By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Bundesliga’s top four have all won their last three matches, with Bayer 04 Leverkusen leading the chase to catch FC Bayern München.
Bayern lead the way with a four-point lead over defending champions Leverkusen and both sides face tricky away trips this coming weekend.
Vincent Kompany’s team were 3-2 winners over VfL Wolfsburg last weekend, with renaissance man Leon Goretzka on target twice against the Wolves at the Allianz Arena. The Bavarian giants visit the Europa-Park Stadion where they will encounter an SC Freiburg side boasting a solid home record. The men from the Black-Forest have lost just once in their own back yard this season. With that run contrasting with their away form, Julian Schuster’s players will be aware that maintaining a push for a European place will likely hinge on picking up home points
Yet Bayern are in formidable form and, along with having won their /rst three games after the winter break for the /rst time in /ve years, the record champions have also racked up 56 goals in just 18 games, which is the second-highest total in Bundesliga history. “I’m happy with this very positive start to the New Year,” Kompany said after his team’s win against Wolfsburg. The Belgian tactician will be eager for the run to continue at Freiburg.
Another side on an impressive march are Leverkusen, who have now won eight in a row in the Bundesliga to stay right on Bayern’s tail. A Florian Wirtz-led victory against Borussia Mönchengladbach last time out precedes a visit to Saxony and /fth-placed RB Leipzig this Saturday. Die Roten Bullen were involved in a Bundesliga classic last weekend, when Marco Rose’s side led VfL Bochum 1848 by 3-0 at half time, only to be pegged back to 3-3.
This week’s hosts will be keen to avoid any more defensive mishaps against a team that boasts the in-form duo of Wirtz – who has racked up 17 Bundesliga goal involvements (nine goals, eight assists) in 2024-25 – and Patrik Schick. The Czech’s strike against Gladbach means he has now scored 12 times in his last eight topBight outings.
Keeping the top two teams under a watchful eye are Eintracht Frankfurt in third. The Eagles recently posted their best /rst half to a season for over 30 years, and added to an outstanding campaign to date by seeing oC the challenge of Borussia Dortmund last weekend, Hugo Ekitiké and Oscar Højlund grabbing the goals under the Friday-night lights. Next up for Dino Toppmöller’s high Byers is a visit to TSG HoCenheim, who produced an important win against fellow division strugglers Holstein Kiel recently and whose con/dence will be up as a result ahead of Frankfurt’s visit.
Elsewhere, the aforementioned Dortmund will be eager to reverse their ailing fortunes, the Black and Yellows having lost all four competitive fixtures since the turn of the year. And any reversal will now have to come under new management following Nuri Şahin’s dismissal in midweek after only seven months in charge. U19s coach Mike Tullberg will be in charge for the visit of away-day specialists SV Werder Bremen at the Signal Iduna Park this weekend. Werder’s /ve victories on their travels this term makes them the /fth-best team in the away table.
A surging VfB Stuttgart – now up to fourth after six wins in their last eight Bundesliga games – are set to tackle exciting 1. FSV Mainz 05 (in sixth) in one of the weekend’s keenly-awaited Saturday /xtures. Indeed, with FC Augsburg hosting FC Heidenheim 1846, FC St. Pauli facing FC Union Berlin and Gladbach meeting
Bochum, we’re set fair for some excellent entertainment on a weekend that will kick oC with Wolfsburg against Kiel.