The 20th Bundesliga matchday in the telegram

Frankfurt / Main (dpa) – The 20th Bundesliga matchday will open with the game Hertha BSC against FC Bayern Munich. The other encounters at a glance:

Bayer Leverkusen – VfB Stuttgart (Saturday, 3:30 p.m.)

SITUATION: Leverkusen and especially coach Bosz have to win again. The Champions League is in jeopardy with just four points from the last six games. The cup-out in Essen also depresses the mind. With Stuttgart comes the second best away team in the league.

STATISTICS: Leverkusen won against any other team in the Bundesliga as often as against VfB: 36 times. Bayer lost only one of the last 17 Bundesliga duels against the Swabians.

STAFF: Bayer’s list of injuries is particularly long: Arias (broken fibula), Baumgartlinger (cruciate ligament surgery), Bellarabi (thigh injury), Lars Bender (calf problems), Paulinho (cruciate ligament tear) and Weiser (torn muscle fiber) are missing. The guests have to do without the former Leverkusen castro (torn muscle fiber).

SPECIAL: Leverkusen is the worst Bundesliga team this year with only four points from six games.

SC Freiburg – Borussia Dortmund (Saturday, 3.30 p.m.)

SITUATION: Borussia Dortmund is still looking for stability and wants to keep up with the Champions League places. During the week, BVB played 120 minutes in the cup quarter-finals, the Freiburg team started rested and from a comfortable position in the middle of the table.

STATISTICS: In the six Bundesliga games this year, the two teams are tied, each collecting ten points. During that time, Freiburg had a goal difference of 13: 9, Dortmund 12: 9.

STAFF: Defense chief Hummels should be available again. There are also signs that Hitz is back in goal for Bürki. The Freiburg team are still missing the injured offensive players Sallai and Kwon.

SPECIAL: For SC Freiburg it is the 700th Bundesliga game.

Schalke 04 – RB Leipzig (Saturday, 3.30 p.m.)

SITUATION: The bottom of the table Schalke only help wins given that they are already nine points behind a non-relegation place. The Leipzig defeat two weeks ago at the penultimate Mainz give hope.

STATISTICS: Schalke have the second-weakest record in Bundesliga history after 19 match days. Leipzig won the last two Bundesliga games against Schalke with a total of 9-0 goals. The 5-0 win in the last half of the season was Leipzig’s highest away win in the Bundesliga to date.

STAFF: Serdar and Raman, who were ill at the cup in Wolfsburg, are back at Schalke. At first they just sit on the bench. New signing Mustafi should play. Returning Huntelaar, however, is probably missing again due to his calf injury. Konaté and Kampl return with the guests. Kluivert and Forsberg are still missing.

SPECIAL: A reunion with his ex-trainer is for Schalke striker Uth. In Hoffenheim he played 66 times under Nagelsmann and scored 28 of his 38 Bundesliga goals.

FSV Mainz 05 – 1. FC Union Berlin (Saturday, 3.30 p.m.)

SITUATION: Mainz urgently needs a victory in the fight against relegation, as the gap to the saving bank is already seven points. The Berliners are in good shape as eighth of the table and can approach the task calmly.

STATISTICS: The two teams have only met three times in the Bundesliga. The Mainz could not land a victory. There are two defeats and one draw.

STAFF: The Rheinhessen have to do without striker Quaison (knee bruise). But the bald man who came from Cardiff on Monday could make his debut. The Berliners are missing Kruse, Becker, Ujah and Prömel.

SPECIAL: Union has already scored more points away (12) than Mainz in the entire season (10).

FC Augsburg – VfL Wolfsburg (Saturday, 3.30 p.m.)

SITUATION: The Wolfsburg knock mightily on the gate to the Champions League. After four defeats in the last five games, Augsburg have to worry again about the relegation zone.

STATISTICS: FCA have been without a win against Wolfsburg for six games (three draws and three defeats).

STAFF: Laszlo Benes, on loan from Gladbach, is a starting eleven option in the Augsburg midfield. Iago and Finnbogason, however, are out. VfL arrives with no staff worries.

SPECIAL: Wout Weghorst has already scored 13 goals this season. After 19 match days, that’s a record for a VfL Wolfsburg player.

Borussia Mönchengladbach – 1. FC Köln (Saturday, 6.30 p.m.)

SITUATION: Gladbach has a run, is still undefeated in 2021 and ideally can advance to a Champions League place. After the cup failure, Cologne is threatened with falling to 16th place.

STATISTICS: Gladbach won 51 of 91 Bundesliga derbies against 1. FC Köln. The Cologne team was able to win two of three Bundesliga games this season and collected twice as many points away as at home.

STAFF: The Gladbachers all have men on board. In goal, summer will return for cup keeper Sippel. Bornauw, Wolf and Hector recently had to pause at FC, return is questionable.

SPECIAL: It is the third Rhenish derby within a year that takes place without a spectator. Apparently an advantage for the Gladbacher: They won the previous games.

TSG 1899 Hoffenheim – Eintracht Frankfurt (Sunday, 3.30 p.m.)

SITUATION: Frankfurt is on a run and has been unbeaten in eight games (six wins, two draws). Hoffenheim must win against Eintracht and the week after in Dortmund in order to reconnect to the European Cup places.

STATISTICS: Eintracht Frankfurt won the last five Bundesliga games against TSG – all five duels under coach Adi Hütter.

STAFF: The Bayern loan from Richards could play at TSG, new signing Rutter is still in quarantine. Nordtveit is hit, otherwise the list of injured is thinning. Durm could be back in the starting line-up at Eintracht.

SPECIAL: Striker Jovic is still waiting at Eintracht for his starting XI debut after the return from Real Madrid. The Serb has scored three times in four joker bets so far.

Arminia Bielefeld – Werder Bremen (Sunday, 6 p.m.)

SITUATION: Arminia needs every point in the fight to stay in class. There were two big defeats recently. Bremen have been undefeated for three competitive games and have a little cushion on the relegation places.

STATISTICS: The Bremen team won 20 out of 33 duels. The last victory in Bielefeld, however, was 15 years ago. At that time, Werder won 1-0 with a goal from Fahrenhorst.

STAFF: The Bielefeld newcomers Okugawa (RB Salzburg) and Vlap (RSC Anderlecht) are pushing into the starting line-up and should revive the offensive of the East Westphalia. With the guests, Toprak and Bittencourt could return to the team.

SPECIAL: In the last home game against Bremen so far, Arminia was still third division. In the second round of the DFB Cup in March 2015, the East Westphalia prevailed 3-1 and made it to the semi-finals.

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210205-99-319381 / 2

– .