Hoffenheim v Bayern Munich
Tuesday April 04, 19:00
Live on BT Sport ESPN
Bayern Munich are within touching distance of their fifth consecutive
Bundesliga title, and although he suffered plenty of criticism earlier
in the campaign, coach Carlo Ancelotti appears to have
found the magic formula. The Italian always says "too much water kills
the tree", the adage he uses to explain why he doesn't overtrain his
players, and the Bavarian giants do seem to be peaking at the right
time.
Bayern are still in the Champions League and German Cup, and they are 13
points clear at the top of the Bundesliga with eight games to go.
Midfield magician Thiago and star striker Robert Lewandowski
were unplayable in Saturday's 6-0 demolition of Augsburg, maintaining
their excellent form this season. Thiago is surely now one of the best
midfield schemers in European football, while Lewandowski scored a
hat-trick, and has now netted 44 goals in 43 games this season for club
and country.
Bayern have smashed in 37 goals in their last ten games, but they'll be
given a tough test in Sinsheim on Tuesday. Hoffenheim aren't just on
course to qualify for European football for the first time in their
history, but they are in pole position to grab the final spot for the
Champions League. Friday's 3-1 win at Hertha Berlin was a sensational
result, as Julian Nagelsmann led his side to victory
against a team with one of the best home records in the league. It's
worth remembering that Borussia Dortmund lost at the Olympiastadion,
while Bayern needed a 96th-minute equaliser to avoid defeat.
Nagelsmann has already rejected Bayern once, after they approached the
29-year-old to take over their youth department, but a couple of his
players haven't refused the champions' overtures. Centre-back Niklas
Sule and midfielder Sebastian Rudy will make the switch to the Allianz
Arena in the summer, a pair of huge setbacks for Hoffenheim.
Hoffenheim have only lost twice all season, and they are unbeaten at
home in this campaign. They matched Bayern stride for stride in the
reverse fixture, and I think they can push them hard here.
Recommended Bet
Back Hoffenheim +1.0 on the Asian Handicap at 1.97
Werder Bremen v Schalke
Tuesday April 04, 19:00
A few weeks ago, Werder Bremen appeared to be sliding towards at least a
relegation playoff, but a stunning surge has proved that sporting
director Frank Baumann was absolutely right to stick by young coach Alexander Nouri. Saturday's 5-2 win at Freiburg was an explosive display which featured a hat-trick by January signing Thomas Delaney.
The Danish international midfielder has been a revelation - a great mix
of inner steel and impressive technique. Striker Max Kruse has found
his feet after an injury-hit start to the campaign, and even the
much-maligned defence is springing fewer leaks.
Werder have collected five wins and a draw from their last six games,
and on that basis alone they shouldn't be outsiders at home to
inconsistent Schalke. The Royal Blues did well to hold Ruhr rivals
Borussia Dortmund to a 1-1 draw on Saturday, but they have only won two
of their last 12 away games.
The Weserstadion is always a cauldron, especially under the lights, and I fancy Werder to keep their positive run going.
Recommended Bet
Back Werder Bremen Draw No Bet at 2.24
Mainz v RB Leipzig
Wednesday March 05, 19:00
RB Leipzig took another step towards qualifying for the Champions League
at the weekend, as they dismantled Darmstadt 4-0. Realistically,
Leipzig only need to win four of their remaining eight matches to secure
a top-four spot, and they might not even need to do that. Most of
Leipzig's recent Bundesliga games have been highly entertaining - six of
the last seven have featured three goals or more.
Mainz have been dropping like a stone in recent weeks, and there are
serious fears that the Zerofivers could be relegated in the same season
that they played in the group stage of a European competition for the
first time.
The team's defending has been highly suspect this term, and the loss of keeper Loris Karius to Liverpool has been keenly felt. Jonas Lossl
hasn't been an adequate replacement, and the winning goal in Sunday's
2-1 defeat at Ingolstadt was a case in point, as the Dane allowed a
cross from Florent Hadergjonaj to sail over his head into the far
corner.
Mainz haven't kept a clean sheet since late February, and they have let
in 13 goals in their nine games. Their centre-backs lack pace, which
could spell disaster against Leipzig's turbocharged team. I fancy goals
here, especially with overs trading at odds-against.
Recommended Bet
Back Over 2.5 Goals at 2.08
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