Bundesliga: Bayern’s Steely Focus now on Dusseldorf

Fortuna Dusseldorf vs Bayern Munich

FC Bayern continues its quest to win a record seventh successive Bundesliga this weekend when they take on Fortuna Dusseldorf at the 54,000 capacity Esprit Arena.

This will be a cracking game for SBOBET Bundesliga fans, probably with a few goals and possibly with an upset. Fortuna has disturbed the odds a few times already on its return to the top flight, and with no risk of relegation the hosts will play with freedom in front of a passionate crowd.

The reigning champions are in superb form, taking ten points from the last four league games and scoring for fun. But they will need to be at, or near their best to win in Dusseldorf, with the added pressure of second placed Borussia Dortmund playing at home to Mainz on Saturday, and likely to return to the top of the table before Die Roten play.

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Talking Points

Fortuna loves a big game

They adore their football in Dusseldorf and now they are back in the big time, after promotion last season, they are having a ball. Sitting pretty in tenth place the hosts are 16 points above the drop zone and playing with freedom. Head coach Friedhelm Funkel has been with the club for three years now, and leading his side back to the top flight last season was Funkel’s sixth promotion, a record in Germany.

This season he’s lifted his team to great heights and they have rarely been out of the Bundesliga 2019 news, handing out plenty of bloody noses to the top sides. They have taken a point from RB Leipzig and beaten Hoffenheim and BVB, as well as taking a stunning point from FC Bayern in the return fixture, when Dodi Lukebakio completed a hat-rick with a dramatic 93^rd minute equaliser.

Fortuna has players who can hurt an opposition. Benito Raman has nine goals, Lukebakio has eight and former Burnley striker Rouwen Hennings has five. He bagged a brace in the first 16 minutes when Fortuna shocked fifth placed Borussia Monchengladbach two weeks ago with a 3-1 win in front of a capacity crowd.

Austrian midfielder Kevin Stoger is an influential figure, making six assists while picking up seven yellow cards.

And Bayern will know they have been in a game – only FC Schalke has picked up more yellow cards than Fortuna this season!

Fortuna Dusseldorf have scored at least 2 goals in 5 of their last 6 Bundesliga matches — Dusseldorf’s Dodi Lukebakio gestures after scoring his side’s third goal against Bayern Munich

Bayern’s Bundesliga nous

Die Roten is a club which knows how to win Bundesligas.

Kovac’s side has kept its nerve after a sluggish start to the campaign, stalking long time leaders Borussia Dortmund for most of the season and then delivering a near fatal blow with a 5-0 hammering of their rivals last week. But the players know the job is not yet done. Robert Lewandowski is back to his sharpest form, scoring his 21^st league goal of the season in that rout, and FC Bayern is blessed with title winning experience, and the likes of Thiago, Serge Gnabry and Joshua Kimmich are unlikely to buckle under the pressure now. And Kovac’s squad could be boosted by the addition of Arjen Robben, returning from injury.

History

Fortuna is a club which has been through tough times, almost reaching rock bottom at the turn of the millennium, slipping as low as the fourth tier of German football, and between 2001 and 2003 they were sponsored by punk band Die Toten Hosen!

But now the good times have returned and their home matches don’t disappoint; the Fortuna faithful hasn’t seen a stalemate all season, watching seven wins and seven defeats.

The head-to-heads don’t auger well for the hosts though. Bayern has won eight of the last ten and there have been two draws.

And the visitors have scored 17 goals in their last four games in all competitions. Meanwhile, Fortuna has won four and lost two in the last six games, all of which have yielded three goals or more.

Betting Tip

	Fortuna Dusseldorf vs Bayern Munich	Over 3.50 goals @1.90
	April 14, 20:30(GMT+8)

We expect to see a two goal margin in this game as the Fortuna vs FC Bayern betting odds show clearly, with the hosts at 1.97 to win with a +2.00 start, and FC Bayern at 1.96 with that -2.00 handicap.

FC Bayern is out of the Champions League and so have their full focus on winning yet another Bundesliga title, and the odds suggest this game should be another step towards that aim.

But Fortuna has showed, time and time again, that it has no respect for reputation and we could see some fireworks in Dusseldorf.

I hope so anyway!