German Bundesliga continues this weekend with Round 31 in front of us. Only four more rounds before the season ends and we start to miss the soccer games so let’s make this couple of last rounds count. Here, we’ve prepared for you a double match preview for the match-ups between 1.FSV Mainz 05 and Borussia Moenchengladbach at the Opel Arena and Werder Bremen and Hertha BSC at Weserstadion so let’s take a closer look.
1.FSV MAINZ 05 vs. BORUSSIA MOENCHENGLADBACH
3-Way: 1: 1.FSV Mainz 05 +129; X: +262 Draw; 2: Borussia Moenchengladbach +262
Spread +0.5: 1.FSV Mainz 05 +117; SV Borussia Moenchengladbach -123
Total +2.5: Over -119; Under +112
1.FSV MAINZ 05
The 1.FSV Mainz 05 had a five games losing streak between March 11th and April 15th, which jeopardized the team’s survival as they now rank 13th with 33 points in 30 games in the German Bundesliga, only one point above the relegation line. In the last two match-ups they have managed to get the positive results as they defeated Hertha BSC at home and snatched the 2:2 draw at the Allianz Arena on Saturday but further good performances are going to be needed if they want to secure the survival in the German Bundesliga.
They are 1-2-5 in the last eight games and 1-1-2 in the last four home games. Team is 6-4-5 at home this season with 25-33 goal difference (39-49 overall) and they rank 13th in the home league table with 22 of 45 possible points earned. Most common results at home are 2:3 loss, 1:1 draw and 2:0 win (all occurred three times).
Levin Oztunali tops the team in scoring this season with seven goals while Stefan Bell and Jhon Cordoba have four each in their accounts. Oztunali is also team’s leading assister with five while Cordoba collected three. Leading passers are defenders Giulio Donati and Stefan Bell with 969 and 806 total passes. Goalkeepers Jonas Lossl (27 appearances) and Jannik Huth (three appearances) collected 94 saves and they have six games with clean sheets so far.
Gaetan Bussman (Groin) is set to be back in late April while Levin Oztunali (Thigh), Jean-Philippe Gbamin (Thigh) and Jhon Cordoba (Thigh) are listed as doubtful for Saturday’s game. Jairo Samperio Bustara (Ligament), Marin Sverko (Muscle) and Florian Muller (Groin) are day to day while Emil Berggreen (Cruciate ligament) is back in training.
BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACH
The Borussia Monchengladbach ranks 10th in the German Bundesliga with 39 points in 30 games and they still have the chance to reach the No. 6 spot that lead to European competitions next year.
Team is coming off from two consecutive defeats against Hoffenheim and Dortmund and they are 3-1-4 in the last eight games (1-1-2 in the last four away matches). They are 4-3-8 on the road this season with 16-29 goal difference (39-44 overall) and they rank ninth in the road league table with 15 of 45 possible points earned. Team scores 1.07 and concedes 1.93 goals away this season (1.30-1.47 overall) and most common results on the road are 2:3 win and 0:0 draw (both occurred twice).
Lars Stindl tops the team in scoing this season with 10 goals while Raffael has six in his account. Mahmoud Dahoud is the team’s leading assister with six while Thorgan Hazard and Cristoph Kramer have four each. Passing segment belongs to Andreas Christensen and Jannik Vestergaard who recorded 1397 and 1349 total passes so far. Goalie Yann Sommer played every minute in the league this season and collected 82 saves with 10 clean sheet games.
Josip Drmic (Knee) is out for the season while Tony Jantschke’s (Wrist, Knee) status is unknown. Oscar Wendt (Elbow) will be out until early June while Cristoph Kramer (Knee) should be back in late April. Raffael (Knee) and Mamadou Doucoure (Thigh) are day to day while Fabian Johnson is expected to be back in few days. Thorgan Hazard (Knee) and Marvin Schulz (Groin) are back in training.
The 1.FSV Mainz 05 is riding a streak of positive results while Borussia Monchangladbach is underperforming lately which is why I think that they hosts can wrap this one up and secure the survival in the league. I also expect at least three goals with a possibility of both teams scoring.
