<br />
Frankfurt is also clear of a relegation threat, but Mainz still has a good shot at the Euro League and an outside chance to make Champions League qualification. Expect this to be one of the better matches this weekend.<br />
<br />
Werder Bremen should be clear of relegation threat and Schalke 04 is aiming to be best of the rest. With only one point behind Dortmund the Hanseaten will be looking for another win. Nuernberg will be hosting Gladbach, a side with a good shot of a Champions League spot, while Nuernberg is only one point ahead of Stuttgart. The Franken need a win to have a chance to avoid relegation. Nuernberg can be a threat at home. Will Gladbach have the grit to overcome a Nuernberg challenge. <br />
Dortmund got a thumping from Real Madrid midweek and will try to redeem themselves to gain some encouragement for next week's UCL encounter. Their opponents on Saturday are Wolfsburg a side that currently holds fifth spot. The side has Champions ambitions and is sure to give Dortmund a run for its money.<br />
<br />
On Sunday Eintracht Braunschweig hosts hosts Hannover 96. For Braunschweig relegation is real, and for Hannover a win is critical, although the side has a five point cushion from a relegation spot. Both sides must win to make use of the points available in the last six games. <br />
<br />
Berlin hosts Hoffenheim in the second Sunday match. Both sides are free of relegation worries and are equal in points at 36. With 11 points short of any relegation spot, while mathematically possible. this match is for team pride only.<br />
<br />
Whatever happens this weekend, the quest is real for some to meet their ambitions, but serious for the clubs at the tailend of the league. There will, likely, be some upsets and surprises, but there should be plenty of goals. <br />
<br />
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
The
relegation battle takes centre stage in the Bundesliga as the season
enters its final phase. Eintracht Braunschweig, Hamburger SV, Stuttgart,
Nuremberg, Freiburg and Hannover are all in danger of the drop, with
just seven points between the sides with six games still to play. Bayern
Munich, which has already wrapped up the title in record time, aims to
maintain its unbeaten run and will use Saturday's Bavarian derby against
Augsburg to prepare for Wednesday's Champions League quarterfinal
return leg against Manchester United. Here are five things to know about
the Bundesliga's 29th round of games:<br />
___<br />
DORTMUND DEPRESSED<br />
On
the verge of exiting the Champions League after Wednesday's 3-0
quarterfinal first-leg defeat at Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund is
struggling to stay positive after an underwhelming season to date. Only
the German Cup remains a realistic target for Juergen Klopp's side.
Second place in the Bundesliga is a minimum requirement but scant
consolation for finishing so far behind Bayern for the second season in a
row. The gap was 25 points last season. It's 23 now with six games to
play.<br />
Dortmund can stop Bayern's bid to become the first side to
complete a Bundesliga season unbeaten by winning in Munich next week but
"schadenfreude" would seem petty in an inconsistent season. Terrible
luck with injuries has played its part, to be fair to Klopp's side, but
the knowledge that top striker Robert Lewandowski is joining Bayern next
season is unlikely to improve the mood.<br />
Lewandowski scored four
goals in one game against Madrid last season. All would be forgiven if
he did it again in Tuesday's second leg.<br />
___<br />
WOLFSBURG BULLISH<br />
Wolfsburg
harbours dreams of being among "the best of the rest" behind Bayern and
has spent more than 200 million euros ($275 million) on new players
over the past five seasons to qualify for Europe. The Volkswagen-backed
club is currently fifth, just one point off Bayer Leverkusen in the last
Champions League qualification place.<br />
"We want to take the chance and finish fourth," said Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking, whose side visits Dortmund on Saturday.<br />
Wolfsburg,
the 2009 Bundesliga champion, has the opportunity to return to the
Champions League due to Leverkusen's poor form. Leverkusen was second
but an alarming slump — just five points from eight league games — has
given Wolfsburg the encouragement it needs.<br />
___<br />
HAMBURG IN TROUBLE<br />
Last
week's 1-1 draw with bottom side Braunschweig may have increased the
pressure on Leverkusen coach Sami Hyypia, but Hamburg coach Mirko Slomka
is trying to stave off relegation. Hamburg is the only club to have
played every season of the Bundesliga since the league was formed in
1963 and Slomka's players are under immense pressure to prevent its
first relegation.<br />
Slomka said last week the situation was
"ominous" after a 3-1 defeat at Borussia Moenchengladbach left his side
just two points above last-placed Braunschweig.<br />
Hamburg hosts Leverkusen on Friday, when the home side will be looking for just its third win from nine games.<br />
Hamburg
striker Pierre-Michel Lasogga is out with muscle problems. However, Ivo
Ilicevic could be back after recovering from his thigh strain and Milan
Badelj will be back from suspension.<br />
___<br />
FIGHTING THE DROP<br />
Stuttgart
hosts Freiburg on Saturday for a derby both sides are desperate to win.
Stuttgart occupies the relegation playoff place by virtue of a better
goal difference to Hamburg, while Freiburg is five points clear but by
no means safe after claiming 10 points from its last four games.<br />
"We have to keep getting points," Freiburg striker Admir Mehmedi said. "We can only relax when it's mathematically safe."<br />
Nuremberg
is just two points above Stuttgart and will have to cope without
suspended defensive players Emanuel Pogatetz and Niklas Stark against
Borussia Moenchengladbach, also Saturday.<br />
Hannover, which has been
dragged back into the relegation scrap after three defeats in a row,
visits bottom side Braunschweig for a high-stake Lower Saxony derby on
Sunday.<br />
"We know how special the game is for the region,"
Braunschweig midfielder Mirko Boland said. "But the only thing that
matters for us, particularly because of the league table, is a victory.
We have to win the derby."<br />
___<br />
BAVARIAN DERBY<br />
Bayern
remains unbeaten in 53 Bundesliga games but last week's 3-3 with
Hoffenheim ended the side's 19-game winning streak in the league and —
more importantly — was followed by Tuesday's 1-1 draw at Manchester in
the Champions League. With one eye on Wednesday's quarterfinal return
leg, Pep Guardiola will almost certainly rotate his side again for
Saturday's game at Augsburg.<br />
The title was already secured with
seven games to spare and Bayern sporting director Matthias Sammer
warned, "A bad thing mustn't come from a good. We shouldn't get it into
our heads to lose our rhythm."<br />
Augsburg has been enjoying an
excellent season, though appears to be running out of steam with just
one point from four games. Markus Weinzierl has to do without his two
top scorers against Bayern. Andre Hahn is suspended and Tobias Werner is
out with a fractured eye socket. Defender Ragnar Klavan is also
doubtful with thigh problems.<br />
- See more at:
http://www.timescolonist.com/5-things-to-know-as-relegation-battles-take-centre-stage-in-bundesliga-bayern-still-unbeaten-1.941048#sthash.EhsLeDXy.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
The
relegation battle takes centre stage in the Bundesliga as the season
enters its final phase. Eintracht Braunschweig, Hamburger SV, Stuttgart,
Nuremberg, Freiburg and Hannover are all in danger of the drop, with
just seven points between the sides with six games still to play. Bayern
Munich, which has already wrapped up the title in record time, aims to
maintain its unbeaten run and will use Saturday's Bavarian derby against
Augsburg to prepare for Wednesday's Champions League quarterfinal
return leg against Manchester United. Here are five things to know about
the Bundesliga's 29th round of games:<br />
___<br />
DORTMUND DEPRESSED<br />
On
the verge of exiting the Champions League after Wednesday's 3-0
quarterfinal first-leg defeat at Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund is
struggling to stay positive after an underwhelming season to date. Only
the German Cup remains a realistic target for Juergen Klopp's side.
Second place in the Bundesliga is a minimum requirement but scant
consolation for finishing so far behind Bayern for the second season in a
row. The gap was 25 points last season. It's 23 now with six games to
play.<br />
Dortmund can stop Bayern's bid to become the first side to
complete a Bundesliga season unbeaten by winning in Munich next week but
"schadenfreude" would seem petty in an inconsistent season. Terrible
luck with injuries has played its part, to be fair to Klopp's side, but
the knowledge that top striker Robert Lewandowski is joining Bayern next
season is unlikely to improve the mood.<br />
Lewandowski scored four
goals in one game against Madrid last season. All would be forgiven if
he did it again in Tuesday's second leg.<br />
___<br />
WOLFSBURG BULLISH<br />
Wolfsburg
harbours dreams of being among "the best of the rest" behind Bayern and
has spent more than 200 million euros ($275 million) on new players
over the past five seasons to qualify for Europe. The Volkswagen-backed
club is currently fifth, just one point off Bayer Leverkusen in the last
Champions League qualification place.<br />
"We want to take the chance and finish fourth," said Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking, whose side visits Dortmund on Saturday.<br />
Wolfsburg,
the 2009 Bundesliga champion, has the opportunity to return to the
Champions League due to Leverkusen's poor form. Leverkusen was second
but an alarming slump — just five points from eight league games — has
given Wolfsburg the encouragement it needs.<br />
___<br />
HAMBURG IN TROUBLE<br />
Last
week's 1-1 draw with bottom side Braunschweig may have increased the
pressure on Leverkusen coach Sami Hyypia, but Hamburg coach Mirko Slomka
is trying to stave off relegation. Hamburg is the only club to have
played every season of the Bundesliga since the league was formed in
1963 and Slomka's players are under immense pressure to prevent its
first relegation.<br />
Slomka said last week the situation was
"ominous" after a 3-1 defeat at Borussia Moenchengladbach left his side
just two points above last-placed Braunschweig.<br />
Hamburg hosts Leverkusen on Friday, when the home side will be looking for just its third win from nine games.<br />
Hamburg
striker Pierre-Michel Lasogga is out with muscle problems. However, Ivo
Ilicevic could be back after recovering from his thigh strain and Milan
Badelj will be back from suspension.<br />
___<br />
FIGHTING THE DROP<br />
Stuttgart
hosts Freiburg on Saturday for a derby both sides are desperate to win.
Stuttgart occupies the relegation playoff place by virtue of a better
goal difference to Hamburg, while Freiburg is five points clear but by
no means safe after claiming 10 points from its last four games.<br />
"We have to keep getting points," Freiburg striker Admir Mehmedi said. "We can only relax when it's mathematically safe."<br />
Nuremberg
is just two points above Stuttgart and will have to cope without
suspended defensive players Emanuel Pogatetz and Niklas Stark against
Borussia Moenchengladbach, also Saturday.<br />
Hannover, which has been
dragged back into the relegation scrap after three defeats in a row,
visits bottom side Braunschweig for a high-stake Lower Saxony derby on
Sunday.<br />
"We know how special the game is for the region,"
Braunschweig midfielder Mirko Boland said. "But the only thing that
matters for us, particularly because of the league table, is a victory.
