Mainz v Hertha
Hoffenheim v Bochum
Freiburg v Eintracht
Dortmund v Bayern
Nurnberg v Monchengladbach
Wolfsburg v Leverkusen
Hamburg v Stuttgart
Bremen v Hannover
Cologne v Schalke
Top game in the Bundesliga this week sees Stuttgart travel to league leaders Hamburg where goals are likely to flow in abundance. Bruno Labbadia will have to do without Paolo Guerrero, the Peruvian injured in World Cup qualifying in midweek and likely to miss most, if not all, of the rest of the season. Markus Babbel added Serbian midfielder Zdravko Kuzmanovic on deadline day to add options in the central areas and with a Champions League campaign starting next week, they need to find form quickly.
The champions have skipper Josué back for the visit of Leverkusen who have started the season well. Two defeats already this season have seen Wolfsburg drop off the pace and the Brazilian schemer has missed both. With him back, they can get their season back up and running, freeing Zvezjdan Misimovic to do less of the donkey work and bring Edin Dzeko, Grafite and Obafemi Martins more into the game which simply didn't happen against Bayern two weeks ago. Bayern looked revitalised with Arjen Robben in the side and Dortmund will have to cope with the twin threat of the Dutchman and his partner in crime Franck Ribéry. Hertha have not started well and face Mainz who are still flying high from their win over Bayern and things are not well at Schalke. Reports of divisions in the squad and the autocratic ways of Felix Magath were being papered over with reasonable results. This basket case club is on the brink of falling apart like only they can. Again. The game against Cologne is very winnable - Cologne don't look like winning a one-ticket raffle at the moment - but there may be trouble ahead.
Hoffenheim midfielder Sejad Salihovic had a superb international break for Bosnia and his side go into the game against Bochum - not a good football team - in decent form. Gladbach sit sixth and can consolidate the position away at Nurnberg. Freiburg can build on their win last time out at home to Eintracht and Bremen will be short odds to see off Hannover.
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