Hoffenheim v Bayern Munchen, Saturday 16th May

My Thoughts

First, let this writer apologise for the lack of work on here this weekend- it's exam time.

When these two sides met in December, Hoffenheim went into the game at the Allianz Arena knowing whatever the result, they would top the Bundesliga at the halfway stage. A titanic battle ensued- Hoffenheim taking the lead through Vedad Ibisevic, before a Bayern comeback resulting in a late winner for Luca Toni. A horrible slump in form after Christmas, which was not helped by the loss of Ibisevic to a knee injury, has resulted in Hoffenheim falling out of contention even for a Europa League place, however a mini-revival has seen them win their last 2 games and move up to 7th place. Bayern, who have re-appointed Jupp Heynckes following the dismissal of Jurgen Klinsmann and his Buddha statues (no, really) are still very much in contention for the Bundeslinga, and will be desperate for 3 points. Heynckes has won all 3 of his matches in charge so far, and will know that another 2 wins are vital if his team are to triumph.

The Verdict
Hoffenheim may well have rediscovered ther mojo in their last 2 games, however Bayern may well prove too strong here. Away win

The Bet
Bayern are a best-price 4/7 with extrabet to win- very poor value in this writer's opinion. Alternatively, Lukas Podolski seems to be rediscovering his form under Heynckes. He can be backed at 13/10 with expekt.com to score anytime

Wolfsburg v Hoffenheim, Saturday 2nd May

My Thoughts

Herbstmiester (autumn champions) Hoffenheim have fallen spectacularly, and yet somehow predictably, off the pace in the 2nd half of the Bundesliga season. Wolfsburg, on t'other hand, have gone from strength to strength after their visit from the big fella in the red with the white bearn, and now sit top of the Bundesliga with 5 games left, with a home record of 13 wins and 1 draw from 14 home league games, helped in no small part by the goalscoring form of Grafite. Wolfsburg's home form, as mentioned above, is about as close to perfection as can resonably be expected. Hoffenheim's away record, however, is not so: just 4 wins away from home all season, the last of those coming back in November at Koln.

The Verdict
Despite last weekend's blip in the form of a 2-0 loss away at struggling Energie Cottbus, Wolfsburg are still very much the team to beat in Germany right now. Hoffenheim now look exactly like the 200-1 title outsiders they were at the start of the season: a fearsome gallop at the start gave backers something to cheer, but they look totally unable to last the pace now. All of this points to a home win.

The Bet
Predictably, a small single backing Wolfsburg outright won't make you a millionaire, but should still represent decent value (best price 6/11 with expekt.com). Elsewhere, Wolfsburg have scored an average of 2.78 goals per game at home this season, with Hoffenheim averaging 2. It would therefore be worth considering over 3.5 goals, especially considering Hoffenheim's 3-2 win in the reverse fixture, currently trading around the 6/4 mark on Betfair.