Bundesliga Matchday 10 predictions
Bayern vs. Dortmund, Hamburg vs. Leverkusen, Stuttgart vs. Wolfsburg: there are some cracking Bundesliga games coming up this weekend. DW sports reporter Tobias Oelmaier tells us how he thinks the games will end up.
Friday night should end in a draw
Since last week, Schalke are no longer unbeatable under Roberto Di Matteo. By now he must have realized that not much can be achieved with this team. The Royal Blues won't be good enough to beat Augsburg, who are on a high after beating Freiburg last week. Our tip: 2-2 draw.
Bremen's silver lining
Bundesliga institution Werder Bremen just have to improve! So far, they are last in the league, and that won't change after their match again Mainz either, where new coach Viktor Skripnik and his new team will probably just manage to earn a point. Bremen's mid-week Cup success should give them a boost and Mainz have lost their early season mojo. Our tip: 1-1 draw.
Challenge for Calhanoglu
Youngster Hakan Calhanoglu moved this summer from Hamburg to Leverkusen, under strange circumstances. We will probably never know the full story and both sides are still feeling the hangover, it seems. In Leverkusen, the playmaker appears to have settled in, but now he has to head back to his old club up north. Should be interesting! Our tip: 1-1 draw.
A hard landing for Hannover
Sure, a 1-0 win in Dortmund is good for the confidence levels, but the team from Germany's north shouldn't forget how close the game was in the German Cup, Hannover already realized that the football has no memory, as they lost against Aalen. This weekend, they'll have to deal with another loss, this time against Eintracht Frankfurt. Our tip: 2-1 to Frankfurt.
No glut of goals this time
First, Stuttgart fought back from trailing 3-0, to make it a 3-3 draw against Leverkusen. Then, they went one better against Frankfurt, coming from behind to win 5-4. They obviously love a bit of drama, the Swabians! Their game against Wolfsburg will also be entertaining, but with fewer goals. They are still in a rhythm though, so they should manage a victory. Our tip: Stuttgart to win 2-1.
The end of a golden run
Bayern are unbeaten in the Bundesliga this season and Manuel Neuer hasn't conceded a goal for 658 minutes in a row. Dortmund, on the other hand, have lost four times consecutively in the Bundesliga. So, it should be an obvious result. But Bayern often struggle against Dortmund and BVB click into Champions League mode. It should be an amazing game, without a winner though. Our tip: 2-2 draw.
Hoffenheim getting closer
Who said it's a one-horse race?! After Bayern dropped points against Dortmund, Hoffenheim will see the advantage, and will get a win against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Sunday. Expect to see Gladbach get nervous at home, and that's how Hoffenheim can win it. Our tip: 2-0 to Hoffenheim.
The wonder in Paderborn
Newly-promoted Paderborn lost last Saturday against Hoffenheim, but things should be much easier this weekend against Hertha Berlin. They should get a surprise win. Or are wins for Paderborn not really a surprise anymore? If things keep going like this, the league's biggest underdog won't have to worry about going back down to the second division any time soon. Our tip: 1-0 win to Paderborn.
Freiburg's free fall
Everyone knew that it had to happen eventually. Freiburg's massive loss of players is just not easy to compensate for. Not even for their inimitable coach, Christian Streich. Against Cologne on Sunday, Freiburg - who are still to win this year in the Bundesliga - just won't be up to the task. It's sad to watch. Our tip: Cologne to win, 3-1.
Our tips from last week
As is often the case, when real experts start predicting scorelines, it can easily go wrong. Only eight points last weekend really isn't good enough, just like Borussia Dortmund's season so far. So far we are on 49 points in total though, and have crawled up to 528th position. If you want to put in your predictions, head here: http://kickoff.dw.de/betting.xhtml