Can Union Berlin upset the champions?
The first four matchdays in the top flight of German football have been played. After last week’s first versus second match – Bayern received Gladbach (final score: 1:1) – the top two teams face each other again today. The FCB, who still lead the table with ten out of twelve possible points and 16:2 goals, will travel to 1. FC Union Berlin in the capital. The Köpenickers have also picked up three wins and a draw with 11:3 goals.
In total, four clubs have remained undefeated so far. In addition to Bayern and the Eisern, they are the Foals from Gladbach, who have two wins and two draws each after the fortunate point-split on the Isar, and the Geißböcke from Cologne, who have also not lost yet with one win and three draws. While Cologne host Wolfsburg on Saturday, Gladbach try to prolong their series against Mainz on Sunday evening.
In addition, there is a top match right at the start of the matchday when Borussia Dortmund, currently fifth in the table, receives Hoffenheim, who are fourth. Meanwhile, five teams are still fighting for their first three points of the young season. VfB Stuttgart, VfL Wolfsburg, FC Schalke, Hertha BSC and VfL Bochum are the teams that have not won any of their first four league games. All the more interesting is the traditional duel between the Swabians and the Gelsenkircheners on Saturday lunchtime, in which two of these teams have the chance to win their first three matches in a direct comparison, before the reigning Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt receive the DFB Cup winners RB Leipzig in the evening match. That makes for a total of nine top-class matches for which Bundesliga matchday 5 betting odds and tips are available on this page.
Dortmund vs. Hoffenheim – 02 September, 20:30
For a short time, it looked like a false start for Hoffenheim under André Breitenreiter. After TSG only escaped embarrassment in extra time against the underclass SV Rödinghausen in the cup, they suffered a 1:3 defeat in Gladbach on the first matchday. But then the team from Kraichgau got its act together and won three league games in a row. Now, for the first time in their Bundesliga history, the Sinsheim side could record four wins in the first five matchdays.
However, BVB are anything but out of form going into the home game. For their part, the black-and-yellows won three of their first four league games and have so far impressed with a high degree of versatility. The Westphalians have scored ten goals in competitive matches so far in the 2022/23 season, with every single goal coming from a different player. We expect both sides to score goals in Friday night’s match as well. In this Bundesliga match on matchday 5, betting tips on an early first goal offer the greatest value. Accordingly, we are betting on the first goal being scored before the 23rd minute of the match.
Leverkusen vs. Freiburg – 03 September, 15:30
Last weekend, the knot burst for the struggling Werkself, who started a season with four competitive defeats for the first time ever. After just 41 minutes, the Rhinelanders led 3-0 away in Mainz and were able to hold on to this comfortable lead even when they were double-defeated. Now, however, Bayer Leverkusen will receive SC Freiburg, an opponent with a strong form. The Black Forest side has so far picked up nine of a possible twelve points.
It is interesting to note that the Sport-Club has always been able to take a 1:0 lead in all four league games so far. Against this background, bets on a goal by the team from Breisgau are also very interesting in the Bundesliga on Matchday 5. For the betting option that Streich’s team will score the first goal of the match again, there is also a very good return.
Union Berlin vs. Bayern – 03 September, 15:30
It was to be expected that Bayern would be greeting us from the sunny side of the table after four match days. However, it was certainly not expected that the current Bayern number one would be Europa League participant Union Berlin, especially since the Köpenicker needed extra time against fourth-division Chemnitz in the cup.
In league play, however, the Eisernen were in convincing form with three wins and a draw. Not only did they beat the reigning cup winners RB Leipzig 2-1 in their last home game, but they even dispatched struggling FC Schalke 6-1 away from home last weekend. Accordingly, the supposed underdogs can go into the duel with the German record champions, who lost for the first time on the last matchday. In the 1:1 against Gladbach, FC Bayern despaired of Yann Sommer.
But also because the Munich team was vastly superior in terms of the share of the game and should have won victory number four, we think the Eisern have too little chance of winning a point for such a timed underdog bet to make sense. Accordingly, it is difficult to make predictions for the Bundesliga on Matchday 5 that also yield decent value. With a view to the offensive power of both teams, we opt for the goal bet.
Wolfsburg vs. Cologne – 03 September, 15:30
It’s not going too well for VfL Wolfsburg so far. The Lower Saxons have lost their first two away games and twice failed to get beyond draws at home against promoted Werder Bremen and Schalke 04. On top of that, the forward play was anything but smooth. Niko Kovac’s attack failed to score three times in a row. All in all, the Wolves have been goalless for 276 minutes.
Now, of all times, the VfL will be hosting an in-form 1. FC Köln, who advanced to the Conference League group stage last week with a brilliant 3-0 away win in Hungary. The Geißböcke did not get beyond a 0-0 draw against VfB Stuttgart in league action, but are still unbeaten after four matchdays (one win, three draws). On the one hand, a draw tendency can be seen in this interesting duel. On the other hand, however, the betting odds are particularly interesting in the Bundesliga on Matchday 5 for a maximum of one team scoring.
