By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Bundesliga is nearing its winter break, there is a bumper weekend of Matchday 15 fixtures to look forward to, with a Friday night festive gift.
Table toppers FC Bayern München host RB Leipzig in a game that has brought so much drama in recent years and promises even more this weekend. With the record champions suffering their first Bundesliga loss of the campaign against 1. FSV Mainz 05 last time out, Vincent Kompany’s side will be keen to bounce back with three points when Die Roten Bullen visit Bavaria.
Shorn of several injured stars – although with hope of the return of the Bundesliga’s leading goalscorer Harry Kane – Bayern are in for a battle against a resurgent Leipzig, who have won their last three domestic games on the spin to signal an end to a mini-slump in form. Marco Rose’s men saw off the challenge of Eintracht Frankfurt for the second time in quick succession on Matchday 14 – the teams having met in the DFB-Pokal shortly before
last Sunday’s league encounter – and with an added triumph against Holstein Kiel included in that run, they have rediscovered their groove as they look to halve the sixpoint gap to Bayern over the break.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen are dishing out their own footballing punishments as the champions’ impressive surge continues apace. Brushing past FC Augsburg to make it seven successive victories in all competitions last weekend, the Werkself are making light work of the fact that two of their star strikers – Victor Boniface and Patrik Schick – have both been nursing injuries. Xabi Alonso’s men will thus likely look to star turn Florian Wirtz once again against SC Freiburg in Saturday evening’s main game as the hosts seek to keep track of leaders Bayern from second spot. The 21-year-old Wirtz has been in blistering form once again this term, racking up six goals and four assists in the Bundesliga alone. Fifth-placed Freiburg will have taken note and arrive at the BayArena in confident mood after a recent 3-2 victory against VfL Wolfsburg.
Making up the Bundesliga’s top six teams are Frankfurt and last season’s runners-up VfB Stuttgart – two sides on somewhat different trajectories right now. The Swabians host lowly FC St. Pauli on Saturday and are riding high on morale, having won their last four games in all competitions while scoring 14 goals in the process. In Nick Woltemade, VfB have one of the most in-form strikers in the division, and the 21-year-old, who is helping
to lighten an attacking injury crisis at the MHPArena, now has five Bundesliga goal involvements after his goal and assist in Matchday 14’s win against 1. FC Heidenheim 1846.
Things aren’t so upbeat in Frankfurt, however, despite the Eagles still being perched in third spot. Last weekend’s loss to Leipzig made it three defeats in four winless games across all competitions for Eintracht, a run that coach Dino Toppmöller will be desperate to avoid continuing into the winter break. With the mesmeric Omar Marmoush in their ranks, the chances of turning the tables against neighbours Mainz this week are high. The tricky Egyptian is unmatched across Europe’s big leagues with a jaw-dropping 20 goal involvements in just 14 Bundesliga games.
In the other Saturday fixtures, Borussia Mönchengladbach may be in 11th place but are only two points off sixth as they visit TSG Hoffenheim. SV Werder Bremen are a point closer as they host 1. FC Union Berlin, who have just one win in seven on the road this term. Augsburg are yet to win at all on their travels as they head north to second-bottom Kiel.
Sunday’s early game now looks set to be a real six-pointer at the bottom going into the break. Heidenheim have been in freefall of late and come into the weekend in 16th, although still with a seven-point cushion over VfL Bochum 1848, who remain winless this season in bottom spot.
Borussia Dortmund are down in eighth before their visit to Wolfsburg in the year’s final fixture with the Black-and-Yellows eyeing a return to winning ways after drawing their last three in the top-flight. The Wolves have won six of their last seven competitive fixtures and also knocked Dortmund out the DFB Cup in October.