Bundesliga, Week 13: Goals galore in Germany

The Bundesliga is set to squeeze in five rounds of play between now and the winterpause, which begins December 22. In other words, the table could look quite different by the time play resumes in late January. But those shifts have to begin now, with the bottom-dwellers picking up points, and those in the European positions proving they’ve got the goods to stay top.

Or as near to top as Bayern Munich will let them get, anyway.

Friday at 8:30 p.m. local, 2:30 p.m. ET | GolTV (USA and Canada)

A relegation battle with a bit of a bite. After picking up just two wins from their first 12 games, Armin Veh resigned, and Huub Stevens has returned to help try to bring Stuttgart out of the mire once more. Freiburg, too, have just two wins, but they’ve managed six draws so they’re hovering a couple places above the drop zone. It’ll be a tough test for Stevens’ return, though, as Freiburg are on something of a hot streak, with three games unbeaten under their belts.

Saturday at 3:30 p.m. local, 9:30 a.m. ET | GolTV (USA and Canada)

Yawn. Another day, another routine win for Bayern, who sit 16 points clear of BSC. And don’t try to argue that there’s a chance for an upset because Pep’s men lost to Manchester City midweek. That’s just going to anger the Bavarians. Hertha put up a decent fight in both games last year, but don’t expect the same this time around. Oh, Adrián Ramos, how we miss thee.

Saturday at 6:30 p.m. local, 12:30 p.m. ET | GolTV (USA and Canada), BT Sport 1 (UK)

Hoffenheim are currently eighth, just three points out of the Champions League spots, but they’ve had a tough time of it recently, losing to Gladbach, Köln and of course Bayern. What’s perhaps most worrying is that they’ve conceded 11 goals in those three matches -- they were leaking goals last season as well, yet scored more than two per game. Their attack is fading. Although it’s nowhere near as stingy as Hannover’s, who’ve managed just ten goals this season. We can hope that chaos ensues, but it’s more likely Hannover will continue to be their measured selves.

Sunday at 3:30 p.m. local, 9:30 a.m. ET | GolTV (USA and Canada), ESPN UK

Third place visits second and for once, the Bundesliga schedule doesn’t overshadow such a duel by placing it at the same time as Bayern’s match against a middling side. No, we get to watch these teams in all their glory. Wolfsburg are only seven points back of first, and in the Bundesliga, that really is an ‘only’. But they slipped up last week against Schalke and have to get through a tough tie with Everton midweek. That gives Gladbach a chance to gain ground -- except the Foals have now lost two in a row. Tsk, usually they wait until after the winterpause to fade.