This weekend there are two matches to play, they are DFB Pokal Final and the second leg of promotion / relegation playoff. So I will tip those two matches together here:
DFB Pokal Final - Werder Bremen vs Bayer Leverkusen (Saturday): Both teams have lost their last Bundesliga matches last week. Werder Bremen had rested some players and they lost against VfL Wolfsburg 5-1. Mesut Özil is expected to back in action, together with Diego and Claudio Pizzaro, the attacking of Werder Bremen should not have a big problem. Defence is the only concern however. Since Per Mertesacker is out of action, the team failed to have a leader to lead the defense and led to lot of cheap errors. Diego and Frank Baumann will have their last game for Werder Bremen at the same time so they will give their all. On the other hand, Leverkusen also lost the game, they lost against Energie Cottbus 3-0. Patrick Helmes and Stefan Kießling are the attacking duo which Werder Bremen needs to watch out for. The midfielders such as Tranquillo Barnetta and Toni Kroos will play an important role as they are the good creator in attack. I believe this match will be decided in greater defense. Both teams cancel each other out and I believe extra time is likely to happen.
My tip: Match draw 1-1
Promotion / Relegation Playoff 2nd Leg - 1. FC Nürnberg vs Energie Cottbus (Sunday): Last night Nürnberg had destroyed the hope of Energie Cottbus which they won 3-0 in Cottbus home ground. Discipline defense and effective counter attacks led Cottbus did not have any chance to fight back. Peer Kluge and Daniel Gygax were playing an important role to stop Cottbus attack and create the counter attacks. Issac Boakye is the important striker in this matchup as he had scored twice in the 1st leg. Also, the team had an excellent home game record which they only lost 1 game in the entired season. So I believe Cottbus are having the hard time. On the other hand, Cottbus must throw everything on right now as they need to score at least 3 goals in order to ask for an extra time. Emil Jula had problem on fitness and he is too easy to get defended as his pace is very slow. Jiayi Shao and Ervin Skela must perform better as both of them were getting frozen last match. I believe Cottbus cannot level the game and they will lose more goals. Nürnberg will promote to Bundesliga with a win.
First Leg: 1. FC Nürnberg win 3-0
My tip: 1. FC Nürnberg win 3-0
So this is it! Have a nice week! And to my friend, have a nice trip in China!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
German Bundesliga Promotion / Relegation Playoff Tipping
German Bundesliga this Thursday (6pm local time) will have the promotion / relegation playoff first leg, which is Energie Cottbus versus 1. FC Nürnberg. Both teams are quite even and I believe it will be a tight matchup. Here's my tipping of this match:
Energie Cottbus played very well which they maintain their chance to stay in Bundesliga after beating Bayer Leverkusen 3-0. Emil Jula was in excellent form and I believe he can keep on in this match. Jiayi Shao at the same time became a man behind a hero in the recent 2 matches as he could create in the midfield, as well as relieving Ervin Skela. On the other hand, Nürnberg was basically confirmed to be at 3rd place 2-3 weeks ago. Marek Mintal, and Isaac Boakye are the important attacking duo at up front and they are very good at scroing goals, especially the defence of Cottbus are not solid. I believe this match Nürnberg will have a chance to score an away goal or even a draw to bring to the Sunday's second leg.
My tip: Match draw 1-1
So this is the tipping. Later I will tip the DFB Pokal as well as the seond leg of promotion / relegation playoff.
Energie Cottbus played very well which they maintain their chance to stay in Bundesliga after beating Bayer Leverkusen 3-0. Emil Jula was in excellent form and I believe he can keep on in this match. Jiayi Shao at the same time became a man behind a hero in the recent 2 matches as he could create in the midfield, as well as relieving Ervin Skela. On the other hand, Nürnberg was basically confirmed to be at 3rd place 2-3 weeks ago. Marek Mintal, and Isaac Boakye are the important attacking duo at up front and they are very good at scroing goals, especially the defence of Cottbus are not solid. I believe this match Nürnberg will have a chance to score an away goal or even a draw to bring to the Sunday's second leg.
My tip: Match draw 1-1
So this is the tipping. Later I will tip the DFB Pokal as well as the seond leg of promotion / relegation playoff.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
German Bundesliga General Preview
German Bundesliga had finished the 2008-2009 season after VfL Wolfsburg claimed their first ever league title. Bayern München had just barely claimed the 2nd spot in order to progress to UEFA Champions League Group Stage in 2009-2010 season. Now I will review the league generally, then I will list out some statistics:
Intense but poor season
This season was the most intense one since 2000-2001 season as Schalke at that moment just lost the title by a goal difference in last minute. As Bayern München failed to climb up to the top spot ever once, there were a lot of teams to climb up to the top, including Hamburger SV, Hertha Berlin, 1899 Hoffenheim, and the final winner VfL Wolfsburg. However, when looking at the league table, VfL Wolfsburg won the title with only 69 points. This was a very poor record as normally this level only led them to 4th to 6th position. This was because generally the title contenders played really poorly. They won the game at the same time but they all lost the game at the same time as well. So no team could have a clear lead in the top spot. At the same time, the difference between top and bottom team was only 41 points, so which meant the league was really even.
Attacking football
Attacking football kept ruling from the Day 1 to the end of season. Current champion VfL Wolfsburg had scored 81 goals overall. Their strikers, Grafite and Eden Dzeko had scored 54 goals in total and led the team to kept scoring. This was the reason why they won the title as there was no one to stop them well. The second placed Bayern München had also scored 71 goals, thanks to attacking style Jürgen Klinsmann. On the other hand, the relegated team such as Arminia Bielefeld and Karlsruher SC had 29 and 30 goals respectively, which meant their inability to score goals led them to fail to retain their spot on 2009-2010 season. Especially when looking at their goals conceded, which were 56 and 54 goals respectively, proved that their defense was not really bad. So it proved attacking football in Bundesliga could lead the team win the championship and lead the team to relegate.
Home team rules
Home court advantage was the key factor to win the title or avoiding relegation. Current champion VfL Wolfsburg was invincible in their home. They had beaten Bayern München and Werder Bremen 5-1 seperately. Furthermore, they were unbeaten in their home, and had won 16 matches out of 17, which was top of the league. This was an astonishing record and this was the biggest reason for them to win, as their away record was 8th in overall. Oppositely, Bayern München even was the best in away form, their home court record did drag them down, which they were 5th in overall. Hannover was the other example of the importance of home court advantage. They had the worst away game record, which they only scored 7 points in 17 away matches. However, their home record was very good that they had 8 wins and 7 draws at home. So, the home record led them to avoid relegation in the end.
Power shift
As Bayern München failed to defend their title this season, it showed that the power had shifted to the teams with solid, consistent, and highly attacking style. VfL Wolfsburg had played really consistently in the last month of the season and led them to win the title. Bayern at the same time they failed to do so, therefore they could not climb to the top spot ever once. On the other hand, the title contenders such as Werder Bremen, Schalke 04, and Bayer Leverkusen failed to perform consistently so that they only remained at the middle of the table. So this season was the metaphor of power shift of the league. Apart from Bayern München, who they had their quality all the time, the other team could not guaratee their chances to win the title.
Now here's some facts and statistics in this season:
Champion: VfL Wolfsburg
Champions League Group Stage: VfL Wolfsburg, Bayern München
Champions League Qualifier: VfB Stuttgart
Europa League: Hertha Berlin, Hamburger SV, DFB Pokal winner
Top Goalscorer: Grafite (VfL Wolfsburg, 28 goals)
Biggest Home Win: Borussia Dortmund 6-0 Arminia Bielefeld (16 May 09)
Biggest Away Win: Eintract Frankfurt 0-5 Werder Bremen (13 May 09); Hannover 96 0-5 VfL Wolfsburg (16 May 09)
Highest Scoring: Werder Bremen 5-4 1899 Hoffenheim (27 Sep 08)
Total Goals: 894
Average Scoring: 2.92
Intense but poor season
This season was the most intense one since 2000-2001 season as Schalke at that moment just lost the title by a goal difference in last minute. As Bayern München failed to climb up to the top spot ever once, there were a lot of teams to climb up to the top, including Hamburger SV, Hertha Berlin, 1899 Hoffenheim, and the final winner VfL Wolfsburg. However, when looking at the league table, VfL Wolfsburg won the title with only 69 points. This was a very poor record as normally this level only led them to 4th to 6th position. This was because generally the title contenders played really poorly. They won the game at the same time but they all lost the game at the same time as well. So no team could have a clear lead in the top spot. At the same time, the difference between top and bottom team was only 41 points, so which meant the league was really even.