We have to win the derby."<br />
___<br />
BAVARIAN DERBY<br />
Bayern
remains unbeaten in 53 Bundesliga games but last week's 3-3 with
Hoffenheim ended the side's 19-game winning streak in the league and —
more importantly — was followed by Tuesday's 1-1 draw at Manchester in
the Champions League. With one eye on Wednesday's quarterfinal return
leg, Pep Guardiola will almost certainly rotate his side again for
Saturday's game at Augsburg.<br />
The title was already secured with
seven games to spare and Bayern sporting director Matthias Sammer
warned, "A bad thing mustn't come from a good. We shouldn't get it into
our heads to lose our rhythm."<br />
Augsburg has been enjoying an
excellent season, though appears to be running out of steam with just
one point from four games. Markus Weinzierl has to do without his two
top scorers against Bayern. Andre Hahn is suspended and Tobias Werner is
out with a fractured eye socket. Defender Ragnar Klavan is also
doubtful with thigh problems.<br />
- See more at:
http://www.timescolonist.com/5-things-to-know-as-relegation-battles-take-centre-stage-in-bundesliga-bayern-still-unbeaten-1.941048#sthash.EhsLeDXy.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
The
relegation battle takes centre stage in the Bundesliga as the season
enters its final phase. Eintracht Braunschweig, Hamburger SV, Stuttgart,
Nuremberg, Freiburg and Hannover are all in danger of the drop, with
just seven points between the sides with six games still to play. Bayern
Munich, which has already wrapped up the title in record time, aims to
maintain its unbeaten run and will use Saturday's Bavarian derby against
Augsburg to prepare for Wednesday's Champions League quarterfinal
return leg against Manchester United. Here are five things to know about
the Bundesliga's 29th round of games:<br />
___<br />
DORTMUND DEPRESSED<br />
On
the verge of exiting the Champions League after Wednesday's 3-0
quarterfinal first-leg defeat at Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund is
struggling to stay positive after an underwhelming season to date. Only
the German Cup remains a realistic target for Juergen Klopp's side.
Second place in the Bundesliga is a minimum requirement but scant
consolation for finishing so far behind Bayern for the second season in a
row. The gap was 25 points last season. It's 23 now with six games to
play.<br />
Dortmund can stop Bayern's bid to become the first side to
complete a Bundesliga season unbeaten by winning in Munich next week but
"schadenfreude" would seem petty in an inconsistent season. Terrible
luck with injuries has played its part, to be fair to Klopp's side, but
the knowledge that top striker Robert Lewandowski is joining Bayern next
season is unlikely to improve the mood.<br />
Lewandowski scored four
goals in one game against Madrid last season. All would be forgiven if
he did it again in Tuesday's second leg.<br />
___<br />
WOLFSBURG BULLISH<br />
Wolfsburg
harbours dreams of being among "the best of the rest" behind Bayern and
has spent more than 200 million euros ($275 million) on new players
over the past five seasons to qualify for Europe. The Volkswagen-backed
club is currently fifth, just one point off Bayer Leverkusen in the last
Champions League qualification place.<br />
"We want to take the chance and finish fourth," said Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking, whose side visits Dortmund on Saturday.<br />
Wolfsburg,
the 2009 Bundesliga champion, has the opportunity to return to the
Champions League due to Leverkusen's poor form. Leverkusen was second
but an alarming slump — just five points from eight league games — has
given Wolfsburg the encouragement it needs.<br />
___<br />
HAMBURG IN TROUBLE<br />
Last
week's 1-1 draw with bottom side Braunschweig may have increased the
pressure on Leverkusen coach Sami Hyypia, but Hamburg coach Mirko Slomka
is trying to stave off relegation. Hamburg is the only club to have
played every season of the Bundesliga since the league was formed in
1963 and Slomka's players are under immense pressure to prevent its
first relegation.<br />
Slomka said last week the situation was
"ominous" after a 3-1 defeat at Borussia Moenchengladbach left his side
just two points above last-placed Braunschweig.<br />
Hamburg hosts Leverkusen on Friday, when the home side will be looking for just its third win from nine games.<br />
Hamburg
striker Pierre-Michel Lasogga is out with muscle problems. However, Ivo
Ilicevic could be back after recovering from his thigh strain and Milan
Badelj will be back from suspension.<br />
___<br />
FIGHTING THE DROP<br />
Stuttgart
hosts Freiburg on Saturday for a derby both sides are desperate to win.
Stuttgart occupies the relegation playoff place by virtue of a better
goal difference to Hamburg, while Freiburg is five points clear but by
no means safe after claiming 10 points from its last four games.<br />
"We have to keep getting points," Freiburg striker Admir Mehmedi said. "We can only relax when it's mathematically safe."<br />
Nuremberg
is just two points above Stuttgart and will have to cope without
suspended defensive players Emanuel Pogatetz and Niklas Stark against
Borussia Moenchengladbach, also Saturday.<br />
Hannover, which has been
dragged back into the relegation scrap after three defeats in a row,
visits bottom side Braunschweig for a high-stake Lower Saxony derby on
Sunday.<br />
"We know how special the game is for the region,"
Braunschweig midfielder Mirko Boland said. "But the only thing that
matters for us, particularly because of the league table, is a victory.
We have to win the derby."<br />
___<br />
BAVARIAN DERBY<br />
Bayern
remains unbeaten in 53 Bundesliga games but last week's 3-3 with
Hoffenheim ended the side's 19-game winning streak in the league and —
more importantly — was followed by Tuesday's 1-1 draw at Manchester in
the Champions League. With one eye on Wednesday's quarterfinal return
leg, Pep Guardiola will almost certainly rotate his side again for
Saturday's game at Augsburg.<br />
The title was already secured with
seven games to spare and Bayern sporting director Matthias Sammer
warned, "A bad thing mustn't come from a good. We shouldn't get it into
our heads to lose our rhythm."<br />
Augsburg has been enjoying an
excellent season, though appears to be running out of steam with just
one point from four games. Markus Weinzierl has to do without his two
top scorers against Bayern. Andre Hahn is suspended and Tobias Werner is
out with a fractured eye socket. Defender Ragnar Klavan is also
doubtful with thigh problems.<br />
- See more at:
http://www.timescolonist.com/5-things-to-know-as-relegation-battles-take-centre-stage-in-bundesliga-bayern-still-unbeaten-1.941048#sthash.EhsLeDXy.dpuf</div>
<b>Friday 4 April</b><br />
<br />
Hamburger SV vs Bayer Leverkusen 2-1<br />
<b><br />Saturday 5 April</b><br />
<br />
VfB Stuttgart vs SC Freiburg <br />
FC Augsburg vs Bayern München <br />
Eintracht Frankfurt vs FSV Mainz 05 <br />
Werder Bremen vs Schalke 04 <br />
1. FC Nürnberg vs Bor. Mönchengladbach <br />
Borussia Dortmund vs VfL Wolfsburg<b><br /> <br />Sunday 6 April </b><br />
<b><br /></b>Eintr. Braunschweig vs Hannover 96 <br />
Hertha BSC vs 1899 Hoffenheim<br />
<b> </b><br />
<b>Posn Team GP W D L GF/GA Points</b><br />
<br />
1 FC Bayern 28 25 3 0 82:16 78<br />
2 Dortmund 28 17 4 7 62:31 55<br />
3 Schalke 28 16 6 6 53:37 54<br />
4 Leverkusen 29 15 3 11 48:36 48<br />
5 Wolfsburg 28 14 5 9 48:42 47<br />
6 M'gladbach 28 13 6 9 49:34 45 <br />
7 Mainz 28 13 5 10 41:43 44 <br />
8 Augsburg 28 11 6 11 40:43 39<br />
9 Hoffenheim 28 9 9 10 63:62 36 <br />
10 Hertha BSC 28 10 6 12 36:39 36<br />
11 Frankfurt 28 8 8 12 35:48 32<br />
12 Bremen 28 8 8 12 33:54 32 <br />
13 Hannover 28 8 5 15 36:51 29<br />
14 Freiburg 28 7 8 13 33:50 29<br />
15 Hamburg 29 7 6 16 45:60 27 <br />
16 Nürnberg 28 5 11 12 34:52 26<br />
17 Stuttgart 28 6 6 16 42:57 24 <br />
18 B'schweig 28 5 7 16 25:50 22
albertacowpokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10481945636963459213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255071107854928718.post-60341841690033510662014-03-29T14:38:00.001-06:002014-03-30T11:49:26.777-06:00Bundesliga Matchday 28: Hoffenheim ends Bayern 19 game winning streak. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhcgWo6opSuvN1l2YG-pNSw2OdIXAtwmoWmqtsQyDyTHPqA5hnk9MkWM98SQyYFVlMr1y7rmTkvSIleehCTUupsdYOYU_Jn2FRNnC6VyF2GEMOvGD-fpcc3QE5agb4AY9RNIzVtr6BhY/s1600/Bayern+vs+Hoffenheim+March+24th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhcgWo6opSuvN1l2YG-pNSw2OdIXAtwmoWmqtsQyDyTHPqA5hnk9MkWM98SQyYFVlMr1y7rmTkvSIleehCTUupsdYOYU_Jn2FRNnC6VyF2GEMOvGD-fpcc3QE5agb4AY9RNIzVtr6BhY/s1600/Bayern+vs+Hoffenheim+March+24th.jpg" height="306" width="320" /></a></div>
Bayern out to set more Bundesliga records was stopped from adding the 20th consecutive win this season. Bayern, which rested Neuer, Mueller, Robben and others, in anticipation of its match next weekend against Manchester United at Old Trafford, went down 1-0 after 23 minutes when Modeste defeated Starke. Bayern answered with three goals, Pizzaro (31, 40th) and Shaqiri in the 34th minute, before Hoffenheim closed the gap with Salihovic's goal in the 44th. Hoffeheim scored again in the 75th with Firmino's shot, to take away one point from the Allianz Arena. Bayern extended its undefeated streak to 52, and can still finish the season undefeated, while scoring a record amount of goals.<br />
<br />
Shalke 04 defeated Berlin 2-0 with goals by Obasi (16th) and Huntelaar in the 46th. Schalke moved within one point of second placed Dortmund and remains six points ahead of Leverkusen. Berlin is currently in sixth spot. Fourth placed Leverkusen and Bundesliga tail light Eintracht Braunschweig battled to a 1-1 draw, with Reichel putting the Berliners on the scoreboard in the 47th, but Stefan Kiessling got the equalizer in the 53rd on a penalty shot.<br />
<br />
VFL Wolfsburg upped Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 with Aigner getting the first counter for the Eagles in the 11th minute. Wolfsburg upped the ante in the second half with goals by Olic in the 69th and Naldo in the 89th for a 2-1 home win. Wolfsburg remains a contender for a Champions League spot, trailing Leverkusen by just one point. Frankfurt remains in 11ths spot with 32 points.<br />
<br />
Borussia Dortmund walked away with three points at the Mercedes Benz Arena in Stuttgart. Stuttgart took an early 2-0 lead with goals by Gentner (9th) and Harnik in the 19th minute. Marco Reus narrow the gap in the 30th minute, which left Stuttgart with a 2-1 halftime lead. In the second frame, Reus scored on a penalty in the 68th, before getting the winner in the 83rd. Dortmund retains second spot by one point, while Stuttgart remains in 17th spot and in danger of relegation. FSV Mainz overwhelmed FC Augsburg 3-0, with Bungerts goal in the 23rd minute and an own goal by Augsburg's Hitz in the 38th. Geis had the final strike in the 83rd. Mainz is currently in sixth spot and has a real shot at the Euro League and a chance for Champions League competition. Augsburg is in eighth place.<br />
