24./03.2012 15:30h CET
Mönchengladbach- TSG hoffenheim
Pick: under 2,5 Goals
Odd: 1.86 188bet (+0.09)
Stake:5/10
In the saturday evening match Gladbach reveices Hoffenheim. Gladbach played under the week against Bayern München in the DFB Pokal and showed over 120 a very impressive performance. They only lost the match on penaltys which they didnt earn after a performace like this- but that is football!
Coach Favre spoke after this bad lose a lot with his team to motivate his team for the upcoming match but fact is also, that he had only 1 and a half day to prefer his team at the match against Hoffenheim. It would be today the question in which Condition Gladbach is. In the past they showed after long cup fights, I remember on the match against Hertha, that they arent able to show their great play some days later. It depends on their fast play, they are running a lot and are living from their fast playing. It is normal that they break in performance because it isnt usal for the team to play two times in a week and an other reason is, that they havnt also enough players to change the first eleven. Today will return Patrick Herrmann back into the team, he is very important because the tactically system is with him an other as without him. Herrmann is able to make the play fast and is also able to find the space to play the pass to Reus, who profit a lot of his use. Only missing player is Nordtveit today, he is looked on cards. For him will begin Marx which play this position 1 to 1. Nordtveit is running more and a better building player but all in all Marx can play his position too.
Hoffenheim didnt convinced me in the past and lost their last two matches with 1:7 against Bayern München and 1:2 against Stuttgart. An important reason for their bad performance was the offensive play. They have the skills to make enough danger and pressure but they didnt take profit of them. Today will return Lakic back into the team, but how does it looks like Schipplock will get his chance from beginning. Tactically Hoffenheim is playing in a 4-2-3-1. Coach Babbel always chance his team from play to play and said a lot of times that he isnt satisfied with the performances by some players. The system suffers about that and this is one of the reasons why the team is playing among his prerequisite. Today Coach Babbel and his team can show that they are able to keep up with playful strong teams.
All in all I ecexpt here that Gladbach will have many problems with Hoffenheim, which showed a good work under the week in training. The question by Gladbach is today if the team is relaxed enough to beat Hoffenheim here. I except a match where we will see much action in midfield. Both teams are stronger in the defensive as in the offensive and this is the reason why I except here a slow and boring match. Odds are good playable and I think that we will see here not more then two goals. Possible line-up:
ter Stegen- Jantschke,Dante,Stranzl,Daems-Marx,Neustädter-Arango,Herrmann-Reus,Han ke
Starke-Beck,Vestergaard, Compper,Johnson- Weiss,Williams,Salihovic, Firmino, Babel - Schipplock
24/03.2012 18:30 CET
Schalke 04- Bayer Leverkusen
Pick: Leverkusen +0.75
Odds: 1.75 Pinnacle (-0.04)
Stake: 6/10
On the saturday night match Schalke 04 receives Bayer Leverkusen. Both Teams have the same bilance in the last 5 matches and are also neighbors in the table. Schalke is currently on the 4th place, Leverkusen on the 5th with a residue of 10 points to Schalke.
For both teams is that match very important because both want to finish the season on the 4th place to play next year in the Champions-league. Of course, Schalke has clearly the better Cards and Leverkusen has at the first View more pressure to win this match. But I think also that Schalke would risk here not very much because a Draw would be a great success and they would keep the same distance to Leverkusen in the table.
Schalke won their last 2 matches, and collected 7 points from the last 5 matches. Last week against Kaiserslautern they conceded a early goal but they showed morality and turn the match before the Half-time. Very impressive, but all in all Kaiserslautern made after their fast Goal simply not enough danger and let Schalke so enough space to combine. This match remembered me a lot on the match between Schalke and Twente, where Schalke also got the freedom after the fast goal of the opponent. Schalke lives from their offensive play, in the defensive they have also their problems when the opponent makes the Game fast. Tactically they are playing in a 4-2-2-1-1. Since the last two matches Lewis Holtby retuned back into the team and is playing next to Jermaine jones in the defensive midfield. Holtby is playing his part very offensivly and when Leverkusen is able to start some fast counters about Renato Augusto they have a good chance here. Today are Höwedes, Unnerstall and Fährmann out. Hildebrand will also play for Unnerstall and uchida for Höwedes. Captain Höwedes in an important player for the defensive, because he has most experience and is also able to organize the Defensive. Uchida is playing on this positon a more offensive part, which would be interessting against the fast Andre Schürrle.
Leverkusen lost their last two matches and collected also 7 points from the last 5 matches. The two Looses were very hard. Against Wolfsburg they didnt use their chances after their lead to dicide the match and against Gladbach last week they showed a good performance but Gladbach scored in the lat 5 minutes and won this compensating match. Today are Corluka, Bender and the long injured players Sam and Ballack out. The missing of Bender is not easy to reject but Rolfes has the skills to do that very well. In the RV Da Costa get also a change after his great Match against Gladbach. Tactically Leverkusen is playing in a 4-2-3-1. Renato Augusto is the central man in midfield, which organize the offensive play. Leverkusen is very flexibel and not easy to play. If you want to stop them over the outsides they come through the middle and change their Play very fast. The Defensive had in last matches more problems as usal and I hope that Reinartz and Rolfes support them today against the great offensive by Schalke.
I see both teams today on eye-level, both have some injurys and are in the same form. My impression, which i get under the week is, that Leverkusen is here the more motivated team and want to set a signal that they arent dead and want to fight for the 4th place. By Schalke was in my eyes under week to much trouble about the contracts of Raul, Huntelaar or Holtby. Coach Stevens also slows down the excaptations in every Interview to calm the surroundings. The Fans except a lot from their Team and Schalke has with this pressure often his problems. Leverkusens Coach Dutt criticed his team after the match against Gladbach a lot, which is not typically for him, but I think it was the right choice and the impression under the week was ok to good in my eyes. This AHC line is here clearly playable because it is a Match on eye-level. Possible-lineup:
Hildebrand- Uchida, Matip, Papadopoulus, Fuchs- Holtby, Jones- Farfan, Draxler- Raul- Huntelaar
Leno- DaCosta, Schwaab, Toprak, Kadlec- Reinartz, Rolfes- Castro, Renato Augusto, Schürrle- Kiessling
