Bundesliga Betting: Champions to stay on top

Bundesliga Betting: Champions to stay on top

After picking up 3/3 winners last weekend, Kevin Hatchard has another trio of Bundesliga selections.

Bayern to make another statement

Bayern Munich v Köln
Saturday 27 February, 14:30
Live on Betfair Live Video

Bayern made the rest of Europe sit up and take notice in midweek, as they demolished in-form Lazio in the Champions League. After Robert Lewandowski had been gifted an early opener, the European and world champions moved serenely through the gears in a 4-1 win. Leroy Sane and Kingsley Coman both shone, and teenager Jamal Musiala (who turns 18 this week) became the club's youngest ever goal-scorer in the Champions League.

The issues that plagued Bayern in their defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt last weekend are still present. Thomas Müller and Benjamin Pavard are still out with COVID-19, and Serge Gnabry hasn't long returned to training after injury. However, lowly Köln shouldn't be able to pose the same kind of problems.

The Billy Goats have only scored 20 goals in 22 games, and they have drawn a blank in four of their last six on the road.

They have lost their last six matches against Bayern, and three of those defeats were by a margin of at least three goals.

Bayern were able to conserve energy on Tuesday, and they should have enough left in the tank to win this with room to spare. I'll keep it simple and back the hosts -2.0 on the Asian Handicap at 1.8 - if Bayern win by three or more, we win, but if they only win by two goals, our stake is returned.

Shell-shocked Schalke can produce a response

Stuttgart v Schalke
Saturday 27 February, 14:30
Live on Betfair Live Video

Schalke arguably reached the nadir of their season last weekend, as they were shredded 4-0 at home by their bitter foes Borussia Dortmund. It wasn't really a four-goal game, but the realisation has dawned that the Royal Blues are going down, and plans are already being put in place for life in the second tier.

That said, there has been more of a sense of defiance under new Christian Gross, and the Royal Blues have ground out draws at Union Berlin and Werder Bremen in their last two Bundesliga away games. I think they can avoid defeat again against a Stuttgart side that doesn't enjoy having to break down teams that won't offer them space on the counter. VfB have only won one home game all season, and they have only won three of their last 11 overall.

Despite Schalke's plight, the hosts look a bit too short at 1.52, so I'll lay them.

Eagles to keep on soaring

Werder Bremen v Eintracht Frankfurt
Friday 26 February, 19:30
Live on BT Sport and Betfair Live Video

Eintracht Frankfurt have had an extraordinary purple patch in recent seasons. Niko Kovac turned them from relegation candidates (they had to contest the dreaded play-off in 2016) into DFB Cup winners against mighty Bayern Munich in 2018, before the Croatian coach actually then joined the record champions. His replacement Adi Hütter led the Eagles to the semi-finals of the Europa League in his first campaign, with Sebastian Haller, Ante Rebic and Luka Jovic forming a terrific trio in attack.

Hütter then had to deal with the loss of all three of those forwards, but he has rebuilt his attack around Portuguese centre-forward Andre Silva. His haul of 18 Bundesliga goals has turbocharged Frankfurt's progress, but it is significant that even without Silva, Hütter's side was able to beat Bayern last week. Filip Kostic and Amin Younes were a constant threat, and Daichi Kamada provided the ammunition with clever passing and movement.

Frankfurt have now gone on a run of nine wins and two draws in the Bundesliga, and they have equalled a club record by scoring at least twice in 11 straight top-flight matches. That form has catapulted them into the Champions League places, and they have found a consistency that has escaped the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Mönchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen.

Silva is expected to return from injury, but with or without him, Frankfurt should have enough quality to beat Werder Bremen here. The hosts were awful in Sunday's 4-0 defeat at Hoffenheim, and they have now failed to score in three of their last five matches. While coach Florian Kohfeldt has found a way to toughen up his defence, he hasn't managed to discover creative solutions for a side that scored just 24 goals in 21 games.

Frankfurt are value here at 1.86, so back them to win.