<br />
Saturday's late game saw Freiburg and Nuernber, both in a relegation fight in a tit for tat blow of attacking thrilling football. Pogatetz put Nuernberg in the lead in the sixth minute, and Krmas got the draw for Freiburg in the 23rd. Drmic's penalty shot in the 45th gave Nuernberg the 2-1 lead at the half. Mehmedi's penalty equalized the match in the 53rd minute, while Klaus got the winner for Freiburg in the 65th minute. While the win made a gap for Freiburg from the relegation zone, the club is only separated by five points. Nuernberg is two points ahead of the play off releagation spot.<br />
<br />
Gladbach moved into sixth spot after defeating Hamburg 3-1. Hamburg took the lead with Zoua's goal in the 28th minute, and Daem got the equalizer in the 36th for a 1-1 after the first frame. Raffael moved Gladbach ahead in the 75th minute and Dominguez made it 3-1 in the 78th. Hamburg continues its struggle against relegation in 24th spot, equal with troubled Stuttgart.<br />
<br />
Hannover 96 and Werder Bremen went head to head, equal in points, prior to this important match. While the game lacked in skill, it wasn't short on enthusiasm. Both teams were aware what the stakes were. A win would create some breathing space from the relegation zone. Werder Bremen had the majority of possession during the first half, but it was Hannover's Huszti who scored in the 43rd minute for the lead. Franco DiSanto got the equalizer for Bremen in the 57th minute. The teams went tit for tat, with equal possession and goal opportunities for most of the second half. In the end it was Proedl's last minute goal that earned the three points of Bremen, giving the side an eight point gap from the relegation zone. Hannover must continue to sweat with just a five point gap. <br />
<br />
<b>Friday 28 March</b><br />
Schalke 04 vs Hertha BSC 2-0<br />
<br />
<b>Saturday 29 March</b><br />
<br />
Bayer Leverkusen vs Eintr. Braunschweig 1-1 <br />
VfL Wolfsburg vs Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1<br />
VfB Stuttgart vs Borussia Dortmund 2-3 <br />
Bayern München vs 1899 Hoffenheim 3-3 <br />
FSV Mainz 05 vs FC Augsburg 3-0<br />
SC Freiburg vs 1. FC Nürnberg 3-2<br />
<br />
<b>Sunday 30 March</b><br />
<br />
Bor. Mönchengladbach vs Hamburger SV 3-1 <br />
Hannover 96 vs Werder Bremen 1-2<br />
<br />
<b>Posn Team GP W D L GF/GA Points</b><br />
<br />
1 FC Bayern 28 25 3 0 82:16 78<br />
2 Dortmund 28 17 4 7 62:31 55<br />
3 Schalke 28 16 6 6 53:37 54<br />
4 Leverkusen 28 15 3 10 47:34 48<br />
5 Wolfsburg 28 14 5 9 48:42 47<br />
6 M'gladbach 28 13 6 9 49:34 45 <br />
7 Mainz 28 13 5 10 41:43 44 <br />
8 Augsburg 28 11 6 11 40:43 39<br />
9 Hoffenheim 28 9 9 10 63:62 36 <br />
10 Hertha BSC 28 10 6 12 36:39 36<br />
11 Frankfurt 28 8 8 12 35:48 32<br />
14 Bremen 28 8 8 12 33:54 32 <br />
12 Hannover 28 8 5 15 36:51 29<br />
13 Freiburg 28 7 8 13 33:50 29 <br />
15 Nürnberg 28 5 11 12 34:52 26<br />
17 Stuttgart 28 6 6 16 42:57 24 <br />
16 Hamburg 28 6 6 16 43:59 24 <br />
18 B'schweig 28 5 7 16 25:50 22
albertacowpokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10481945636963459213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255071107854928718.post-77416998456363251422014-03-28T14:54:00.001-06:002014-03-28T14:56:37.134-06:00Bundesliga Matchday 28: Bayern goes for my records, Stuttgart faces adversity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="left: -99999px; position: absolute;">
The Bundesliga Magazine
is the DFL's weekly TV programme, offering a global audience a unique
perspective on Germany's top flight throughout the season. We have
in-depth previews of the upcoming league action, exclusive interviews,
behind-the-scenes reports, the best goals from the latest league
encounters and much more besides.Read more at: http://www.sport.net/goal-the-bundesliga-magazine-matchday-28-preview_157913 </div>
<div style="left: -99999px; position: absolute;">
The Bundesliga Magazine
is the DFL's weekly TV programme, offering a global audience a unique
perspective on Germany's top flight throughout the season. We have
in-depth previews of the upcoming league action, exclusive interviews,
behind-the-scenes reports, the best goals from the latest league
encounters and much more besides.Read more at: http://www.sport.net/goal-the-bundesliga-magazine-matchday-28-preview_157913 </div>
<div style="left: -99999px; position: absolute;">
The Bundesliga Magazine
is the DFL's weekly TV programme, offering a global audience a unique
perspective on Germany's top flight throughout the season. We have
in-depth previews of the upcoming league action, exclusive interviews,
behind-the-scenes reports, the best goals from the latest league
encounters and much more besides.Read more at: http://www.sport.net/goal-the-bundesliga-magazine-matchday-28-preview_157913 </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAhJJzeaAL_xoIPpHpuFTIgT3mMaMXKFDm6DCnxvu9Wve97J9lxlKVAAqv1DK2vHibo-P_wbQHZHM8mHbKcygi4AtsAPZvsxutnZL6rUc7TvpNH8Q-Fnnop6iIOmrK-p6xpHzUnzAKDQg/s1600/Bayern+defeat+Nuerberg+2-0+Matchday+20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAhJJzeaAL_xoIPpHpuFTIgT3mMaMXKFDm6DCnxvu9Wve97J9lxlKVAAqv1DK2vHibo-P_wbQHZHM8mHbKcygi4AtsAPZvsxutnZL6rUc7TvpNH8Q-Fnnop6iIOmrK-p6xpHzUnzAKDQg/s1600/Bayern+defeat+Nuerberg+2-0+Matchday+20.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
Although Bayern may have won the Bundesliga title last Tuesday, there are still lots of records to break or increase for the record champion. They can continue their undefeated streak, achieve more than 101 goals or go undefeated for the complete season. Every game brings a new record.<br />
<br />
Hoffenheim will be the next side with an attempt to trip up the Bayern side, which has collected 39 points thus far from their home matches, scoring an impressive 39 goals.<br />
<br />
Schalke, with just one point behind second placed Dortmund will open the matchday on Friday evening, hoping to pick up three points and continue the close race for second spot. Newcomer Berlin has recently slipped to ninth spot and a win would keep the side in competition for a Euro League spot.<br />
<br />
Dortmund travels to Stuttgart. The Schwaben are currently in 17th spot and Dortmund is another obstacle for the side's relegation battle. Dortmund requires a win to hold on to spot two. <br />
<br />
Leverkusen host Bundesliga tail light Eintracht Braunschweig. After a succesfful start into the season, the factory team has been in a slump since the winter break, holding on to fourth spot with just three points ahead of Wolfsburg, and four points behind Gladbach. Continuing on its path, the side is in danger of losing a champions league spot. Braunschweig is five points short of leaving relegation and must win if any hope to remain in the league is to be realized. Wolfsburg meets a much improved Frankfurt side. A win could move the side even with Leverkusen. Frankfurt is in a position to avoid relegation and a win could further guarantee a start in the top flight.<br />
<br />
Mainz vs Augsburg should be one of the better matches this weekend. Both sides play spirited soccer with lots of forward movement. A draw is probably the best result, but either side can win. Both sides have a shot at a Euro League spot.<br />
<br />
Freiburg and Nuernberg are both threatened with relegation. Freiburg has the home adavantage in a match that is a must win for both sides. Sunday Gladbach hosts Hamburg and on paper this should be an easy task for Gladbach. Hamburg is fighting for lifeline. A loss would send HSV further into the abyss of relegation. Gladbach has a shot at the Euro League. The final match on Sunday sees Hannover at Bremen. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Friday 28 March</b><br />
Schalke 04 vs Hertha BSC <br />
<br />
<b>Saturday 29 March</b><br />
<br />
Bayer Leverkusen vs Eintr. Braunschweig <br />
VfL Wolfsburg vs Eintracht Frankfurt <br />
VfB Stuttgart vs Borussia Dortmund <br />
Bayern München vs 1899 Hoffenheim <br />
FSV Mainz 05 vs FC Augsburg <br />
SC Freiburg vs 1. FC Nürnberg<br />
<br />
<b>Sunday 30 March</b><br />
<br />
Bor. Mönchengladbach vs Hamburger SV <br />
Hannover 96 vs Werder Bremen <br />
<br />
<b>Posn Team GP W D L GF/GA Points</b><br />
<br />
1 FC Bayern 27 25 2 0 79:12 77<br />
2 Dortmund 27 16 4 7 59:29 52<br />
3 Schalke 27 15 6 6 51:37 51<br />
4 Leverkusen 27 15 2 10 46:33 47<br />
5 Wolfsburg 27 13 5 9 46:41 44<br />
6 M'gladbach 27 12 6 9 51:32 42 <br />
7 Mainz 27 12 5 10 38:43 41 <br />
8 Augsburg 27 11 6 10 40:40 39<br />
9 Hertha BSC 27 10 6 11 36:37 36<br />
10 Hoffenheim 27 9 8 10 60:59 35<br />
11 Frankfurt 27 8 8 11 34:36 32<br />
12 Hannover 27 8 5 14 35:49 29<br />
13 Bremen 27 7 8 12 31:53 29<br />
14 Nürnberg 27 5 11 11 32:49 26<br />
15 Freiburg 27 6 8 13 30:48 26<br />
16 Hamburg 27 6 6 15 42:56 24 <br />
17 Stuttgart 27 6 6 15 39:54 24 <br />
18 B'schweig 27 5 6 16 24:49 21
albertacowpokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10481945636963459213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255071107854928718.post-59685275658725304832014-03-26T04:10:00.001-06:002014-03-26T15:44:44.736-06:00Bundesliga Matchday 27: Bayern captures title with seven matchdays remaining<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWv5xwP8pLx6xKKUtig9suAGwKMJPWNN4xf6XEluuz3gAWBncyL1Vk2xkuanFvBLJSV493IsqF8JwExmhEF9CpG1PloqpNK27RgWL12XcbA3_QVqu0Pnbdgz-WSGIFAdrxuLAGKbjFofg/s1600/Bayern+vs+Hertha+3-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWv5xwP8pLx6xKKUtig9suAGwKMJPWNN4xf6XEluuz3gAWBncyL1Vk2xkuanFvBLJSV493IsqF8JwExmhEF9CpG1PloqpNK27RgWL12XcbA3_QVqu0Pnbdgz-WSGIFAdrxuLAGKbjFofg/s1600/Bayern+vs+Hertha+3-1.jpg" height="211" width="320" /></a></div>
Toni<b> </b>Kroos deflected a botched clearance into the net to give Bayern an early lead in the 6th minute. Mario Goetze's 16th minute header on Bastian Schweinsteiger's pass, gave the record champion a 2-0 half time lead. Berlin's Ramos pulled one back on a penalty kick in the 66th minute, before Frank Ribery ensured the 3-1 win. With a 25 point lead on top of the table, FC Bayern won their 24th Bundesliga title in record time, with seven matchdays remaining.<br />
<br />
The local derby of second placed Dortmund and third placed Schalke 04 resulted in a scoreless draw, leaving the two sides one point apart at 52 and 51 points respectively and seven points ahead of Leverkusen. League taillight Eintracht Braunschweig defeated Mainz 05, which is in a position to capture a Euro League spot, 3-1.<br />
<br />
