Bundesliga Matchday 22 predictions

Friday night

1899 Hoffenheim v. FSV Mainz 05
Prediction: 1-1
Hoffenheim ran riot at the Coface Arena with a 4-nil victory but Mainz should show more pluck under the Rhein-Neckar lights.

Saturday

Hertha BSC v. Borussia Dortmund
Prediction: 0-2
Hertha's 1,000th Bundesliga match could not come under worse circumstances after the dismissal of Skibbe. Meanwhile, the reigning champions come to the nation's capital on a 15-match unbeaten run and looking for revenge for a shock defeat at home in the first half. Japanese superstar Shinji Kagawa will miss out.

Hamburger SV v. Werder Bremen
Prediction: 2-1
We predicted European football for Hamburg in our season preview. Well they are clearly on the rise and will be out for revenge in the northern derby against a
Bremen team with some notable injuries.

1. FC Kaiserslautern v. Mönchengladbach
Prediction: 1-2
Marco Reus may miss out on this trip for 'Gladbach but it is difficult to see
Lautern having enough to threaten Favre's men.

Bayer Leverkusen v. FC Augsburg
Prediction: 2-0
Leverkusen has one foot out the door in Europe after predictably losing to Barcelona, but also embarrassed the club and the league afterward. Still it will be hard to drop points against Augsburg.

1. FC Nürnberg v. 1. FC Köln
Prediction: 1-1
It's difficult to predict these sides that seem evenly matched in Bavaria. Brecko, arrested due to alcohol abuse during Carnival, returns from suspension - he was also sent off in the first fixture with Nürnberg.

SC Freiburg v. Bayern München
Prediction: 0-3
Will Bayern look ahead to the Champions League against FC Basel? We doubt it after they beat Freiburg 7-0 on Matchday 5.

Sunday
FC Schalke 04 v. VfL Wolfsburg
Prediction: 2-1
Schalke got a positive result on the road in Europe and should do enough to take all the points from the Wolves as Magath returns to the Veltins Arena taking credit for last year's run to the Champions League semi-finals.

Hannover 96 v. VfB Stuttgart
Prediction: 3-1
Hannover got a victory in the Europa League while Stuttgart are on a major slide on the road. VfB won the first fixture 3-0 so we'll go the other way in the rematch.