Will the FCB lose their lead in the standings?

There is hardly any Bundesliga team in a contemplative pre-Christmas mood at the moment. While all club representatives are anxious for understandable reasons about being allowed to bring a considerable number of spectators into their own stadiums in the coming weeks until the short winter break, some established top teams are also struggling with a number of sporting problems.

For Bayern, it is the tight personnel situation that could make even Saturday night’s home match against Arminia Bielefeld a thoroughly complicated task. BVB, meanwhile, are struggling with the aftermath of their disappointing Champions League exit and RB Leipzig are also in danger of losing their grip on the top flight early on in the German top flight.

We can therefore look forward to many exciting topics this coming weekend. The focus will be on the matches between Wolfsburg and Dortmund, the Rhineland derby between Cologne and Gladbach or the two very interesting Sunday matches between Frankfurt and Union Berlin as well as RB Leipzig against Leverkusen.

VfB Stuttgart vs. Mainz – 26 November, 20:30

For the third time in just over a month, FSV Mainz 05 get to open the matchday on a Friday night. After a 4-1 win against FC Augsburg and a respectable 1-1 draw at home against Gladbach, the Rheinhessen side are now challenged away from home for the first time on a Friday. At VfB Stuttgart, Svensson’s team is determined to confirm the good results of recent weeks.

FSV have picked up a solid eight points from their last four games and are now in a satisfactory eighth place in the standings. In the event of a win, the Nullfünfer would even jump to fifth position for at least one night. The task does not seem insurmountable for the Swabians, especially as Mainz still have the second-best defence in the Bundesliga with only twelve goals conceded.

However, we don’t believe in a clean sheet from FSV at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium this time. Especially in light of the fact that Stuttgart have always scored at least one goal in 13 consecutive Bundesliga home games against Mainz.

In addition, VfB coach Matarazzo can hope for the return of several offensive key players after three defeats in a row recently. Omar Marmoush, Silas Wamangituka and Chris Führung are all set to make their comebacks, so as the Bundesliga kicks off on Matchday 13, we take a look at the betting odds on both sides to score.

Wolfsburg vs. Dortmund – 27 November, 15:30

“Really bad” – that was the headline in Germany’s biggest daily newspaper after Borussia Dortmund’s disgraceful elimination from the Champions League. After a poor performance, BVB lost its away match at Sporting Lisbon 1:3 and thus has no chance of reaching the last 16 before the final matchday.

However, the Black and Yellows do not have much time to get over their grief, because they already have to play a difficult away match in Wolfsburg on Saturday afternoon. Kohfeldt’s team is also keen to make amends after the defeat in Sevilla, but must end a miserable series against BVB to do so. The Lower Saxons have not won any of the last twelve Bundesliga games against Borussia. Instead, there have been eleven defeats and only one draw. Worse still, in the past nine encounters, VfL have not even been able to score a goal of their own.

But since Dortmund, without their wonder striker Haaland, are also having problems setting offensive accents at the moment, we basically expect a game without many goals. In view of the fact that the Black and Yellows nevertheless have nine wins from twelve Bundesliga matches and are only one point behind FC Bayern in second place, we combine betting tips on double chance X2 and on a maximum of three goals in the course of the match in the direct clash between two Champions League participants in the Bundesliga on matchday 13.

Hertha vs Augsburg – 27 November, 15:30

124.3 kilometres were reeled in by FC Augsburg last weekend in their sensational 2-1 home win over FC Bayern. No team has managed a higher figure so far this season. But whether that will help FCA to bring home something worthwhile on Saturday afternoon at the Olympiastadion in Berlin can be doubted statistically. After all, the last six teams to beat the record champions failed to win a match on the following matchday.

Will FCA remain Pal Dardai’s favourite opponent?

This, however, is far from the only argument that points more in the direction of a bet on the “old lady”. The fact that the capital club won the last three direct duels against the Fuggerstädter and Pal Dardai is still without defeat against the upcoming opponent in ten attempts as Bundesliga coach (five wins, five draws) also gives Hertha fans hope for an end to the three-game winless streak.

With seven points from five home games and only six goals conceded (in comparison: 20 goals conceded away from home), the Berliners are a stronger team at home. In addition, it should be noted that the BSC team has never lost at home in the Bundesliga in nine attempts against their upcoming opponents. We are convinced that this will continue to be the case and opt for the odds on a home win in one of the Bundesliga’s basement duels on matchday 13.

Cologne vs Gladbach – 27 November, 15:30

Steffen Baumgart and his 1. FC Köln can look forward to the next Rhineland derby. Borussia Mönchengladbach visit the RheinEnergie-Stadion on Saturday afternoon and will be looking to continue their upward trend of recent weeks. The Foals have picked up 14 points from their last seven games and have thus worked their way up the standings bit by bit.

Although Hütter’s team has only won one match away from home, Gladbach can be expected to do a lot in Cologne, especially since the “Effzeh” has also gone five matches in a row without a win. Nevertheless, spectacle was usually guaranteed. In five of Cologne’s six home games, the 2.5 goal mark was broken. We expect this to be the case again on Saturday.

