The 2020-21 Bundesliga is at the halfway point. Here are some key points for the season so far.
HALFWAY POINT
We are halfway through the season & the top of the table is looking very familiar. Bayern Munich is leading with RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen & Borussia Dortmund completing the Top 4. FC Union Berlin is in 6th & outperforming everyone’s expectations, including their own.
Borussia Mönchengladbach has been slightly disappointing this season & that’s due to the grueling Champions League schedule in the Group Stages. Hertha Berlin has been one of the biggest spenders on transfers in recent seasons. They have a net spend of around $120 million since the Summer of 2019 & 14th is completely unacceptable.
Promoted clubs VfB Stuttgart & Arminia Bielfeld are performing above expectations & look likely to stay up. FC Schalke o4 & Mainz 05 are getting further & further away from safety. It’s looking like their only hope is to try & overtake FC Köln to stay up via the relegation playoffs.
Bielefeld pick up a crucial three points, as Bayern maintain their lead at the top ↕️📊 #BLMatchday pic.twitter.com/fXTXKDY5R0
— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) January 20, 2021
SCHALKE GET THE BAND BACK TOGETHER
It looks like Schalke’s solution to recent troubles is to sign as many of their former greats as possible. Sead Kolasinac was brought back on loan from Arsenal on New Years’. Now their second greatest ever goalscorer Klass-Jan Huntelaar has returned to the club.
He first joined in the summer of 2010 after unsuccessful spells at Real Madrid & AC Milan. The former Dutch international settled perfectly at the VELTINS-Arena & spent 7 years at the club, scoring 126 goals. His most prolific season was back in 2011-12 when he finished top scorer in the Bundesliga with 29 goals & notched 48 in all competitions as Schalke won the DFB-Pokal & qualified for the Champions League.
Even at 37-years-old, there’s still magic left in ‘The Hunter‘ who has 7 goals in 11 appearances for Ajax in the Eridivisie this season.
👕 240 games
— FC Schalke 04 (@s04_en) January 19, 2021
⚽ 126 goals
🅰️ 35 assists
And he's back for more 🏹🏠#S04 | #Hunter21 pic.twitter.com/M7SLrAFPNY
Huntelaar was in the stands as he watched his new teammates take on FC Köln in a relegation 6 pointer. Schalke was the better side & dominated with 62% possession. They looked more likely to score & Timo Horn pulled off 6 saves to stop them. As usual, a defensive mistake on a setpiece cost them. Goalkeeper Ralf Fährmann made a weak connection with the cross for Köln’s opener against the run of play. In the 93rd minute, poor marking allowed Jan Thielmann to break free & score the winner.
It was an encouraging performance & Matthew Hoppe scored again to make it 5 goals in 3 games. Only Robert Lewandowski has scored as many goals as him in Europe’s top 5 leagues in 2021. This result puts them 10 points from safety & I don’t see them turning it around. All of their hard work is undone time & time again by defensive mistakes & Christian Groß needed to address it yesterday.
Late heartbreak for Schalke, but a huge W for Köln ⚖️#S04KOE highlights 🎥 pic.twitter.com/qIDmt0AjH9
— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) January 20, 2021
AMERICAN JOE SCALLY COMPLETES HIS MOVE TO GLADBACH
RB Joe Scally has finally completed his move to Borussia Mönchengladbach from New York City FC. The deal was originally agreed upon in November 2019, but it couldn’t go through until he turned 18 due to FIFA transfer rules. The young American made 6 appearances for NYCFC’s first-team & Gladbach integrated him into their’s straight away.
We have high expectations for him,” commented Gladbach sporting director Max Eberl. “Our plan is for him to be part of the first team.” The Bundesliga is the best league in the world for young talent & the future of USMNT’s is looking bright. Qualification for the 2022 World Cup begins in the Autumn & it will be great to see what this young talented group of players is capable of.
This is America’s golden generation.
🎙️ #Rose: "@jjscally_10 is due to arrive on Monday. He will undergo all the necessary medical examinations and then he will have the chance to showcase himself in first-team training."#DieFohlen #DSCBMG pic.twitter.com/f0FMX7o705
— Gladbach (@borussia_en) December 31, 2020
Let’s take a look at the 2020-21 Bundesliga Matchday 18 Betting Lines.
BUNDESLIGA MATCHDAY 18 BETTING LINES
ODDS & ENDS
- I do like Gladbach at +195. Their 3-2 comeback win against Bayern showed they are capable of beating anyone.
- Werder Bremen is good value at +220. The pressure is mounting on Bruno Labbadia & he could be out of a job soon if their poor form continues.
- You can get Leipzig at +123 with a -1.5 goal handicap. They are more than capable of beating Mainz 05 by 2 or 3 goals.
- Bayern destroyed Schalke on the opening day of the season 8-0. If you think we will see a repeat, you can get them at -2.5 Goals +123, -3.5 Goals +275, or -4.5 Goals +600.
WHERE TO BET THE BUNDESLIGA IN THE US
In the US, you can legally bet on soccer in New Jersey, Indiana, and Pennsylvania.
For New Jersey, we recommend DraftKings Sportsbook NJ or FanDuel Sportsbook.