Attacking football
Attacking football kept ruling from the Day 1 to the end of season. Current champion VfL Wolfsburg had scored 81 goals overall. Their strikers, Grafite and Eden Dzeko had scored 54 goals in total and led the team to kept scoring. This was the reason why they won the title as there was no one to stop them well. The second placed Bayern München had also scored 71 goals, thanks to attacking style Jürgen Klinsmann. On the other hand, the relegated team such as Arminia Bielefeld and Karlsruher SC had 29 and 30 goals respectively, which meant their inability to score goals led them to fail to retain their spot on 2009-2010 season. Especially when looking at their goals conceded, which were 56 and 54 goals respectively, proved that their defense was not really bad. So it proved attacking football in Bundesliga could lead the team win the championship and lead the team to relegate.
Home team rules
Home court advantage was the key factor to win the title or avoiding relegation. Current champion VfL Wolfsburg was invincible in their home. They had beaten Bayern München and Werder Bremen 5-1 seperately. Furthermore, they were unbeaten in their home, and had won 16 matches out of 17, which was top of the league. This was an astonishing record and this was the biggest reason for them to win, as their away record was 8th in overall. Oppositely, Bayern München even was the best in away form, their home court record did drag them down, which they were 5th in overall. Hannover was the other example of the importance of home court advantage. They had the worst away game record, which they only scored 7 points in 17 away matches. However, their home record was very good that they had 8 wins and 7 draws at home. So, the home record led them to avoid relegation in the end.
Power shift
As Bayern München failed to defend their title this season, it showed that the power had shifted to the teams with solid, consistent, and highly attacking style. VfL Wolfsburg had played really consistently in the last month of the season and led them to win the title. Bayern at the same time they failed to do so, therefore they could not climb to the top spot ever once. On the other hand, the title contenders such as Werder Bremen, Schalke 04, and Bayer Leverkusen failed to perform consistently so that they only remained at the middle of the table. So this season was the metaphor of power shift of the league. Apart from Bayern München, who they had their quality all the time, the other team could not guaratee their chances to win the title.
Now here's some facts and statistics in this season:
Champion: VfL Wolfsburg
Champions League Group Stage: VfL Wolfsburg, Bayern München
Champions League Qualifier: VfB Stuttgart
Europa League: Hertha Berlin, Hamburger SV, DFB Pokal winner
Top Goalscorer: Grafite (VfL Wolfsburg, 28 goals)
Biggest Home Win: Borussia Dortmund 6-0 Arminia Bielefeld (16 May 09)
Biggest Away Win: Eintract Frankfurt 0-5 Werder Bremen (13 May 09); Hannover 96 0-5 VfL Wolfsburg (16 May 09)
Highest Scoring: Werder Bremen 5-4 1899 Hoffenheim (27 Sep 08)
Total Goals: 894
Average Scoring: 2.92
Thursday, May 21, 2009
German Bundesliga Final Week Tipping
This Saturday will be the final week of the Bundesliga Season 08-09. VfL Wolfsburg is the clear front runner in the title race as they have 2 points advantage and 7 superior goal difference against Bayern München. At the same time, the relegation fight is clearer now, even though it is still unknown which team will success and which team will fail. Before I make any tippings, I will list out all the title winning possibilities from each team. Some of them are not practical but it is all about statistical possibilities only.
VfL Wolfsburg win the title:
VfL Wolfsburg win the title:
- They win the game; or
- They draw, and the draw game of Bayern München and VfB Stuttgart, and any result of Hertha Berlin
- They lost, and the draw game of Bayern München and VfB Stuttgart, and any result of Hertha Berlin
Bayern München win the title:
- They win the game, with VfL Wolfsburg lost; or
- They win the game by more than 7 goals margin, with VfL Wolfsburg draw
VfB Stuttgart win the title:
- They win the game, with VfL Wolfsburg lost; or
- They win the game by more than 14 goals margin, with VfL Wolfsburg draw
Hertha Berlin win the title:
- They win the game, with Bayern München and VfB Stuttgart draw, and VfL Wolfsburg lost. Total margin between Hertha Berlin and VfL Wolfsburg must be more than 24 goals
Now here's the tipping:
VfL Wolfsburg (1st) vs Werder Bremen (10th): Wolfsburg had won a very important match against Hannover 96 last week and led them to have a valuable lead to win their first ever title. Since the return of Zvjezdan Misimovic, Eden Dzeko and Grafite had the unlimited supply from the midfield and they kept scoring. The scoring duo had scored 51 goals in total that showed how treatening they were. I believe this match they will keep threatening the Werder Bremen defense as the absence of Per Mertesacker. Naldo and Sebastian Prödl are not a good combination in defense so Wolfsburg are easy to score goals. On the other hand, Werder Bremen needs to prepare the DFB Pokal harder as they lost UEFA Cup Final. Players are fatigue as the UEFA Cup Final had been played for 120 minutes. Mesut Özil is believed not to play but Diego may start the game as he was suspended in the midweek and he needs to keep his form for DFB Pokal. I believe Werder Bremen can score goals but Wolfsburg can win the match and win the title.
Last matchup: Werder Bremen win 2-1
My tip: Wolfsburg win 4-2
Bayern München (2nd) vs VfB Stuttgart (3rd): Bayern München had missed the catch up against Wolfsburg last week and now they only hope for protecting the 2nd place in order to qualify for UEFA Champions League next season. Luca Toni is still in quiet form, he simply cannot protect the possession well and he keeps losing the ball all the time. Franck Ribery is back in top form, so he will be very important in this match. Lukas Podolski is good, but only for 60 minutes. So he must find some goals before his fitness cannot support his performance. The defense is still in trouble in dealing with counter attacks, unfortunately this is the strength of VfB Stuttgart. On the other hand, Stuttgart is in red hot form and lead them to have chance to win the title. Mario Gomez unfortunately is having a trouble of minor injury and he failed to score goals in last 2 matches. However the counter attack is still very threatening as Thomas Hitzlsperger and Sami Khedira are very fit now. Cacau and Cipiran Marica are still threatening to Bayern München defense but Bayern München can still win the game with slight home court advantage and better match experience.
Last matchup: Match draw 2-2
My tip: Bayern München win 2-1
Karlsruher SC (18th) vs Hertha Berlin (3rd): Even Karlsruher failed to avoid relegation directly, they still keep their hope alive as they can still climb up to 16th position to participate in the promotion / relegation playoff against Nürnberg. They boosted their morale after winning against Werder Bremen away from home. Lars Stindl will be very important to the team as he shone through in the field last week. This match they must win the game in order to climb up the table so they will give everything they can. On the other side, Hertha Berlin basically lost the hope for winning their title after they drew against Schalke last week. Andrei Voronin is not fit anymore and Marko Pantelic is too unstable to rely on. Gojko Karcar is the only attacking player who can rely on and I believe he needs to work harder in order to lead the team to win. I believe Hertha Berlin will win this one as they are better in player quality, so Karlsruher will farewell to Bundesliga.
Last matchup: Hertha Berlin win 4-0
My tip: Hertha Berlin win 3-0
Eintract Frankfurt (13th) vs Hamburger SV (6th): Frankfurt now are safe from relegation so I believe they are relaxed and enjoy the remaining of the season. So I believe they can perform their best side as they do not any pressure at all. Patrick Ochs is still suspended but it will not affect them at all. On the other side, Hamburger needs to win the match as many goals as they can in order to get the last seat to qualify for Europe. Piotr Trochowski and Ivica Olic are the most important players in the team. I believe Hamburger can win this one in order to protect their hope for European competition.