Werder Bremen dropped three points at home to VFL Wolfsburg, moving the wolves into fifth spot, equal in points with Leverkusen at 44. Tuesday's results left the relegation race tight, with Freiburg, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Nuernberg and Braunschweig in a fight to avoid relegation as the season draws to a conclusion. Freiburg, Stuttgart, Hamburg and Nuernberg play on Wednesday.<br />
<br />
While the 2013/2014 championship has been decided, the fight for relegation, Champions League and Euro League continue. Bayern, Dortmund and Schalke with a seven point lead over the remainder of the field should be qualified, but the fourth spot is yet to be decided. Leverkusen, Wolfsburg, Moenchengladbach and Mainz are in contention, while Augsburg, Berlin and Hoffenheim still have a shot at Euro League qualification.<br />
<br />
Wednesday's result, which saw five relegation endangered sides in action, tightened the battle, with only five points separating Braunschweig (18th) and Nuernberg (14th). While Frankfurt with it's win over Gladbach, the Eagles (11th) gained some space, but are not out of the water yet. Leverkusen walked away with three points in Augsburg and retain fourth spot with four points ahead of Wolfsburg. Gladbach's loss in Frankfurt leaves the side just one point ahead of Mainz, which lost its match yesterday in Braunschweig. <br />
<br />
Bundesliga action continues on Friday evening. <br />
.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Tuesday 25 March </b><br />
<br />
Hertha BSC vs Bayern München 1-3 <br />
Eintr. Braunschweig vs FSV Mainz 05 3-1 <br />
Borussia Dortmund vs Schalke 04 0-0 <br />
Werder Bremen vs VfL Wolfsburg 1-3<br />
<b><br />Wednesday 26 March </b><br />
<br />
Hamburger SV vs SC Freiburg 1-1 <br />
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Bor. Mönchengladbach 1-0 <br />
FC Augsburg vs Bayer Leverkusen 1-3<br />
1. FC Nürnberg vs VfB Stuttgart 2-0<br />
1899 Hoffenheim vs Hannover 96 3-1<br />
<br />
<b>Posn Team GP W D L GF/GA Points</b><br />
<br />
1 FC Bayern 27 25 2 0 79:12 77<br />
2 Dortmund 27 16 4 7 59:29 52<br />
3 Schalke 27 15 6 6 51:37 51<br />
4 Leverkusen 27 15 2 10 46:33 47<br />
5 Wolfsburg 27 13 5 9 46:41 44<br />
6 M'gladbach 27 12 6 9 51:32 42 <br />
7 Mainz 27 12 5 10 38:43 41 <br />
8 Augsburg 27 11 6 10 40:40 39<br />
9 Hertha BSC 27 10 6 11 36:37 36<br />
10 Hoffenheim 27 9 8 10 60:59 35<br />
11 Frankfurt 27 8 8 11 34:36 32<br />
12 Hannover 27 8 5 14 35:49 29<br />
13 Bremen 27 7 8 12 31:53 29<br />
14 Nürnberg 27 5 11 11 32:49 26<br />
15 Freiburg 27 6 8 13 30:48 26<br />
16 Hamburg 27 6 6 15 42:56 24 <br />
17 Stuttgart 27 6 6 15 39:54 24 <br />
18 B'schweig 27 5 6 16 24:49 21
albertacowpokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10481945636963459213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255071107854928718.post-59382555107772881332014-03-25T11:11:00.000-06:002014-03-25T15:29:39.772-06:00Bundesliga Matchday 27: A Bayern win today wraps up Bundesliga Championship<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6-EGzfwEsJreGYf3_kdaeEGZ4lvtEBOP8FP3MYrWoy7xn4bHNSZRJHGqlNS34vD3sedfCw5FGIyl_WksM46L1FxoWy_OdxkxLL6huRAHnl4oTA7tb6ddNbiAPyM8o3UUn3rye-e9QwM/s1600/Bayern+vs+Hertha+BSC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6-EGzfwEsJreGYf3_kdaeEGZ4lvtEBOP8FP3MYrWoy7xn4bHNSZRJHGqlNS34vD3sedfCw5FGIyl_WksM46L1FxoWy_OdxkxLL6huRAHnl4oTA7tb6ddNbiAPyM8o3UUn3rye-e9QwM/s1600/Bayern+vs+Hertha+BSC.jpg" height="118" width="320" /></a></div>
When Bayern meets Hertha BSC Berlin in the capital today, the club can capture the league championship with a win. It would also be the 52nd undefeated match.<br />
<br />
On Tuesday three more matches take place, when league taillight hosts Mainz 05, which is currently in sixth spot, with a real shot to overtake Leverkusen in fourth spot. Mainz has recently fired on all four cylinders again and should come out on top. Dortmund is in a face off against Schalke 04. The two sides, in second and third place respectively are only separated by one point. Schalke have been rivals in a local derby for some time. This has to be the top match for today. Finally Werder Bremen hosts the factory side from Wolfsburg. Bremen currently in 11th spot will have their hands full, Wolfsburg is in seventh spot equal with Mainz 05 in points.<br />
<br />
On Wednesday beleaguered Hamburg battles Freiburg, a side that last weekend made it out of the relegation zone. Hamburg, is fighting for its survival in the Bundesliga, while Armin Veh's Freiburg side want to reinforce the success of last weekend. Eintracht Frankfurt, which has created some distance away from the relegation zone, will be hosting Gladbach, a side within reach of a Champions League spot. A Gladbach win, combined with a loss by Leverkusen, will propel the side into that coveted fourth spot. Leverkusen will play at Augsburg, with a good chance of dropping another three points. Augsburg is aiming for the top six and a Euro League spot. Leverkusen has had trouble since the winter break, another loss would be devastating. Nuernberg, currently second last in the league will host VFB Stuttgart. Only one point separates the side. Nuernberg should capture at lest one, if not all three points. Hoffenheim and Hannover meet in the final match on Sunday. Both teams have been inconsistent. It is for both sides to win.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Tuesday 25 March </b><br />
<br />
Hertha BSC vs Bayern München 1-3 <br />
Eintr. Braunschweig vs FSV Mainz 05 3-1 <br />
Borussia Dortmund vs Schalke 04 0-0 <br />
Werder Bremen vs VfL Wolfsburg 1-3<br />
<b><br />Wednesday 26 March </b><br />
<br />
Hamburger SV vs SC Freiburg <br />
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Bor. Mönchengladbach <br />
FC Augsburg vs Bayer Leverkusen <br />
1. FC Nürnberg vs VfB Stuttgart <br />
1899 Hoffenheim vs Hannover 96 <br />
<br />
<b>Posn Team GP W D L GF/GA Points</b><br />
<br />
1 FC Bayern 27 25 2 0 79:12 77<br />
2 Dortmund 27 16 4 7 59:29 52<br />
3 Schalke 27 15 6 6 51:37 51<br />
4 Leverkusen 26 14 2 10 43:32 44<br />
5 Wolfsburg 27 13 5 9 46:41 44<br />
5 M'gladbach 26 12 6 8 51:31 42 <br />
6 Mainz 27 12 5 10 38:43 41 <br />
8 Augsburg 26 11 6 9 39:37 39<br />
9 Hertha BSC 27 10 6 11 36:37 36<br />
10 Hoffenheim 26 8 8 10 57:58 32<br />
11 Bremen 27 7 8 12 31:53 29<br />
12 Hannover 26 8 5 13 34:46 29<br />
13 Frankfurt 26 6 8 11 33:46 29<br />
14 Freiburg 26 6 7 13 29:47 25<br />
15 Stuttgart 26 6 6 14 39:52 24 <br />
16 Hamburg 26 6 5 15 41:55 23 <br />
17 Nürnberg 26 4 11 11 30:49 23<br />
18 B'schweig 27 5 6 16 24:49 21
albertacowpokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10481945636963459213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255071107854928718.post-10411758052286704532014-03-22T11:33:00.002-06:002014-03-23T12:43:57.104-06:00Bundesliga Matchday 26 Roundup: Bayern ups undefeated streak to 51<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJjB0_CkkXV3-zME8MHwE0RtPjrFYigjp8Tip_zqvpCUT-d5mSYmvab4yLGIa9SRaHii05Efb4pnmAoDzccCwFGt6XlJyup5hZpReUsWye6l-hNBaOMRnM0Nzucw1WVQKzMW8ChCUGKLk/s1600/Mainz+05+vs+Bayern+0-2+22+March+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJjB0_CkkXV3-zME8MHwE0RtPjrFYigjp8Tip_zqvpCUT-d5mSYmvab4yLGIa9SRaHii05Efb4pnmAoDzccCwFGt6XlJyup5hZpReUsWye6l-hNBaOMRnM0Nzucw1WVQKzMW8ChCUGKLk/s1600/Mainz+05+vs+Bayern+0-2+22+March+14.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
FC Bayern continued its undefeated streak to 51, .after defeating Mainz 05 with two late goals Bastian Schweinsteiger 82nd and Mario Goetze 86th minute). Despite a very intense match, which gave the Mainzers their own share of opportunities to score, Bayern got the upper hand. Dortmund defeated Hannover 3-0 and Schalke overwhelmed Eintracht Braunschweig 3-1, postponing Bayern's league championship at least until next Tuesday. Bayern can do it on their own by defeating Hertha BSC Berlin.<br />
<br />
The win also gives Bayern the 18th consecutive victory, a new Bundesliga record.<br />
<br />
Freiburg defeated Werder Bremen 3-1 in the Friday evening Bundesliga opener, finally lifting the club out of the relegation zone to 14th spot. The side is not out of the water yet. Freiburg took the lead 15 minutes into the match with a powerful blast from Julian Schuster on a pass fro Karim Guede. Bremen put the pressure on Freiburg for a good portion on the game, but it was Freiburg that was ahead by three goals midway through the second half. Bremen got one back on a goal from Nils Peterson. <br />
<br />
Dortmund shut out Hannover 3-0, while Schalke 04 came out on top of Eintracht Braunschweig 3-1. Both Dortmund and Schalke secured their second and third spot. Wolfsburg and Augsburg played to a 1-1 draw, leaving Wolfsburg and Mainz even at 41 points. Stuttgart defeated troubled Hamburg 1-0, with 24 and 23 points respectively.<br />
<br />
Gladbach with a 3-0 victory over Hertha BSC Berlin moved back into a Euro League spot and just and still has a chance to qualify for the Champions League next season. Berlin remains in ninth spot well away from any possibility of relegation.<br />
<br />
Eintracht Frankfurt won an important away game at Nuernberg. Barnetta put Eintracht ahead in the first half in the 21st minute and Juselu made it two in the 49th. A 3-0 lead came in the 53rd with Madlung's goal, before Nuernberg got two back 64th an 72nd minute (Drmi and Campana). Just as it looked that Nuernberg had enough time for an equalizer, Frankfurt put the game out of reach with Joselu's second goal of the night in the 88th and Kadlec's counter in the 90th. The win moved Frankfurt six points ahead of the relegation zone, while Nuernberg remains in 17th with continuing anxiety of eventual relegation.<br />
<br />
Hoffenheim edged out a 3-2 away victory against Bayer Leverkusen. Hoffenheim took the lead with a goal by Sehad Salihovic in the 14th minute. Stefan Kiessling got the equalizer prior to the half in the 38th minute, but Hoffenheim's Volland scored the 40th minute for a 2-1 Hoffenheim lead. Simon Rolfes got the equalizer nine minutes into the second half, but Anthony Modeste got the winner in the 89th. Hoffenheim fought through three minutes of injury time to take away the three points. Leverkusen remains in 4th spot, two points ahead of Gladbach, but six point behind third place Schalke. Hoffenheim is in tenth spot. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Friday 21 March</b> <br />
<br />
SC Freiburg vs Werder Bremen 3-1 <br />
<b><br />Saturday 22 March</b> <br />
<br />
Hannover 96 vs Borussia Dortmund 0-3 <br />
FSV Mainz 05 vs Bayern München 0-2 <br />
VfL Wolfsburg vs FC Augsburg 1-1<br />
VfB Stuttgart vs Hamburger SV 1-0<br />
Schalke 04 vs Eintr. Braunschweig 3-1 <br />
Bor. Mönchengladbach vs Hertha BSC 3-0 <br />
<br />
<b>Sunday 23 March </b><br />
<br />
1. FC Nürnberg vs Eintracht Frankfurt 2-5 <br />
Bayer Leverkusen vs 1899 Hoffenheim 2-3<b><br /></b><br />
<b> </b><br />
<b>Posn Team GP W D L GF/GA Points</b><br />
<br />
1 FC Bayern 26 24 2 0 76:12 74<br />
2 Dortmund 26 16 3 7 59:29 51<br />
3 Schalke 26 15 5 6 51:37 50<br />
