Bayer Leverkusen achieved an incredible 3-0 win over Bayern Munich a week ago, moving five points clear with 13 games to play.
Meanwhile, Stuttgart continue to defy the odds and are third in the division. Will round No. 22 throw up any major Bundesliga shocks?
Stuttgart posted a 3-1 win earlier this season against Darmstadt. The Swabians are aiming to do the domestic double over their rivals on Saturday. Stuttgart went unbeaten against Darmstadt in the teams’ last three Bundesliga meetings.
Darmstadt are bottom of the league and in awful form ahead of round No. 22. They failed to win their last 14 Bundesliga matches. In five of the last seven league games, Darmstadt failed to score. Nine points separate Darmstadt from safety.
Stuttgart are on a three-game winning streak in the Bundesliga. The league title is too far away and the Swabians are focused on finishing third in the league. Stuttgart scored 3.0 goals or more in their last three games.
League leader Bayer Leverkusen will go in search of an 18th in the Bundesliga this season against Heidenheim. Leverkusen won the reverse fixture 4-1, with little difficulty. Can Heidenheim spring a surprise at home?
Xabi Alonso’s Bayer are in fantastic form. They kept a clean sheet in six of their last seven games, including last weekend against Bayern Munich. In 17 of their last 21 matches in the league, Leverkusen scored 2.0 goals or more.
Heidenheim will face the league’s best away team. Bayer have a record of eight wins and two draws in 10 away matches. However, Heidenheim went unbeaten in their last six games, picking up 10 points. Five of their last six games saw both teams score.
Union Berlin picked up a massive three points in round No. 21 thanks to a 1-0 win over Wolfsburg. The Irons are now five points above the relegation-playoff place. Union are the league’s worst away team, however, with five points from 33 on offer this term.
Hoffenheim will hope to make the most of home-field advantage. However, the Hoff failed to win their last six Bundesliga matches. The last three Hoffenheim games all ended in draws. The Blues won just twice at home this term. Their last three home matches ended in stalemates.
Hoffenheim won their last two Bundesliga games versus Union. The Blues scored 2.0 goals or more in both of those games.
Eintracht Frankfurt are unbeaten in their last three league games versus Freiburg. Earlier this season, the clubs drew nil-nil in an underwhelming fixture in Frankfurt. It was their only match in the last six meetings to feature no goals.
Freiburg having a poor season by their recent standards. They are seventh in the league but nine points off the top five. Freiburg lost their last three Bundesliga matches by a combined score of 9-2. They conceded at least 3.0 goals in each of those games.
Frankfurt, on the other hand, took one point from the last six on offer. They were outscored 3-1 by Koln and Bochum during that time. The Eagles are not playing well on the road, where they won just one of their last six matches..