First two-match preview of the opening round in the German Bundesliga competition is ready. Week 1 features some very interesting matchups but to be honest, after more than two months without German Bundesliga, almost every matchup sounds interesting, especially for the fans of those respective squads.
For all the rest of us, who are just soccer fans in general, the return of national championships in our lives also presents the possibility of earning some extra money by picking solid betting picks. Although it will be very hard to predict anything having in mind that the season hasn’t officially begun and that we haven’t seen the majority of the teams in official games action yet, there might be some solid indices about how these early matchups should play down so let’s take a closer look.
TSG Hoffenheim 1899 vs. SV Werder Bremen
Three-Way: 1: TSG Hoffenheim 1899 -115; X: +235 Draw; 2: SV Werder Bremen+365
Spread -0.5: TSG Hoffenheim 1899 -125; SV Werder Bremen +119
Total +3: Over -112; Under +110
TSG HOFFENHEIM 1899
Finishing fourth in the Bundesliga table last year and earning UEFA Champions League berth for this season was one of the biggest successes in team’s history but on Tuesday their Champions League dreams received a blow after they were defeated in the first leg of this competition play-off round 2:1 at home against Liverpool. After this, they face minimal chances of qualifying for the group stage of the most prominent European club competition but they’ll still face the group stage of the Europa League competition if they are eliminated which is also quite an accomplishment.
During the offseason, they sold their last season’s best player, youngster Niklas Sule to Bayern for a fee of 20.00 Mill. Euros but they signed another youngster, the nineteen years old Justin Hoogma from Heracles Almelo at the position of centre-back for a fee worth 2.70 Mill. Euros and he could be their next defensive “pillar”. Also, Nico Schulz from M’Gladbach and Havard Nordtveit from West Ham were added in order to strengthen the center of the field while winger Serge Gnabry came from Bayern on a one-year loan deal meaning that “Die Kreichgauer” might have a very strong squad this year.
Florian Grillitsch (foot) is back in training while Kerem Demirbay’s (knee) status is unknown.
SV WERDER BREMEN
If the team from Bremen starts the new Bundesliga season the way they started the last season (only two wins in first 11 rounds), they might get in trouble this time because the only thing that saved them from Zweite last year was that incredible 11-game run in the second part of the season when they’ve stayed undefeated for almost three months, recording nine wins in progress. They finished the 2016/17 Bundesliga season ranked eighth in the league table falling only four points short of the spot that leads to the European team competitions this year but as I’ve said, long periods of the awful form must be avoided this year if they want to accomplish anything.
Their roster is pretty much the same it was a year before with only one notable departure (Serge Gnabry to Bayern) while they added left-back Ludwig Augustinson from FC Copenhagen and new goalie Jiri Pavlenka from Slavia Prague for a combined fee worth about 7.50 Mill. Euros.
Michael Zetterer (illness) and Jerome Gondorf (ankle) are days to day while Izet Hajrovic (cruciate ligament) is back in training. Zlatko Junuzovic (Achilles tendon) should be back in early September while Eric Oelschlagel (elbow) is listed to be ready in mid-September. Justin Eilers (cruciate ligament) should be available in few weeks while Niklas Moisander (thigh) is expected to be out until at least October 10th.
TSG Hoffenheim 1899 vs. SV Werder Bremen – Match Prediction
It’s unclear how the midweek meltdown in the UEFA Champions League will affect the Hoffenheim’ squad but I’m not absolutely convinced that they can record a home win in this matchup. I think that at least one goal scored by both sides makes a lot of sense in a game that should end in a draw.
My pick: Draw
VfL Wolfsburg vs. Borussia Dortmund
Three-Way: 1: VfL Wolfsburg +325; X: +325 Draw; 2: Borussia Dortmund -109
Spread +0.5: VfL Wolfsburg +108; Borussia Dortmund -118
Total +3: Over -109; Under +108
VFL WOLFSBURG
The Wolves are one of the Bundesliga teams that spent most money on signing new guys during the offseason in Germany (51.50 Mill. Euros transfer expenditure) and frankly, they needed to do that having in mind that they secured the survival last season after additional matchups with third-ranked team in the second tier German Bundesliga (Zweite), Braunschweig.
This money spending adventure has been enabled after they sold three starters, Ricardo Rodriguez (AC Milan), Luiz Gustavo (Marseille) and Jannes Horn (1. FC Koln) for a combined fee worth 33.00 Mill. Euros at the beginning of the offseason and we shall see if it’s going to pay off. They signed seven new guys including American national centre-back John Anthony Brooks (Hertha BSC), defensive midfielder Ignacio Camacho (Malaga CF) and centre-forward Nany Landry Dimata (KV Oostende) meaning that they addressed the current roster needs.
The injury list looks promising for Wolfsburg as only John Anthony Brooks (thigh) is uncertain to appear in the squad on Saturday. Sebastian Jung (thigh) and Marvin Stefaniak (foot) are back in training while Jeffrey Bruma (knee) and Christian Trasch (unknown) are days to day. Adelin Vierinha (ankle) is set to be back in few days.
BORUSSIA DORTMUND
The Borussia Dortmund have failed to overthrown the Bayern Munich from its Bundesliga perch for six consecutive years now and a change has been made, as they appointed new manager Peter Bosz on July 1st after he previously managed Ajax in last season. We hope that this will not make an effect on Dortmund’s playing style that can be described as the attacking one (always playing for one more goal scored).
The team kept its roster when it comes to the midfield and the attack parts of the squad but several departures of defensive players have been recorded as Matthias Ginter was sold to M’Gladbach (17.00 Mill Euros) and Sven Bender signed for Bay. Leverkusen (12.50 Mill. Euros). In other direction went Omer Toprak who should fill that centre-back position and central midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud who will boost up a position that is in my opinion already crowded.
Marco Reus (cruciate ligament) is expected to be back in late November while Raphael Guerreiro (foot) and Hendrik Bonmann (knee) should be out until mid-October and late September. Christian Pulisic (muscle) is doubtful for Saturday while Pierre Emerick Aubameyang’s (cold) status is unknown. Eric Durm (hip), Omer Toprak (broken nose) and Sebastian Rode (thigh) are day to day while Marcel Schmelzer (ankle), Emre Mor (thigh) and Mario Goetze (back) are back in training.
VfL Wolfsburg vs. Borussia Dortmund – Match Prediction.
In this matchup, my money would go on fewer than 2.5 goals in total. I think that the both teams will enter carefully into the week 1 matchup especially with all the roster and management changes they had during the offseason.
My pick: Under 3 goals (+108)