Last matchup: Hamburger SV win 1-0
My tip: Hamburger SV win 2-0
Energie Cottbus (17th) vs Bayer Leverkusen (9th): Cottbus had lost the Stuttgart and led them to the must-win match this week. So they will give everything they can in order to win the match. Dimitar Rangelov and Stanislav Angelov are the most important duo in the attacking line, as well as the supply from Ervin Skela, they are the only weapon in this match. Even Bayer Leverkusen is the strong opponent, it is lucky for Cottbus that Leverkusen does not anything to fight for in the league. They need to prepare the DFB Pokal so I do not believe they will pay too much attention on this match. Even Patrick Helmes may start the match, I believe he will not give his all and he will just maintain his form as his first priority. So I believe Cottbus will win this one and they at least can participate in the promotion / relegation playoff.
Last matchup: Match draw 1-1
My tip: Energie Cottbus win 2-1
Arminia Bielefeld (16th) vs Hannover 96 (11th): Bielefeld had been humiliated by Borussia Dortmund 6-0 last week and it did hurt the team so much. Even worse, they had sacked the head coach Michael Frontzeck 2 days after the humiliation and the interim coach Jörg Berger took over. I believe the new interim coach will not change anything special at all so I believe the players such as Vlad Munteanu will be still important. However, their morale is in the lowest of the low and it is very meesy within the team. So I believe they are hard to win the match. Speaking to humiliation, Hannover is also been humiliated by Wolfsburg by losing 5-0 at home. Even though they are humiliated, I believe Hannover can stand up and win the match at away. This is because they do not have any pressure and they are sticking together well internally, so I believe Hannover can win this match and lead them to have 3 away wins in a row.
Last matchup: Match draw 1-1
My tip: Hannover 96 win 2-0
Borussia Mönchengladbach (15th) vs Borussia Dortmund (5th): Gladbach even lost the game last week, they still have a very good position on avoiding relegation as they only need 1 point to confirm their survival. Also, they have 4 goals advantage against Armina Bielefeld, so Gladbach still have chance to avoid relegation directly if they do not lose the game in big margin. Alexander Baumjohann is in top form and he can create lots of through balls to his own teammates and threaten the opposition. Also, the team is in the great morale so I believe they can fight hard and bring a hard time to Dortmund. On the other hand, Dortmund is in red hot form as they won 6-0 last week. Nelson Valdez is very important to the team and I believe he will bring threats to Gladbach. Even it is so, I believe Gladbach can snatch a draw as they have target to achieve.
Last matchup: Borussia Dortmund win 2-1
My tip: Match draw 1-1
Schalke 04 (8th) vs 1899 Hoffenheim (7th): Both teams failed to qualify for Europe as they failed to win the match last week. Schalke was basically looking forward the arrival of Felix Magath next season so fans do not care about how bad they play now. Kevin Kuranyi and Jefferson Farfan have the one last chance to prove themselves they are worth to stay in the team so they will play extra hard. Jermaine Jones is the most important midfielder in the team as he can stop Carlos Eduardo. On the other hand, since the return of Carlos Eduardo, Hoffenheim had gained back their best attacking form. His through balls and position are very good that bring a lot of threats to the opposition. I believe there is a high score draw as both teams do not have any pressure.
Last matchup: Mach draw 1-1
My tip: Match draw 2-2
1. FC Köln (12th) vs VfL Bochum (14th): Both teams are the same, they only hope for playing the best football this week as both of them do not have anything to fight for. Köln even though in the cold streak, I believe they do not care about it as they are foreseeing the next season and they are dared to test. On the other hand, Bochum finally can relieve a bit as they won last week to ensure their survival in the Bundesliga. They will enjoy the match and the result is finally not important for them. So I believe this is a draw as they both lose the target to fight for.
Last matchup: 1. FC Köln win 2-1
My tip: Match draw 1-1
So that's all my tipping this Bundesliga season. Next I will review the performance team by team. Before that, I will also tip the DFB Pokal and the promotion / relegation playoff.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
German Bundesliga Week 33 Tipping
German Bundesliga had reached the second last round of the season. All the title contenders cancelled each other out as they all won their matches. This week is the most important week of all teams as the title contenders need to get the advantage to their final week and the relegation teams need to get their last chances to get survive. Also, please noted that all matches now will be played at Saturday 3:30pm local time. Now here's this week's tipping:
1899 Hoffenheim (7th) vs Bayern München (2nd): Hoffenheim is now in 2-game winning streak after the long lasted non-winning streak. Demba Ba and Sejad Salihovic are now back in top form so this is a threat to Bayern München. Also, Carlos Eduardo is back in action this week so those 2 players mentioned will have better supply from the midfield. Hoffenheim need to get these 3 points as they need to get the 6th place in order to participate in the European competition next season. Speaking to get all 3 points, Bayern München must get these 3 points desperately in order to defend their hard earned title. Franck Ribery and Lukas Podolski are in hot form. Their counter attacking speed will bring lots of threats to Hoffenheim. Lucio was a right back last match so I believe he will keep that position. Miroslav Klose is back in action so I believe he can relieve Luca Toni. This match Bayern München will have a slight advantage even they are away from home. This is because Hoffenheim is not that shape anymore even though they won last 2 matches.
Last matchup: Bayern München win 2-1
My tip: Bayern München win 2-0
Hertha Berlin (3rd) vs Schalke 04 (8th): Hertha Berlin had won the important match this midweek and keep the title hope alive. Marko Pantelic is in top form again, his form is very important for the final push of the league. Together with Andrei Voronin, I believe this scoring duo will get lots of threats to the opposition. Cicero is the other midfielder who is fit and bring threat to the opposition as well, so I believe Schalke will have a hard time on dealing with them. On the other hand, Schalke had recorded 3 loss in a row and they must pick up the pace and win the game in order to protect their European qualification. Jefferson Farfan was so unreliable and Kevin Kuranyi was so unlucky in these 3 weeks so Ivan Ratikic is the only player who can trust in attack. Heiko Westermann and Benedikt Höwedes will be the key person in this match as Schalke must have the solid defense against Hertha Berlin. Hertha Berlin will win this match as they have home court advantage and better in form.
Last matchup: Schalke 04 win 1-0
My tip: Hertha Berlin win 3-1
Hannover 96 (11th) vs VfL Wolfsburg (1st): Even though Hannover do not have anything to fight for, they are still in top form. Their away form had improved drastically that they took all 6 points in recent 2 matches. However, still, their excellent home court performance is their reason to lead them to be safe in the league. Jacek Krzynowek and Mike Hanke are very fit so far so I believe they can score goals against Wolfsburg. On the other hand, Wolfsburg recently is not too stable in form as they won Borussia Dortmund 3-0 after they lost to Stuttgart 4-1. This week they are away from home so that their performance will be affected significantly. Eden Dzeko and Grafite keep the good form, with the excellent supply from Zvjezden Misimovic. I believe Hannover can snatch a draw as they are very good at home.
Last matchup: VfL Wolfsburg win 2-1
My tip: Match draw 2-2
Werder Bremen (10th) vs Karlsruher SC (18th): Werder Bremen even only enjoyed themselves in the league, they are still in red hot form, especially after beating Eintract Frankfurt 5-0. Diego will continue to claim to be "injured" and will be rested, but Mesut Özil can relieve his job effectively. In order to prepare the UEFA Cup final in the coming Wednesday, I believe some of the players will be rested as well. However, it will not affect their chance to victory as they are only facing Karlsurher. Karlsruher now are basically relegated after they lost to Hannover 3-2. They only have the mathematical hope to avoid from relegation. All they have to do now is praying for miracle. I believe Werder Bremen will win this match easily and Karlsruher can kiss the Bundesliga goodbye.
Last matchup: Karlsruher SC win 1-0
My tip: Werder Bremen win 4-0
VfB Stuttgart (4th) vs Energie Cottbus (17th): VfB Stuttgart had a very good run still. They are one of the serious contenders to win the title. Mario Gomez did not play this Wednesday due to minor injury so I believe he is fit enough in this match. Cacau proved himself he can stand up and relieve Gomez after scored a wonderful goal this Wednesday. Thomas Hitzlsperger and Sami Khedira are the most important midfielders as their through balls and long shots are really threatening that Energie Cottbus is hard to stop. On the other hand, Energie Cottbus had lost the important game this Wednesday and they are in deep trouble in relegation now. I believe their morale is lowered and this match is very hard for them. All they have to do is stop allowing any goals as long as they can, so Gerald Tremmel is the most important player in the match. I believe Stuttgart will win this one and Cottbus need to fight at the last round of the league.
