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You may know Raph from his excellent work on BT Sport 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!
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Dortmund (Sat, 2.30pm)
Borussia Dortmund followed up their 3-2 defeat to RB Leipzig with another inauspicious display in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.
The 1-1 draw against APOEL Nicosia saw keeper Roman Bürki make a costly mistake but what was more concerning was how his colleagues further up the pitch struggled to create much in the way of chances.
Dortmund will at least have fond memories of their last game against Eintracht Frankfurt as they saw them off earlier this year in the DFB-Cup final.
Away games in Frankfurt though have been rather less pleasant for Dortmund in recent seasons with the Black and Yellows losing on each of their last three visits.
Frankfurt too have made a decent start to the season although the majority of their points have come away from home to date where they have looked most comfortable.
A win at Hannover last weekend made it 10 points from five away games which is perhaps more informative given Frankfurt will have to play on the back foot here and that should suit Niko Kovac's side.
In Frenchman Sebastian Haller they have a striker who could prove a handful for the visitors, particularly with centre-back Sokratis out suspended.
Dortmund may still be the league leaders but their momentum points towards a disappointing result in Frankfurt.
Raphael's Tips
- Eintracht 1, Dortmund 1 (13-2, Unibet)
- Haller to score first (9-1, Unibet)
- Eintracht not to lose (6-5, Unibet)
Borussia M'gladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (Sat, 2.30pm)
Lars Stindl continues to lead the line well for Gladbach. His magnificent turn allowed him to score their opener in what turned out to be a comfortable 2-0 win against Werder Bremen last weekend.
It's likely Dieter Hacking will stick with the same starting XI that won in Bremen, with Dennis Zakaria deserving recognition for his impressive start to life in Moenchengladbach in the heart of Borussia's midfield.
It was something of the same old story for Leverkusen last Sunday. They had more than enough chances to beat Wolfsburg last weekend.
However, Heiko Herrlich was critical of his side not being able to build on their lead and in the end it came back to haunt them as Wolfsburg for punished them for their lapses in concentration.
The Leverkusen players were made well aware of that this week. When they go back over games usually with Herrlich it can take up to 45 minutes but the Leverkusen coach spent over an hour with the players trying to iron out the kinks in last weekend's performance.
The pressure is more on Leverkusen ahead of this Rhine derby. With just one point from four away games and nine points in total their form is in line with the dismal campaign they experienced last season.
Both sides tend to entertain when it comes to goals per game with Leverkusen yielding a league high 28 goals while Gladbach aren't far behind with 24. More entertainment looks on the cards at the Borussia Park on Saturday.
Raphael's Tips
- Borussia 2, Bayer 2 (10-1, Unibet)
- Stindl to score first (6-1, Unibet)
- Over 3.5 match goals (7-5, Unibet)
Hamburg v Bayern Munich (Sat, 5.30pm)
Hamburg's season has quickly gone south after winning their first two games of the campaign. Last weekend's 3-2 defeat at Mainz meant they have taken just a point from their last six games.
Coach Markus Gisdol remains pretty relaxed ahead of facing Bayern. He's been training this week with a back five and two holding midfielders which tells you how he's thinking of approaching this one.
Given how Bayern dominated Celtic for the most part on Wednesday that may not be a bad idea.
Bayern have improved since Heynckes returned just under a fortnight ago. At the back they don't look nearly as susceptible as they did against Wolfsburg and Hertha when Bayern chucked away two-goal leads twice.
Hamburg having scored only one goal in their four home games this season points towards more misery for Markus Gisdol and co on Saturday, especially with Bayern finding their groove once again.
Raphael's Tips
- Hamburg 0, Bayern 3 (13-2, Unibet)
- Muller to score first (4-1, Unibet)
- Bayern -2 (11-10, 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.
