Friday:
Arminia v Hertha
Saturday:
Schalke v Bremen
Wolfsburg v Bochum
Monchengladbach v Hoffenheim
Karlsruhe v Hamburg
Leverkusen v Stuttgart
Eintracht v Cologne
Sunday:
Bayern v Dortmund
Energie v Hannover
The top two in Germany both have very winnable games this week with Hoffenheim away at rock bottom Gladbach and Hertha travelling to Bielefeld. Hertha will be without top striker Marko Pantelic as they look to continue their impressive run of six wins from the last seven. Hoffenheim won't be heartened to hear that their owner, Dietmar Hopp, has had €2bn wiped off his fortune thanks to the ongoing financial armageddon. But Hopp's in this for the long-term and the club won't be harmed by any financial issues the owner may suffer in the short term. The team are still just about together on the field, though one more injury up front and they're in bother. But they're playing Gladbach this week, so chalk down a 2-0 away win. Hamburg are well in the hunt as well and they're also away at a relegation-threatened side, Karlsruhe. Top game of the week sees Bayern welcome Dortmund, just two places behind, to the Allianz. Dortmund were poor in drawing with Leverkusen last week, but have plenty of ability and Bayern are proving very much hot-and-cold. This could go either way, but I'll say home advantage and a win for the Bavarian behemoth.
Also up at a congested top end, Stuttgart go to Leverkusen. The Bayer-owned side have precocious Bayern nipper Toni Kroos on loan. How Bayern fail to continue the development of such talent is a mystery and one which may well come back and bite them on the arse. Kroos is a tremendous player and just the sort to provide the ammo for fellow wunderkind Patrick Helmes. I'm fed up of eulogising about this kid. He is the real deal and hopefully he'll be in the national side on a regular basis sooner rather than later.
Bochum and Energie both have tough games. Bochum travel to Wolfsburg where, thanks to Grafite's goals, the home side are still in the frame for a European spot. Energie welcome Hannover to the Freundschaft and while Hannover are no great shakes themselves, Energie are rubbish.
The two biggest underachievers in the league face off in Gelsenkirchen where Bremen visit the AufSchalke. Bremen are still without their three top strikers, but Schalke will have Orlando Engelaar back in place of Fabain Ernst who has signed for Besiktas. This one has 0-0 written all over. Finally, if you want a game to avoid this weekend, give a wide body swerve to the Commerzbank Arena where Cologne go to face Eintracht. These two are adrift in mid-table separated by four points from each other. It promises to be as dull as dull can be.
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