Last matchup: VfB Stuttgart win 3-0
My tip: VfB Stuttgart win 3-0
Borussia Dortmund (6th) vs Arminia Bielefeld (16th): Borussia Dortmund had lost the first game in last 8 matches. I do not believe their morality will be affected significantly as they are in a good position in qualifying in Europe. Kevin-Prince Boateng is suspended this week and there is some effects on the right flank. However, the real important players should be Alexander Frei and Nelson Valdez still. On the other hand, Bielefeld is still in cold streak and even they are very tough recently, they had failed for win a game 8 times. Vlad Munteanu is the most important player in the team but he does too much work and even Arthur Wichniarek cannot help him. I believe Dortmund will win this one to continue the great streak and in the end they will qualifying for Europe.
Last matchup: Match draw 0-0
My tip: Borussia Dortmund win 3-0
Bayer Leverkusen (9th) vs Borussia Mönchengladbach (14th): Bayer Leverkusen is again in the very cold streak in the league but they seem they do not care as they have to prepare for the DFB Pokal final. Patrick Helmes failed to create any threat last match but Renato Augusto did. Their defense was quite fragile and Rene Adler did lots of works to stop allowing goals this Tuesday still concede three goals. Meanwhile, they failed to win a single home game since they called LTU Arena home in the remaining of the season. So I believe it is very hard to win a game this time as Gladbach is very hot in form. Gladbach had won 2 matches and claimed the most important 6 points. They have a bright future on avoiding relegation now and I believe they will put a full gear to win this game. Alexander Baumjohann is very important to the team as his through balls are really good. I believe Baumjohann will be the key player in this match and with his assistance, Gladbach will win this match and be the first team to be out of relegation trouble.
Last matchup: Bayer Leverkusen win 3-1
My tip: Borussia Mönchengladbach win 3-1
Hamburger SV (5th) vs 1. FC Köln (12th): Hamburger finally won a match to boost their moral and kept a slim title hope in the remaining 2 matches. However, I believe they will keep the European qualification as their primary target rather than winning a title as they are 5 points behind Wolfsburg. Jose Paolo Guerrero is currently very fit so I believe he is very important in this match. Marcell Jansen is also important as he can bring lots of threats in the left flank. On the other hand, Köln is pretty relaxed in the remaining matches as they are very safe in 12th position. So I believe there is nothing much to fight for and they will not fight in the full gear. Based on the determination and the interest at stake, I believe Hamburger will win this match easily.
Last matchup: Hamburger SV win 2-1
My tip: Hamburger SV win 3-0
VfL Bochum (15th) vs Eintract Frankfurt (13th): Bochum had recorded 5 matches losing streak and they are back into the relegation trouble. Players could not create chances to score goals was the real reason to explain their failure in recent 5 weeks. Christoph Dabrowski even can stop the attack well, he cannot create the play well. Mimoun Azaouagh and Shinji Ono will be the players who create plays, but the recent form cannot prove they can. So this is a very hard match for them to win a game. However, they are lucky that Frankfurt do not have much to fight for. They only 1 point to get away from the relegation trouble. Frankfurt had lost 5-0 this Wednesday and hurt the team pretty much. Patrick Ochs is suspended this match so the right flank may have some problem. I believe they will cancel each other out this match and record a draw as both teams fail to find anything effective to win.
Last matchup: Eintract Frankfurt win 4-0
My tip: Match draw 1-1
So this is my tipping and the preview! Hope the Bundesliga will be that intense until the last moment this season!
1899 Hoffenheim (7th) vs Bayern München (2nd): Hoffenheim is now in 2-game winning streak after the long lasted non-winning streak. Demba Ba and Sejad Salihovic are now back in top form so this is a threat to Bayern München. Also, Carlos Eduardo is back in action this week so those 2 players mentioned will have better supply from the midfield. Hoffenheim need to get these 3 points as they need to get the 6th place in order to participate in the European competition next season. Speaking to get all 3 points, Bayern München must get these 3 points desperately in order to defend their hard earned title. Franck Ribery and Lukas Podolski are in hot form. Their counter attacking speed will bring lots of threats to Hoffenheim. Lucio was a right back last match so I believe he will keep that position. Miroslav Klose is back in action so I believe he can relieve Luca Toni. This match Bayern München will have a slight advantage even they are away from home. This is because Hoffenheim is not that shape anymore even though they won last 2 matches.
Last matchup: Bayern München win 2-1
My tip: Bayern München win 2-0
Hertha Berlin (3rd) vs Schalke 04 (8th): Hertha Berlin had won the important match this midweek and keep the title hope alive. Marko Pantelic is in top form again, his form is very important for the final push of the league. Together with Andrei Voronin, I believe this scoring duo will get lots of threats to the opposition. Cicero is the other midfielder who is fit and bring threat to the opposition as well, so I believe Schalke will have a hard time on dealing with them. On the other hand, Schalke had recorded 3 loss in a row and they must pick up the pace and win the game in order to protect their European qualification. Jefferson Farfan was so unreliable and Kevin Kuranyi was so unlucky in these 3 weeks so Ivan Ratikic is the only player who can trust in attack. Heiko Westermann and Benedikt Höwedes will be the key person in this match as Schalke must have the solid defense against Hertha Berlin. Hertha Berlin will win this match as they have home court advantage and better in form.
Last matchup: Schalke 04 win 1-0
My tip: Hertha Berlin win 3-1
Hannover 96 (11th) vs VfL Wolfsburg (1st): Even though Hannover do not have anything to fight for, they are still in top form. Their away form had improved drastically that they took all 6 points in recent 2 matches. However, still, their excellent home court performance is their reason to lead them to be safe in the league. Jacek Krzynowek and Mike Hanke are very fit so far so I believe they can score goals against Wolfsburg. On the other hand, Wolfsburg recently is not too stable in form as they won Borussia Dortmund 3-0 after they lost to Stuttgart 4-1. This week they are away from home so that their performance will be affected significantly. Eden Dzeko and Grafite keep the good form, with the excellent supply from Zvjezden Misimovic. I believe Hannover can snatch a draw as they are very good at home.
Last matchup: VfL Wolfsburg win 2-1
My tip: Match draw 2-2
Werder Bremen (10th) vs Karlsruher SC (18th): Werder Bremen even only enjoyed themselves in the league, they are still in red hot form, especially after beating Eintract Frankfurt 5-0. Diego will continue to claim to be "injured" and will be rested, but Mesut Özil can relieve his job effectively. In order to prepare the UEFA Cup final in the coming Wednesday, I believe some of the players will be rested as well. However, it will not affect their chance to victory as they are only facing Karlsurher. Karlsruher now are basically relegated after they lost to Hannover 3-2. They only have the mathematical hope to avoid from relegation. All they have to do now is praying for miracle. I believe Werder Bremen will win this match easily and Karlsruher can kiss the Bundesliga goodbye.
Last matchup: Karlsruher SC win 1-0
My tip: Werder Bremen win 4-0
VfB Stuttgart (4th) vs Energie Cottbus (17th): VfB Stuttgart had a very good run still. They are one of the serious contenders to win the title. Mario Gomez did not play this Wednesday due to minor injury so I believe he is fit enough in this match. Cacau proved himself he can stand up and relieve Gomez after scored a wonderful goal this Wednesday. Thomas Hitzlsperger and Sami Khedira are the most important midfielders as their through balls and long shots are really threatening that Energie Cottbus is hard to stop. On the other hand, Energie Cottbus had lost the important game this Wednesday and they are in deep trouble in relegation now. I believe their morale is lowered and this match is very hard for them. All they have to do is stop allowing any goals as long as they can, so Gerald Tremmel is the most important player in the match. I believe Stuttgart will win this one and Cottbus need to fight at the last round of the league.
Last matchup: VfB Stuttgart win 3-0
My tip: VfB Stuttgart win 3-0
Borussia Dortmund (6th) vs Arminia Bielefeld (16th): Borussia Dortmund had lost the first game in last 8 matches. I do not believe their morality will be affected significantly as they are in a good position in qualifying in Europe. Kevin-Prince Boateng is suspended this week and there is some effects on the right flank. However, the real important players should be Alexander Frei and Nelson Valdez still. On the other hand, Bielefeld is still in cold streak and even they are very tough recently, they had failed for win a game 8 times. Vlad Munteanu is the most important player in the team but he does too much work and even Arthur Wichniarek cannot help him. I believe Dortmund will win this one to continue the great streak and in the end they will qualifying for Europe.
