The German Bundesliga Round 28 is on schedule. Although we have the tendency to cover the German Bundesliga through our combined two or three-match previews, we also like to single out THE ONE game that we feature as the “Match of the Day”. For this weekend, our pick is the clash between the FC Bayern Munich and the Borussia Dortmund at the Allianz Arena in Munich. It’s the derby between the two teams that have been dominating the Bundesliga for the last couple of seasons. Both teams are in the quarter finals of the Champions League and in the Semi-finals of the German Cup where they will go head-to-head at the end of this month.
FC BAYERN MUNICH vs. FC BORUSSIA DORTMUND
3-Way: 1: Bayern -137; X: +320 Draw; 2: Dortmund +455
Spread -0.5: Bayern -143; Dortmund +139
Total +2.5: Over -147; Under +138
FC BAYERN MUNICH
If the German powerhouse FC Bayern Munich could have picked a game to lose in the month of April, we are sure that they would have picked the road game against the TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
Out of all the tough matches that they will play in this month, the one against the Hoffenheim seemed like the best option to give away points, but now they are aware that they cannot slip anymore as they will play two games in the Champions league and the Semi-finals in the league Cup against their next opponent.
With those important matches ahead and on his mind, manager Carlo Ancelotti has sent a combined lineup on the pitch against the Hoffenheim, with Rafinha, Sanches and Coman as the starters, while Thomas Muller, Thiago Alcantara and Phillip Lahm have not even travelled with the team to Sinsheim.
Manuel Neuer and Diego Costa also missed the last game with injuries and it really came as a no surprise that the Bayern gave away three points, without netting a single goal. It was only their 2nd loss of the season, with the same 0:1 score, just like in the first half of the season when they lost to Borussia Dortmund on the road.
The loss in the last round did well for the 2nd ranked RB Leipzig who is now 10 points behind, but that is far from alarming for the Bavarians. Bayern could once again miss several players as Neuer is still not fit, same as Thomas Muller, while Boateng, Lahm, Alcantara and Ribery could be ready to play.
FC BORUSSIA DORTMUND
The Borussia Dortmund has connected three games without a loss, winning 2 games against Ingolstadt and most recently against Hamburger SV at home, while recording a draw against Schalke. Although the Borussia could have won in that game, considering their dominance on the pitch, the referee could have also pointed to the penalty spot against them in the final minutes, which is why they can be lucky with the single point.
However, because of the draw, they are now sitting at the 4th spot of the standings with a total of 50 points, 5 points behind the 2nd ranked RB Leipzig and 1 point behind the 3rd ranked Hoffenheim.
Although their fans expected a much better season this year, especially after they were able to keep their best players (Reus, Aubemeyang), the BVB has not shined, failing to find consistency, which is why they are ranked only 4th.
They are, however, the 2nd best scoring team in the league with 58 goals, while their defense has been decent as well, allowing only 28 goals. On the road, the BVB has a 4-5-5 record wining 17 points and scoring 26 goals while allowing 21 goals.
When it comes to their lineup, Sokratis will be back on the pitch, after missing the last game with a yellow card suspension, while Schmelzer should be back on the left side. Reus, Rode, Durm, Schurrle and Mario Gotze are all missing for this game.
The visitors are in a much bigger need for points than the Bavarians, but the home team cannot afford to lose two straight games prior to their Champions league quarter finals games against Real Madrid. The BVB is also playing next week when they host Monaco on Tuesday, which is why they will be extremely cautious as well. Slight advantage goes to the home team, but my safer pick is to go with the Under. My additional pick is to go with the draw.
MY PICK: Under 2.5 goals (-147)
Additional Pick: Draw (+320)
