After Bayern Munich got the job done on Friday night with a 3-1, come-from-behind win over local rivals Augsburg, let’s predict the rest of the games on tap for Matchday 28 of the 2024/25 Bundesliga season.
Bochum vs. Stuttgart
Bochum upset Bayern Munich (again) and got a point out of Wolfsburg recently, but I don’t think anyone seriously thinks they will upend Stuttgart, who have been one of the best teams in the Bundesliga yet again this season despite losing a bevy of talent in the summer 2024 transfer window (mostly to Dortmund).
Stuttgart’s Nick Woltemade is one of the biggest breakout stars of the season so far, and I bet he adds a 10th goal to his tally as part of a 2-0 win on the road for Die Schwaben.
RB Leipzig vs. Hoffenheim
You’ve heard of El Traffico in Los Angeles, but have you heard of El Plastiko? That’s what this corporate matchup between Leipzig and Hoffenheim is, and with plenty of history between them (Hoffenheim architects Ralf Rangnick and Julian Nagelsmann turned Leipzig into the powerhouse it is today), this matchup proves to be a firecracker for all five people who bother tuning in.
Leipzig are in a state of disarray that hasn’t gotten any better under Jurgen Klopp, and after initially believing in his fellow former Dortmund coach, Klopp finally agreed to give Marco Rose the axe. There are no friends in business, right?
Hoffenheim have been even worse this season, to the point where Andrej Kramaric took brutal shots at the incompetent front office in a post-game interview. Leipzig are sixth and on the bubble of Champions League football are getting knocked out of the competition in the league phase, while Hoffenheim are 14th and still not 100 percent safe from relegation.
So who wins? Nobody. This is going to be a rare 0-0 snoozefest in the Bundesliga that highlights the soulless ineptitude of the Bundesliga’s most reviled clubs.
Heidenheim vs. Bayer Leverkusen
Heidenheim have never backed down from a fight this season, and everyone who watches the Bundesliga admires them that much more for it. They’ll be going up against a juggernaut in Bayer Leverkusen, who are fresh off an upset loss at mid-week in the DFB Pokal to third league outfit Arminia Bielefeld, who are now Final-bound.
Leverkusen have plenty to play for, because after losing their cup defense, they need to win every week if they want a prayer at catching Bayern Munich in first. Heidenheim would love nothing more than to play spoiler this Saturday, and I think they will, shocking Leverkusen in a 1-1 upset draw.
Freiburg vs. Borussia Dortmund
Dortmund are in 10th, behind even Augsburg, and pretty much out of the Champions League battle, but they finally showed some signs of life last weekend, beating current Champions League-placed Mainz 3-1 in a crucial win to bounce back from an embarrassing 2-0 defeat to Leipzig.
The word “embarrassing” aptly describes Dortmund’s performances this season, and as good as Serhou Guirassy has been this season for BVB, I see Freiburg shutting him down at home in a defensive display of dominance that sends a message to former Freiburger Nico Schlotterbeck.
3-1 Freiburg and the bleeding continues for the Black and Blu- I mean, Yellows. Yellows.
Mainz vs. Holstein Kiel
Fourth-placed Mainz use a home game against the literal worst team in the Bundesliga to get back on track with Jonathan Burkardt scoring a brace in a 4-0 win. That’s more like it.
Werder Bremen vs. Eintracht Frankfurt
This weekend’s Topspiel on Matchday 28, Werder Bremen and Eintracht Frankfurt are two of the better sides in the Bundesliga, and while Frankfurt are 20 points behind league leaders Bayern, that’s still good enough for third.
Even without Omar Marmoush, Frankfurt are formidable. Hugo Ekitike will lead the way for Frankfurt in a gutsy 2-1 win on the road that lives up to Topspiel billing. Don’t miss this one.
St. Pauli vs. Borussia Monchengladbach
Borussia Mochengladbach are only two points back of Mainz in the Champions League race in what has been a banner year for breakout striker Tim Kleindienst, now a German national team player.
St. Pauli are on the opposite end of the spectrum in 15th, but they have enough talent to make this home game against Gladbach worth tuning in to. I think Gladbach also takes this one 2-1 on the road, but they are pushed to their limit before Kleindienst finds the winner.
Union Berlin vs. Wolfsburg
Union Berlin are 13th and Wolfsburg 9th, so this final matchup of Matchday 28 in the Bundesliga will be worth watching as well. Wolfsburg have two of the Bundesliga’s most exciting players in Mohammed Amoura and Patrick Wimmer, while Union have a defense good enough to stop them.
It will be a tough battle, but Union are able to do just enough to get a point out of Wolfsburg at the venerable Alte Forsterei, 1-1.
Joe Soriano covers West Ham for Green Street Hammers and writes about Real Madrid for The Real Champs. He has extensive experience covering world football since 2014. Joe is an editor for The Trivela Effect, where he covers the biggest clubs in European football. He has watched professional sports regularly since 2002 and can be found playing the same sports he covers with his friends.