Last matchup: Match draw 0-0
My tip: Borussia Dortmund win 3-0
Bayer Leverkusen (9th) vs Borussia Mönchengladbach (14th): Bayer Leverkusen is again in the very cold streak in the league but they seem they do not care as they have to prepare for the DFB Pokal final. Patrick Helmes failed to create any threat last match but Renato Augusto did. Their defense was quite fragile and Rene Adler did lots of works to stop allowing goals this Tuesday still concede three goals. Meanwhile, they failed to win a single home game since they called LTU Arena home in the remaining of the season. So I believe it is very hard to win a game this time as Gladbach is very hot in form. Gladbach had won 2 matches and claimed the most important 6 points. They have a bright future on avoiding relegation now and I believe they will put a full gear to win this game. Alexander Baumjohann is very important to the team as his through balls are really good. I believe Baumjohann will be the key player in this match and with his assistance, Gladbach will win this match and be the first team to be out of relegation trouble.
Last matchup: Bayer Leverkusen win 3-1
My tip: Borussia Mönchengladbach win 3-1
Hamburger SV (5th) vs 1. FC Köln (12th): Hamburger finally won a match to boost their moral and kept a slim title hope in the remaining 2 matches. However, I believe they will keep the European qualification as their primary target rather than winning a title as they are 5 points behind Wolfsburg. Jose Paolo Guerrero is currently very fit so I believe he is very important in this match. Marcell Jansen is also important as he can bring lots of threats in the left flank. On the other hand, Köln is pretty relaxed in the remaining matches as they are very safe in 12th position. So I believe there is nothing much to fight for and they will not fight in the full gear. Based on the determination and the interest at stake, I believe Hamburger will win this match easily.
Last matchup: Hamburger SV win 2-1
My tip: Hamburger SV win 3-0
VfL Bochum (15th) vs Eintract Frankfurt (13th): Bochum had recorded 5 matches losing streak and they are back into the relegation trouble. Players could not create chances to score goals was the real reason to explain their failure in recent 5 weeks. Christoph Dabrowski even can stop the attack well, he cannot create the play well. Mimoun Azaouagh and Shinji Ono will be the players who create plays, but the recent form cannot prove they can. So this is a very hard match for them to win a game. However, they are lucky that Frankfurt do not have much to fight for. They only 1 point to get away from the relegation trouble. Frankfurt had lost 5-0 this Wednesday and hurt the team pretty much. Patrick Ochs is suspended this match so the right flank may have some problem. I believe they will cancel each other out this match and record a draw as both teams fail to find anything effective to win.
Last matchup: Eintract Frankfurt win 4-0
My tip: Match draw 1-1
So this is my tipping and the preview! Hope the Bundesliga will be that intense until the last moment this season!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
German Bundesliga Week 32 Tipping
German Bundesliga had opened the midweek blockbuster before the final push of this season. Bayern München was the biggest winner last week and they shared the top position with VfL Wolfsburg with just 2 goals different. Now there is only 2 points difference between top 5 teams so it is still anyone's guess to the league winner. Plus after Borussia Mönchengladbach won against Schalke 04 yesterday, the relegation fight is as intense as the title race. So this week is very important for each team. Now here's the tipping:
Bayern München (2nd) vs Bayer Leverkusen (9th) - Tuesday: This is the most important match for this week. Bayern München had won against Cottbus last week and they shared the top position after Wolfsburg lost at the same time. Franck Ribery is fit again after the suspension so he is very improtant in this match. Lukas Podolski is gaining back his best form slowly but surely so he can bring lots of threats to Leverkusen and effectively relieve the scoring pressure of Luca Toni. Miroslav Klose is fit again but I do not believe he will start in this match. On the other hand, Leverkusen had just snatched a draw against Bielefeld last week and extend their non-winning streak at their temporary home - LTU Arena. However, their away record is very good that Bayern should watch out for. Toni Kroos will be likely to start and he is desperately to prove that Bayern made a huge mistake for loaning him out. Patrick Helmes will be very important player as he is the only striker who can threaten Bayern. I believe the match is pretty close and Bayern will win by their home court advantage.
Last matchup: Bayern München win 2-0
My tip: Bayern München win 2-1
Karlsruher SC (18th) vs Hannover 96 (11th) - Tuesday: Karlsruher last week had lost to Borussia Dortmund and lost the important 3 points led to them in the deep trouble for the relegation. They simply do not have any room to run away and they must win this match in order to keep the slim hope alive. Giovanni Federico failed to impress the fans at all and Sebastian Freis is not stable enough to keep scoring. There is also no one to create in the midfield so the supply to the strikers are very limited. On the other hand, Hannover had won their first game away from home 2 weeks ago and boost their morale very much even though they failed to win last week. Robert Enke is in hot form and he is the most important player in the game. Mikael Forrsell and Mike Hanke are the players who can guarantee the scoring and I believe it is very easy for them to score this match. After this match Karlsruher is very likely to confirm they will be relegated and Hannover will not have any mercy to them, so their second away win is around the corner.
Last matchup: Hannover 96 win 3-2
My tip: Hannover 96 win 2-0
1. FC Köln (12th) vs Hertha Berlin (3rd) - Tuesday: Köln is in the cold streak recently as they lost against Hoffenheim last week. The main reason for not being stable for the team is the midfield is not creative at all. Milivoje Novakovic is the only player who can score goals consistently but he is currently in the cold streak. So I believe this match the team is very hard to fight against Hertha Berlin. Hertha Berlin on the other hand, had gained back the winning form after the return of Andrei Voronin, as well as the good form of Marko Pantelic. It is not too late for them to win a title as they are just 1 point behind. They will fight as hard as they can in order to keep the title hope. I believe this match Hertha Berlin will win based on their determination.
Last matchup: Hertha Berlin win 2-1
My tip: Hertha Berlin win 2-0
VfL Wolfsburg (1st) vs Borussia Dortmund (5th) - Tuesday: VfL Wolfsburg had lost 2 in recent 3 matches and consequently lost all the advantage in the top of the table. Grafite and Eden Dzeko seemed useless without the supply from Zvjezden Misimovic. This match he is doubtful as he was picked up the injury last week. Ashkan Dejagah is absolutely not good enough to relieve Misimovic so it is a big question mark for Wolfsburg if they can score goals. At the same time, Borussia Dortmund is in the hot streak which they won 6 games in a row. This winning streak led them even have chance to win the title mathematically. Alexander Frei and the other attackers are in hot streak so that they are easy to score goals. This match Wolfsburg is in the favorite side but I do believe Dortmund can bring surprises to the fans.
Last matchup: Match draw 0-0
My tip: Borussia Dortmund win 2-0
Eintract Frankfurt (13th) vs Werder Bremen (10th) - Wednesday: Frankfurt so far is not safe from relegation yet mathematically, but basically they are safe from relegation. They do not have any pressure to play so that I believe they will go easily. Hard tackles or nasty fouls are not expected to see often in this match. Same as Werder Bremen here, all they have to prepare is the UEFA Cup final and the DFB Pokal final. Diego may play in this match in order to maintain his hot cue. Claudio Pizarro may also play for a half based on the same reason. Per Mertesacker is confirmed to be out for the remaining of the season so it is a great chance for Sebastian Prödl to prove himself. I believe this match should be a draw as both of them do not really care about this match.
Last matchup: Werder Bremen win 5-0
My tip: Match draw 2-2
Schalke 04 (7th) vs VfB Stuttgart (4th) - Wednesday: Schalke yesterday had a surprise to the fan that they lost 1-0 against Mönchengladbach. Jefferson Farfan and Kevin Kuranyi again are back to cold streak. As they still have hope to qualify for European competition, they must win the game this week. Christian Pander is not likely to play so the Schalke attacks are less variety. They are looking forward to next season as Wolfsburg coach Felix Magath will coach them, but it will not bring any effects right here right now. Stuttgart at the same time they are in red hot form. They beated VfL Wolfsburg 4-1 and led them to become a real contender in the title race. Mario Gomez is in red hot form after scoring 4 goals last week. In aggregate, Gomez scored 16 goals in the second half of the season. So he will be the man again this Wednesday. With the supply from Sami Khedira and Thomas Hitzlsperger, I believe Stuttgart will win this match and continue their title hunt.
