Bundesliga Betting: Bayern to get Borussia blues again

Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayern Munich
Sunday March 19, 16:30
Live on BT Sport

Bayern Munich took a huge step towards securing their fifth consecutive Bundesliga title last weekend. Their 3-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt, coupled with a 1-0 home defeat for RB Leipzig at home to Wolfsburg, gave them a ten point cushion at the top with ten games to go. It seems inconceivable that Carlo Ancelotti's side will crumble from here.

That said, Bayern didn't play well for long stretches of last weekend's win over Frankfurt. The Eagles were excellent on the day, and should have taken the lead. Branimir Hrgota skipped past a hobbled Manuel Neuer (he played with an ankle injury), but was denied by the slide tackle of the season from Mats Hummels. Frankfurt wasted other good chances, before Robert Lewandowksi and Douglas Costa scored in quick succession. Lewandowski went on to score a second, his 100th for Bayern in all competitions.

Last weekend's display was a return to the sloppy football that Bayern have played at times in their first season under Ancelotti. Of course, this is all relative, but when you're used to seeing Bayern dominate games, it can be quite jarring to see them consistently give up possession in their own half for no good reason.

This Sunday, Bayern face their angstgegner (bogey team), as they visit Borussia Monchengladbach. Bayern have only won one of the clubs' last five meetings, and you have to go back to January 2014 for the last time they took three points at Borussia Park. Last season, they were swept aside 3-1, as the Andre Schubert era in Monchengladbach hit its peak.

Much has changed since then at Borussia Park. Schubert delivered an extraordinary top-four finish last term, but his attempts to change the team's style failed, and his intense approach left him with few allies. His replacement Dieter Hecking has generally done a good job since Christmas, but he's had a disastrous week. A limp 2-1 defeat at Hamburg denied the Foals a place in the top six, and then they blew a 2-0 lead at home to Schalke as they tumbled out of the Europa League on away goals.

This clash with Bayern is a way to repair some of the psychological damage wrought by the last two results, and the fans at Borussia Park will be as vocal as ever. Skipper Lars Stindl, who was in stellar form before picking up a hip injury, should return in place of the ineffective Josip Drmic. I really feel for Drmic, who is trying to recapture his form from three seasons ago with Nurnberg, but it just isn't happening. Thorgan Hazard is also back in training.

With Gladbach getting some of their top attacking talents back, I think they can push Bayern hard, especially if the champions play as badly as they did last week. The Foals have lost just three of their 14 games since Hecking took charge, and they are up against a Bayern side shorn of midfield warrior Arturo Vidal through suspension.

Bayern are 1.41 to win this, and that feels too short to me.

Recommended Bet
Lay Bayern Munich at 1.41

Werder Bremen v RB Leipzig
Saturday March 18, 14:30

Werder Bremen have given themselves a great chance of once again avoiding relegation, as they have picked up ten points from their last four matches. Coach Alexander Nouri is doing a fine job under pressure, as he knows full well that he won't get a new contract in the summer if he fails to avoid the drop.

Even without injured top scorer Serge Gnabry last week, Werder thoroughly deserved their 1-1 draw at Bayer Leverkusen last Friday. Keeper Felix Wiedwald continued his recent renaissance, as he saved an Omer Toprak penalty in the 96th minute, and skipper Zlatko Junuzovic put in his best performance for a long time. After waiting more than 14 hours to open his Bundesliga account for the season, veteran striker Claudio Pizarro came up with a vital equaliser.

Werder have now scored at least once in 22 of their 24 Bundesliga games this season, and I fancy their clash with RB Leipzig will be an exciting one. Leipzig were surprisingly flat in last weekend's 1-0 defeat to Wolfsburg, but they still have one of the best strikers in the league in Timo Werner, and one of the best attacking midfielders in Emil Forsberg. Naby Keita will miss the match through suspension, but would've been out anyway after collapsing after the Wolfsburg game. He was given the all-clear after a brief stay in hospital.

Seven of RBL's last nine Bundesliga games have featured three goals or more, while 17 of Werder's 24 league matches have seen an Over 2.5 Goals bet land.

Recommended Bet
Back Over 2.5 Goals at 1.84

Wolfsburg v Darmstadt
Saturday March 18, 14:30

I have taken a position since the summer that Darmstadt are the weakest side in the Bundesliga, and regular readers of this column will know that I have been consistently backing their opponents in games. It doesn't always work (Dortmund's defeat was particularly jarring), but it often does.

Darmstadt are fighting under new coach Torsten Frings, and no-one can ever question their commitment as a group of players, but the basic truth is that they aren't good enough to survive at this level without the goals of Sandro Wagner and the tactical nous of Dirk Schuster.

Darmstadt have lost every away game they have played in the league this season, and I expect that to continue this weekend. Wolfsburg have finally woken up under new coach Andries Jonker, and this is his first home game in charge. Mario Gomez has scored in his last two games, and a relationship between striker and coach that once worked at Bayern Munich is being revived.

Wolfsburg aren't consistent, but they are full of confidence after last weekend's fantastic win at Leipzig, and they should have way too much quality for Darmstadt here.

Recommended Bet
Back Wolfsburg -1.0 on the Asian Handicap at 1.95