Eintracht Frankfurt v Ingolstadt
Saturday February 18, 14:30
Eintracht Frankfurt are having a terrific season, despite last weekend's 3-0 drubbing at Bayer Leverkusen. Had the Eagles taken some excellent chances at 1-0 down, the story may have been different.
The bare facts still make great reading for Frankfurt fans. Niko Kovac's side are third in the table with 14 games left, and only Bayern Munich have a better defensive record. Frankfurt are unbeaten at home, and have won four of their last five league games at the Commerzbank Arena. The back three (usually Makoto Hasebe, David Abraham and Jesus Vallejo) have all been outstanding, while Omar Mascarell has helped provide a solid midfield screen. In attack, Frankfurt are no longer as reliant on their "Fussballgott" Alex Meier, which is just as well given that he's in the twilight of his career.
Ingolstadt boss Maik Walpurgis deserves massive credit for giving the Bavarian side even a sniff of survival, and I'll be the first to admit I wrongly decried his appointment. Despite a complete lack of experience at this level as either a coach or a player, Walpurgis has moulded his charges into a tough unit. Last weekend FCI were minutes away from securing a superb goalless draw against champions Bayern, but late goals from Arturo Vidal and Arjen Robben snatched the points.
Although Walpurgis has masterminded wins at Darmstadt and Bayer Leverkusen, it's worth noting that Ingolstadt have lost three of their last four away games in the league. Over the course of the entire season, they have collected just seven points from ten road matches. With Frankfurt so strong on home soil, another defeat appears to be on the cards.
Recommended Bet
Back Eintracht Frankfurt to win at 2.20
Saturday February 18, 14:30
Eintracht Frankfurt are having a terrific season, despite last weekend's 3-0 drubbing at Bayer Leverkusen. Had the Eagles taken some excellent chances at 1-0 down, the story may have been different.
The bare facts still make great reading for Frankfurt fans. Niko Kovac's side are third in the table with 14 games left, and only Bayern Munich have a better defensive record. Frankfurt are unbeaten at home, and have won four of their last five league games at the Commerzbank Arena. The back three (usually Makoto Hasebe, David Abraham and Jesus Vallejo) have all been outstanding, while Omar Mascarell has helped provide a solid midfield screen. In attack, Frankfurt are no longer as reliant on their "Fussballgott" Alex Meier, which is just as well given that he's in the twilight of his career.
Ingolstadt boss Maik Walpurgis deserves massive credit for giving the Bavarian side even a sniff of survival, and I'll be the first to admit I wrongly decried his appointment. Despite a complete lack of experience at this level as either a coach or a player, Walpurgis has moulded his charges into a tough unit. Last weekend FCI were minutes away from securing a superb goalless draw against champions Bayern, but late goals from Arturo Vidal and Arjen Robben snatched the points.
Although Walpurgis has masterminded wins at Darmstadt and Bayer Leverkusen, it's worth noting that Ingolstadt have lost three of their last four away games in the league. Over the course of the entire season, they have collected just seven points from ten road matches. With Frankfurt so strong on home soil, another defeat appears to be on the cards.
Recommended Bet
Back Eintracht Frankfurt to win at 2.20
Hoffenheim v Darmstadt
Saturday February 18, 14:30
Darmstadt's fully deserved 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund was part of a crazy weekend which saw the formbook incinerated. The teams in second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh all lost. It was a victory for the Lilies that gave them a glimmer of hope in their battle for survival, but I'm still sticking to the position that they have the weakest squad in the division, and will finish bottom of the standings.
Hoffenheim are licking their wounds after an eminently avoidable defeat at Wolfsburg. Hoffe led and had numerous chances to secure victory, but a second-half wobble saw them concede twice and suffer only their second league loss of the campaign. However, there is every reason to think that Julian Nagelsmann's side will return to winning ways this Saturday.
Firstly, top scorer Sandro Wagner is back after suspension. He netted 14 league goals for Darmstadt last season to help them stay up against the odds, and his departure has created a void which SVD haven't been able to fill. Wagner has scored ten times in the Bundesliga for Hoffenheim this term, while the entire Darmstadt squad has managed just 14 goals between them.
Secondly, Hoffenheim's home form has been excellent. They haven't lost a single game at the Rhein Neckar Arena, and they have recently managed 4-0 home wins against both Mainz and Koln. Although Darmstadt are full of confidence after that win over BVB, you can't ignore the fact that they have lost their last nine away games in the league.
Recommended Bet
Back Hoffenheim -1.5 on the Asian Handicap at [2.37]
Borussia Monchengladbach v RB Leipzig
Sunday February 19, 14:30
Live on BT Sport
The "new coach bounce" is a bit of a cliché in football, but in the case of Borussia Monchengladbach, the arrival of Dieter Hecking has certainly made a huge impact. The former Wolfsburg and Nurnberg boss has overseen three wins and a draw in his four Bundesliga matches, and although he suffered his first defeat on Thursday in the Europa League, the 1-0 loss to Fiorentina was thoroughly unmerited. Gladbach made plenty of chances, and were only undone by a stupendous free-kick from Federico Bernardeschi.
What Hecking has done isn't rocket science. He has reverted to Gladbach's classic counterattacking style, he isn't playing anyone out of position, and he is demanding that his players work harder when they don't have the ball. His predecessor Andre Schubert ran aground when he tried to implement a complicated possession-based game, but Hecking is keeping things simple.
RB Leipzig are having a wobble, but it shouldn't be forgotten that their first ever season in the Bundesliga has been a roaring success. For a newly-promoted side to sit second after 20 games is remarkable, especially bearing in mind that RBL have the youngest squad in the league.
Perhaps Leipzig are now naturally finding their level after a sustained period of massive overachievement. Back-to-back defeats to Borussia Dortmund and Hamburg have quashed any lingering title talk, with Bayern Munchen now seven points clear at the top. Die Roten Bullen may be in for another tough afternoon in the Rhineland too - they have lost their last three away games without scoring a single goal, and Gladbach are on form.
Recommended Bet
Back Borussia Monchengladbach Draw No Bet at 1.93
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