Bayern have a huge 13 point lead at the top of the Bundesliga standings, but the race behind them is fascinating. 10 points separate Leverkusen in 2nd and Mainz in 8th, meaning the race for Champions League and Europa League positions is going to go down to the wire.
Matchday 19: Fixtures
Braunschweig - Dortmund
Leverkusen - Stuttgart
Augsburg - Werder Bremen
Hoffenheim - Hamburg
Mainz - Freiburg
Schalke - Wolfsburg
Hannover - Monchengladbach
Hertha Berlin - Nuremberg
Bayern Munich - Frankfurt
Braunschweig - Dortmund (Friday)
Braunschweig remain rooted to the bottom of the Bundesliga standings, but picked up their first point outside of Lower Saxony this season in last weekend's goalless draw with Bremen. Yet with the majority of others around them all having excellent Matchday 18's, Torsten Lieberknecht's team are no five points from safety. Friday night's opponents Dortmund may have move up to 3rd a week ago, although they are now without a win in four at home following the 2-2 draw with Augsburg and saw Jakub Blaszczykowski's campaign come to an abrupt end with an ACL tear. The Black and Yellows should be boosted though by the return of Mats Hummels at the Eintracht-Stadion.
Prediction: Each of these two sides are in need of three points, but expect the visitors picking up the much-needed victory. Braunschweig 0-2 Dortmund.
Leverkusen - Stuttgart (Saturday)
Three defeats in a row means Leverkusen's slim title aspirations look to be over. Sami Hyypia's men are a massive 13 points off of champions Bayern (a record margin after 18 rounds of action) and will now be starting to look over their shoulders as the hopes of acquiring a Champions League spot begins to heat up. Stuttgart put up a fantastic fight in their game in hand against Bayern, only to be outdone by substitute Claudio Pizarro and a stunning injury-time bicycle kick by Thiago. European hopes look to be over for another season, and being just three points above the bottom-three means they too want to stop their losing streak this weekend.
Prediction: Neither team are in good form, and as the games tick by, the pressure increases. Hyypia and co. may stop their recent rot. Leverkusen 3-1 Stuttgart.
Augsburg - Werder Bremen (Saturday)
Augsburg's excellent campaign was further enhanced last weekend following their fantastic point at Dortmund. They twice came from behind in that game, showing why Markus Weinzierl's men have been the surprise package throughout the 2013/14 campaign, and it's with that resilience that the Bavarians continue to be in the hunt for a remarkable top-six finish. It's been another inconsistent campaign for Bremen, but Robin Dutt's outfit could move to within just two points of Saturday's opponents if they become just the 3rd side to win at the SGL-Arena this season. With new additions coming in before this match (Bordeaux's Ludovic Obraniak for example), a top-half finish may not be out of their capabilities.
Prediction: Augsburg have been strong in front of their home supporters, and that will likely continue this weekend, leaving their opponents from the North downbeat. Augsburg 2-0 Werder Bremen.
Hoffenheim - Hamburg (Saturday)
The Bundesliga's two worst defences collide on Matchday 19, with three points essential for both. It proved to be Hoffenheim who became Nuremberg's first victims of the season, conceding four goals in a thumping defeat in Bavaria. Markus Gisdol would have been hoping that the Winter break would give his side the opportunity to eradicate their defensive issues, but that doesn't look the case. Hamburg, the Bundesliga's only ever-present team, are in huge danger of seeing that proud record ending come the season's end. Their 10th defeat of the season to Schalke saw Bert van Marwijk's Northerners fall into the relegation play-off spot, but with it being so tight at the bottom, three points could see them soar up the table.
Prediction: Goals. That's what everybody's expecting. There may be plenty of both, although unfortunately for both sides, they'll be sharing the spoils. Hoffenheim 3-3 Hamburg.
