Borrusia Monchengladbach is currently enjoying their best start to a Bundesliga season in eternity.
Marco Rose’s side sits top of the standings with 28 points, one ahead of second-placed RB Leipzig.
Their 4-2 win at home to Freiburg on Sunday indicated that they do not intend to slow down any time soon.
On Saturday afternoon, they face arguably their biggest test of the season when they host multiple defending champions Bayern Munich at Borussia Park.
The fact that they have been brilliant since the season started is down to the fact that they are performing at both ends of the pitch.
Gladbach’s defense has conceded only 15 goals so far while they have also scored an impressive 28 at the other end.
Marcus Thuram has won most of the plaudits for his exploits upfront and with six goals already registered to his name, the French forward will be yarning for more along with partner Alessan Plea who has managed four.
Bayern is however a different opponent from the rest Gladbach has faced to date.
The Bavarians may not have been performing well in the recent past but without doubt, they are the best side in German.
Fourth place is not a position that is welcome in Munich and head coach Dieter Flick knows that with fact and his side must improve if he is to stay in interim role.
After a good start that saw him win both of his first two Bundesliga games, Flick’s side lost 2-1 at home to Bayer Leverkusen last week, Bayern’s 3rd league loss of the season.
Four points behind Gladbach is catchable as per Bayern’s standards but they will be desperate for that margin not to widen any further.
Both sides have three players ruled out of the contest with Andreas Poulsen, Keanan Bennetts and Torben Musel all injured for Gladbach. For Bayern, they are once again missing the services of Niklas Sule, Lucas Hernandez and Jann Arp.
This fixture did not produce a home victory last season as both sides triumphed in their respective away fixtures with Bayern winning the reverse tie 5-1.
On the same day, Leverkusen will be hoping to build on their victory at Bayern last week when they host Schalke O4 at the Bayer Arena.
Peter Bosz’s side must be riding high on confidence and will be slight favourites to win this one.
The return of Jamaican forward Leon Bailey was inspiring as he scored the two goals against Bayern and he will be the man to watch.
Leverkusen are in good form going into the contest as they have won four of their past five games in all competitions whilst drawing the other.
The only worry is that they have not won any of their past four home-league games (D3 L1).
They start the day in 6th spot, only six points off top spot and with leaders Gladbach hosting wounded Bayern, Leverkusen know that they have a very good chance to close in on the top.
For Schalke 04, just like Leverkusen, they are also in fairly good form as they have not lost any of their last five competitive games (W4 D1).
The appointment of David Wagner is paying dividends and no one could have imagined that they would be in 3rd at this stage.
They have won their past two games 2-1 and they will be fancying their chances to register three victories on the trot for the second time this season after doing likewise in September.
Micthell Weiser and Joel Pohjanpalo are injured for the home side while Jonathan Tah is suspended. Schalke also have issues of their own as they are without up to five first-team players including Salif Sane and Benjamin Stambouli.
Ironically, this fixture has not produced a home victory in any of the last six match-ups with the away side winning four times and the other two ending in draws.
The German Bundesliga match-day 14 will start with Eintracht Frankfurt hosting Hertha Berlin on Friday while on Saturday, there will be two very important games at the top as Borussia Dortmund hosts Fortuna Dusseldorf while RB Leipzig entertains unpredictable Hoffenheim in a fixture that will see Julian Negglesman face his former side.
The German Bundesliga match-day 14 fixtures
Friday, 06-12-2019
-Frankfurt vs Hertha Berlin @10:30pm
Saturday, 07-12-2019
-Dortmund vs Dusseldorf @5:30pm
-Leipzig vs Hoffenheim @5:30pm
-Gladbach vs Bayern @5:30pm
-Freiburg vs Wolfsburg @5:30pm
-Augsburg vs Mainz @5:30pm
-Leverkusen vs Schalke @8:30pm
Sunday, 08-12-2019
-Union Berlin vs Koln @5:30pm
-Bremen vs Paderborn @8:00pm
