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A keeper number two collects match practice, a returnee continues to struggle with injuries and a striker wants to make sporting headlines again: six games, six heads to watch out for in the Saturday Bundesliga games.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen – VfB Stuttgart (3:30 p.m.)
SILAS WAMANGITUKA: The Congolese is the shooting star in the young Stuttgart team – and your best goalscorer so far this season. The nimble offensive man has already hit 13 competitive matches, and has scored every time in his past five appearances. Both in the 2-0 win against Mainz in the league a week ago and in the 1: 2 in the DFB Cup against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Wednesday, he last scored after a sensational solo. “He’s just a good boy with a good heart that beats more towards humility. He’s more shy than arrogant and listens. He laughs a lot and has a good sense of humor, ”said VfB coach Pellegrino Matarazzo about the 21-year-old.
SC Freiburg – Borussia Dortmund (3.30 p.m.)
MARWIN HITZ: The actual number two of BVB should be back between the posts in Freiburg. The actual goalkeeper Roman Bürki is injured, coach Edin Terzic is silent about Bürki’s condition. Observers already think that Terzic had been relieved of a tricky decision by Bürki’s shoulder injury. Because the 30-year-old Bürki made a few mistakes recently. Potential successors have long been traded. While Terzic is silent about Bürki, Hitz (33) is conspicuously praised. “Marwin played because he’s good. He deserved it and did it well, ”said Terzic. A return to Bürki is currently unlikely.
FC Schalke 04 – RB Leipzig (3.30 p.m.)
KLAAS-JAN HUNTELAAR: We cannot yet speak of reinforcements. Schalke fans are likely to have expected more from his return. Because so far Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has only played ten of a possible 360 minutes since his move from Amsterdam. “A difficult calf problem” brought Huntelaar from Ajax, as Schalke’s coach Christian Gross reported on Friday. Gross had been looking forward to an enforcer in front of the gate. The 37-year-old should at least make it into the squad against Leipzig.
1. FSV Mainz 05 – 1. FC Union Berlin (3.30 p.m.)
TAIWO AWONIYI: In Mainz people rub their eyes in amazement: The loan from Liverpool FC, which scored a goal in twelve games for FSV Mainz last season, has already celebrated five times in 16 games at Union Berlin. While the 23-year-old only started five times in Mainz, the Nigerian has a regular place in Berlin after the injuries of Max Kruse and Joel Pohjanpalo and pays back his trust. Awoniyi also attributes the success to the special handling in Köpenick and compares the situation with his most successful time at the Belgian first division club Royal Excel Mouscron. There the 1.85 meter tall attacker scored 20 goals in 45 first division games. “Mouscron is a special club for me, very familiar,” said Awoniyi. “Union is similar.”
FC Augsburg – VfL Wolfsburg (3.30 p.m.)
LASZLO BENES: When trying to make the Augsburg game more attractive and effective, Heiko Herrlich treads on the spot. Now the FCA coach has a new hope: Laszlo Benes. With his strong left foot, the loan player is supposed to create “more risk of goals,” as Herrlich said before Benes debuted. At Borussia Mönchengladbach, the competition in midfield was too big and too strong for the talent. Will the 23-year-old Slovak now ignite in Augsburg – maybe even right away against the strong Wolfsburg?
Borussia Mönchengladbach – 1. FC Köln (6.30 p.m.)
MARCUS THURAM: Gladbach’s French striker lost a lot of sympathy with his spit attack in the game against Hoffenheim and was punished appropriately hard for it. “History got him down, there’s nothing to gloss over it. The most important thing is that he learns from it, ”said Borussia coach Marco Rose. After his comeback, the son of France’s record international player Lilian Thuram is making headlines again. A goal in the 4: 2 against BVB, a worth seeing goal in the 2: 1 cup victory in Stuttgart on Wednesday – Thuram used the time to work on himself. “He’s improved his physique too,” said Rose. In the derby against 1. FC Köln, the striker can continue his run. (dpa)
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