Eintracht Frankfurt vs Arminia Bielefeld
Venue Duetsche Bank Park, Frankfurt am main
Saturday, 19-09-202 @4:30pm
Arminia Bielefeld gained promotion to the German top flight as Bundesliga 2 champions last season and they can make life tough for Eintracht Frankfurt on the opening weekend of the new campaign.
Adi Hutter’s men endured a disappointing 2019-20 season but managed to secure a top-half finish after winning five of their last seven games last term.
And although they have agreed a permanent deal for Andre Silva, the losses of Mijat Gacinovic, Goncalo Paciencia, Jonathan de Guzman and Gelson Fernandes this summer leaves their squad looking a touch light.
Both teams have scored in eight of Eintracht Frankfurt’s last ten Bundesliga games. Arminia Bielefeld scored 65 goals in 34 matches in the Bundesliga last season. Over 2.5 goals have featured in 12 of Eintracht Frankfurt’s last 14 league games.
Union Berlin vs Augsburg
Venue Stadion An Der Alten Forsterei, Berlin
Saturday, 19-09-2020 @4:30pm
Union Berlin are unbeaten in five of their last six Bundesliga games. Four of Union Berlin’s last six Bundesliga matches have featured over 2.5 goals. Both teams have scored in four of Augsburg’s last five Bundesliga games.
Union Berlin were one of the surprise packages of the 2019-20 Bundesliga campaign, steering clear of the drop zone and finishing a respectable 11th in the standings in their first season in the German top flight.
Central to their strong finish were their performances on home soil, where eight of their 12 league wins came, and even without fans in the stands they still managed victories over Paderborn and Fortuna Dusseldorf and draws with Mainz and Schalke at Alte Forsterei post lockdown.
Opponents Augsburg finished four places and five points below Union last term and managed only four away wins in 2019-20.
Koln vs Hoffenheim
Saturday, 19-09-2020 @4:30pm
RheinEnergieStadion, Koln
Cologne failed to win any of their final ten Bundesliga matches last season. Hoffenheim closed out last season with defeat in only two of their final eight games. Both teams scored in each of Cologne’s final 11 league games.
Few finished last season stronger than Hoffenheim, who scored 11 goals in winning their final three Bundesliga matches to pinch automatic qualification to the Europa League.
In fact, Hoffenheim lost only two of their last eight matches, a purple patch that included an emphatic 4-1 win at home to Cologne.
Another full season under manager Sebastian Hoeness can only bring about more positives and the attacking quality they possess should see them make a winning start. Hoffenheim, whose frontline options include Andrej Kramaric and impressive Austrian Christop Baumgartner, make plenty of appeal.
The return to action after the Coronavirus-enforced layoff hindered Cologne, who failed to win any of their final ten matches.
One thing that is for sure, however, is Cologne don’t lack firepower. Both teams scored in each of their last 11 matches and they failed to score in just two of their 17 home assignments.
Werder Bremen vs Hertha Berlin
Saturday, 19-09-2020 @4:30pm
Venue Wohninvest WERSERSTADION, Bremen
Five of the last six meetings have ended all-square, with three of those games finishing 1-1. Hertha Berlin kept only three clean sheets from their 17 away games last season. Bremen are unbeaten in their last 13 meetings with Hertha Berlin.
Werder Bremen avoided relegation from the Bundesliga by the skin of their teeth last season and while better is expected this term, the same can be said for their visitors Hertha Berlin.
Hertha should finish above Werder Bremen this season but they have failed to win any of the last 13 meetings between the pair and they lost 5-4 to second division side Braunschweig in the first round of the DFB Pokal last week.
Matheus Cunha is a standout performer for Hertha and the tricky Brazilian may make his presence felt. However, Bruno Labbadia’s men are weakened by key defensive injuries and they kept only three clean sheets in 17 away games last season which tempts enthusiasm.
Stuttgart vs Freigburg
Saturday, 19-09-2020 @4:30pm
Venue Mercedes-Benz-Arena, Stuttgart
Freiburg collected only 19 of their 48 points away last season, winning only one of their final 14 fixtures on their travels. Stuttgart had the best home record in the Bundesliga 2 last term, losing just three of their 17 games. Freiburg kept just one clean sheet in 17 away games last season.
Stuttgart returned to the Bundesliga at the first time of asking, but they were some ten points adrift of champions Arminia Bielefeld and they are short enough to make a winning start at home to Freiburg.
Thomas Hitzlsperger’s men did boast the best home record in the Bundesliga 2 last term, losing just three of their 17 games, so they are not an easy side to oppose.
However, Freiburg’s frontline will be considerably better than what they were mixing it with last season and backing an entertaining game makes far more appeal.
Freiburg won one only one of their final 14 away league fixtures, keeping just one clean sheet in 17 away games last season. But the visitors failed to score just twice in their final ten road outings and we predict them to play their part in a thriller.
Stuttgart conceded in four of their final five home games against weaker opposition last season and ten of their last 12 meetings.
Borussia Dortmund vs Borussia Monchengladbach
Saturday, 19-09-2020 @7:30pm
Signa Iduna Park, Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund are unbeaten in ten Bundesliga meetings with Borussia Monchengladbach. Six of Borussia Dortmund’s last eight games in the Bundesliga have featured under 3.5 goals. Gladbach failed to score in six away league matches last term.
Borussia Dortmund were once again edged by Bayern Munich in the race to win the Bundesliga last term but they can begin their pursuit of a first top-flight title since 2012 with victory over Borussia Monchengladbach.
Once Bayern were declared champions, Dortmund limped to the finish line at the end of the 2019-20 campaign, losing to the likes of Mainz and Hoffenheim, but they looked red hot in the first round of the DFB-Pokal earlier this week.
Five different players – Jadon Sancho, Jude Bellingham, Thorgan Hazard, Giovanni Reyna and Marco Reus – got on the scoresheet in their 5-0 thrashing of Dusiburg, with Dortmund managing 18 shots, 11 on target and 76 per cent possession at the MSV-Arena.
As well as Bellingham, Dortmund have also added defender Thomas Meunier and loanee midfielder Reinier to their ranks this term and have the makings of strong opponents.
Dortmund netted 46 goals in their 17 home matches last term, shipped only 17, and kept more home clean sheets (nine) than any other Bundesliga outfit last season.
They could therefore make life difficult for an impressive Borussia Monchengladbach outfit, who achieved a top-four finish and Champions League football last campaign.
Gladbach lost all three meetings with Dortmund last season in the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal, each by a single-goal margin, and they could once again come unstuck at the Signal-Iduna Park.
They were also more effective on home soil, where 12 of their 20 league victories came last term, and could only score 26 goals on the road last term, with only Padeborn (seven) and Schalke (eight) firing more away blanks than Gladbach (six).
Dortmund have earned the reputation of fast starters in the Bundesliga, often petering out in the second half of the campaign, and were top of the standings for the first two weeks last season.
Although this could be a low-scoring affair on the opening weekend, Dortmund still have a dangerous attack at their disposal featuring Sancho, who scored 17 goals and laid on 16 assists last season, and Erling Haaland, who scored 13 times in 15 games.
The other Bundesliga games this weekend
Sunday, 20-09-2020
-RB Leipzig vs Mainz 05 @4:30pm
-Wolfsburg vs Bayer Leverkusen @7pm
Bundesliga result on Friday, 18-09-2020
-Bayern Munich 8-0 Schalke 04