This is also supported by the interesting statistic that coach Steffen Baumgart’s team, together with bottom-placed Fürth, is the only team in the league that has not yet managed to score a single goal. However, the Geißböcken have scored at least one goal in ten of the twelve matches they have played. In the only derby in the Bundesliga on matchday 13, bets on three or more goals are definitely interesting.

Bochum vs. Freiburg – 27 November, 15:30

VfL Bochum continue to write primarily positive headlines in Germany’s highest division. Even though the promoted team lost narrowly 1-0 at Leverkusen the previous week, those responsible can definitely be satisfied with 13 points and 13th place after twelve completed match days.

The points account should now be extended further on Saturday afternoon. SC Freiburg will then travel to the Pott. Incidentally, Bochum have won four of their last five home games against the Sport-Club. For another win, coach Reis’ team will have to improve its offensive performance. The only ten goals scored are only undercut by Bielefeld and bottom team Fürth.

Defensively, things are going pretty well, with Bochum having already recorded five clean sheets this season. At home, they have only conceded three goals in five games (3-1-1 record), so we are convinced that there won’t be many goals in the match against the Breisgau side, who have lost twice in a row after ten unbeaten matches in a row. The under 2.5 therefore seems to be a good option to venture a corresponding tip in the Bundesliga on matchday 13.

Fürth vs. Hoffenheim – 27 November, 15:30

What nevertheless motivates us to bet on the bottom team in the home match against TSG Hoffenheim is the fact that the team of coach Stefan Leitl has already been able to stand up well to the respective opponent for 45 minutes on many occasions. After all, the Franconians were not behind at the break five times. In a review of the past six matches, there have only been two half-time defeats.

Even in the duel with the Kraichgauers, we think it is anything but unlikely that the relegation candidate number 1 has not fallen behind after 45 minutes. This is also backed up by TSG’s disastrous away record, losing four of their six matches away from home and conceding an average of two goals. Given these statistics, we opt for bets on the double chance 1X in the first half in this eagerly awaited clash in the Bundesliga on matchday 13.

Bayern vs. Bielefeld – 27 November, 18:30

At FC Bayern, there is a shortage of personnel at the moment. Various positive cases within the squad as well as in the team’s environment are causing problems for the record champions. Although the first eleven of the current league leader still reads very prominent, Julian Nagelsmann doesn’t really have many good change options on the bench anymore. Will the home match against the relegation candidates from the Alm therefore be a test of patience?

Will Bayern stumble over a “little one” again?

The fact is that the Munich team has had a hard time against underdogs lately. They lost against Frankfurt and also lost in Augsburg. For the first time in 14 years, the subscription champions lost two consecutive games against clubs from the lower half of the table. Now they face an opponent who, at least defensively, has been quite convincing so far.

Bielefeld have conceded only six goals in the five away games they have played so far, making them one of the most stable away defences in the Bundesliga. Although the record against the record champions reads anything but positive – 14 defeats in 18 BL guest games at the FCB – we can imagine that the amount of the defeat will be limited. In Saturday’s Bundesliga matchday 13, betting tips on a Bayern win with a two or maximum three-goal difference are worth considering.

Frankfurt vs. Union Berlin – 28 November, 15:30

In the UEFA Europa League, both teams experienced emotional matches on Thursday night. Union kept their chances of progressing to the next round alive with a narrow 1-0 win at Maccabi Haifa, while Frankfurt only equalised at home to Antwerp with a last-minute goal from Paciencia to miss out on fixing their group win early. In view of the travel stresses and strains of the capital club, however, the advantages in the direct duel on Sunday may lie more with the Hessians.

This is also supported by the fact that the SGE is currently the only first division team to have won two matches in a row. Now, in the sixth attempt, the first home win of 2021/22 is finally to be made perfect. Of course, the task will be difficult, especially since the Eisernen have only conceded two defeats this season.

Nevertheless, we can well imagine that Glasner’s team, which is slowly gaining momentum, will keep the upper hand in front of the home crowd and confirm the upward trend of recent weeks. The fact is that in the first Sunday match of the Bundesliga on matchday 13, the betting odds on the Eintracht treble are set a little too high and thus contain an attractive value. Regardless of whether one plays the corresponding bet on the three-way market or as a DNB on the two-way market.

RB Leipzig vs Leverkusen – 28 November, 17:30

Probably the most notable top match of matchday 13 in the top flight goes down at Red Bull Arena on Sunday evening from 17:30. RB Leipzig welcomes Bayer Leverkusen and wants to show its home face once again. While the Saxons can’t get a foot on the ground away from home, they have won all of their last four Bundesliga home games. The only fly in the ointment is that no spectators will be allowed on Sunday due to the new restrictions.

In our eyes, however, that doesn’t change anything about the Marsch eleven’s role as favourites, who made a real statement in their 5-0 win in Bruges during the week. Meanwhile, the red bulls are undefeated against the Werkself for six direct duels, in all ten games against the upcoming opponent, the central cities managed at least one own goal.

Furthermore, it should not be forgotten that the visitors from the Rhineland will still have to do without one or two key players. In addition, Thursday’s Europa League match against Celtic Glasgow (3:2 victory after trailing 1:2) definitely took its toll. We therefore believe that the Seoane eleven will reach its limits against the outstanding RB offence (20 goals in six home games). Consequently, at the end of the Bundesliga on matchday 13, predictions on Leipzig’s home win are an interesting option.