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Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen must win against Werder Bremen on Saturday at BayArena if they have any ambition of retaining their title.
The hosts have 53 points and trail league-leaders Bayern Munich by one place and eight points despite beating Eintracht Frankfurt 4-1 on March 1, while the visitors were beaten 2-1 by Wolfsburg on the same date and are in 12th place with 30 points.
We say: Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 Werder Bremen
Leverkusen’s record at home is excellent, and it is difficult to see Werder Bremen posing much of a challenge given their poor form.
The visitors have also struggled defensively, and the hosts could take advantage of the Green-Whites’ vulnerability on Saturday.
> Bundesliga preview: B. Leverkusen vs Werder Bremen
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Bayern Munich’s quest to reclaim their Bundesliga crown continues on Saturday when they host strugglers VfL Bochum at Allianz Arena.
Bayern have 61 points and are eight ahead of second-placed Bayer Leverkusen following their 3-1 victory against Stuttgart on February 28, whereas Bochum lost 1-0 against Hoffenheim on March 1 and are third last in 16th place with 17 points.
We say: Bayern Munich 5-0 VfL Bochum
Bayern have been rampant in front of goal this campaign, and they will be confident of boosting their tally significantly on Saturday.
Though Bochum have proven somewhat more resilient of late, it would be surprising if they managed to upset the league leaders away from home.
> Bundesliga preview: Bayern vs VfL Bochum
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Borussia Dortmund will hope to continue their late push for European football when they host Augsburg at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday in the Bundesliga.
Dortmund beat St Pauli 2-0 on March 1 and are in 10th place with 35 points – three points ahead of 11th-placed Augsburg – and only seven points separate them from third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt.
We say: Borussia Dortmund 2-1 Augsburg
Borussia Dortmund have started to pick up positive results under Kovac, and they will come into Saturday’s game full of confidence.
However, they are unlikely to find their clash against Augsburg to be a straightforward encounter given their poor home form, though the visitors could fall short as a result of their limited threat in the final third.
> Bundesliga preview: Dortmund vs Augsburg
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European hopefuls Wolfsburg welcome relegation-threatened St Pauli to Volkswagen Arena for a Bundesliga contest on Saturday afternoon.
Nothing could separate these two sides when they faced off at Millerntor-Stadion just under five months ago when they played out a goalless stalemate.
We say: Wolfsburg 2-0 St Pauli
Another tight affair similar to the reverse fixture cannot be ruled out here, but Wolfsburg will be regarded as favourites to come out on top. The hosts have made themselves difficult to beat in front of their own fans in recent months and we are backing them to pick up all three points against a St Pauli outfit struggling to score goals.
> Bundesliga preview: Wolfsburg vs St Pauli
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Desperate to climb further from the bottom, Holstein Kiel look to build on their recent victory as they host Stuttgart on Saturday in Bundesliga‘s round 25.
A hard-fought win at Union Berlin lifted the Storks off the foot of the table, but they remain in the relegation zone with 16 points, one behind the playoff spot and four adrift of safety.
We say: Holstein Kiel 1-3 Stuttgart
Despite Stuttgart’s recent struggles, their solid away form suggests they have the edge in this encounter, especially if Holstein’s last victory proves to be just a brief upturn.
> Bundesliga preview: Holstein Kiel vs Stuttgart
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The scramble to qualify for the Champions League is set to take another twist on Saturday in the Bundesliga when Freiburg welcome RB Leipzig to Europa-Park Stadion.
Freiburg are fifth with 40 points but are just one point behind fourth-placed Mainz 05, who occupy the final Champions League qualification spot, while Leipzig are in sixth place with 38 points but lost 2-1 against Mainz on March 1.
We say: Freiburg 2-0 RB Leipzig
Freiburg will be confident of victory considering they have been excellent defensively in the past weeks.
Additionally, Leipzig’s struggles on the road should make the hosts clear favourites for all three points, especially as the home team boast a strong record at Europa-Park Stadion.
> Bundesliga preview: Freiburg vs RB Leipzig