4 Leverkusen 26 14 2 10 43:32 44<br />
5 M'gladbach 26 12 6 8 51:31 42 <br />
6 Mainz 26 12 5 9 37:40 41 <br />
7 Wolfsburg 26 12 5 9 43:40 41<br />
8 Augsburg 26 11 6 9 39:37 39<br />
9 Hertha BSC 26 10 6 10 35:34 36<br />
10 Hoffenheim 26 8 8 10 57:58 32<br />
11 Bremen 26 7 8 11 30:50 29<br />
12 Hannover 26 8 5 13 34:46 29<br />
13 Frankfurt 26 6 8 11 33:46 29<br />
14 Freiburg 26 6 7 13 29:47 25<br />
15 Stuttgart 26 6 6 14 39:52 24 <br />
16 Hamburg 26 6 5 15 41:55 23 <br />
17 Nürnberg 26 4 11 11 30:49 23<br />
18 B'schweig 26 4 6 16 21:48 18
albertacowpokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10481945636963459213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255071107854928718.post-83043509864083006972014-03-21T15:23:00.001-06:002014-03-21T15:23:47.697-06:00Bundesliga Matchday 26 Preview - Bayern can capture title this weekend <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8IRgYirH0T6HARro8z94o9YlF-ew-ENtR52ftosxAVu7bqYOD4pbtPMUEVV2R9qsJNyTzG6WUhHacUMJdgRLsLzltfJ7auhEQr3N2mh4yQ5uTNyeBifSuf9tJCuQB-U8iAaSdc_AcIQc/s1600/Mainz+05+v.+Bayern+Munich+-+1st+Half.mkv_000215199.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8IRgYirH0T6HARro8z94o9YlF-ew-ENtR52ftosxAVu7bqYOD4pbtPMUEVV2R9qsJNyTzG6WUhHacUMJdgRLsLzltfJ7auhEQr3N2mh4yQ5uTNyeBifSuf9tJCuQB-U8iAaSdc_AcIQc/s1600/Mainz+05+v.+Bayern+Munich+-+1st+Half.mkv_000215199.jpg" height="174" width="320" /></a></div>
With a win against Mainz 05, provided that Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04 drop points, Bayern Muenchen can make Bundesliga history this weekend. Last season the record champion won the title with eight games remaining, but it could be as few as eight this season.<br />
<br />
Bayern also enjoys an undefeated streak, which will be extended to 51 with a win over Mainz 05, while the side remains undefeated this season. Mainz 05 moved into fifth spot last week just three points behind Leverkusen. The odds are in favour of Bayern, which has won the last three games against Mainz, scoring three goals in each game. This year's Mainz side can do better. <br />
<br />
Borussia Dortmund faces Hannover at home, a side currently in 12th spot, while Leverkusen hosts Hoffenheim on Sunday. Both Dortmund and Leverkusen should be able to pick up at least one point.<br />
<br />
On Friday, SC Freiburg hosts Werder Bremen. Freiburg is currently in the relegation playoff spot and is fighting for its survival in the Bundesliga. The side has dropped a long way from its Euro League qualification last year. Schalke 04 hosts tailight Eintracht Braunschweig. Schalke is the clear favourite.<br />
<br />
Seventh place Gladbach hosts Berlin, which currently holds ninth spot. This will be a fight for Euro League spot for both teams. Leverkusen hosts Hoffenheim in the late Sunday match. Can Leverkusen return to its old form and send the Sinsheimers packing? <br />
<br />
The league is involved in a very intense relegation battle and some of those spots will not be decided until the end. Unless Braunschweig starts a winning spree, the side will most likely play in the second tier next season.<br />
<br />
<b>Friday 21 March</b> <br />
<br />
SC Freiburg vs Werder Bremen 3-1 <br />
<b><br />Saturday 22 March</b> <br />
<br />
Hannover 96 vs Borussia Dortmund <br />
FSV Mainz 05 vs Bayern München <br />
VfL Wolfsburg vs FC Augsburg <br />
VfB Stuttgart vs Hamburger SV <br />
Schalke 04 vs Eintr. Braunschweig <br />
Bor. Mönchengladbach vs Hertha BSC <br />
<br />
<b>Sunday 23 March </b><br />
<br />
1. FC Nürnberg vs Eintracht Frankfurt <br />
Bayer Leverkusen vs 1899 Hoffenheim <b><br /></b><br />
<b> </b><br />
<b>Posn Team GP W D L GF/GA Points</b><br />
<br />
1 FC Bayern 25 23 2 0 74:12 71<br />
2 Dortmund 25 15 3 7 56:29 48<br />
3 Schalke 25 14 5 6 48:36 47<br />
4 Leverkusen 25 14 2 9 41:29 44<br />
5 Mainz 25 12 5 8 37:38 41 <br />
6 Wolfsburg 25 12 4 9 42:39 40<br />
7 M'gladbach 25 11 6 8 43:31 39 <br />
8 Augsburg 25 11 5 9 38:36 38<br />
9 Hertha BSC 25 10 6 9 35:31 36<br />
10 Hoffenheim 25 7 8 10 54:56 29<br />
11 Bremen 26 7 8 11 30:50 29<br />
12 Hannover 25 8 5 12 34:43 29<br />
13 Frankfurt 25 5 8 11 28:44 26<br />
14 Freiburg 26 6 7 13 29:47 25<br />
15 Hamburg 25 6 5 14 41:54 23 <br />
16 Nürnberg 25 4 11 10 28:44 23<br />
17 Stuttgart 25 5 6 14 38:52 21<br />
18 B'schweig 25 4 6 15 20:45 18
albertacowpokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10481945636963459213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255071107854928718.post-75044315377335969072014-03-20T10:30:00.001-06:002014-03-20T10:30:34.803-06:00Absence of Social Contract -NDP challenges conservative government <span lang="EN-US">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US">March 20, 2014</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">NDP CHALLENGES THE ABSENCE OF SOCIAL CONTRACT BETWEEN VETERANS AND CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT </span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuP0iSd1UFt-XLAk7FeoKmvMeCQirnQGUkKmGusbZdT1eUaBc5fe1pOsBCTOeeNc3UDrpeUSaGZKC_0YxKB1jV9N7AOHgS8QNnBlhXCvjyoF-_9E8e62sSi1hJttJg7ql_7IYEcZbdiZI/s1600/Peter+Stoffer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuP0iSd1UFt-XLAk7FeoKmvMeCQirnQGUkKmGusbZdT1eUaBc5fe1pOsBCTOeeNc3UDrpeUSaGZKC_0YxKB1jV9N7AOHgS8QNnBlhXCvjyoF-_9E8e62sSi1hJttJg7ql_7IYEcZbdiZI/s1600/Peter+Stoffer.jpg" /></a></div>
DARTMOUTH
– The Conservatives are wrong to say that the federal government has no
social contract or social covenant with veterans and members of the
Canadian Armed Forces, according to NDP Veterans Affairs critic Peter
Stoffer (Sackville – Eastern Shore).<br />
<br />
“The
federal government has a moral, social, legal, and fiduciary
responsibility for the Canadian men and women who are asked to serve in
harm’s way,” said Stoffer. “It’s ridiculous that this Conservative
government is denying that a social contract exists between veterans and
members of the Canadian Forces and the federal government.” <br />
<br />
The
Conservatives’ position was unearthed in recently released legal
statements for a veterans’ class action lawsuit, involving Equitas
Society, which is seeking fair compensation for injured veterans under
the New Veterans Charter (NVC).<br />
<br />
Stoffer
noted that many pieces of veterans’ legislation include a reference to
the government’s social contract with veterans, and that the NDP will be
pushing to include this reference during the parliamentary review of
the NVC.<br />
<br />
“This is a century
old policy, in which the federal government promises to take care of our
wounded veterans and this government is the first one to break that
oath. We urge the Conservative government to drop their appeal of the
class action lawsuit,” said Sylvain Chicoine
(Châteauguay—Saint-Constant).<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
albertacowpokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10481945636963459213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255071107854928718.post-87744068798283786042014-03-17T05:48:00.001-06:002014-03-17T05:48:17.658-06:00EU and Merkel pivotal in resolving Ukraine crisis As Western allies scramble for a proper response to Putin’s plans for
annexation of the Crimea, the <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGAWI-Q7S4ucp6s7XjCBp9fdSTK4D0xFvqR9LZG-RSyORGcZOGpZW3g7FOgtNjy-c7_tW4IRIH9Zl_QYDOZemOl3L8cGsNuqQLDFTQkpBqRithOO61irqpjMiZ5fvPJuDlbH2NKoMJ1N0/s1600/ukraine_brothers_slaves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGAWI-Q7S4ucp6s7XjCBp9fdSTK4D0xFvqR9LZG-RSyORGcZOGpZW3g7FOgtNjy-c7_tW4IRIH9Zl_QYDOZemOl3L8cGsNuqQLDFTQkpBqRithOO61irqpjMiZ5fvPJuDlbH2NKoMJ1N0/s1600/ukraine_brothers_slaves.jpg" /></a></div>
Russian president seems to have his eyes
fixed for further expansion into the sovereign territory of the Ukraine.<br />
Unconfirmed sources in the eastern Ukraine report that residents of
Donetsk, Kherson & Odessa are packing and leaving for the West. the
report that the situation in the eastern Ukraine are worse than reported
in the western media. Russian hooligans have been inserted in those
cities and taking control. The Ukraine has called up 20,000 reserves,
with Russia’s military poised to launch at the East Ukraine border.<br />
U.S. President Barrack Obama talked to Putin on the phone on Sunday,
again emphasizing that the U.S. will never recognize the annexation of
the Crimea. Secretary of State John Kerry again spoke with Russia’s
Foreign Minister Lavrov. While the U.S., EU and the majority of the UN
Security Council, including China declared the referendum illegal, Putin
is unmoved. Read More: <a href="http://www.politisite.com/2014/03/17/ukraine-crisis-eu-and-merkel-pivotal-in-resolving-ukraine-crisis/" target="_blank">Politisite</a>albertacowpokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10481945636963459213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255071107854928718.post-26046533522838418702014-03-17T05:37:00.000-06:002014-03-17T05:37:34.342-06:00NowPublic Closure – Why were Intellectual Property Rights ignored? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5EDNfIxrris7JKGHuRIaZtR-blYy-UwZpZb7taQRY1L0ayBfDR3n6pO-7cFcZ6xDfqhT-MKGyBf4qYvZNQUglBo1AIIA29Y6ZeTFLuRk1xdDZ0OpQoaS-jBOObsfpEGHxcfoR_VCd02g/s1600/NowPublic+Image.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5EDNfIxrris7JKGHuRIaZtR-blYy-UwZpZb7taQRY1L0ayBfDR3n6pO-7cFcZ6xDfqhT-MKGyBf4qYvZNQUglBo1AIIA29Y6ZeTFLuRk1xdDZ0OpQoaS-jBOObsfpEGHxcfoR_VCd02g/s1600/NowPublic+Image.png" height="201" width="320" /></a></div>
<a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.nowpublic.com/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="NowPublic">NowPublic</a> was a crowd-sourced citizen journalism site based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, founded by Michael Tippett, <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Brody" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Leonard Brody">Leonard Brody</a> and Michael E. Meyers in 2005.<br />
<br />
In addition to its contributors, NowPublic also had a <a href="http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2007/02/ap-warms-up-to-blogs-citizen-media-at-nowpublic045/">content-sharing agreement with the Associated Press</a>. The crowd-sourced site was so successful that Time Magazine called NowPublic one of the 50 Best Websites of 2007<br />
<br />
<span class="entry-byline">Maryanne Murray Buechner of <a href="http://content.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1633488_1633530_1633569,00.html">Time Magazine</a> stated:</span><br />
<br />
<span class="entry-byline"> </span>Mainstream media types may gripe about the absence of safeguards
ensuring the validity of news reported by the blogosphere, but nowhere
are the merits of citizen journalism more apparent than at NowPublic. At
this “participatory news network,” a.k.a. bastion of “crowd-powered
media,” anyone can write a story, or upload images, audio or video.
