Bundesliga Betting: Bayern to put upstarts Leipzig in their place

Bayern Munich v RB Leipzig
Saturday October 28, 17:30
Live on BT Sport 2

Jupp Heynckes remains unbeaten in his latest spell as Bayern Munich coach, but that record was put under severe strain by RB Leipzig on Wednesday, as Die Roten Bullen took the champions to penalties in the DFB Pokal.

It was a tempestuous clash which saw Naby Keita sent off for the third time in seven games for club and country, and saw Mats Hummels square up to RBL sporting director Ralf Rangnick, after the latter tried to show the referee footage on his mobile phone which was meant to illustrate that his side should have had a first-half penalty. In the end, Leipzig blinked first, as Timo Werner failed from 12 yards to give Bayern victory after a 1-1 draw.

Leipzig have every reason to think they can compete with Bayern this weekend, especially when you consider that they recently ended Borussia Dortmund's 41-match unbeaten run at home in the Bundesliga. However, I believe they will fail this particular test.

Leipzig have already lost games at Schalke, Augsburg and Besiktas this season, and they didn't score in any of those games. Also, Leipzig lost 3-0 at Bayern last season, in what was one of their worst performances of the campaign. In the reverse fixture last season, Leipzig blew a 4-2 lead and lost 5-4, and they need a win to break Bayern's psychological hold over them.

Bayern have looked much more like their usual selves since Heyckes returned, and I think they'll make another statement on Saturday. They have smashed Freiburg 5-0 and Celtic 3-0 in Heynckes' home games so far, and although their opponents on Saturday are far better, I still think they have the quality to win comfortably.

Recommended Bet
Back Bayern Munich -1.5 on the Asian Handicap at 2.02

Hertha Berlin v Hamburg
Saturday October 28, 14:30

Neither of these teams is in great form at the moment. Hertha have won just one of their last 12 games in all competitions, and popular coach Pal Dardai is probably facing his first crisis since taking over. The Old Lady was unceremoniously dumped out of the DFB Pokal in midweek, as FC Koln picked up a rare win at the Olympiastadion.

Hamburg are in even worse shape though. They haven't won a game since August, they've taken just one point from their last seven league matches, and they've only scored two goals during that sequence.

With both teams struggling, the key is who has the better players, and I believe that Hertha do. Davie Selke is starting to settle in up front, and if the midfield can find strikers like him, Vedad Ibisevic and Salomon Kalou, the goals will start to come. Young centre-backs Karim Rekik and Niklas Stark are struggling as a partnership, but that's due to a lack of experience playing together rather than a lack of talent.

Hamburg are still without a host of players because of injury, and the club's alarming debts (they announced another annual loss recently) explain why HSV have such a lack of depth in their squad. Gideon Jung is suspended after his sending-off against Bayern, and no-one in the squad has scored more than once in the league.

I think Hertha will see this as a huge opportunity to return to winning ways, and against a demoralised and threadbare Hamburg, I believe they'll claim three points at last.

Recommended Bet
Back Hertha Berlin to win at 2.00

Stuttgart v Freiburg
Sunday 29 October 2017, 17:00

Stuttgart have made a solid start to their return to the top flight, but their form has a certain duality. On the road they have lost all five matches, but at the atmospheric Mercedes-Benz Arena they have won three and drawn one of their four outings.

Freiburg are very similar, combative at home, but atrocious on their travels. Stretching back into last season, they have lost six of their last seven away games in the league, and during that sequence they have conceded 24 goals and scored just two.

On that basis alone, I'd be happy to back the hosts, but I also think Freiburg have a weaker squad than Stuttgart. The Freiburg coach Christian Streich is a genius, but a result should be beyond him this weekend.

Recommended Bet
Back Stuttgart to win at 1.85