The Bundesliga title race is drawing ever closer to home straight. Matchday 25 again is dominated by the battle between the reigning champions FC Bayern and the contenders RB Leipzig. Two points separate the two teams who meet each other on 3 April. Before that, FC Bayern have the Champions League Round of 16 second leg against Lazio. Here you can find out which the games at the weekend are important from an FC Bayern perspective.
RB Leipzig vs Eintracht Frankfurt
Kick-off: Sunday, 14.03.2021, 15:30 CET
Significance: No easing off! RB Leipzig are keeping up the pressure on FC Bayern in the Bundesliga title race. A convincing 3-0 win at SC Freiburg last weekend ensured the team from Saxony maintain the two-point gap to the record champions. A home win on Sunday against Eintracht Frankfurt, who have suffered all their three defeats this season on the road, could keep the Red Bulls waiting to seize the chance to take top spot. RB were knocked out of the Champions League at the Round of 16 stage by Liverpool this week.
Key facts: RB are currently on the best run of all Bundesliga clubs with the Leipzig team the only ones to win their last six games with a return of 15 goals for and three against. RB Leipzig have the best defence in the league with only 20 goals conceded and they also have the best home record with 31 out of a possible 36 points collected on their own ground. In contrast, Frankfurt have lost the last two games after previously being unbeaten in 2021. Interesting: The away team has never won the Bundesliga fixture between these two sides (five home wins, four defeats).
Leipzig won 3-0 at SC Freiburg on the last matchday. Christopher Nkunku (at the front) scored one goal and provided an assist.
VfB Stuttgart vs TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
Kick-off: Sunday, 14.03.2021, 18:00 CET
Significance: The derby between VfB Stuttgart and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim on Sunday evening (18:00 CET) rounds off matchday 25. After VfB, FC Bayern's next opponents in the Bundesliga, did not win at home game in the first half of the season (five draws, three defeats), the trend has now turned round. The last four matches at home have brought the Swabians two wins and two draws. One of the key performers in the recent successes is striker Sasa Kalajdzic with seven goals scored in the last six games. A longer goalscoring run in a VfB shirt was achieved by Fredi Bobic back in 1995/96 (seven games).
Key facts: Both teams go into the derby with an identical run. Newly promoted Stuttgart are unbeaten in their last four Bundesliga fixtures and have worked their way up to ninth place with two wins and two draws. Hoffenheim, also with two wins and two draws, are undefeated for four games in succession for the first time this season and are two places behind VfB in eleventh spot.
International: Lazio vs FC Crotone
Lazio lost 3-1 at Juventus last Saturday – it was the third defeat on the bounce.
Kick-off: Friday, 12.03.2021, 15:00 CET
Significance: After the 4-1 defeat to Bayern in the Champions League Round of 16 first leg at the end of February, Lazio suffered another two reverses in Serie A at Bologna (0-2) and at Juventus (1-3). In addition, the home game against Torino (02.03.) was postponed due to coronavirus cases. Ahead of the meeting with FCB on Wednesday at the Allianz Arena (17.03), the seventh-placed Laziali have lost touch with the Champions League places and now have to get a result against bottom of the table FC Crotone to get back on track.
Key facts: Newly promoted Crotone are the only team in Serie A without an away win this season. Since the last three points on the road, a 2-1 win at Udinese in the middle of April 2018, the team from Calabria have only won two points from 15 away matches in Italy's top-flight.
Bundesliga matchday 25 at a glance
Friday, 12.03.2021 | 20:30 CET
FC Augsburg vs Borussia Mönchengladbach
Saturday, 13.03.2021 | 15:30 CET
VfL Wolfsburg vs FC Schalke 04
1. FC Union Berlin vs 1. FC Köln
1. FSV Mainz 05 vs Sport-Club Freiburg
SV Werder Bremen vs FC Bayern
Saturday, 13.03.2021 | 18:30 CET
Borussia Dortmund vs Hertha BSC
Sunday, 14.03.2021 | 13:30 CET
Bayer 04 Leverkusen vs DSC Arminia Bielefeld
Sunday, 14.03.2021 | 15:30 CET
RB Leipzig vs Eintracht Frankfurt
Sunday, 14.03.2021 | 18:00 CET
VfB Stuttgart vs TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
The Bayern View was a feature in the former digital magazine Pack ma's.
Fond memories: Bayern were champions of Germany for the 30th time in the last away game at Werder Bremen – also thanks to a reflex save by Manuel Neuer:
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