Bundesliga Betting: Foals to fail in the capital

After securing 3/4 winners from the midweek fixtures, Kevn Hatchard's back with his final Bundesliga selections of 2019.

Klinsmann kick to carry on

Hertha Berlin v Borussia Monchengladbach
Saturday 21 December, 17:30
Live on BT Sport and Betfair Live Video

The new-coach bounce doesn't always work, but it certainly has in Hertha Berlin's case with Jurgen Klinsmann at the helm. With that Californian lilt and relentless positivity, he can sometimes sound like he's about to give you a lecture on the healing power of crystals, but the capital club have collected seven points from their last three games, and have secured back-to-back wins against top-half sides Freiburg and Bayer Leverkusen.

Borussia Monchengladbach are level on points with leaders RB Leipzig, and they got back on track in the title race by beating Paderborn 2-0 on Wednesday. It was a far from sparkling display, but the gamble of resting key attacking players like Breel Embolo and Marcus Thuram paid off. The concern for coach Marco Rose is his side's recent away form - the Foals have lost three of their last four road matches in the Bundesliga.

Hertha have unquestionably been given a boost by the coaching team of Klinsmann and Alex Nouri, and they seem overpriced here against a side that keeps slipping up away from Borussia Park. I'll back Home and Draw in the Double Chance market here at 1.75.

BVB to wrap up year with victory

Hoffenheim v Borussia Dortmund
Friday 20 December, 19:30
Live on BT Sport and Betfair Live Video

From delirium to dismay - fans of Borussia Dortmund experienced the full gamut of emotions on Tuesday night, as their beloved BVB played out an extraordinary 3-3 draw with league leaders RB Leipzig. Lucien Favre's side played some of this season's best football in the first period, moving the ball smartly and swiftly to negate the Leipzig press, and scoring two excellent goals. The second goal, a darting run by Jadon Sancho followed by a balletic spin and shot by Julian Brandt, was Dortmund at their best.

However, the mask slipped just moments after the break. Goalkeeper Roman Burki headed the ball into space when well outside his penalty area, and Timo Werner rolled in his 17th league goal of the season, and just a few minutes later Werner was gifted a second by an errant Brandt backpass. Even though the effervescent Sancho managed to restore the hosts' advantage, they couldn't hold on, and Patrick Schick rescued a point for Leipzig.

That failure will have stung Dortmund, and I think they might take out their frustration on Hoffenheim. The Sinsheim club still look a bit disjointed and fragile under new coach Alfred Schreuder, and they have taken just a point from their last three home matches. They have lost 4-2 to Augsburg and 5-1 to Mainz recently, and it's hard to see their porous defence holding up. Even though BVB are without injured skipper Marco Reus, they still have plenty of attacking talent, and the likes of Mario Gotze and Paco Alcacer are well rested and raring to go.

Dortmund have won their last two away games in the league, and I think they are fairly priced at 1.91 to extend that sequence.

Faltering Funkel to earn a reprieve

Fortuna Dusseldorf v Union Berlin
Sunday 21 December, 14:30
Live on BT Sport and Betfair Live Video

Last season, the vastly experienced Friedhelm Funkel, a man with over 500 Bundesliga games to his name as a coach, was on the brink at Fortuna Dusseldorf. Fans responded to his potential sacking uproariously, and he was spared the axe by sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel. Funkel went on to deliver a storming second half of the campaign, and F95 finished well clear of the dropzone.

Now Funkel, Pfannenstiel and Fortuna are back in the same sticky situation. The collection of just two points from the last six games has seen the club sink into the automatic relegation zone, and another defeat may see Pfannenstiel act before the winter break, and initiate a change in the dugout.

However, I believe Funkel can save himself this weekend. Fortuna have won three of their last five home games, and the other two matches were against Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig. At the Merkur Spiel-Arena F95 have beaten fellow strugglers Koln and Mainz, and I'd put Union Berlin in the same bracket as those teams. Union have over-performed so far this term, but on the road they have lost four of their last six matches, and they have scored just seven goals in seven road matches.

The Match Odds market is split, so I'll back Fortuna with some insurance in the Draw No Bet market at 2.04.