German Bundesliga - Bayern Munich vs. Fortuna Dusseldorf - Preview & Prediction
By Valdis Pans
Currently sitting seven points clear at the top of Bundesliga with six games remaining, Bayern Munich will try to add another three points to their tally when hosting 16th-placed Fortuna Dusseldorf, who occupy the relegation play-off spot. Kick-off - at 12:30 PM ET on Saturday, May 30.
Bayern Edge Closer To Title
Reigning champions Bayern Munich took one step closer to banking their 30th German title this season after extending their lead at the top of the Bundesliga to seven points following a 1-0 road victory over the 2nd-placed Borussia Dortmund away at Signal Iduna Park on Tuesday. A back-and-forth contest saw midfielder Joshua Kimmich bank the winner with a stunning lob from 20 yards out after both teams had already made goal-line clearances and Dortmund had a goal disallowed due to an offside call. The Reds have won their past seven games, going unbeaten for 14 straight league matches (W13 D1).
Polish superstar Robert Lewandowski leads Bayern and the whole Bundesliga with 27 markers this season, but has never scored against Fortuna Dusseldorf before. Goalie Manuel Neuer, meanwhile, sits 11th in the league with 71 saves. He has registered 12 clean sheets in 28 appearances this year and allows a goal every 90 minutes on average. The reigning champions top Germany’s top tier in goals scored (81), shots delivered (18.4 per game), ball possession (62.6%) and passing accuracy (87.2%).
Dusseldorf Earn Win Versus Schalke
A run of four consecutive draws finally came to an end for Fortuna Dusseldorf, who collected a 2-1 victory against Schalke 04 at Merkur Spiel-Arena on Wednesday. Die Flingeraner dominated in ball possession (67%) and shots (13-8), delivering eight attempts on target, with Rouwen Hennings and Kenan Karaman netting in a matter of five minutes midway through the second half to erase Schalke’s 53rd-minute opener. Fortuna Dusseldorf is riding a six-game point streak (W2 D4), but still occupy the relegation play-off spot with a W6 D9 L13 record, five points ahead of 17th-placed Werder Bremen, trailing outright safety by a single point.
After ending a 10-game goal drought with a snipe on Wednesday, German forward Henning extended his team-leading tally to 12 markers. He has not, however, scored this season against any team currently sitting in the top-six. Goalie Florian Kastenmeier, meanwhile, occupies the 21st place in the league with 36 saves, having also recorded two clean sheets in 11 appearances this season. He gives up a goal every 58 minutes. Fortuna Dusseldorf is 2nd from the bottom in goals scored (31), 14th in most shots taken (12.3 per game), 15th in ball possession (46.4%), and 12th in passing accuracy (77.0%).
Prediction
Odds of -1000 for a more-than-likely Bayern Munich victory here is hardly inviting. So, looking for a better return in other markets regarding this matchup is definitely the way to go. Current Bundesliga top scorer Robert Lewandowski, who leads Germany’s top tier with 27 snipes is yet to score against Die Flingeraner in his career and is an excellent choice for the First Goalscorer bet. Thomas Muller, meanwhile, seems perfect for an Anytime Goalscorer nod, having already picked up five snipes in his last five appearances against Fortuna Dusseldorf. With Die Flingeraner having shot blanks in 22 of their previous 49 Bundesliga meetings with the league-leaders, another clean sheet for Bayern also seems unavoidable.
Best bets:
Robert Lewandowski to score first goal (+175)
Thomas Muller to score anytime (+125)
Bayern Munich - clean sheet (-115)