By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Bundesliga leaders FC Bayern München will aim to bounce back from their first league defeat of the season when they travel to the Volksparkstadion for the first time in over eight years to face Hamburger SV.
The Bavarians suffered a 2-1 loss to FC Augsburg last weekend despite taking the lead. The result means they can no longer emulate Bayer 04 Leverkusen’s unbeaten season of 2023/24, but they still remain eight points clear at the top of the table.
Hamburg, meanwhile, played out a goalless draw at local rivals FC St. Pauli on Friday, leaving them still precariously placed above the drop zone. However, that was their second consecutive clean sheet, and they are without defeat in their past five in front of their own supporters, but they haven’t beaten Bayern in 20 competitive meetings going back to 2009.
Earlier on Saturday, Eintracht Frankfurt host Leverkusen. The Werkself picked up their first win of 2026 last weekend with a narrow 1-0 triumph over SV Werder Bremen courtesy of Lucas Vázquez’s -first goal for the club. Frankfurt, though, are yet to win this calendar, conceding three goals in all four of their Bundesliga fixtures since the end of the winter break.
Eintracht’s conquerors from Matchday 19, TSG Hoffenheim, host 1. FC Union Berlin on Saturday afternoon. That 3-1 triumph maintained Die Kraichgauer’s push for a UEFA Champions League spot. Union, meanwhile, were beaten for the first time in 2026 against Borussia Dortmund last time out but remain in the top half of the table.
In the matchday’s final encounter, Dortmund welcome 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 to Signal Iduna Park. A 12-game unbeaten run in the league has kept Die Schwarzgelben as Bayern’s closest challengers, and they have not suffered a home Bundesliga loss since March of last year. Heidenheim, on the other hand, are bottom of the table after losing 3-0 to RB Leipzig in their previous encounter.
The latter play 1. FSV Mainz 05 at the Red Bull Arena on Saturday afternoon still very much in top-four contention. Opponents Mainz, though, have lost just one of their eight games in all competitions under new head coach Urs Fischer.
Also in the hunt for Champions League quali-cation are VfB Stuttgart, who play host to SC Freiburg on Sunday. Die Schwaben are undefeated in their past six league games, but Freiburg are also making a strong push for European football and were 2-1 victors over 1. FC Köln last weekend.
After causing a shock at the Allianz Arena, Augsburg will be keen to back it up against St. Pauli at home on Saturday. Die Kiezkicker provide a different challenge, but they are winless in their past nine away matches.