With five games of the German Bundesliga 7th round set for Saturday, September 30th, 2017, we’re expecting a lot of fun as things are heating up. In this preview we’ll take a closer look at two exciting clashes – Borussia Monchengladbach will host Hannover 96 at Borussia-Park, while Eintracht Frankfurt and VfB Stuttgart will take on each other at Commerzbank-Arena.
All four teams had a decent start of the Bundesliga, especially Hannover 96, and excitement are granted for Saturday afternoon. We’ll give you some useful tips and betting predictions, so you can stay tuned.
BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACH vs. HANNOVER 96
Three-Way: 1: Borussia Monchengladbach -120; X: +300 Draw; 2: Hannover 96 +425
Spread -0.5: Borussia Monchengladbach -130; Hannover 96 +125
Total +2.5: Over -118; Under +119
BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACH
The Foals certainly didn’t expect a miracle at Signal Iduna Park last weekend, but a heavy 6:1 defeat has to be painful. They were so inferior throughout the game with a ball in their feet for only 25% of the time, winning the same percent of aerial duels. Just for the first 25 minutes, they’ve managed to stay equal at the field with Borussia Dortmund, and then they’ve conceded three times just to the halftime.
After the first goal, The Foals’ defense has simply fallen apart. They couldn’t find the way to stop Dortmund’s through balls, and two goals came after misplaced passes in the defensive third. Certainly, an unallowable way to play at the back, as Borussia Monchengladbach conceded more goals in one game than in the previous five rounds.
The manager Dieter Hecking needs to recover his players after the debacle against Dortmund if he wants to get something from the next clash with Hannover 96. His team managed to beat VfB Stuttgart and to grab a point against RB Leipzig before the last round’s heavy loss, so there’s no time for panic. They are still creating 10 scoring chances per game in this year’s Bundesliga campaign, while eight different players made an assist each. Lars Stindl is leading his team with nine key passes, scoring the only goal against Dortmund. All players need to stay focused, knowing the teamwork is their highest power.
Dieter Hecking is having some big issues with injured players among the squad. The midfielder Tobias Strobl is sidelined until the next February, while Jonas Hofmann, Ibrahima Traore, Josip Drmic, Laszlo Benes, Yann Sommer and Vincenzo Grifo are all doubtful for Saturday’s game.
HANNOVER 96
Hannover 96 is enjoying a great start of the German Bundesliga season as they are sitting at the fourth place of the table with three wins and three draws out of the first six rounds, recording a form of DDWDWW, and a 6:2 goal difference. Certainly the surprising commencement for the last year’s 2. Bundesliga side. At home they kept the clean sheet in all three games, while on the road they managed to win against Mainz along with two draws with Wolfsburg and Freiburg, 1:1 each.
Andre Breitenreiter’s patient approach is paying off, but his team failed to win against FC Koln at home in the previous round. It was a nil-nil draw with the worst team in the German Bundesliga and the first game without scoring for Hannover 96. They’ve created eight scoring chances, matching their season’s average per game, but Ihlas Bebou, Niclas Fullkrug, and Salif Sane couldn’t find the net. The Senegalese defender even hit the crossbar with a header in the 30th minute. The club’s top goal scorer Martin Harnik (four goals so far) was pretty quiet taking just two shots in 90 minutes.
While there are some important injured players among the squad, the manager Andre Breitenreiter is doing a great job. The midfielder Edgar Prib and a defender Felipe are sidelined for the next game for sure, while the left-back Miiko Albornoz and the defensive midfielder Pirmin Schwegler are still doubtful for the game at Borussia-Park.
BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACH vs. HANNOVER 96 – Match Prediction
The guests are playing exceptionally well and they certainly stand a chance in this game. On the other side, Borussia Monchengladbach is strong at home, so maybe it is time to see some goals in a Hannover’s net.
Even the form and goal difference of these two teams can suggest a tough match, I expect to see the exciting game with both teams to score at least once.
MY PICK: Both Teams to Score YES (-125)
EINTRACHT FRANKFURT vs. VfB STUTTGART
Three-Way: 1: Eintracht Frankfurt +112; X: +260 Draw; 2: VfB Stuttgart +325
Spread -0.5: Eintracht Frankfurt +102; VfB Stuttgart -106
Total +2.5: Over +112; Under -118
EINTRACHT FRANKFURT
Eintracht Frankfurt’s form of LWLWL is a strange thing even for their manager Niko Kovac, while his boys have lost both home games from the start of the Bundesliga campaign (against Augsburg, 1:2, and Wolfsburg, 0:1). Meanwhile, after a goalless draw with Freiburg in the opening round of the season, they’ve managed to beat Borussia Monchengladbach and FC Koln with the same result, 1:0, losing only their last away game against RB Leipzig, 2:1.
The Eagles have created 57 scoring chances so far, bagging just 4 goals, as three of them came after set pieces. Obviously, they need to work on their finishing, with four players scoring one goal each. Likewise, there’s no player in the squad with two or more assists in Bundesliga so far. Jetro Willems is the main threat from the left wing with 13 key passes. The Dutchman is playing as a left-back, but he’s pretty agile in the final third. Eintracht Frankfurt fans certainly expect more from the striker Sebastien Haller, who arrived from FC Utrecht this summer.
Midfielders Marco Fabian and Omar Mascarell will be sidelined for three months at least, while the forward Alexander Meier is still weak after an infection. The goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky and midfielders Gelson Fernandes and Danny Blum are all doubtful for the next game against VfB Stuttgart.
VfB STUTTGART
The Swabians are having a decent start of the German Bundesliga campaign, laying at the 12th spot of the table with seven points from the first six rounds and a goal difference 3:7. They’ve managed to get two wins with just 3 goals scored, and only Werder Bremen and FC Koln are less effective in the league. With 52 created scoring chances VfB Stuttgart is an eleventh best team, so they certainly have some finishing problems, just like their next rival.
The winger Chadrac Akolo is the club’s top goal scorer, as he’s the only player with two goals on the account. The fans are expecting more from strikers Simon Terodde and Anastasios Donis, who are still goalless. The defensive line is working well at home with three clean sheets from three games, while there are certain problems on the road where The Swabians have to kneel seven times. We have to mention that all three away games were pretty tough (Borussia Monchengladbach, Schalke 04, and Hertha Berlin)
The manager Hannes Wolf is having some problems to field the best eleven, as midfielders Matthias Zimmermann and Carlos Mane are sidelined due to injuries, while Christian Gentner and Emiliano Insua are still doubtful for the match at Commerzbank-Arena.
EINTRACHT FRANKFURT vs. VfB STUTTGART – Match Prediction
A few years ago goals would be guaranteed in this clash, as last five encounters were finished in the over. However, in this Bundesliga season, both teams managed to score only seven goals in total. Maybe I just specify two good reasons to play on goals, as choosing a winner could be a tricky job.
This contest is unpredictable in so many ways, but I’ll bravely pick the over, even the statistic is telling different.
MY PICK: Over 2.5 goals (+112)