Whatever gets the most votes from the reading masses—the site gets about
1 million unique visitors per month—ends up as the lead story.
(NowPublic has “guest editors,” “wranglers” and an “actual news guy” who
keep an eye on things, giving advice to contributing reporters and
shepherding the best, most timely stuff through, but nobody on staff
makes actual editing changes to the content.) Read More: <a href="http://www.politisite.com/2014/03/17/now-public-why-are-intellectual-property-rights-ignored/" target="_blank">Politisite </a><br />
<br />
albertacowpokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10481945636963459213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255071107854928718.post-6492969777609179632014-03-15T17:47:00.000-06:002014-03-16T12:30:45.496-06:00Bundesliga Matchday 25 Rundup: Schalke wins, Dortmund and Leverkusen lose<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8oXjUn8jwzeKePKKkQs1DmughM8_c3VxiruMBnBmWc8vsOJgls0Zi0UtW3yA0l8l5VlJkLzti3BXC6kzq-gGC9CZmfNrc9TAtTKsgeT4cM3xDUeFKfnnvDfq947I4xxH97T7TbSQZuw/s1600/Bayern+vs+Leverkusen+2-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8oXjUn8jwzeKePKKkQs1DmughM8_c3VxiruMBnBmWc8vsOJgls0Zi0UtW3yA0l8l5VlJkLzti3BXC6kzq-gGC9CZmfNrc9TAtTKsgeT4cM3xDUeFKfnnvDfq947I4xxH97T7TbSQZuw/s1600/Bayern+vs+Leverkusen+2-1.jpg" height="182" width="320" /></a></div>
The records continue to fall for last years, treble winner and Bayern has remained undefeated in 50 league games. While Bayern won, both Dortmund and Leverkusen lost their matches. FC Schalke 04 moved into third spot one point behind Dortmund, while Leverkusen trails in fourth place three points behind Schalke.. <br />
<br />
A Mario Mandzukic moved Bayern into the lead just before the halftime whistle. Bastian Schweinsteiger made it 2-0 in the second half before Leverkusen's Stefan Kiessling narrowed the gap at the 90 minute Mark.<br />
<br />
Dortmund gave away three points at home to Moenchengladbach with a 1-2 loss. Hoffenheim gave up a 2-0 lead when Mainz scored four unanswered goals to win the match 4-2. Goals from Eugen Polanski and
Roberto Firmino didn't assure a victory for Hoffenheim when Maxim Choupo-Moting,
Benjamin Saller and Shinji Okazaki secured the victory for Mainz. The win moved Mainz into fifth spot only three points behind Leverkusen.<br />
<br />
On Friday Schalke 04 walked away with three important points that
moved the Royal Blues into third spot in league. Failing a disaster in
Munich when Bayern and Leverkusen meet Schalke should retain that spot.
Despite a terrible performance by Schalke's defence in the first half
and Augsburg's constant pressure, Schalke came out on top with a 2-1
victory. Although Augsburg took the lead early on, with its methodical
approach and could have had a few more goals, the side seemed
demoralized after Klass van Huntelaar got the equalizer in the 32nd
minute. In the second half it was all Schalke and Huntelaar scored the
go ahead goal four minutes into the second half. Despite Augsburg's
pressure near the end the side could never get the equalizer. The loss
could ruin Augsburg chances for a Euro League spot. <br />
<br />
Stuttgart continued its 10 game winless streak with a 1-1 draw in Bremen. The Schwaben missed a penalty kick for the second time in as many games. Berlin dropped three points at home, losing 0-3 against Hannover. Hertha remains in ninth spot with a significant cushion of seven points over 10th placed Hoffenheim.<br />
<br />
Eintracht Braunschweig edged a draw against sixth placed VFL Wolfsburg. The relegation battle may last until the last matchday again. In Sunday's matches, Hamburg defeated Nuernberg 2-1. Eintracht Frankfurt gave up three home pitch points against SC Freiburg. Freiburg's 4-1 victory moved the club to the relegation play off spot. The Bundesliga is never boring, nine goals produced 28 goals. <br />
<br />
<b>Friday 14 March</b><br />
<br />
FC Augsburg vs Schalke 04 0-1<br />
<br />
<b>Saturday 15 March</b><br />
<br />
Borussia Dortmund vs Bor. Mönchengladbach 1-2<br />
Werder Bremen vs VfB Stuttgart 1-1<br />
Hertha BSC vs Hannover 96 0-3<br />
Eintr. Braunschweig vs VfL Wolfsburg 1-1 <br />
1899 Hoffenheim vs FSV Mainz 05 2-4<br />
Bayern München vs Bayer Leverkusen 2-1<br />
<br />
<b>Sunday 16 March</b> <br />
<br />
Hamburger SV vs 1. FC Nürnberg 2-1<br />
Eintracht Frankfurt vs SC Freiburg 1-4<br />
<br />
<b>Posn Team GP W D L GF/GA Points</b><br />
<br />
1 FC Bayern 25 23 2 0 74:12 71<br />
2 Dortmund 25 15 3 7 56:29 48<br />
3 Schalke 25 14 5 6 48:36 47<br />
4 Leverkusen 25 14 2 9 41:29 44<br />
5 Mainz 25 12 5 8 37:38 41 <br />
6 Wolfsburg 25 12 4 9 42:39 40<br />
7 M'gladbach 25 11 6 8 43:31 39 <br />
8 Augsburg 25 11 5 9 38:36 38<br />
9 Hertha BSC 25 10 6 9 35:31 36<br />
10 Hoffenheim 25 7 8 10 54:56 29<br />
11 Bremen 25 7 8 10 29:47 29<br />
12 Hannover 25 8 5 12 34:43 29<br />
13 Frankfurt 25 5 8 11 28:44 26<br />
14 Hamburg 25 6 5 14 41:54 23 <br />
15 Nürnberg 25 4 11 10 28:44 23<br />
16 Freiburg 25 5 7 13 26:46 22<br />
17 Stuttgart 25 5 6 14 38:52 21<br />
18 B'schweig 25 4 6 15 20:45 18
albertacowpokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10481945636963459213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255071107854928718.post-82113841890182458232014-03-13T08:25:00.001-06:002014-03-14T15:26:27.675-06:00Bundesliga Matchday 25 Preview: Top Matches FCB vs Leverkusen, BVB vs Glabach<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf5G70WYFy_NIpW9WWSvNS9Jyn4d3w2jJfec_7IFcRhT7MNWsgB5e3AwOXVYLaKcFmn9aAhqhNPAQPlIzz6o9cc-G2tBysIDonXpCeYounKkmmZTqNi8MNZW-71SNK3ISr2QYS8VAtsqw/s1600/Bayern+leads+by+20+pts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf5G70WYFy_NIpW9WWSvNS9Jyn4d3w2jJfec_7IFcRhT7MNWsgB5e3AwOXVYLaKcFmn9aAhqhNPAQPlIzz6o9cc-G2tBysIDonXpCeYounKkmmZTqNi8MNZW-71SNK3ISr2QYS8VAtsqw/s1600/Bayern+leads+by+20+pts.jpg" height="192" width="200" /></a></div>
With Bundesliga participation in the remaining eight of the Champions League all but settled, the Bundesliga invites its clubs on the pitch for Matchday 25. Leverkusen, while putting in a respectable game in Paris has been eliminated and faces the arduous task of facing Bayern in the Allianz Arena. Borussia Dortmund, which faces Zenit St. Petersburg in the second leg at home next week, hosts Borussia Moenchengladbach, which is currently in eighth spot. Dortmund comfortable leads Leverkusen by four points and can increase that lead, should Leverkusen drop three points to Bayern.<br />
<br />
Bayern is chasing, among other records, their own record of 101 goals, which they set in the 1971/72 season, with the Bomber of the nation Gerd Mueller. 33 goals in the next ten games would get them there. Leverkusen's performance since the winter break has been below form. Bayern will probably continue its winning spree.<br />
<br />
Dortmund faces Borussia Moenchengladbach ahead of their second leg with Zenit St. Petersburg. After some huffing and puffing at the start of the season, Dortmund is once again competitive and a team to reckon with. BVB holds a four point cushion over Leverkusen and a win against eighth place Gladbach could increase it to seven. There is enough motivation there to keep Dortmund winning. <br />
<br />
Schalke 04, currently even on points with Leverkusen has a unique chance to overtake the "Werkself." There opponent, currently in sixth spot, is not an easy opponent particularly at home. Schalke needs a success prior to traveling to Madrid to take on one of the truly great clubs in Europe. Success could be defined with saving one point in Augsburg.<br />
<br />
Wolfsburg, currently in fifth spot, travels to Braunschweig. While Braunschweig's is at the bottom of the league, the clubs relative standing is deceiving and the side can be a formidable challenge. Wolfsburg need to have the right attitude to walk out of Braunschweig with three points.<br />
<br />
The relegation fight is still wide open, with most of the clubs in the second half of the table having the vulnerability to end up with that dilemma with ten games to go. Stuttgart, Hamburg, Freiburg and Braunschweig all need wins if they are to slide out of the relegation zone, but it becomes increasingly more difficult. <br />
<br />
Frankfurt and Freiburg meet head on on Sunday and the outcome is important for both sides. Frankfurt requires a top performance to defeat Freiburg. Hamburg and Nuernberg are precisely in the same position. Bremen hosts Stuttgart on Saturday. The Schwaben are just outside the relegation zone by goal difference, while Bremen has a cushion of eight points. Hoffenheim hosts its neighbours from Mainz and this is always a great local derby. For Mainz there is still a chance to make a Euro League spot, while Hoffenheim is all but out of it.<br />
<br />
Aside from Bayern, the competition for a Champions League spot next season is still wide open, while Dortmund has a bit of a cushion now with the four point lead over Leverkusen. Nevertheless every game still counts. The top nine are pulling away from the remainder of the field and will contest Euro League spots. This weekend will further solidify the final outcome of the league and as always should be delightful for the fans.<br />
<br />
All eyes will be on the game in the Allianz Arena, with the view of Bayern breaking another undefeated record or for Leverkusen fans to see if the club is returning to its previous form. The Dortmund/Gladbach game will be a test of wills, although Juergen Klopp will undoubtedly spare some players for the Zenit match.<br />
<br />
<b>Friday 14 March</b><br />
<br />
FC Augsburg vs Schalke 04 0-1<br />
<br />
<b>Saturday 15 March</b><br />
<br />
Borussia Dortmund vs Bor. Mönchengladbach <br />
Werder Bremen vs VfB Stuttgart <br />
Hertha BSC vs Hannover 96 <br />
Eintr. Braunschweig vs VfL Wolfsburg <br />
1899 Hoffenheim vs FSV Mainz 05 <br />
Bayern München vs Bayer Leverkusen<br />
<br />
<b>Sunday 16 March</b> <br />
<br />
Hamburger SV vs 1. FC Nürnberg <br />
Eintracht Frankfurt vs SC Freiburg <br />
<br />
<b>Posn Team GP W D L GF/GA Points</b><br />
<br />
1 FC Bayern 24 22 2 0 72:11 68<br />
2 Dortmund 24 15 3 6 55:27 48<br />
3 Schalke 25 14 5 6 48:36 47<br />
4 Leverkusen 24 14 2 8 40:27 44<br />
5 Wolfsburg 24 12 3 9 41:38 39<br />
6 Augsburg 25 11 5 9 38:36 38<br />
7 Mainz 24 11 5 8 33:36 38 <br />
8 M'gladbach 24 10 6 8 41:30 36<br />
9 Hertha BSC 24 10 6 8 35:28 36<br />
10 Hoffenheim 24 7 8 9 52:52 29<br />
11 Bremen 24 7 7 10 28:46 28 <br />
12 Hannover 24 7 5 12 31:43 26<br />
13 Frankfurt 24 5 8 10 27:40 26 <br />
14 Nürnberg 24 4 11 9 27:42 23<br />
