Bayer 04 Leverkusen vs. Hannover 96
Hannover 96 mastered social media this week, managing to turn an overridingly negative headline into a somewhat positive one. The Lower Saxony side dropped to the bottom of the Bundesliga, but were able to put a positive spin on it, posting a picture of the table turned upside down, and hash tagging #MondayMotivation. Whilst the tweet went down very well with fans all over the world, Hannover fans will be hoping for something more concrete to celebrate this weekend in their match against Bayer Leverkusen. It certainly won’t be easy for the away side, as they have lost all of their last eight visits to Leverkusen and have lost their last four matches overall. With that said, Hannover seem to play well with their backs against the wall, and have recorded seven wins in their last ten matches as the bottom-placed side - a highly impressive feat, especially when you consider the wins against Bayern München (2006) and Bayer Leverkusen (2002). Bayer Leverkusen are enduring their worst season in a decade, but have plenty of reason to be hopeful. Schmidt’s men have scored in each of their last 15 competitive games and are within touching distance of the Champions League places. Kick-off: Saturday, 15:30 CET.
FC Augsburg vs. Eintracht Frankfurt
One team that has not been struggling recently is FC Augsburg, who have picked up 14 points in their last six games, and are the only side in the league not to have lost any of their last six games. Their afternoon clash with Eintracht Frankfurt is a game of reunions, with Altintop facing his former club and Armin Veh returning to the place where he grew up as an FCA youth player. Eintracht’s morale-boosting victory over Wolfsburg last weekend saw them move level on points with the hosts of tomorrow’s match, increasing the stakes out on the pitch. One key battle will be the one between hat-trick hero Alex Meier and defensive partnership of Klavan and Hong, which did so well away at Hertha last matchday. The Swabian side have conceded just one goal in their last six games, but face a striker who has netted five of his side’s last six goals. Kick-off: Saturday, 15:30 CET.
Borussia Dortmund vs. FC Ingolstadt 04
The next encounter is a fascinating one. Free-scoring Borussia Dortmund welcome FC Ingolstadt, who have conceded the second-fewest number of goals in the league after Bayern München. Both teams come into the game on the back of impressive wins against Borussia Mönchengladbach and Mainz respectively. As the season grows older, it becomes even more crucial for Dortmund not to slip up as they attempt to reel Bayern in. Ingolstadt won’t make it easy for them, as they look to launch a surprise attack on European football. With BVB unbeaten in 12 at home and FCI without a win in six away, there is a clear favourite on paper - but then it would be foolish to rule out this season’s surprise package. Kick-off: Saturday, 15:30 CET.
SV Werder Bremen vs. Hertha BSC
In terms of surprises, Werder Bremen’s 3-1 win over Schalke in Gelsenkirchen last weekend was not predicted by many. Skripnik’s side started 2016 exactly how they will want to continue, ending a run of five winless games and coming from behind to win for the first time since the end of 2014. They have a good record against Hertha too, having won their last seven home games against them. Hertha will no doubt back themselves to break this streak tomorrow, as Werder have won just once at home so far this season and have not been able to keep a clean sheet in any of their last 21 attempts. Hertha will therefore go into the match as favourites, and with another good result, could further cement their position in the top four. Kick-off: Saturday, 15:30 CET.
SV Darmstadt 98 vs. FC Schalke 04
SV Darmstadt have had to wait much longer to record a win against their opponents this weekend - 26 years in fact. The Lillies last won against Schalke in 1989, a 3-2 home victory. Darmstadt fans would no doubt take the same result again tomorrow, having picked up just two points from their last five matches at the Böllenfalltor stadium. The teams are enjoying very different seasons - Schalke have endured their worst start to a Bundesliga season for five years whereas Darmstadt are enjoying their most successful ever Bundesliga season. To put this into perspective, Darmstadt currently have 21 points and Schalke 27. Will Sandro Wagner continue his impressive season up front for Darmstadt? Will Schalke pick up their first points of 2016? Kick-off: Saturday, 15:30 CET.
VfB Stuttgart vs. Hamburger SV
The late kick off on Saturday sees Hamburger SV face an in-form VfB Stuttgart side, who have won back-to-back games for the first time this season. They will now be looking to put a good run together to alleviate any relegation fears that may linger. HSV had a difficult start to 2016, and were unlucky not to pick up any points against record champions Bayern München. With the teams around them not wasting any time in getting off the mark, the three points are crucial even at this early stage. Interestingly, neither team seem to like being in the spotlight, with HSV having won just two of their last 21 18:30 kick offs, and Stuttgart two of their last 12. Kick-off: Saturday, 18:30 CET.