5 Tasty Subplots to Watch Out for in the Bundesliga This Weekend

After its long-awaited return to action last week, the Bundesliga is back for more action this weekend. Matchday 26 saw some cracking games to mark the return of the game, including a Revierderby romp, Bayern Munich returning to winning ways and more.

With all 18 teams now returning to the pitch, the formalities are over as the battles across the table resume. It’s set to be another big weekend with some noteworthy clashes, though there are a few smaller stories which will resume this week.

Ahead of Matchday 27, 90min looks at some of the subplots to look out for this weekend in the Bundesliga.

Erling Haaland’s Rise Up the Goalscoring Charts

To say that Erling Haaland has been on fire this season doesn’t give him anywhere near the credit he deserves. The Borussia Dortmund striker has flourished since joining this year, continuing his fine form by opening the scoring in their 4-0 win over Schalke last Saturday.

Haaland’s strike in the Revierderby was his 13th goal in 12 appearances for BVB, as he reached double figures in the league alone with ten. The Norwegian currently sits joint 11th in the league goalscoring charts, though could rise again with a good performance this weekend.

His next goal would take him to joint fifth in the charts. In fact, a brace on Saturday would take him to joint fourth, and a crazy four goals would make him the league’s joint third top scorer. Would that be impossible? Not for Haaland.

Bayern Aim to Equal This Season’s Longest Winning Run

League leaders Bayern Munich had to hit the ground running, and did exactly that with a routine 2-0 win at Union Berlin. Goals from Robert Lewandowski and Benjamin Pavard sent Die Roten four points clear at the top, though the job is far from finished.

The win in the German capital was Bayern’s fifth consecutive Bundesliga victory this season, with an incredible 11 in their last 12 league games. Although the priority is of course to retain the Meisterschaft, FCB could equal a season record with a win against Eintracht Frankfurt.

If Bayern beat Frankfurt at the Allianz Arena for their sixth consecutive win, it will equal this season’s longest winning run, currently held jointly by themselves and title challengers RB Leipzig. Bayern could make it a record seven midweek, but it won’t be easy in Der Klassiker against Dortmund.

Christoph Kramer Faces Former Outfit

Borussia Mönchengladbach host Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday, as third meets fifth in a crucial clash at the top of the table. It will be a vital game for both sides at the Borussia-Park, though it will hold a slightly different meaning for one player in particular.

Christoph Kramer of Mönchengladbach prepares to face his former side once again, a club he spent a long time at before signing for Die Fohlen. The German spent eight years with Leverkusen, rising through the ranks up to the first team before leaving in 2016.

This season, Kramer has made 20 appearances for Marco Rose’s side, who sit six points off the top. He will be eager to complete the double over his former club this weekend, after playing the full 90 minutes in the 2-1 win in the reverse fixture last November.

Wolfsburg Look to Make it Eight Unbeaten

Wolfsburg have been one of the surprise packages of the season, as they sit sixth in the table in contention for a European spot. Oliver Glasner’s squad have put in some excellent performances throughout the campaign, and will hope for another one when they host Dortmund.

Die Wölfe are currently unbeaten in their last seven Bundesliga fixtures, and will be aiming to make that eight with the visit of the Schwarzgelben. It would see them close in on equalling their nine-game unbeaten run from the start of the season, which was ended by Dortmund in a 3-0 defeat.

The hosts aren’t far off their own Bundesliga record for most games unbeaten, which they will surely have in sight. Wolfsburg went 11 games unbeaten between November 2014 and March 2015, and will hope to take a step closer to that on Saturday.

Achim Beierlorzer Hosts Former Employers

Title contenders RB Leipzig travel to Mainz on Sunday, with both sides drawing their last games against Freiburg and Köln respectively. There will be a reunion at the OPEL Arena, as Mainz manager Achim Beierlorzer welcomes back former side RB.

Beierlorzer only joined Mainz last November, but will meet Die Roten Bullen again in this weekend’s clash. The German manager became Leipzig’s interim manager in 2015, moving up from the Under-17 side to take over from the recently resigned Alexander Zorniger.

He went on to become assistant manager under Ralf Rangnick, before moving on to be the manager for German second tier side Jahn Regensburg. Now at Mainz, Beierlorzer will be hoping for a successful rendezvous with his former employers when they clash this weekend.

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