MY ACCOUNT
Bayern Munich are taking control of the title race — the Bavarian giants will stretch their lead at the top to seven points with a win over Augsburg tonight.
Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund will look to stay in touch with the league leaders by continuing their sensational home form against Stuttgart and there is a derby in the German capital as Union Berlin host Hertha.
Here is all the key information ahead of Matchday 12 in the Bundesliga.
Game of the week: Augsburg vs Bayern Munich (Friday, 7.30pm)
Bayern will be aiming to make it five wins in a row and maintain their unbeaten away record as they travel to a struggling Augsburg side who have just nine points on the board.
Only Arminia Bielefeld (seven) have scored fewer goals than Augsburg this season (nine).
By comparison, the ever-dangerous Robert Lewandowski has found the net 10 times in his last seven appearances for Bayern in all competitions.
The formidable visitors have already racked up 40 goals, which is more than any team has ever managed after 11 games of a Bundesliga campaign.
They have only kept three clean sheets though, which might offer a small crumb of comfort to the hosts — though they have failed to score a league-high five times this season.
Here are the other big games to watch this weekend…
Borussia Dortmund vs Stuttgart (Saturday, 2.30pm)
Dortmund could make club history when Stuttgart visit Signal Iduna Park — victory would see the Black and Yellows win their first seven home games of a Bundesliga campaign for the first time ever and extend their home league winning run to 11 games overall.
Marco Rose’s side face the ideal opponents to keep that streak going. Stuttgart have lost their last three games in all competitions and sit just one point above the drop zone in 15th place.
Despite their current struggles, Die Roten may take some hope from their all-time Bundesliga record against BVB.
They have beaten them 40 times down the years, more than any opponent apart from Eintracht Frankfurt (42).
Hoffenheim vs RB Leipzig (Saturday, 2.30pm)
RB Leipzig head to Hoffenheim looking to make it eight Bundesliga games unbeaten, which would equal their best-ever run in the division.
But standing in their way are a Hoffenheim side who have won their last four home matches in all competitions.
However, Die Kraichgauer have failed to score in their previous three league encounters with Leipzig, who have not lost any of the last six meetings between the teams.
The Red Bulls’ good form has been built on solid defensive foundations, with only Freiburg (nine) conceding fewer goals than their 11 so far — though the hosts have scored more (19) than any other team outside the current top six.
Arminia Bielefeld vs Wolfsburg (Saturday, 2.30pm)
Resurgent Wolfsburg will try to make it four wins from four in all competitions under new boss Florian Kohfeldt when they travel to Arminia, who are still without a home win this season.
The hosts have shipped nine goals in their last three Bundesliga games at the SchucoArena — but Wolfsburg have only found the net 12 times so far, giving them the worst offensive record in the top half of the division.
Die Arminen have at least scored in each of their previous four league matches, although the Wolves have kept back-to-back clean sheets in domestic competition and allowed a league-low 5.3 expected goals against (xGA) from open play this term.
Union Berlin vs Hertha Berlin (Saturday, 5.30pm)
Union and Hertha could end the fifth Bundesliga Berlin derby as little as one point apart or as many as seven — the city rivals lie eighth and 13th respectively, as they prepare to do battle at the Stadion An der Alten Forsterei.
If either side takes the lead in this one, it could well be a blessing in disguise for the team who concede first.
Only rock-bottom Greuther Furth (nine) have dropped more points from winning positions than Union and Hertha (eight), who both let in equalisers in the final five minutes last time out.
The hosts will be aiming to bounce back from their first home defeat in more than a year on Matchday 10 (5-2 against Bayern), while the visitors have gone 14 away games without keeping a clean sheet.
This weekend’s other games
Bayer Leverkusen vs Bochum (Saturday, 2.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach vs Greuther Furth (Saturday, 2.30pm)
Freiburg vs Eintracht Frankfurt (Sunday, 2.30pm)
Mainz vs Koln (Sunday, 4.30pm)
