WE'RE delighted to welcome German Football expert Raphael Honigstein to the site for the new season thanks to our partner Unibet.
You may know Raph from his excellent work on BTSport where he shares his knowledge of the European game and we're hoping he can make some of that know-how pay for us on MrFixitsTips. Best of luck Raphael!
Hertha Berlin v Werder Bremen (2.30pm)
Hertha’s away form throughout 2017 has been pretty dire, so it was no surprise to see them go down 2-0 at Borussia Dortmund before the international break. Coach Pal Dardai described it as a deserved win for the home side, saying that their plan to try and deny Dortmund space in the first half hadn’t worked.
The emphasis will be back on Hertha to take the initiative on Sunday. That’s not something Dardai’s side struggled with in the Bundesliga last season, with their home form being the foundation of an eventual sixth place finish.
Werder Bremen’s game plan at the Olympiastadion might not shift too drastically from their previous game against Bayern Munich. As coach Alexander Nouri pointed out, they defended very well up until the 70th minute. Then Robert Lewandowski snuck in twice to kill the game in Bayern’s favour. Going forward, Werder got into good positions on the counter but the final pass was lacking.
They’ve lost both of their games so far this season but the performances have been better than the points tally. Nouri’s side won 1-0 at Hertha last season with a convincing performance. Max Kruse starred with the winner then and he’ll be counted on up front again to come up with Werder’s first goal of the campaign. Hertha’s disciplined approach make them a difficult side to beat in Berlin, meaning this may not be the most entertaining game but it’s still worth backing both sides to score.
- Score prediction: Hertha Berlin 2, Werder Bremen 1 (15-2, Unibet)
- First goal prediction: Vedad Ibisevic (17-5, Unibet)
- Safe bet: Both teams to score (7-10, Unibet)
Munich-born Raphael Honigstein writes about football for Germany’s biggest broadsheet, Süddeutsche Zeitung, the Guardian, ESPNFC and his tips appear here thanks to our football partner at MrFixitsTips, Unibet. They're making a big splash in the UK betting scene and if you join them today you can claim up to £30 in Welcome Bonuses when you deposit and place your first bet.
Munich-born Raphael Honigstein writes about football for Germany’s biggest broadsheet, Süddeutsche Zeitung, the Guardian, ESPNFC and others. He’s a regular pundit on BT Sport’s European Football Show and the author of “Englischer Fussball: A German View of Our Beautiful Game”. His favourite food is Schnitzel, predictably.
Thanks for the BTTS tip. Really boosted my acca.