Borussia Dortmund v Wolfsburg

If one player sums up Borussia Dortmund’s crawl to the end of the Bundesliga season it is perhaps Erling Haaland. The Norway international has looked far from his best and at a press conference this week his head coach, Marco Rose, revealed that the striker would likely need painkillers to get through Saturday’s clash with Wolfsburg. 

Some Dortmund fans would surely question the need to put Haaland through more trouble if not for the fact that he’s already missed far too many games since the turn of the year and that the club’s only other striker – Donyell Malen – is also injured. 

However, while Dortmund aren’t exactly in peak condition, they have been grinding out results in recent weeks. Particularly against teams in the bottom half of the table that would have caused all sorts of problems last season. 

Indeed, last weekend’s 2-0 win over Stuttgart was remarkably efficient and lined up with recent wins over Arminia Bielefeld and Mainz in recent weeks. And with a fully-packed Westfalenstadion set to welcome Wolfsbrug on Saturday, it should certainly still be business as usual for Rose’s side

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Freiburg v Bochum

Freiburg head coach Christian Streich couldn’t hide his excitement at this week’s pre-match press conference when he was asked about the club’s remaining games of the season. “The championship is now entering the final phase,” said Streich with a smirk. “The next three games are very exciting. Each one can decide where we are at the end.”

However, rather than tossing out needless hyperbole, the Black Forest tactician was entirely spot on. Freiburg, just three points off a Champions League spot but also just four off dropping out of the top six, will need to be extremely careful how they navigate their remaining matches. 

Fortunately for Streich & Co, their opponents on Saturday are Bochum, who remain entrenched in mid-table mediocrity after being assured of no real threat from relegation in the first half of the season. 

Unlike their hosts on Saturday, Thomas Reis’ side have very little left to play for and seem especially at a loss on the road this season where they have managed just three wins from 14 games. As such, expect a professional and relatively straightforward win from an impressive Freiburg side. 

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Mainz v Stuttgart

There are few sides in all of European football with as contrasting records at home and on the road as Mainz do in the Bundesliga this season. Bo Svensson’s side are little more than relegation fodder when it comes to away games, but at home they’re top four contenders. 

Indeed, Mainz have lost just two games from 14 in front of their own fans this season and have averaged no less than two goals per game along the way too. Which should make Svensson’s side slight favourites for this tie. 

However, Stuttgart are certainly no pushovers. Pellegrino Matarazzo’s side have turned their season around in the nick of time, with two wins and three draws from their last seven league matches. And, like Mainz, they’ve found their shooting boots too, with no less than 10 goals in that period. 

This should be a fascinating match between one team that are formidable at home and another that have truly refound their form and talent. As such, we can expect a lot of goals from both sides. 

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Augsburg v Hertha Berlin

A few journalists would have undoubtedly rolled their eyes when Augsburg head coach Markus Weinzierl put his team’s turnaround and form down to “110 percent commitment” this week, but the manager of the small Bavarian club was absolutely correct. 

In a short period of time Weinzierl has managed to get Augsburg ticking along by slotting together a team of battle-hardened, experienced Bundesliga veterans like Florian Niederlechner, Daniel Caligiuri and André Hahn alongside some impressive younger players like Ruben Vargas and Niklas Dorsch. 

Weinzierl’s side look and play like a well-connected team and that’s exactly why it took a dubious penalty call for Bayern Munich to beat them by a single goal last weekend, following a run of form which had seen the club pick up three wins and a draw from their last five games. 

Indeed, Augsburg look like everything Hertha Berlin certainly are not right now – prepared, fit, concentrated and in-form – and there’s little doubt that they’ll pile even more misery on the capital side, as they come to terms with what will surely be an inevitable relegation. 

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Monchengladbach v Koln

All eyes will be on Borussia Park on Saturday as Borussia Monchengladbach and FC Koln lock horns in what ought to be a fantastic Rhein derby. 

Adi Hutter was undoubtedly fearing for his job earlier in the season, but the Foals have managed to stabilise in recent months and go into Saturday’s clash with their neighbours on a decent run of form. Not only have Gladbach avoided defeat in all but one of their last six league games, but they’ve done so by keeping three clean sheets. 

Koln, who now sit just six points above their rivals, have managed to cling on to the hope of European qualification by doing something similar. Although Steffen Baumgart’s side undoubtedly rely on Anthony Modeste’s goals, Koln have the third best defensive record in the league over the course of the last six match days. 

In a local rivalry that not only counts for bragging rights but may also play a part in whether both sides can continue their good run of form into the end of the season, this ought to be a tightly-contested affair where both sides will look to avoid any unnecessary mistakes. Don’t expect a lot of goals. 

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