Mainz - Freiburg (Saturday)
After finishing in 5th position three seasons ago, Mainz are once again looking to scale towards the peak of the Bundesliga mountain. Their comeback victory in Stuttgart seven days ago proved to their doubters again the team spirit amongst Thomas Tuchel's squad. I thought they were one of the favourites for relegation, but they have certainly proved me wrong. For the first time since Matchday 3, Freiburg are outside of the bottom-three, after they too produced a comeback to shock Leverkusen late on, securing back-to-back home wins. Christian Streich will now be looking to extend on this run of form, and move the side from the Black Forest further clear of danger.
Prediction: A trip to the Coface Arena in never easy, and I'm sure Freiburg will be feeling the same. Can only see one winner in my eyes. Mainz 3-0 Freiburg.
Schalke - Wolfsburg (Saturday)
The two teams currently occupying the Europa League positions meet in a hugely important game in Gelsenkirchen. Schalke had a fantastic first weekend of the Ruckrunde, as they saw all their European rivals drop points and saw the return of star-striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. If they can manage to keep hold of Julian Draxler from the reach of Arsenal after tomorrow's 11pm transfer deadline, Schalke will cause plenty of problems. Wolfsburg slipped to 6th after a shock derby defeat at home to Hannover. Three points would have seen them move level on points with Gladbach/Dortmund, but Dieter Hecking's men need to put that defeat behind them if they want to take anything away from the Veltins Arena.
Prediction: The reverse fixture saw Wolfsburg breeze past Schalke 4-0 back in August, yet it'll be much tighter on Saturday, with Schalke exacting their revenge. Schalke 2-1 Wolfsburg.
Hannover - Monchengladbach (Saturday)
Tayfun Korkut certainly had a debut to remember. His first game in charge of Hannover produced the side's first away points of the campaign and saw them gain bragging rights on local rivals Wolfsburg. They return to their daunting AWD-Arena this weekend, and if they can get a run going, then a top-six finish isn't out of the question. On the other hand, Gladbach had a Matchday 18 to forget, as they unbeaten home record came to an end at the hands of the brilliant Bayern. They probably weren't expected to get anything from that encounter, yet this is the opportunity to bounce-back and regain control of their hopes of returning back to Champions League football.
Prediction: This tea-time game should produce plenty of entertainment for the global audience watching. A draw looks the most likely outcome on paper. Hannover 1-1 Monchengladbach.
Hertha Berlin - Nuremberg (Sunday)
Capital club Hertha missed the chance to close the gap on those directly above them in a tame defeat at Frankfurt. They're still in a good position in 7th, but Jos Luhukay would have been disappointed on how his players didn't show much heart in that loss. In contrast, Nuremberg celebrated as if they had won the Bundesliga last weekend, after they finally got that elusive first win of the season, which they thought was never going to come. Gertjan Verbeek musn't have been expecting either, with that growing, three-month beard, which he could finally shave off after Die Club's 4-0 hammering of Hoffenheim. They remain in the automatic relegation places, but who knows what that win will do for them.
Prediction: Hertha need a response, whilst Nuremberg will look to extend on that first victory. The Bavarians may take away a respectable point. Hertha Berlin 1-1 Nuremberg.
Bayern Munich - Frankfurt (Sunday)
With the title already seemingly wrapped up, Bayern's aim now looks to be if they can become the first team ever in the Bundesliga to go through the season unbeaten. Having comfortably dispatched Gladbach, it looked as if their astonishing unbeaten run was going to come to an end - Stuttgart, yet FC Hollywood showed why they're the force they are, with Pep Guardiola's men now 43 games unbeaten in the German top-flight. Frankfurt eased their relegation worries a little as a solitary Alex Meier strike saw them pick up their first home win of the campaign against Hertha last weekend, but it's hard to see them repeating that at the Allianz in Matchday 19's final encounter.
Prediction: This should be another walk in the park for Pep Guardiola's men as they briskly stroll towards a 23rd Bundesliga success. Bayern Munich 4-0 Frankfurt.