Bochum vs. Werder Bremen – 03 September, 15:30
VfL Bochum are the only one of all 18 Bundesliga teams to have lost all of their first four league games of the 2022/23 season. Accordingly, the team from the Ruhr region currently holds the red lantern and, with 13 goals conceded, is the weakest defensive team in the Bundesliga. Most recently, the players from the city of Grönemeyer even went scoreless in two games in a row.
Meanwhile, Werder Bremen, promoted to the Bundesliga, fared much better. The Green-Whites picked up five of a possible twelve points and celebrated a spectacular 3:2 away win in Dortmund on the third matchday, in which all three goals were scored after the 89th minute. Last weekend there was another last-minute goal from Bremen, but it was not enough to win a point in the 3:4 against Frankfurt.
Nevertheless: Werder’s offensive is in incredibly good shape. The SVW has already scored ten goals so far, with at least two goals scored in every league match. Combined with the poor state of the VfL defence, we think that should be enough for the next three-goal win for the northern Germans.
VfB Stuttgart vs. Schalke – 03 September, 15:30
A duel between two clubs without a win so far will take place in the Baden-Württemberg capital on Saturday lunchtime, when VfB Stuttgart (three draws, one defeat) welcome FC Schalke 04 (two draws, two defeats). However, the Königsblauen in particular had certainly imagined their return to the Beletage of German football to be different. The Gelsenkirchen team has been very passive so far, with low possession and few passes. Promptly, the promoted team was completely outclassed at home last Saturday with 1:6 against Union Berlin.
VfB Stuttgart, on the other hand, fought for their three points against opponents in good form and were recently able to hold on to a goalless draw in Cologne despite being shorthanded for more than half an hour. So betting on a home win for the Swabians on Matchday 5 in the Bundesliga, who are also hosting a kind of favourite opponent, is very interesting. VfB have not won as many games against any other Bundesliga team as they have against S04 (43).
Frankfurt vs. RB Leipzig – 03 September, 18:30
The top match of the week on Saturday evening will be contested by reigning Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt and cup winners RB Leipzig, two of the five German teams that will represent the Bundesliga in the Champions League. It could be a tight affair, as seven of the twelve Bundesliga duels between the two teams have ended in a draw so far – including the last four meetings in a row.
In fact, the SGE should be able to live with the point against the Saxons, who managed to avert the false start and break the knot with a 2-0 win over Wolfsburg last weekend. After all, things have been anything but good for the Hessians at home in 2022. The Eagles have only recorded one home win in eleven Bundesliga home games this year.
Because we again do not believe in a clear-cut number but expect another hard-fought match between the two teams, we recommend betting odds for the draw at the break in the Bundesliga on Matchday 5.
Augsburg vs. Hertha – 04 September, 15:30
In the first Sunday match, FC Augsburg and Hertha BSC will be looking to avert the false start. The Fuggerstädter have already clinched their first three points when keeper Gikiewicz rose above himself in the 2-1 away win at Leverkusen. However, the other three matches were all lost, which is why they are only in 14th place in the table.
The capital city team, on the other hand, has only one draw and three defeats, which means they are in a direct relegation spot. Particularly problematic: The old lady has scored only two goals in four league games – the worst figure shared with Wolfsburg. In view of the fact that the Bavarian Swabians have only scored three goals and thus scored less than once per game on average, it makes the most sense in our eyes to bet on a low-scoring duel.
Due to the lack of goals from both offensives, odds of less than 2.5 goals are recommended in the Bundesliga on Matchday 5.
Gladbach vs. Mainz – 04 September, 17:30
Borussia Mönchengladbach and 1. FSV Mainz 05 can be quite satisfied with their start so far. The team from the Lower Rhine is still unbeaten (two wins, two draws) and, thanks to goalkeeper Sommer, recently held FC Bayern to a 1-1 draw. The Rheinhessen side, on the other hand, have so far only lost their home match against Leverkusen, but on the second matchday they were responsible for Union Berlin’s only loss of points to date (0:0).
The tendency is nevertheless in the direction of the Foals, who have lost only one of their last twelve Bundesliga games against the zero-fivers (seven wins, four draws) and are currently off to their best start to a season in 35 years in the top flight of German football. Accordingly, the odds are in favour of a home win for Borussia, which is why we favour tip 1 in the Bundesliga on Matchday 5. However, the Mainz team’s strong form must also be taken into account. As a precaution, we therefore hedge our bets with a “Draw No Bet”.
On the other hand, if you want to take advantage of the higher odds for the direct bet, you should at least consider using a free bet.