Last matchup: VfB Stuttgart win 2-0
My tip: VfB Stuttgart win 2-0
Energie Cottbus (17th) vs Borussia Mönchengladbach (15th) - Wednesday: Cottbus was so unlucky to meet Bayern last week that they had lost 3-1. This loss made their efforts few weeks ago were all wasted and they have to start it over again. Dimitar Rangelov is the most important player in the team as Ivica Illiev is really relying on his great supply. On the other hand, Gladbach did an excellent job in Sunday as they beated Schalke 1-0 and took all 3 important points. They are in the driving seat before this match and I do believe they have chance to win the match. However, as Cottbus also needs these 3 points desperately, I believe a draw is likely to happen as they cancel each other out.
Last matchup: Energie Cottbus win 3-1
My tip: Match draw 1-1
Arminia Bielefeld (16th) vs 1899 Hoffenheim (8th) - Wednesday: Arminia Bielefeld have shown their toughness in the recent 3 matches as they snatched a draw with the strong teams such as VfB Stuttgart. It was very unlucky that the draw is not good enough to bring them out of the trouble. Vlad Munteanu is very important now as Arthur Wichniarek is not fit at all. At the same time, Hoffenheim finally ended their 12 games non-winning streak as they finally won a game. This is boosting their morale so much and all they need to do now is to maintain their morale to win the game. Even they do not have chance to win the title, they still have hope to qualify for European competition. Demba Ba is the most important player in this match as he is the only striker who guaratee the score. This match will be a draw as I believe their determination will cancel each other out.
Last matchup: 1899 Hoffenheim win 3-0
My tip: Match draw 2-2
Hamburger SV (6th) vs VfL Bochum (14th) - Wednesday: Hamburger last Sunday lost a chance to catch up the pole position as they lost to Werder Bremen. All the title hopes seemed faded as they were out of DFB Pokal and UEFA Cup by Werder Bremen. This will be their last ditch effort to protect their title hope. However, the fatigue strikes the team very much and none of them are fit. So I do not believe Hamburger can win this match easily. At the same time, Bochum is closing to avoid the relegation so their determination is very strong. Christoph Dabrowski is very important to the team as he can control the midfield well, especially David Jarolim from Hamburger is suspended. This match I believe Bochum can bring some upset to Hamburger and seal their title-less fate.
Last matchup: Match draw 1-1
My tip: VfL Bochum win 1-0
That's it for my tipping! This midweek will be very exciting!
Bayern München (2nd) vs Bayer Leverkusen (9th) - Tuesday: This is the most important match for this week. Bayern München had won against Cottbus last week and they shared the top position after Wolfsburg lost at the same time. Franck Ribery is fit again after the suspension so he is very improtant in this match. Lukas Podolski is gaining back his best form slowly but surely so he can bring lots of threats to Leverkusen and effectively relieve the scoring pressure of Luca Toni. Miroslav Klose is fit again but I do not believe he will start in this match. On the other hand, Leverkusen had just snatched a draw against Bielefeld last week and extend their non-winning streak at their temporary home - LTU Arena. However, their away record is very good that Bayern should watch out for. Toni Kroos will be likely to start and he is desperately to prove that Bayern made a huge mistake for loaning him out. Patrick Helmes will be very important player as he is the only striker who can threaten Bayern. I believe the match is pretty close and Bayern will win by their home court advantage.
Last matchup: Bayern München win 2-0
My tip: Bayern München win 2-1
Karlsruher SC (18th) vs Hannover 96 (11th) - Tuesday: Karlsruher last week had lost to Borussia Dortmund and lost the important 3 points led to them in the deep trouble for the relegation. They simply do not have any room to run away and they must win this match in order to keep the slim hope alive. Giovanni Federico failed to impress the fans at all and Sebastian Freis is not stable enough to keep scoring. There is also no one to create in the midfield so the supply to the strikers are very limited. On the other hand, Hannover had won their first game away from home 2 weeks ago and boost their morale very much even though they failed to win last week. Robert Enke is in hot form and he is the most important player in the game. Mikael Forrsell and Mike Hanke are the players who can guarantee the scoring and I believe it is very easy for them to score this match. After this match Karlsruher is very likely to confirm they will be relegated and Hannover will not have any mercy to them, so their second away win is around the corner.
Last matchup: Hannover 96 win 3-2
My tip: Hannover 96 win 2-0
1. FC Köln (12th) vs Hertha Berlin (3rd) - Tuesday: Köln is in the cold streak recently as they lost against Hoffenheim last week. The main reason for not being stable for the team is the midfield is not creative at all. Milivoje Novakovic is the only player who can score goals consistently but he is currently in the cold streak. So I believe this match the team is very hard to fight against Hertha Berlin. Hertha Berlin on the other hand, had gained back the winning form after the return of Andrei Voronin, as well as the good form of Marko Pantelic. It is not too late for them to win a title as they are just 1 point behind. They will fight as hard as they can in order to keep the title hope. I believe this match Hertha Berlin will win based on their determination.
Last matchup: Hertha Berlin win 2-1
My tip: Hertha Berlin win 2-0
VfL Wolfsburg (1st) vs Borussia Dortmund (5th) - Tuesday: VfL Wolfsburg had lost 2 in recent 3 matches and consequently lost all the advantage in the top of the table. Grafite and Eden Dzeko seemed useless without the supply from Zvjezden Misimovic. This match he is doubtful as he was picked up the injury last week. Ashkan Dejagah is absolutely not good enough to relieve Misimovic so it is a big question mark for Wolfsburg if they can score goals. At the same time, Borussia Dortmund is in the hot streak which they won 6 games in a row. This winning streak led them even have chance to win the title mathematically. Alexander Frei and the other attackers are in hot streak so that they are easy to score goals. This match Wolfsburg is in the favorite side but I do believe Dortmund can bring surprises to the fans.
Last matchup: Match draw 0-0
My tip: Borussia Dortmund win 2-0
Eintract Frankfurt (13th) vs Werder Bremen (10th) - Wednesday: Frankfurt so far is not safe from relegation yet mathematically, but basically they are safe from relegation. They do not have any pressure to play so that I believe they will go easily. Hard tackles or nasty fouls are not expected to see often in this match. Same as Werder Bremen here, all they have to prepare is the UEFA Cup final and the DFB Pokal final. Diego may play in this match in order to maintain his hot cue. Claudio Pizarro may also play for a half based on the same reason. Per Mertesacker is confirmed to be out for the remaining of the season so it is a great chance for Sebastian Prödl to prove himself. I believe this match should be a draw as both of them do not really care about this match.
Last matchup: Werder Bremen win 5-0
My tip: Match draw 2-2
Schalke 04 (7th) vs VfB Stuttgart (4th) - Wednesday: Schalke yesterday had a surprise to the fan that they lost 1-0 against Mönchengladbach. Jefferson Farfan and Kevin Kuranyi again are back to cold streak. As they still have hope to qualify for European competition, they must win the game this week. Christian Pander is not likely to play so the Schalke attacks are less variety. They are looking forward to next season as Wolfsburg coach Felix Magath will coach them, but it will not bring any effects right here right now. Stuttgart at the same time they are in red hot form. They beated VfL Wolfsburg 4-1 and led them to become a real contender in the title race. Mario Gomez is in red hot form after scoring 4 goals last week. In aggregate, Gomez scored 16 goals in the second half of the season. So he will be the man again this Wednesday. With the supply from Sami Khedira and Thomas Hitzlsperger, I believe Stuttgart will win this match and continue their title hunt.
Last matchup: VfB Stuttgart win 2-0
My tip: VfB Stuttgart win 2-0
Energie Cottbus (17th) vs Borussia Mönchengladbach (15th) - Wednesday: Cottbus was so unlucky to meet Bayern last week that they had lost 3-1. This loss made their efforts few weeks ago were all wasted and they have to start it over again. Dimitar Rangelov is the most important player in the team as Ivica Illiev is really relying on his great supply. On the other hand, Gladbach did an excellent job in Sunday as they beated Schalke 1-0 and took all 3 important points. They are in the driving seat before this match and I do believe they have chance to win the match. However, as Cottbus also needs these 3 points desperately, I believe a draw is likely to happen as they cancel each other out.
