Bundesliga Matchday 20 Preview: Boniface set for first Bundesliga game in over two months
After starting the new year in style, extending their winning run to five matches, the long road to reclaiming the Bundesliga title is starting to look a little shorter for
leaders FC Bayern München heading into Matchday 20.
A narrow 2-1 victory at SC Freiburg allowed Bayern to grow their lead to six points, with defending champions Bayer 04 Leverkusen in second drawing 2-2 against RB Leipzig.
A home tie against second-from-bottom Holstein Kiel on Saturday afternoon will give Vincent Kompany’s men a chance to further their title charge. The newly promoted side
have shown plenty of spirit recently though, taking seven points from their last five matches and battling to a 2-2 draw at VfL Wolfsburg last matchday.
Top scorer Harry Kane will fancy his chances of adding to his 17 goals this season at home to a side that have conceded a league-high 48 goals, however.
The encounter in Freiburg saw him assisted by friend and fellow England international Eric Dier – marking the first time two English players have combined like that for a Bundesliga goal.
Leverkusen will have to wait until the final encounter of the matchday on Sunday afternoon against TSG Hoffenheim to respond to Bayern’s result. Despite being held in Leipzig, a 17
match unbeaten Bundesliga run suggests it is far too early to overlook their chances of retaining the title.
Patrik Schick scored again in Leipzig for his 13th goal in his past nine appearances. Should the Czech forward continue that kind of form, he may push Kane close in the race to be
crowned top goalscorer.
Also set to feature is Nigerian striker, Victor Boniface who saw his proposed move to Saudi Pro League side, Al Hilal fall through.
The 24 year old has been out of Bundesliga action since the final week of November when he injured his hamstring. He was on the bench in the 2-2 draw at Leipzig last week.
Leipzig find themselves just out of the top four on goal difference and face a difficult tie on Saturday evening away at 1. FC Union Berlin, who are eager for points to move clear of
relegation danger.
Just ahead of Leipzig are VfB Stuttgart, whose fine form since the winter break was halted by a 2-0 defeat at 1. FSV Mainz 05 last weekend. Stuttgart host eighth-placed Borussia
Mönchengladbach on Saturday afternoon.
They could have been leapfrogged by then by Mainz, who are the surprise team of the season so far. Bo Henriksen’s side go into the opening tie of Matchday 20 at ninth-placed
SV Werder Bremen on Friday evening in fifth place – just a point behind Leipzig and Stuttgart.
Eintracht Frankfurt are comfortably lodged in third place – five points behind Leverkusen and five points clear of Stuttgart and Leipzig. Hugo Ekitiké showed he can step up to
compensate for the recent loss of star striker Omar Marmoush with two goals in a 2-2 draw at Hoffenheim.
The Eagles will target a win when seventh-placed Wolfsburg visit on Sunday.
Borussia Dortmund have a chance to claim their first win since the departure of coach Nuri Şahin when they visit struggling 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 on Saturday. Frank Schmidt’s side
are down in 16th and have won only one of their past 14 Bundesliga matches.
Heidenheim were beaten 2-1 last weekend by FC Augsburg, who are on a run of three consecutive wins. Jess Thorup’s outfit visit FC St. Pauli on Saturday with the two sides level
on 20 points.
The Hamburg-based cult club completed back-to-back victories of their own with a 3-0 triumph over Union and are six points clear of Heidenheim and the bottom three
heading into the matchday.
VfL Bochum 1848 remain bottom of the pile on 10 points but could move off the foot of the table with victory on Saturday at home to Freiburg, who have lost four of their past five
matches.
Match Preview Courtesy of Bundesliga
