Matchday 29 of the German Bundesliga will not only see Bayern Munich look to pad its lead atop the league table, but several title contenders will look to remain in touching distance of the defending champions.
In one of two top-six clashes this weekend, Borussia Dortmund visits Wolfsburg on Saturday, looking to replicate its 4-0 Rivierderby win over Schalke from last weekend. Dortmund knows its major clash with Bayern is coming in three days time, but they have to focus on Wolfsburg prior to that.
Wolfsburg is coming in off a victory of their own, moving into the European qualification places in the process.
Also on Saturday, Bayer Leverkusen visits Borussia Monchengladbach with both teams coming off dominant victories in their returns to league play. Kai Havertz and Alassane Plea headline the attacking options for both Peter Bosz and Marco Rose in this contest.
Elsewhere, Hertha Berlin welcomes rivals Union Berlin to the Olympiastadion on Friday, kicking off the weekend’s action.
Here’s a closer look at this weekend’s top Bundesliga matches:
Wolfsburg vs. Borussia Dortmund – Saturday, 9:30 a.m.
Borussia Dortmund will look to earn their sixth-consecutive Bundesliga win on Saturday, traveling to Wolfsburg in a top-six date.
Lucien Favre’s side rolled to a 4-0 derby win over Schalke last weekend, but now need to focus on the job at hand. Marco Reus’ injury means that the offensive production remains on the shoulders of Erling Haaland and Jadon Sancho (24 combined league goals). Thorgan Hazard stepped into the starting lineup for the injured Giovanni Reyna, scoring one goal and adding one assist in the romp. Reyna and Emre Can look likely to miss the trip with respective injuries.
Wolfsburg held on for a 2-1 road win over Augsburg on Saturday, leapfrogging Schalke into the top six. The positive news for Oliver Glasner’s squad is that leading goalscorer Wout Weghorst will return this weekend after being suspended for the win at Augsburg. Weghorst has 11 league goals and has been a bright spot for the offense.
Borussia Monchengladbach vs. Bayer Leverkusen – Saturday, 9:30 a.m.
Another intriguing showdown comes from Borussia Park as Borussia Monchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen come in off dominant wins.
Borussia Monchengladbach scored early and often last weekend in a 3-1 road victory over Eintracht Frankfurt. Alsssane Plea and Marcus Thuram each scored in the opening seven minutes, continuing their impressive seasons for the club. The duo has combined for 16 league goals this season and know a win on Saturday paired with a Dortmund defeat will see them jump to second place.
Bayer Leverkusen aren’t out of the title race either, sitting seven points behind Bayern Munich. A 4-1 road win over slumping Werder Bremen saw Kai Havertz score twice playing as a false nine in the offensive attack. Havertz has continued his sensational rise at the club, scoring eight goals and adding five assists in league play.
Gladbach has won three of the last five matchups with Leverkusen, including back-to-back contests on the road.
Hertha Berlin vs. Union Berlin – Friday, 2:30 p.m.
Friday’s Berlin Derby will see a pair of rivals square off at the Olympiastadion, not separated by much in the league table.
Hertha Berlin rolled to a 3-0 victory over Hoffenheim last weekend, moving them to 11th place in the standings. Veteran playmaker Salomon Kalou remains suspended, leaving the offensive duties up to Bosnian striker Vedad Ibisevic and playmaking midfielders Marko Grujic and Vladimir Darida. Hertha are one point clear of Union in the standings, but know a win would boost them into the top ten.
Union Berlin are in 12th place and still alive for a move up into the top-half, despite last weekend’s loss to Bayern Munich. Leading scorer Sebastian Andersson returned to the field with a 20-minute cameo, giving the club hope for the final stretch of the season. Andersson has 11 goals this season while Marius Bulter has seven from midfield. Union Berlin will be seeking a first road derby win over Hertha since Feb. 2011.
Here’s a full schedule of this weekend’s matches:
Friday
Hertha Berlin vs. Union Berlin – 2:30 p.m. – Fox Sports 2
Saturday
Wolfsburg vs. Borussia Dortmund – 9:30 a.m. – Fox Sports 1
Borussia Monchengladbach vs. Bayer Leverkusen – 9:30 a.m. – Fox Sports 2
Paderborn vs. Hoffenheim – 9:30 a.m.
Freiburg vs. Werder Bremen – 9:30 a.m. – Fox Soccer Plus
Bayern Munich vs. Eintracht Frankfurt – 12:30 p.m. – Fox Sports 1
Sunday
Schalke vs. FC Augsburg – 7:30 a.m. – Fox Sports 1
Mainz vs. RB Leipzig – 9:30 a.m. – Fox Sports 1
FC Cologne vs. Fortuna Dusseldorf – 12 p.m. – Fox Sports 1, TUDN