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Bundesliga Preview: Bayern hosts Fortuna Dusseldorf, Leverkusen visits Freiburg, and more

The German Bundesliga schedule rolls on this weekend with a David vs. Goliath matchup coming from Allianz Arena on Saturday.

Bayern Munich will look to move one step closer to clinching an eighth-consecutive league title with relegation-threatened Fortuna Dusseldorf coming to town. Bayern edged Borussia Dortmund 1-0 in midweek action with Joshua Kimmich scoring the lone goal of the top-two clash. Dusseldorf picked up a vital three points on Wednesday, fighting back to down Schalke 2-1 at home. The odds may be against them, but another win could leapfrog Dusseldorf out of the bottom three pending other results this weekend.

Elsewhere, Hertha Berlin faces Augsburg at home while Freiburg’s date with Bayer Leverkusen kicks things off on Friday. RB Leipzig closes the weekend slate out with a trip to Cologne on Monday afternoon.

Here’s a closer look at this weekend’s top Bundesliga matches:

Bayern Munich vs. Fortuna Dusseldorf – Saturday, 12:30 p.m. Fox Sports 1, TUDN, UniMas

Bayern Munich will be favorites to roll to three points on Saturday, but things may not come easy for Hansi Flick’s side at home.

A 1-0 win over Borussia Dortmund moved Bayern seven points clear of their closest rivals with six matches remaining. Joshua Kimmich’s finish was all the Bavarian side needed to extend its lengthy unbeaten run, while a lack of VAR also helped them midweek. These sides played to a 3-3 draw in Munich back in Nov. 2018, but since then Bayern has defeated Dusseldorf twice on the road, scoring four goals in each match.

Dusseldorf remain in the relegation scrap at the bottom of the league table, but have showed promise in the last two matches. Picking up four points from a possible six, Uwe Rosler’s side will definitely come in with some fight on the road. Kenan Karaman has been in sensational form for Dusseldorf down the stretch, scoring in a 2-1 win over Schalke midweek and netting five goals in his last five league outings.

Freiburg vs. Bayer Leverkusen  – Friday, 2:30 p.m. Fox Sports 2

The weekend kicks off on Friday with a top-eight clash taking place in Freiburg.

Bayer Leverkusen comes to town off a dismal 4-1 midweek road defeat at the hands of Wolfsburg. Kai Havertz was shut down by the Wolves backline, but will be eager to add to his 10 goals this season. The 19-year-old has also contributed five league assists this campaign, but has yet to score against Freiburg as a professional.

Freiburg are winless in their last three matches, tying Eintracht Frankfurt 3-3 on Tuesday. The hosts are still alive for a European qualification spot, but need to start turning draws into victories with eight so far this season. Former Bayern striker Nils Petersen leads the team with nine goals while Vincenzo Grifo is a talented playmaker with five assists.

Leverkusen are 2-3-0 in their last five head-to-head meetings with Freiburg.

Hertha Berlin vs. Augsburg – Saturday, 9:30 a.m.

Four points separate Hertha Berlin and Augsburg in the league table heading into Saturday’s showdown at the Olympiastadion.

The extended pause in the season has payed off for Hertha Berlin, who are 2-1-0 since the return of play. A 2-2 draw against 10-men RB Leipzig midweek isn’t a terrible result, extending their unbeaten run to five matches overall. Vedad Ibisevic remains key in the Berlin attack, while Marko Grujic and Vladimir Darida are both creative playmakers in midfield. The trio has 12 combined league goals this season.

Augsburg are unbeaten in their last two matches, defeating Schalke 3-0 and tying Paderborn in a scoreless draw. The club isn’t mathematically safe this season, but could ease those worries of relegation with a win on Saturday. Florian Niederlechner and Philipp Max are a deadly attacking duo, combining for 18 league goals and 11 assists this season.

With a win this weekend, Augsburg could sweep the season series against Berlin after a 4-0 triumph at home back in November.

Cologne vs. RB Leipzig – Monday, 2:30 p.m. Fox Sports 2

RB Leizpig’s faint hopes of lifting the Bundesliga title all but drifted away on Wednesday following a 2-2 draw with Hertha Berlin. Now Julian Nagelsmann’s side will try to remain in the fight for a second place finish as they travel to Cologne on Monday.

The visitors are unbeaten in their last 10 matches in all competitions, but draws have hurt them in the race for league supremacy. With four draws in their last six matches, Leipzig will need to start stomping their foot on opponents lower than them in the table. Timo Werner leads the way with 24 goals while Marcel Sabitzer has nine from his attacking midfield position.

Cologne are seven points clear of the bottom three, but haven’t won in their last four matches. A 3-1 midweek defeat to Hoffenheim was a major drop from back-to-back league draws. Defensively they will need to be miles better than they were against Hoffenheim to avoid a lopsided loss on home soil. Jhon Cordoba has 11 goals for the hosts this season, with seven of those coming in 2020.

Here’s a full schedule of this weekend’s matches:

Friday

Freiburg vs. Bayer Leverkusen – 2:30 p.m. Fox Sports 2

Saturday

Hertha Berlin vs. Augsburg – 9:30 a.m.

Mainz vs. Hoffenheim – 9:30 a.m. – Fox Soccer Plus

Schalke vs. Werder Bremen – 9:30 a.m. – Fox Sports 1, TUDN

Wolfsburg vs. Eintracht Frankfurt – 9:30 a.m. Fox Sports 2

Bayern Munich vs. Fortuna Dusseldorf – 12:30 p.m. Fox Sports 1, TUDN, UniMas.

Sunday

Borussia Monchengladbach vs. Union Berlin – 9:30 a.m. – Fox Sports 1, TUDN

Paderborn vs. Borussia Dortmund – 12 p.m. – Fox Sports 1

Monday

FC Cologne vs. RB Leipzig – 2:30 p.m. – Fox Sports 2

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