15 Stuttgart 24 5 5 14 37:51 20<br />
16 Hamburg 24 5 5 14 39:53 20 <br />
17 Freiburg 24 4 7 13 22:45 19<br />
18 B'schweig 24 4 5 15 19:44 17albertacowpokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10481945636963459213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255071107854928718.post-37975884849102449932014-03-08T12:21:00.000-07:002014-03-09T12:32:23.887-06:00Bundesliga Matchday 24 Roundup: Bayern wins 16 in a row, 26 goals in six games <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwaEbzjVo-QjIPuRCci0OfbuUUBwVtFMIaJAsckrr34Nk5llU8QDAAa_vkFMzUcu4naxR3vPEFSPddOwPNbK89oylWZOR4tmyvb0qVF2QiDYsTLijSkWJ_Eeaw__bjJb6kJ288LMOtFTM/s1600/WOB+FCB+6-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwaEbzjVo-QjIPuRCci0OfbuUUBwVtFMIaJAsckrr34Nk5llU8QDAAa_vkFMzUcu4naxR3vPEFSPddOwPNbK89oylWZOR4tmyvb0qVF2QiDYsTLijSkWJ_Eeaw__bjJb6kJ288LMOtFTM/s1600/WOB+FCB+6-1.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
FC Bayern set a new Bundesliga record on Saturday with their 16th consecutive win. Despite a strong effort by the wolves, who took the lead in the 17th minute with Naldo's goal, Shaqiri ensured the equalizer in the 26th minute. Wolfsburg ensured that Manuel Neuer had his share of work in the first 45. The second half saw a totally different game with Thomas Mueller getting the go ahead goal in the 63rd, while Mario Mandzukic increased the score by two in the 66th. Frank Ribery increase the lead to 4-1 in the 71st and Thomas Mueller made it 5-1 in the 78th. Mario Manzukic got the sixth goal in the 80th minute.<br />
<br />
In the remaining matches on Saturday, Schalke 04 shut out Hoffenheim 4-0 with a hat trick by Klaas Jan Huntelaar and solidified its fourth place standing. Borussia Moenchengladbach moved to eighth spot, after a 2-1 loss at home to Augsburg. Augsburg moved to sixth, a coveted Euro League spot.<br />
<br />
Stuttgart, while ending its home losing streak managed a 2-2 against Eintracht Braunschweig. Braunschweig continues to bring up the rear of the league, while Stuttgart struggles in 15th spot. Hamburg drew a 1-1 at home against Eintracht Frankfurt, while Leverkusen dropped another two points in a 1-1 draw against Hannover, leaving the Bayer side six games without a victory in all competitions. <br />
<br />
Nuernberg lost a heart breaker against visiting Werder Bremen 2-0. In an energetic match Der Club struggles to remain out of the relegation zone.<br />
<br />
Borussia Dortmund pulled four points ahead of Bayer Leverkusen to increase the lead in the second spot. Sebastian Kehl's goal in the 58th minute was the winner. Freiburg did not look like a club that's in 17th spot with only 19 points and Dortmund can count its lucky stars that Freiburg failed to capitalize on their many opportunities.<br />
<br />
Mainz and Berlin delivered an exciting match with ample opportunities on either side of the pitch. Although Mainz was the better half for most of the first half the side was unable to put the ball in the net. Berlin's Ramos took advantage of a bad defensive pass and scored for Berlin in the 51st minute. Mainz's Jo-Hoo was fouled in the Berlin penalty area in the 64th and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting converted in the 65th minute or the draw. Mainz remains in 7th spot, equal in points with Augsburg, while Berlin occupies the ninth spot with 36 points. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Saturday 8 March</b><br />
Hannover 96 vs Bayer Leverkusen 1-1 <br />
Schalke 04 vs 1899 Hoffenheim 4-0 <br />
Bor. Mönchengladbach vs FC Augsburg 1-2 <br />
VfB Stuttgart vs Eintr. Braunschweig 2-2 <br />
Hamburger SV vs Eintracht Frankfurt 1-1 <br />
VfL Wolfsburg vs Bayern München 1-6 <br />
1. FC Nürnberg vs Werder Bremen 2-0<br />
<br />
<b>Sunday 9 March</b><br />
<br />
SC Freiburg vs Borussia Dortmund 0-1<br />
FSV Mainz 05 vs Hertha BSC<b> </b>1-1<br />
<br />
<b>Posn Team GP W D L GF/GA Points</b><br />
<br />
1 FC Bayern 24 22 2 0 72:11 68<br />
2 Dortmund 24 15 3 6 55:27 48<br />
3 Leverkusen 24 14 2 8 40:27 44<br />
4 Schalke 24 13 5 6 46:35 44<br />
5 Wolfsburg 24 12 3 9 41:38 39<br />
6 Augsburg 24 11 5 8 37:34 38<br />
7 Mainz 24 11 5 8 33:36 38 <br />
8 M'gladbach 24 10 6 8 41:30 36<br />
9 Hertha BSC 24 10 6 8 35:28 36<br />
10 Hoffenheim 24 7 8 9 52:52 29<br />
11 Bremen 24 7 7 10 28:46 28 <br />
12 Hannover 24 7 5 12 31:43 26<br />
13 Frankfurt 24 5 8 10 27:40 26 <br />
14 Nürnberg 24 4 11 9 27:42 23<br />
15 Stuttgart 24 5 5 14 37:51 20<br />
16 Hamburg 24 5 5 14 39:53 20 <br />
17 Freiburg 24 4 7 13 22:45 19<br />
18 B'schweig 24 4 5 15 19:44 17albertacowpokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10481945636963459213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255071107854928718.post-30499124856481796672014-03-07T05:42:00.002-07:002014-03-08T09:43:09.434-07:00Bundesliga Matchday 24 Preview: Relegation battle heats up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZPfOMBDuIHewWZiJ2x98F6bMxpDw-Qxp36M5d71INgC54uxziIoFukUQ8drYm8-JZZLo5B5iLqHTRfqwr059BtafyY6fE197AnjJDJY1k4SIVe3eJ7GrNqMoSifpHgCnutoC0tNOs79c/s1600/Bayern+wins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZPfOMBDuIHewWZiJ2x98F6bMxpDw-Qxp36M5d71INgC54uxziIoFukUQ8drYm8-JZZLo5B5iLqHTRfqwr059BtafyY6fE197AnjJDJY1k4SIVe3eJ7GrNqMoSifpHgCnutoC0tNOs79c/s1600/Bayern+wins.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
Bayern Muenchen goes into matchday 24 with a comfortable 20 point lead over their closest contender Borussia Dortmund. As the league draws closer to the final matchday, a trend is developing that sees the race for Euro League spots closing from spots two to nine, while several clubs are still in contention for a Champions League spot. The middle of the field (spots 10-14) has some breathing space from a relegation spot, while the bottom four are full into a relegation fight. While Bayern has another run away season, there is still plenty to be contested in Germany's top flight.<br />
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Bayern travels to Wolfsburg on Saturday. Can the Wolves, who have had a good run as of late, be the side that upsets the apple cart for the record champion? After their 6-1 victory over Schalke last weekend, Bayern pulled even with their all time record of 15 consecutive wins. A win this weekend will create a new record for Bayern.<br />
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Six of Bayern's players were part of Germany's national side on Wednesday against Chile. Will that play into the outcome on Saturday? Wolfsburg has a good opportunity to become part of the above 40 point club and, of course, enhance the sides chance for a Champions League spot. It will, in all likelihood, be a close match.<br />
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Second placed Dortmund travels to Freiburg, which is second from the bottom. Borussia will try to solidify its place in the Bundesliga, while Freiburg desperately needs a victory to escape relegation. One of Dortmund's biggest problems this year has been consistency. Dortmund should win, but don't discount Freiburg. Leverkusen travels to Hannover and the Leverkusen side has dropped behind Dortmund due to inconsistency as well. The club's performance in the Champions League has been dismal, exposing deficiencies in passing and its overall defensive unit. This is Leverkusen's match to lose. For Hannover a win means for breathing space from the relegation zone.<br />
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Schalke 04 hosts Hoffenheim and this should be one of the most attractive matches in the league this week. When Hoffenheim visits this season it seems to develop into a high scoring game. Hoffenheim is third in the league with goals scored. A Schalke win could permit the Knappen to overtake Leverkusen in third spot, while a Hannover win could create more space from relegation.<br />
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Eight clubs are fighting relegation. This weekend Stuttgart will play Braunschweig, Hamburg hosts Eintracht Frankfurt, while Nuernberg faces Bremen. Dortmund visits relegation candidate SC Freiburg on Sunday.<br />
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Hamburg's coach Mirko Slomka is facing injury worries and the side may encounter difficulties to assemble a worth opponent when Eintracht Frankfurt visits on Saturday. VFB Stuttgart has lost eight in a row and for the side's coach Thomas Schneider it is a must that the side defeat Braunschweig. A loss could cost him his job.<br />
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Schalke is under fire as well after high score losses against Real Madrid and Bayern Munich the side hopes to recover in their contest with Hoffenheim. Leverkusen has suffered five defeats in all competitions, including a loss in the DFB Cup against second division Leverkusen. The match against Hannover is a do or die match for the factory team. <br />
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Despite Bayern's run away lead in the league, there is still a lot to be decided in the league in the last 11 matchdays. For some clubs the stakes are extremely high in the relegation department, while others are fighting for a coveted European job. With the exception of Bayern, the remaining three Champions League spots are still up for grabs. <br />
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Below is the current league table and fixtures for this weekend: <br />
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<b>Saturday 8 March</b><br />
Hannover 96 vs Bayer Leverkusen 1-1 <br />
Schalke 04 vs 1899 Hoffenheim 4-0 <br />
Bor. Mönchengladbach vs FC Augsburg 1-2 <br />
VfB Stuttgart vs Eintr. Braunschweig 2-2 <br />
Hamburger SV vs Eintracht Frankfurt 1-1 <br />
VfL Wolfsburg vs Bayern München 1-6 <br />
1. FC Nürnberg vs Werder Bremen <br />
<br />
<b>Sunday 9 March</b><br />
<br />
SC Freiburg vs Borussia Dortmund <br />
FSV Mainz 05 vs Hertha BSC<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>Posn Team GP W D L GF/GA Points</b><br />
<br />
1 FC Bayern 24 22 2 0 72:11 68<br />
2 Dortmund 23 14 3 6 54:27 45<br />
3 Leverkusen 24 14 2 8 40:27 44<br />
4 Schalke 24 13 5 6 46:35 44<br />
5 Wolfsburg 24 12 3 9 41:38 39<br />
6 Mainz 23 11 4 8 32:35 37 <br />
7 M'gladbach 24 10 6 8 41:30 36<br />
8 Hertha BSC 23 10 5 8 34:27 35<br />
9 Augsburg 24 11 5 8 37:34 38<br />
10 Hoffenheim 24 7 8 9 52:52 29<br />
11 Bremen 23 6 7 10 26:46 25 <br />
12 Hannover 24 7 5 12 31:43 26<br />
13 Frankfurt 24 5 8 10 27:40 26 <br />
14 Nürnberg 23 4 11 8 27:40 23<br />
15 Stuttgart 24 5 5 14 37:51 20<br />
