Too much football? The question of whether professional players play too many football matches in a season is debated regularly and internationally. Whatever the ultimate outcome of the debate may be, the prospect of a seven-match Wednesday evening in the Bundesliga can only excite fans. Following Wolfsburg’s empathic 4-0 win over Hannover 96 and Ingolstadt’s 1-1 draw with 1. FC Köln yesterday, there is no sign of the action drying up. One team that will be feeling the pressure particularly are Hertha Berlin, who welcome Eintracht Frankfurt to the capital knowing that they could drop out of the top four if results go against them. For a team that have been top three for the majority of the season so far, this would be a real surprise. The odds are though in their favour, being unbeaten in six at home and facing a team that have won just once in 2016 so far. Being just one place above Werder Bremen in the relegation zone, a back-to-the-wall attitude may prove to be the catalyst for a good run that Eintracht fans have been craving. Kick-off: Wednesday, 20:00 CET.
FC Bayern München vs. 1. FSV Mainz 05
It is no surprise that Bayern München continue to march clear at the top of the table following an impressive win away to Wolfsburg at the weekend, but the real story going into this game is the incredible form of Mainz 05. Their win over Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday has taken them up to fifth place, with only goal difference separating them and fourth-placed Borussia Mönchengladbach. The key to their recent rise up the table has been their superb form against their direct rivals: Three of their last four wins have come against Mönchengladbach, Schalke and Leverkusen, all of whom will also have their sights set on qualifying for Europe's premier club competition next season. With that said, Bayern are on a run of 17 consecutive wins in front of their own fans, and even a Mainz side in top form will require something incredibly special this evening to prevent the run being extended further.
SV Darmstadt 98 vs. Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund will have less pressing worries about dropping out of the top four, as they currently have an 18-point cushion above fifth position. Instead, they will be looking up the table. The gap to Bayern München is currently eight points, and they will know that any slip-up at this stage effectively hands the title to the record champions. After an impressive comeback against TSG Hoffenheim at the weekend, they travel to the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor to face SV Darmstadt 98. The newly-promoted side do not seem to fare well against sides at the top end of the table, having lost seven of their last eight against teams in the top third. Combine that with the fact that Darmstadt are without a win in their last seven home games and it looks like a challenging night for Schuster’s men. Kick-off: Wednesday, 20:00 CET.
Borussia Mönchengladbach vs. VfB Stuttgart
Borussia Mönchengladbach's point away to Augsburg on Sunday saw them climb into the top four ahead of tonight's meeting with VfB Stuttgart. Both sides can look to previous form for inspiration: Borussia are unbeaten in five against VfB and have emerged victorious in the sides' last two meetings, whilst they have failed to win any of their last nine at home against the boys from the south. In any case, spectators at BORUSSIA-PARK tonight can expect to see goals, as Gladbach's matches have seen more goals than any other team this season, whilst Stuttgart's games have seen the third highest number. Borussia have been almost unstoppable at home under manager André Schubert, winning eight of their ten games, whilst Stuttgart are currently on a four-match unbeaten run on the road. Both teams will be looking to continue their respective records when they face off tonight at 20:00 CET.
Bayer Leverkusen vs. Werder Bremen
Werder Bremen's trip to Bayer Leverkusen sees two sides with very different aims this season go head-to-head. Bayer 04's loss to Mainz on Sunday dented their Champions League ambitions and saw them drop out of the top four, whilst Werder managed to salvage a last-gasp point against Darmstadt to give them renewed optimism of emerging from the relegation battle in which they find themselves embroiled. Werder's main issue has been their leaky defence, having failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their 23 Bundesliga games this season. However, they can take solace in the fact that Bayer 04 come into the fixture on the back of two losses, whilst also beating Leverkusen 3-1 away in the DFB Cup quarter-finals this season. Whilst Leverkusen sit just one point outside the Champions League places, their current points total of 35 is their lowest at this stage in the season since 2007. Both teams will see tonight's clash as a crucial opportunity to pick up some points and move upwards in the table.
TSG Hoffenheim vs. FC Augsburg
At the other end of the table, TSG Hoffenheim face FC Augsburg in what could prove to be an important encounter in terms of relegation. A win for the home side Hoffenheim may see them overtake Werder and would see the gap between them and Augsburg cut to a very much assailable four points. Augsburg have failed to get going properly in 2016, but their excellent performances in the Europa League against Liverpool seem to have spurred them on somewhat. A 2-2 draw against Champions League hopefuls Gladbach at the weekend will do their confidence no harm going into this must-win match. Kick-off: Wednesday, 20:00 CET.
FC Schalke 04 vs. Hamburger SV
History cannot separate these two sides, with each team winning 36 of their 95 meetings to date. The home side's recent form leaves a lot to be desired, taking just two points from their last three games and staying in the hunt for Champions League football purely by virtue of their rivals being equally inconsistent. They haven't won any of their last five, which is surprisingly not even their worst winless run of this season. They went seven games without registering a victory from October to November, a feat that they'd like to avoid repeating. Hamburg, on the other hand, have been draw specialists in recent games. Despite being unbeaten in four, they have won just one of their last nine. Like Schalke, they have benefitted from teams around them dropping points as well, but with their next three games all coming against teams in the top seven, they will have to start finding some form if they are to avoid a slide down the table.