Legendary Germany and Bayern Munich net buster Gerd Muller will always be the Allianz Arena goals king. His 365 Bundesliga goals scored in a career spanning two decades will be hard to match. But one of ‘Der Bomber’s’ more mundane records is up for grabs. Robert Lewandowski has already plundered 36 Germany topflight league goals this season and is within striking distance of Muller’s long standing record of 40 goals netted in one season. The Bavarians’ Polish star has three matches to equal or surpass Muller’s record, starting with Saturday night’s clash with bogey side Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Last weekend Bayern Munich squandered the chance to clinch their ninth consecutive Bundesliga title when they surprisingly fell 1-2 to relegation threatened Mainz, with Lewandowski netting a late consolation. The club board promptly announced RB Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann as the successor to manager Hans Deiter Flick, who is leaving to take over Germany national team coaching duties. Marco Rose’s Gladbach will provide Bayern with an even sterner test as, with four victories in their last ten clashes, they are the only side in the division with a decent head to head record with the Bavarians.
An equally enthralling contest takes place at Signal Iduna Park where Edin Terzic’s Borussia Dortmund will be hoping to extend their outstanding form when they welcome second placed RB Leipzig in a precursor to next week’s Germany Cup final. Dortmund have won four Bundesliga matches in a row to move within a point of fourth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt and two points off Wolfsburg in third. The Black and Yellows underlined their form by demolishing Holsten Kiel 5-0 in the German Cup whereas Leipzig needed extra time to subdue Werder Bremen 2-1.
Nagelsmann’s visitors have been dogged by injuries in recent weeks with midfield pair Christopher Nkunku and Tyler Adams joining Lukas Klostermann and Dominic Szobaszolai on the sidelines. Dortmund are without Alex Witsel, Marcel Schmelzer, Mateu Morey, Youssoufa Moukoko and the suspended Jude Bellingham but they welcome back top scorer Erling Braut Haaland who is finally playing within his element after enduring an unusual seven-game goal drought.
Oliver Glasner’s Wolfsburg, who have taken just six of the last 15 available points; losing to direct rivals for Champions League places Frankfurt and Dortmund; will be hoping to return to winning ways when they host unpredictable Union Berlin. Fourth placed Eintracht Frankfurt should take care of business against relegation troubled Mainz in one of Sunday’s three games. Elsewhere, there is no room for error for Werder Bremen boss Florian Kohfeidt who must arrest a seven game losing streak at home to Bayer Leverkusen or face the sack.
FIXTURE
Stuttgart v Augsburg, Bayern Munich v Gladbach, Hoffenheim v Schalke, Borussia Dortmund v RB Leipzig
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen, Wolfsburg v Union Berlin
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen, Wolfsburg v Union Berlin
SUNDAY
Koln v Freiburg, Frankfurt v Mainz, Hertha Berlin v Arminia Bielefeld
WEDNESDAY
Hertha Berlin v Schalke