16 Hamburg 24 5 5 14 39:53 20 <br />
17 Freiburg 23 4 7 12 22:44 19<br />
18 B'schweig 24 4 5 15 19:44 17albertacowpokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10481945636963459213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255071107854928718.post-91420312758363014512014-03-01T13:16:00.001-07:002014-03-03T07:01:02.177-07:00Bundesliga Matchday 23 roundup: Bayern dominates Schalke, Leverkusen loses again <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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FC Bayern Muenchen dominated the Royal Blues and within the first 15 minutes scored two goals. David Alaba, Arjen Robben (3) and Mario Mandzukic were part of Bayern's Schuetzenfest in the Allianz Arena. Bayern's domination was totally uncontested in the first half. The Knappen had a little more game participation in the second half. <br />
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Leverkusen hosted a prepared Mainz side and lost another home game, albeit only by one goal. Borussia Dortmund handily defeated Nuernberg 3-0. Although scoreless after one half, Dortmund came back in the second half with goals by Matt Hummels (51st), Robert Lewandowski (64th) and Henrikh Mkhitaryan (83rd minute). After a successful Champions League match against St. Petersburg (4-2), Dortmund repeated that triumph and has now moved ahead of Leverkusen into second spot.<br />
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Berlin and Freiburg battled to a scoreless draw on Friday evening and Berlin lost valuable two points in the quest for a European spot. Freiburg has accumulated five away games without a goal<b>, </b>a new club record. Despite a better performance by Freiburg compared to last weekend, Freiburg remains in the second last spot of the league. While Berlin pressed the issue early, the old dame was unable to complete the attacks to gain any advantage. Freiburg did not stand back and had its own opportunities, but like their opponent was unable to get the necessary result.<br />
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Borussia Moenchengladbach had to settle for a 1-1 draw in Braunschweig and has dropped five points behind a coveted Champions League spot. Bremen defeated Hamburg in the northern derby, moving Bremen into 11th spot, Hamburg occupies the relegation qualifying spot. Augsburg and Hannover shared one goal a piece, leaving Augsburg in a position to challenge for a Euro League spot. For Hannover that goal is all but lost.<br />
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In Sunday's action Hoffenheim demolished VFL Wolfsburg 6-2, with goals by Niklas Suele (37th), Anthony Modeste (39th and 43rd) for a 3-0 half time lead. Ivan Perisic pulled one back for Wolfsburg, but Hoffenheim go two more and Shipplock converted a penalty kick to finish the scoring spree. Hoffenheim has had five consecutive wins, while Wolfsburg's winning streak of four was ended. Hoffenheim finishes the weekend in tenth place, while Wolfsburg is in fifth, two points behind Schalke. The late Sunday match saw Eintracht Frankfurt come back from a 1-0 deficit to win the game 2-1 over VFB Stuttgart. Martin Harnik put Stuttgart on the scoreboard in the 37th minute, Frankfurt scored two in the second half Frankfurt's Jahn Rosental tied in the 80th minute and Meier's low shot in the 89th secured the win for the Eagles. Frankfurt moved into 13th spot, with some breathing space from the relegation zone, while Stuttgart struggles in 15th spot with just 19 points for its efforts. <br />
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<b></b><br />
<b>28 February</b><br />
<br />
Hertha BSC vs SC Freiburg 0-0<br />
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<b>1 March </b><br />
<br />
FC Augsburg vs Hannover 96 1-1 <br />
Borussia Dortmund vs 1. FC Nürnberg 3-0 <br />
Bayer Leverkusen vs FSV Mainz 05 0-1 <br />
Werder Bremen vs Hamburger SV 1-0 <br />
Eintr. Braunschweig vs Bor. Mönchengladbach 1-1 <br />
Bayern München vs Schalke 04 5-1<br />
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<b>2 March </b><br />
<br />
1899 Hoffenheim vs VfL Wolfsburg 6:2 <br />
Eintracht Frankfurt vs VfB Stuttgart 2-1<br />
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<b>Posn Team GP W D L GF/GA Points</b><br />
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1 FC Bayern 23 21 2 0 66:10 65<br />
2 Dortmund 23 14 3 6 54:27 45<br />
3 Leverkusen 23 14 1 8 39:26 43<br />
4 Schalke 23 12 5 6 42:35 41<br />
5 Wolfsburg 23 12 3 8 40:32 39<br />
6 Mainz 23 11 4 8 32:35 37 <br />
7 M'gladbach 23 10 6 7 40:29 36<br />
8 Hertha BSC 23 10 5 8 34:27 35<br />
9 Augsburg 23 10 5 8 35:33 35<br />
10 Hoffenheim 23 7 8 8 52:48 29<br />
11 Bremen 23 6 7 10 26:46 25 <br />
12 Hannover 23 7 4 12 30:42 25<br />
13 Frankfurt 23 5 7 10 26:39 25 <br />
14 Nürnberg 23 4 11 8 27:40 23<br />
15 Stuttgart 23 5 4 14 35:49 19<br />
16 Hamburg 23 5 4 14 38:52 19 <br />
17 Freiburg 23 4 7 12 22:44 19<br />
18 B'schweig 23 4 4 15 17:42 16albertacowpokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10481945636963459213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255071107854928718.post-17670523170020011372014-02-28T04:56:00.001-07:002014-03-01T12:54:03.199-07:00Bundesliga Matchday 23 Preview: The battle for Europe shapes <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Matchday 23 will further define contenders for European spots, both for the Champions League and Euro League. Results this weekend will shape the upcoming battles in the remainder of the season. Gladbach needs a win to maintain contact with the top five. <br />
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While Bayern is in their second runaway season, well ahead of any opponents, Leverkusen, Dortmund, Schalke and VFL Wolfsburg are still serious challengers for a Champions League spot. Bayern and Dortmund won the first leg of the Group of 16 and should qualify for the quarter finals in this year's Champions League season. For both Leverkusen and Schalke this season in the Champions League should end after the second leg. <br />
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When Hertha BSC Berlin hosts Freiburg on Friday, the side has the opportunity to slip ahead of Wolfsburg with a home victory. On Saturday Bayern Muenchen hosts Schalke 04 and will strive to remain undefeated. Schalke, which played Real Madrid midweek, demonstrated some real deficiencies when playing against the truly great clubs in Europe. The club, at least on Thursday, lacked precision in passing and a definite weakness in defence, which was easily exploided by Madrid. Bayern will have taken note. Bayern knows that Schalke will come out fighting after the midweek disaster and is prepared to continue its winning streak. A victory with a one or two goal margin will do to increase their undefeated running total.<br />
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Second place Leverkusen welcomes Mainz 05. Mainz has had good season to this point and has the ability to win in Leverkusen. Kiessling and company need to pull up their socks and change their attitude if they are to remain ahead of Dortmund. This is a difficult match to call because of Leverkusen's inconsistency from week to week.<br />
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Dortmund hosts Nuernberg, a side that has recently started a come back and has now moved up to 12th spot on the table. Dortmund's performance in St. Petersburg showed that the club has some spark back, at least in the Champions League. Can this be converted to the domestic league?<br />
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Gladbach has an opportunity to close on Wolfsburg with a win over Braunschweig. On paper this should not be a difficult task for Gladbach. Only three points separate Hamburg and Bremen when the two northern most clubs tangle in Bremen. For Hamburg a win is important to finally move out of the relegation zone, while a home win for Bremen should give the club some breathing space.<br />
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When Augsburg hosts Hannover, the Bavarian side has an opportunity to close into a Euro League spot. Hannover, at least for the time being is too far removed to be a hopeful for Europe. On Sunday Wolfsburg travels to Hoffenheim and the Wolves have a great opportunity to move into a Champions League spot ahead of Schalke. Hoffenheim has an opportunity in Sinsheim to further distance itself from the relegation zone. A European spot for this season seems no longer possible.<br />
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The final match on Sunday features Eintracht Frankfurt against VFB Stuttgart. Frankfurt took a devastating blow in Euro League play on Thursday against FC Porto. After an away draw of 2-2 and an early lead in the return leg, Frankfurt had to settle for a 3-3 tie at home and elimination from the Euro League. The Hessen will want to redeem themselves against the Schwaben.<br />
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As the league moves into the final third of the season, the competition for European spots and relegation will continue to energize fans, despite Bayern's enormous lead. Sit back and enjoy, there is a lot to be decided yet. <br />
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<br />
28 February<br />
<br />
Hertha BSC vs SC Freiburg 0-0<br />
<br />
1 March <br />
<br />
FC Augsburg vs Hannover 96 1-1 <br />
Borussia Dortmund vs 1. FC Nürnberg 3-0 <br />
Bayer Leverkusen vs FSV Mainz 05 0-1 <br />
Werder Bremen vs Hamburger SV 1-0 <br />
Eintr. Braunschweig vs Bor. Mönchengladbach 1-1 <br />
Bayern München vs Schalke 04 5-1<br />
<br />
2 March <br />
<br />
1899 Hoffenheim vs VfL Wolfsburg <br />
Eintracht Frankfurt vs VfB Stuttgart <br />
<br />
<b>Posn Team GP W D L GF/GA Points</b><br />
<br />
1 FC Bayern 23 21 2 0 66:10 65<br />
2 Dortmund 23 14 3 6 54:27 45<br />
3 Leverkusen 23 14 1 8 39:26 43<br />
4 Schalke 23 12 5 6 42:35 41<br />
5 Wolfsburg 22 12 3 7 38:26 39<br />
6 Mainz 23 11 4 8 32:35 37 <br />
7 M'gladbach 23 10 6 7 40:29 36<br />
8 Hertha BSC 23 10 5 8 34:27 35<br />
9 Augsburg 23 10 5 8 35:33 35<br />
10 Hoffenheim 22 6 8 8 46:46 26<br />
11 Bremen 23 6 7 10 26:46 25 <br />
12 Hannover 23 7 4 12 30:42 25<br />
13 Nürnberg 23 4 11 8 27:40 23<br />
14 Frankfurt 22 4 7 10 24:38 22 <br />
15 Stuttgart 22 5 4 13 34:47 19<br />
16 Hamburg 23 5 4 14 38:52 19 <br />
17 Freiburg 23 4 7 12 22:44 19<br />
18 B'schweig 23 4 4 15 17:42 16albertacowpokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10481945636963459213noreply@blogger.com0