Last matchup: Energie Cottbus win 3-1
My tip: Match draw 1-1
Arminia Bielefeld (16th) vs 1899 Hoffenheim (8th) - Wednesday: Arminia Bielefeld have shown their toughness in the recent 3 matches as they snatched a draw with the strong teams such as VfB Stuttgart. It was very unlucky that the draw is not good enough to bring them out of the trouble. Vlad Munteanu is very important now as Arthur Wichniarek is not fit at all. At the same time, Hoffenheim finally ended their 12 games non-winning streak as they finally won a game. This is boosting their morale so much and all they need to do now is to maintain their morale to win the game. Even they do not have chance to win the title, they still have hope to qualify for European competition. Demba Ba is the most important player in this match as he is the only striker who guaratee the score. This match will be a draw as I believe their determination will cancel each other out.
Last matchup: 1899 Hoffenheim win 3-0
My tip: Match draw 2-2
Hamburger SV (6th) vs VfL Bochum (14th) - Wednesday: Hamburger last Sunday lost a chance to catch up the pole position as they lost to Werder Bremen. All the title hopes seemed faded as they were out of DFB Pokal and UEFA Cup by Werder Bremen. This will be their last ditch effort to protect their title hope. However, the fatigue strikes the team very much and none of them are fit. So I do not believe Hamburger can win this match easily. At the same time, Bochum is closing to avoid the relegation so their determination is very strong. Christoph Dabrowski is very important to the team as he can control the midfield well, especially David Jarolim from Hamburger is suspended. This match I believe Bochum can bring some upset to Hamburger and seal their title-less fate.
Last matchup: Match draw 1-1
My tip: VfL Bochum win 1-0
That's it for my tipping! This midweek will be very exciting!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
German Bundesliga Week 31 Tipping
German Bundesliga had reached the 31st week this season. VfL Wolfsburg will face the toughest challenge this week as they are facing VfB Stuttgart. This is the most important game for Wolfsburg which will directly affect their title challenge future. Now here's my tipping of this week:
Bayer Leverkusen (8th) vs Arminia Bielefeld (16th) - Friday: Leverkusen finally slowly walked out of the cold streak after the convincing victory against Schalke 04 last week. Patrick Helmes started to score goals again which is very important for the team. Another crucial player is Rene Adler, he made a lot of crucial saves last week and he will keep facing challenges this match as the defense is not consistent. On the other hand, Bielefeld surprised the fans that they snatched a draw against Stuttgart last week, but it is still doubtful if they can keep this form into this match. Artur Wichniarek is likely to return and he can help and relieve the attacking players very much. Vlad Munteanu is the key player of the team in this match as his creativeness can bring threat to Leverkusen. I believe this match Leverkusen has a slight advantage as their player quality is better.
Last matchup: Arminia Bielefeld win 2-1
My tip: Bayer Leverkusen win 2-0
Energie Cottbus (15th) vs Bayern München (2nd) - Saturday: Cottbus now is improving the match form after they took 4 crucial points in 2 matches. However, this is very unlucky for them to face Bayern München in this moment as they also need this 3 crucial points. Midfield dominance and counter attacks are the only weapons for Cottbus to win this game. So Stanislav Angelov and Dimitar Rangelov must take this job well. Together with Ervin Skela, this trio are the lethal weapon to Bayern München. Meanwhile, Bayern München had won the first game after the caretaking coach Jupp Heynckes took control. Franck Ribery is returned from suspension that will bring a lot of threats to fragile Cottbus defensive line. The biggest worry will be Luca Toni, which his match form never get improved this season. He must finish the chances well in order to lead the team to win. I believe Cottbus may have some resistent but Bayern can score goal first and win.
Last matchup: Bayern München win 4-1
My tip: Bayern München win 3-0
VfB Stuttgart (4th) vs VfL Wolfsburg (1st) - Saturday: This is the decider of the season title. Stuttgart even though they had ben stopped by Bielefeld last week but they are still in red hot form. Thomas Hitzlsperger is the key midfielder in this match as he needs to control the ball well in the middle of the park to stop Zvjezden Misimovic to create. At the same time, Serder Tasci is also the important defender in this match because Eden Dzeko and Grafite are in hot form. Meanwhile, even though Wolfsburg coach Felix Magath is confirmed to coach Schalke 04 nest season, I do not believe it will hurt the team in any ways as they are all professional. Besides the players mentioned above, the defense of the team is very important as Mario Gomez and Cacau are very good in form as well. So this match will be decided by the better defense and if Stuttgart can take the home court advantage.
Last matchup: VfL Wolfsburg win 4-1
My tip: VfB Stuttgart win 2-0
Hannover 96 (12th) vs Eintract Frankfurt (13th) - Saturday: Hannover finally found a way to win the match away from home last week. This is a great boost for their morale even though they are basically safe from the relegation. Robert Enke did a very good job last week as he stop a lot of shots from VfL Bochum. This week Hannover are more confident as they are back at home, where they play like a champion. On the other hand, Frankfurt are basically safe from relegation as well so their performance is a bit inconsistent. Defense is their key of this match as Hannover is so threatening at home. I believe this match is really depending on how long can Frankfurt stop from Hannover.
Last matchup: Eintract Frankfurt win 4-0
My tip: Hannover 96 win 3-0
Borussia Dortmund (6th) vs Karlsruher SC (18th) - Saturday: Borussia Dortmund kept the hot form which they won against Frankfurt. This 5-game winning streak led them to have a great chance to comeback to qualify for European competition. So I believe they will play at full gear this match as they know they can make it. Nelson Valdez even could not finish the play effectively, his work rate is very good that bringing lots of chances for the other teammates. On the other hand, Karlsruher took 4 crucial points in the recent 2 matches. Even though they are still at the bottom of the table, they are closer and closer to getting away from the relegation zone. However, this week is very hard for them as their poor finishing did not even threaten to anyone even. So I believe Dortmund will have an easy win as their finishing is far better than the opposition.
Last matchup: Borussia Dortmund win 1-0
My tip: Borussia Dortmund win 3-0
1899 Hoffenheim (9th) vs 1. FC Köln (11th) - Saturday: Hoffenheim kept sinking without a trace. They have recorded the 12-game non-winning streak after they were thrashed by Wolfsburg 4-0. Bench power was so thin so that when those starters were in poor form or unavailable, there were not anyone to step up to relieve them. This week the squad depth is still very shallow so that it is very hard to say they can bounce back to win this week. At the same time, Köln did not have any pressure in the league as they cannot qualify in European competition but at the same time they are safe from relegation. Milivoje Novakovic is the most important striker in the team as he is the only player who can guarantee to finish the play. I believe Köln can win the game based on their good away form and Hoffenheim is in very poor form.
Last matchup: 1899 Hoffenheim win 3-1
My tip: 1. FC Köln win 2-0
Hertha Berlin (3rd) vs VfL Bochum (14th) - Saturday: Hertha Berlin was lucky to snatch a draw against Hamburger SV last Sunday as they had just one good chance to get away in one piece. Marko Pantelic was not able to relieve Andrei Voronin as he was suspended. Gojko Karcar is very important player now as his work rate does help the team a lot. This is the chance for them to climb up the table, otherwise they will be out of the title challenge. On the other hand, Bochum was very surprised that they could not snatch a draw even at home against Hannover. Stanislav Sestak is very important player in the team and I do believe he needs to improve his match form in order to get clear of the relegation zone. Hertha Berlin will have the great chance to win even though the absence of Voronin, as the Hertha players are better in quality.
Last matchup: Hertha Berlin win 3-2
My tip: Hertha Berlin win 2-0
Borussia Mönchengladbach (17th) vs Schalke 04 (7th) - Sunday: Gladbach last week had lost to Bayern and lost the crucial point to fight against the relegation. It is understandable as they were outclassed. Alexander Baumjohann is back from suspension and Marko Marin is likely to regain the starting 11 place so that their attack will be better comparing with last week. The key point is they need to defend well as Jefferson Farfan and Kevin Kuranyi from Schalke 04 are getting better and better. On the other hand, even Schalke lost the game last week, it is still in a good run recently. Heiko Westermann will be very important player as he can turn the defense into attack effectively. Together with the tough and energetic midfielders, I believe Schalke has a clear chance to win.
