Bundesliga 2022-23: Matchday 17 preview

The Bundesliga blasted back into action on a memorable Matchday 16 that produced a season-high of 41 goals across nine pulsating games. With the dust no sooner settled on a dramatic weekend, we’re all set to go again with a midweek fixture list that looks no less inviting to what came before.

FC Bayern München and RB Leipzig played out a 1-1 draw to get the season back up and running last Friday, and the record champions will be tested once more on Tuesday against a 1. FC Köln side who struck a stunning seven goals past SV Werder Bremen just days ago. With a five-point advantage at the top of the standings, the Bavarian giants are guaranteed to be this term’s halfway leaders, the 26th time they have achieved that feat in their Bundesliga history.

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting scored his seventh top-flight goal of the campaign at the Red Bull Arena, which brought Bayern’s Bundesliga goals tally for the season to 50. Their midweek opponents were scoring for fun at the weekend, with the Billy Goats hitting seven in a game for the first time in 39 years, Bremen the victims in a 7-1 loss at the RheinEnergieStadion. Steffen Baumgart’s men will nonetheless have their work cut out for them at the Allianz Arena this week, with history pointing to the fact that Bayern have won this match-up 15 out of the last 16 times the teams have met.

Lying in second spot behind Julian Nagelsmann’s side, Eintracht Frankfurt are on a high having downed FC Schalke 04 3-0 over the weekend to ensure their best start to a season for 10 years. On Wednesday, Oliver Glasner’s super Eagles visit an SC Freiburg side that suffered an uncharacteristically heavy 6-0 loss against VfL Wolfsburg last time out. That was veteran coach Christian Streich’s worst result in 339 games in charge of the side currently in fourth, and the 57-year-old will be keen to ensure his team respond at their Europa-Park Stadion home, where Freiburg have won their last four games.

Elsewhere during a packed schedule, Borussia Dortmund travel to 1. FSV Mainz 05 in Wednesday’s early game with the Black-and-Yellows keen to keep the feelgood factor intact after an emotional few days. Sebastien Haller made his BVB debut on Sunday following his return from cancer and his team celebrated that welcome sight with a dramatic 4-3 victory against FC Augsburg at Signal Iduna Park. Mainz will need to be at their very best if they are to arrest unwanted runs of five games without a win and five straight Dortmund victories at the MEWA Arena.

Also, back up into third position after a pre-winter break lull, 1. FC Union Berlin enjoyed a come-from-behind win against TSG Hoffenheim on their return to action at the weekend. The 3-1 victory will stand the capital club – who have already amassed a club record 30 points at this stage of a season – in good stead when they face a Werder side hoping to respond from the aforementioned setback in Köln.

Bottom-of-the-table Schalke – who have lost nine of their previous 10 Bundesliga matches – welcome fifth-placed Leipzig, unbeaten in their last 14 games in all competitions. Meanwhile, in-form Bayer 04 Leverkusen, winners of their last four in Germany’s top division, host a VfL Bochum team who have managed a sequence of three wins on the bounce for the first time in 15 years.

With Hertha Berlin hosting a formidable Wolfsburg on the back of five consecutive wins, Hoffenheim hosting regional rivals VfB Stuttgart, and Augsburg at home to Borussia Mönchengladbach, Matchday 17 looks set to offer a spellbinding end to the first half of what has been an unmissable and breathless Bundesliga season so far.