By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Perennial Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich continue their pursuit of top spot when they play host to mid-table outfit Borrusia Monchengladbach at the Allianz Arena on Saturday afternoon.
Only two points now separate the top two after another action-packed matchday in the Bundesliga. Bayer 04 Leverkusen host Bayern next week, but first the defending champions face one of their recent bogey teams and the league leaders visit the side propping up the table.
Bayern put a shock defeat to SV Werder Bremen behind them by claiming victories over 1. FC Union Berlin and FC Augsburg last week to cut the deficit. Harry Kane ended his two-game scoring ‘drought’ in the 3-2 victory over the latter, while Alphonso Davies got his first goal in almost a year. The issue in Munich, however, is the lengthy list of absentees, with some 10 first-team players either injured or competing at the Africa Cup of Nations and Asian Cup.
It’s an added layer to the challenge that will be posed this Saturday by Borussia Mönchengladbach, who are the team with the best Bundesliga record against Bayern since 2011-12 and have left the Allianz Arena with points on three of their last five visits. The Foals will also be boosted by the fact they became the first team in any competition this season to prevent Leverkusen from scoring after holding Xabi Alonso’s men to a 0-0 draw at the weekend.
It was only the fourth time in 28 competitive fixtures in 2023-24 that Die Werkself failed to win, but they remain unbeaten this term and still two points ahead at the Bundesliga summit. That gap means they have no room for mistake in this weekend’s visit to SV Darmstadt 98 before they welcome Bayern the following matchday. A trip to the division’s bottom side is as big a banana skin as any for the team sitting atop the standings, although the promoted Lilies haven’t won since October.
Fellow newcomers 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 are faring much better up in 10th as they prepare to host Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga for the very first time. Frank Schmidt’s side boast a number of ex-Schwarzgelben in the likes of Lennard Maloney and Jan-Niklas Beste, and are unbeaten in five at the Voith-Arena – the Bundesliga’s smallest ground at a capacity of 15,000. It’s a stark contrast to BVB’s cavernous Signal Iduna Park, and the same can be said for Borussia’s form. After a disappointing run up to the winter break, they have won all three games so far in 2024 following the return of Jadon Sancho and with Niclas Füllkrug netting four goals, including a hat-trick in Sunday’s 3-1 win over VfL Bochum 1848.
Another striker with hopes of representing Germany at this summer’s home UEFA European Championships also bagged three at the weekend. Deniz Undav helped VfB Stuttgart defend third place with a statement 5-2 victory over RB Leipzig. The Swabians visit regional rivals SC Freiburg on Saturday with Dortmund now breathing down their necks.
As for Leipzig, who have lost all three games since the winter break, they host Union Berlin on Sunday. The Köpenick club have climbed out of the bottom three recently and are now five clear, with a game in hand, after beating Darmstadt by a single goal last time out.
Saturday’s Topspiel sees 1. FC Köln – occupying the relegation play-off spot and in desperate need of a first win since the start of December – host Eintracht Frankfurt, who are in the European positions and knocking on the door of the top four after Mario Götze earned them a derby victory over 1. FSV Mainz 05.
That result saw the 05ers drop into the automatic relegation zone, although with their game against Union in hand. Jan Siewert’s side could climb back above Köln with a positive result on Saturday afternoon at home to Werder, who have made it into the top half of the table. A single point behind them are VfL Wolfsburg, who have drawn 1-1 in all three outings this calendar year but are winless in four prior to hosting TSG Hoffenheim in eighth on Sunday.
One and two points further off the Wolves are Bochum and Augsburg respectively ahead of their meeting at the Ruhrstadion in the fifth of Saturday’s afternoon fixtures. Both are halfway to the magical 40-point mark that usually means another season of Bundesliga football.