Last matchup: Schalke 04 win 3-1
My tip: Schalke 04 win 2-0
Werder Bremen (10th) vs Hamburger SV (5th) - Sunday: The curtain closer in the epic Northern Derby series. Both teams are playing against each other this Thursday in UEFA Cup match so they have the same level of match fitness. Werder Bremen does not care about this match as they are very safe in 10th position. So Diego, Mesut Özil, as well as Torsten Frings will not likely to play. Per Mertesacker is very important in the match as he is very good at stopping the attackers. On the other side, Hamburger needs to win this match in order to keep the title hope survive, especially they lost 2 points las week. So I believe they will play at the full strength no matter how tired they are. Piotr Trochowski will be very important in the match as his creativeness will bring them hope to win the match. However, their tireness will let them down and Werder Bremen will win this match to kill the title hope of Hamburger.
Last matchup: Hamburger SV win 2-1
My tip: Werder Bremen win 2-1
So that's it! Hope there will be another good Bundesliga week!
Bayer Leverkusen (8th) vs Arminia Bielefeld (16th) - Friday: Leverkusen finally slowly walked out of the cold streak after the convincing victory against Schalke 04 last week. Patrick Helmes started to score goals again which is very important for the team. Another crucial player is Rene Adler, he made a lot of crucial saves last week and he will keep facing challenges this match as the defense is not consistent. On the other hand, Bielefeld surprised the fans that they snatched a draw against Stuttgart last week, but it is still doubtful if they can keep this form into this match. Artur Wichniarek is likely to return and he can help and relieve the attacking players very much. Vlad Munteanu is the key player of the team in this match as his creativeness can bring threat to Leverkusen. I believe this match Leverkusen has a slight advantage as their player quality is better.
Last matchup: Arminia Bielefeld win 2-1
My tip: Bayer Leverkusen win 2-0
Energie Cottbus (15th) vs Bayern München (2nd) - Saturday: Cottbus now is improving the match form after they took 4 crucial points in 2 matches. However, this is very unlucky for them to face Bayern München in this moment as they also need this 3 crucial points. Midfield dominance and counter attacks are the only weapons for Cottbus to win this game. So Stanislav Angelov and Dimitar Rangelov must take this job well. Together with Ervin Skela, this trio are the lethal weapon to Bayern München. Meanwhile, Bayern München had won the first game after the caretaking coach Jupp Heynckes took control. Franck Ribery is returned from suspension that will bring a lot of threats to fragile Cottbus defensive line. The biggest worry will be Luca Toni, which his match form never get improved this season. He must finish the chances well in order to lead the team to win. I believe Cottbus may have some resistent but Bayern can score goal first and win.
Last matchup: Bayern München win 4-1
My tip: Bayern München win 3-0
VfB Stuttgart (4th) vs VfL Wolfsburg (1st) - Saturday: This is the decider of the season title. Stuttgart even though they had ben stopped by Bielefeld last week but they are still in red hot form. Thomas Hitzlsperger is the key midfielder in this match as he needs to control the ball well in the middle of the park to stop Zvjezden Misimovic to create. At the same time, Serder Tasci is also the important defender in this match because Eden Dzeko and Grafite are in hot form. Meanwhile, even though Wolfsburg coach Felix Magath is confirmed to coach Schalke 04 nest season, I do not believe it will hurt the team in any ways as they are all professional. Besides the players mentioned above, the defense of the team is very important as Mario Gomez and Cacau are very good in form as well. So this match will be decided by the better defense and if Stuttgart can take the home court advantage.
Last matchup: VfL Wolfsburg win 4-1
My tip: VfB Stuttgart win 2-0
Hannover 96 (12th) vs Eintract Frankfurt (13th) - Saturday: Hannover finally found a way to win the match away from home last week. This is a great boost for their morale even though they are basically safe from the relegation. Robert Enke did a very good job last week as he stop a lot of shots from VfL Bochum. This week Hannover are more confident as they are back at home, where they play like a champion. On the other hand, Frankfurt are basically safe from relegation as well so their performance is a bit inconsistent. Defense is their key of this match as Hannover is so threatening at home. I believe this match is really depending on how long can Frankfurt stop from Hannover.
Last matchup: Eintract Frankfurt win 4-0
My tip: Hannover 96 win 3-0
Borussia Dortmund (6th) vs Karlsruher SC (18th) - Saturday: Borussia Dortmund kept the hot form which they won against Frankfurt. This 5-game winning streak led them to have a great chance to comeback to qualify for European competition. So I believe they will play at full gear this match as they know they can make it. Nelson Valdez even could not finish the play effectively, his work rate is very good that bringing lots of chances for the other teammates. On the other hand, Karlsruher took 4 crucial points in the recent 2 matches. Even though they are still at the bottom of the table, they are closer and closer to getting away from the relegation zone. However, this week is very hard for them as their poor finishing did not even threaten to anyone even. So I believe Dortmund will have an easy win as their finishing is far better than the opposition.
Last matchup: Borussia Dortmund win 1-0
My tip: Borussia Dortmund win 3-0
1899 Hoffenheim (9th) vs 1. FC Köln (11th) - Saturday: Hoffenheim kept sinking without a trace. They have recorded the 12-game non-winning streak after they were thrashed by Wolfsburg 4-0. Bench power was so thin so that when those starters were in poor form or unavailable, there were not anyone to step up to relieve them. This week the squad depth is still very shallow so that it is very hard to say they can bounce back to win this week. At the same time, Köln did not have any pressure in the league as they cannot qualify in European competition but at the same time they are safe from relegation. Milivoje Novakovic is the most important striker in the team as he is the only player who can guarantee to finish the play. I believe Köln can win the game based on their good away form and Hoffenheim is in very poor form.
Last matchup: 1899 Hoffenheim win 3-1
My tip: 1. FC Köln win 2-0
Hertha Berlin (3rd) vs VfL Bochum (14th) - Saturday: Hertha Berlin was lucky to snatch a draw against Hamburger SV last Sunday as they had just one good chance to get away in one piece. Marko Pantelic was not able to relieve Andrei Voronin as he was suspended. Gojko Karcar is very important player now as his work rate does help the team a lot. This is the chance for them to climb up the table, otherwise they will be out of the title challenge. On the other hand, Bochum was very surprised that they could not snatch a draw even at home against Hannover. Stanislav Sestak is very important player in the team and I do believe he needs to improve his match form in order to get clear of the relegation zone. Hertha Berlin will have the great chance to win even though the absence of Voronin, as the Hertha players are better in quality.
Last matchup: Hertha Berlin win 3-2
My tip: Hertha Berlin win 2-0
Borussia Mönchengladbach (17th) vs Schalke 04 (7th) - Sunday: Gladbach last week had lost to Bayern and lost the crucial point to fight against the relegation. It is understandable as they were outclassed. Alexander Baumjohann is back from suspension and Marko Marin is likely to regain the starting 11 place so that their attack will be better comparing with last week. The key point is they need to defend well as Jefferson Farfan and Kevin Kuranyi from Schalke 04 are getting better and better. On the other hand, even Schalke lost the game last week, it is still in a good run recently. Heiko Westermann will be very important player as he can turn the defense into attack effectively. Together with the tough and energetic midfielders, I believe Schalke has a clear chance to win.
Last matchup: Schalke 04 win 3-1
My tip: Schalke 04 win 2-0
Werder Bremen (10th) vs Hamburger SV (5th) - Sunday: The curtain closer in the epic Northern Derby series. Both teams are playing against each other this Thursday in UEFA Cup match so they have the same level of match fitness. Werder Bremen does not care about this match as they are very safe in 10th position. So Diego, Mesut Özil, as well as Torsten Frings will not likely to play. Per Mertesacker is very important in the match as he is very good at stopping the attackers. On the other side, Hamburger needs to win this match in order to keep the title hope survive, especially they lost 2 points las week. So I believe they will play at the full strength no matter how tired they are. Piotr Trochowski will be very important in the match as his creativeness will bring them hope to win the match. However, their tireness will let them down and Werder Bremen will win this match to kill the title hope of Hamburger.
Last matchup: Hamburger SV win 2-1
My tip: Werder Bremen win 2-1
So that's it! Hope there will be another good Bundesliga week!
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