There is a full round of Bundesliga fixtures this mid-week, for what is known as an Englische Woche – an English Week – due to its resemblance to the chaotic English football calendar.
What to Expect From This Week’s Bundesliga Englische Woche
The Origins of the Englische Woche
An Englische Woche refers to a three-game week for sides in the Bundesliga and stems from the large number of games English clubs have to play. Unlike England which has leagues of 20 and 24 teams, Germany’s top two divisions only have 18 sides competing.
Furthermore, German clubs only compete in one domestic trophy, the DFB-Pokal, compared to the two English clubs play in – the League and FA Cup.
As a result of this, the German football calendar isn’t nearly as congested as its’ English counterparts, meaning the need for mid-week fixtures is lessened.
Between one and three Englische Woche are usually scheduled each season in the Bundesliga and the 2. Bundesliga.
What to Expect in the Bundesliga this Mid-Week
All 18 Bundesliga clubs will play Matchday 17 across Tuesday and Wednesday, starting with the early kick-off between Borussia Mönchengladbach against Werder Bremen.
Also on Tuesday, Hertha Berlin face Hoffenheim, Mainz host Wolfsburg and a top-of-the-table clash sees Borussia Dortmund travel to play Bayer Leverkusen.
Level on points in third and fourth, once title contenders Leverkusen have slipped up in recent weeks, whilst a resurged BVB have began to pick up points again.
Leverkusen boast the league’s second-best defence and will need to be on top form to keep out Dortmund talisman Erling Haaland, who has returned after a month-long hamstring injury.
In-Form Union Berlin Look For Another Shock
On Wednesday night Arminia Bielefeld host VfB Stuttgart, Eintracht Frankfurt travel to Freiburg, Schalke face FC Köln in a huge relegation battle. High-flying Union Berlin will look to pull off a shock victory against RB Leipzig.
Fresh off a victory against Leverkusen, Union will have their work cut out against last season’s Champions League semi-finalists who are four points off the top.
Bayern Munich Looking to Bounce Back in Bavaria Derby
The final fixture in the Bundesliga Englische Woche pits league leaders and record champions Bayern Munich against Bavarian rivals Augsburg.
Bayern are unbeaten in ten against their regional neighbours but have been suffering an unusual patchy run of form.
Their recent Pokal defeat to second-tier Holstein Kiel was the first time Bayern had been eliminated by a team from a lower division since 2003/04.
With the FIFA Club World Cup around the corner for the side from Munich, they’ll be keen to get a victory in the Bundesliga Englische Woche.
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