MY PICK: 1.FSV Mainz 05 (+129)
TOTAL: Over 2.5 goals (-119)
Additional Pick: Both teams to score YES (-141)
WERDER BREMEN vs. HERTHA BSC
3-Way: 1: Werder Bremen +100; X: +280 Draw; 2: Hertha BSC +320
Spread -0.5: Werder Bremen -101; Hertha BSC -102
Total +2.5: Over -110; Under +110
SV WERDER BREMEN
The SV Werder Bremen is on a streak of 10 undefeated games that started in mid February and after being unsure about their survival they are now in the position to fight for one of the spots that lead to the European competitions next year. The team currently ranks seventh in the German Bundesliga, with 42 points in 30 games and they have only two points less than Freiburg that is ranked in the spot that provides European football next season.
The SV Werder Bremen is 6-2-0 in the last eight games and 4-0-0 in the last four home matches. Their home record is 7-1-7 with 23-19 goal difference (50-51 overall) and they rank 12th in the home league table with 22 of 45 possible points earned. 80% of their home matches had over 2.5 goasl but only 7% of their home games had over 3.5 goals in total. Werder has scored in each of their last 10 matches and in 80% of their home matches they conceded at least one goal. Most common result at home is a 1:2 loss (occurred five times).
Max Kruse tops the team in scoring this season with 13 goals while Serge Gnabry has 10 in his account. Midfielders Zlatko Junuzovic and Fin Bartels are the team’s leading assisters with five each while passing segment belongs to Niklas Moisander with 871 total passes. Goalies Felix Wiedwald (20 appearances) and Jaroslav Drobny (10 appearances) collected 105 saves and they have five games with clean sheets so far.
Luca Caldirola (foot), Clemens Fritz (ankle) and Eric Oelschlagel (elbow) are all out for the season. Izet Hajrovic (cruciate ligament) is set for the return in early May while Santiago Garcia (neck) and Thomas Delaney (muscle) should be back in few days. Johannes Eggestein’s (Illness, foot) and Ousman Manneh (Thigh) status is unknown while Niklas Moisander (Flu) and Serge Gnabry (Flu) are day to day.
HERTHA BSC
The Hertha BSC continues to be one of the worst teams on the road in the German Bundesliga this season and the last time the team took full prey away was back in December 3rd last year (2:3 win over Wolfsburg). Thanks to a great record at home, they currently rank fifth in the league table with 46 points in 30 games and Europa League appearance next year is a big possibility.
They are 3-0-5 in the last eight games (0-0-4 on the road in the last four matches) and their overall record on the road this season is 2-3-10. Away goal difference is 13-26 (38-35 overall) and they rank 16th in the road league table with nine of 45 possible points earned. They score 0.87 goals and concede 1.73 goals per match on the road (1.27-1.17 overall) and most common result away is a 1:0 loss (occurred four times).
Vedad Ibisevic leads the team in scoring this season with 12 goals while Salomon Kalou scored six so far. These two are also team’s leading assisters along with Mitchell Weiser with four assists each. Top passers are Sebastian Langekamp with 1145 and Peter Pekarik with 1077 total passes while goalkeeper Rune Jarstein has 77 saves and 10 clean sheet games.
Niklas Stark (Ankle), Valentin Stocker (Thigh) and Julian Schieber (Knee) are all out for the season while Mitchell Weiser (Thigh) should be back in late April. Vladimir Darida (Knee) is listed as doubtful for Saturday while Marvin Plattenhardt’s (muscle), John Anthony Brooks’ (Hip) and Sinan Kurt’s (Ankle) status is unknown. Fabian Lustenberger (Groin) is back in training.
It’s hard to believe that one of the worst teams on the road this season can stop the white hot SV Werder Bremen team right now, who are playing extremely well in the German Bundesliga as of lately. It is a question of how long the host can keep up with this pace and who can stop them. The visitors from Berlin are certainly not the team that will do that, especially considering their poor away performances in the German Bundesliga and the fact that their back line is missing some crucial defenders. Therefore, I am taking the home team to win all three points.
MY PICK: SV Werder Bremen (+100)
