Get ready for five Bundesliga matches that all kick off at 3:30 CET with the weekly Konferenz preview by Jack Grimse.
Hoffenheim vs. Wolfsburg
Both sides are unbeaten, but Hoffenheim are yet to win. Hosting Wolfsburg at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena provides a chance for their first victory of the campaign. Striker Sandro Wagner scored in the wild 4-4 draw between Achtzehn and Mainz 05 last weekend, and will be hoping to get on the scoresheet again for his new club.
Back in the Bundesliga, Mario Gomez made his first start for Wolfsburg, playing the full 90 minutes in the scoreless draw against 1. FC Köln. He and Julian Draxler are relied on by manager Dieter Hecking to shoulder the majority of the attacking burden.
Bayern Munich vs. Ingolstadt
Perfect through two, Bayern are off to a predictable start under Carlo Ancelotti. They’re never a side that lacks confidence, but a 5-0 midweek Champions League win over Rostov has boosted spirits even further. Look for Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Müller to continue their good form.
A very good side at home, FC Ingolstadt have quite a difficult time of winning away from the Audi Sportpark. They’re winless in the Bundesliga since 19 September 2015, having failed to record a victory after taking three points in their first three top flight contests in their maiden Bundesliga season. It’s hard to see anything but a big Bayern win here.
Hamburger SV vs. RB Leipzig
Hamburg have scored just twice this year, with both goals coming from American Bobby Wood. Last time out it was a late Joel Pohjanpalo hat-trick that sunk Die Rothosen, proving that points will be scarce for Bruno Labbadia’s men if the goals don’t start showing up, as the defensive breakdowns that we’ve seen in seasons past haven’t disappeared.
Flying high in their inaugural Bundesliga campaign, RB Leipzig’s talented youngsters look up to the task so far. Naby Keïta and Oliver Burke, two of the new signings, combined to find a winner against Dortmund to snatch the victory in dramatic fashion last Sunday. If they can secure at least a draw, manager Ralph Hasenhüttl will be pleased.
Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Bayer Leverkusen
Both sides sit on three points through two matches, having won at home but lost away. Frankfurt are looking to secure more points early in the season and avoid the relegation play-off and spare their supporters of more high blood pressure come May.
Leverkusen have no issues scoring goals (4), and both Chicharito and Kevin Volland should be fully recovered from injuries now. But, the issues seem to be at the back, and they’ve already shipped three. Their opponents have only let in one, as many as they’ve scored. Maybe this is the match where Roger Schmidt’s backline finds some continuity and defend as a unit, or maybe they’ll entertain us to the highest degree like last week’s 4-4 between Mainz and Hoffenheim.
Borussia Mönchengladbach vs. Werder Bremen
Gladbach are coming off a Champions League defeat to Manchester City, but a home fixture against Bremen offers the chance to get back to form. It offers a chance for André Schubert to rotate the squad and get players like Thorgan Hazard involved.
Already plagued by a goal difference of negative seven, it could be a long season for Werder Bremen. Losing Max Kruse to injury before the season didn’t help matters. Does Claudio Pizarro have enough left in the tank to start rescuing Bremen from what already seems like an inevitable relegation?
