Following a successful European week for Bundesliga clubs, the German top flight resumed with Matchday 29. After Friday night’s 2-2 draw between Hoffenheim and Augsburg, four matches took place on Saturday afternoon.
The Saturday afternoon Bundesliga encounters featured Borussia Dortmund hosting Bayer Leverkusen, Wolfsburg playing Eintracht Frankfurt, Heidenheim facing Union Berlin, and RB Leipzig taking on Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Wolfsburg’s Relegation Woes Worsen
Another week brings more discussion surrounding Wolfsburg. The 2009 Bundesliga champions are perilously close to being relegated to the second division, a situation that has been brewing for some time. However, the possibility of them finishing in last place is now a real concern, as Heidenheim continues their impressive resurgence.
Following the Autostadt’s 2-1 defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt and Heidenheim’s 3-1 victory over Union Berlin, Frank Schmidt’s team now sits just two points behind Wolfsburg with five games remaining. If Wolfsburg were to finish last, it would undoubtedly amplify the current struggles at the Volkswagen Arena.
Is Moritz Nicolas Underrated?
Moritz Nicolas unexpectedly became Borussia Mönchengladbach’s first-choice goalkeeper, and since then, he has emerged as one of “die Fohlen’s” most crucial players. Despite Gladbach’s 1-0 loss to RB Leipzig, Nicolas was the primary reason for keeping the scoreline so low.
The 28-year-old made an impressive 11 saves during the afternoon, placing him eighth for the most saves in a Bundesliga game this season. Earlier in the season, his 12 saves against Hamburg also saw him rank fourth. For context, former Gladbach keeper Yann Sommer appears twice in the top 10, including a league-leading 19 saves against Bayern Munich in 2023.
These statistics suggest that Nicolas might be an underrated goalkeeper, not receiving the recognition he deserves, particularly when compared to national team call-ups like Finn Dahmen, who has not had as strong an individual season. This raises questions about his standing within the national team setup.
Bayer Leverkusen Reclaim Momentum
After a series of draws, Bayer Leverkusen has now secured victories in their last two matches. This follows a commanding 6-3 win against Wolfsburg last week, and a more hard-fought 1-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund this weekend.
Considering they had conceded six goals against the bottom two teams in their previous two outings, this defensive performance against Dortmund was particularly convincing. “Die Werkself” managed to limit Niko Kovac’s side to just one shot on target, though this could also be attributed to Dortmund’s current struggles in attack.
On the offensive side, Kasper Hjulmand’s team could have been more potent. Their solitary goal came from a long-range strike by Robert Andrich, following a mistake from Ramy Bensebaini. Leverkusen now moves into fifth place, benefiting from a struggling Hoffenheim, and sits one point behind Stuttgart, who are in fourth. This keeps “die Werkself’s” Champions League aspirations alive, especially with the Bundesliga potentially securing an extra spot in the competition.
