Last round saw one team's unbeaten run come to an end, as the title race continues to heat up. Reigning champs Bayern Munich will take on Schalke on Saturday, a team whom they have enjoyed success against (in fact they have won ten out of their past 12 meetings). Meanwhile, Dortmund face a tricky clash as they welcome RB Leipzig, who have surprised everyone with their success in their first season in German football's top flight.
Facts and Stats ahead of Bundesliga Matchday 19
Here are five things you may or may not know ahead of the upcoming round of fixtures starting Friday:
Bundesliga Matchday 19 - U.S. viewing schedule
Below is the full U.S. schedule for round 19 of Bundesliga action starting Friday:
Feb. 3: Hamburger SV vs Bayer Leverkusen on Fox Soccer 2GO USA, Fox Sports GO, Fox Sports 2 USA, Fox Deportes at 11:30 AM PST/2:30 PM EST
Feb. 4: Bayern München vs Schalke 04 on Fox Sports GO, Fox Sports 1 USA, Fox Soccer 2GO USA, GOLTV US at 6:30 AM PST/9:30 AM EST
Feb. 4: Borussia M'gladbach vs Freiburg on Fox Soccer 2GO USA at 6:30 AM PST/9:30 AM EST
Feb. 4: Hertha BSC vs Ingolstadt on Fox Sports GO, Fox Soccer 2GO USA, Fox Soccer Plus, Fox Deportes at 6:30 AM PST/9:30 AM EST
Feb. 4: Hoffenheim vs Mainz 05 on Fox Sports GO, Fox Sports 2 USA, Fox Soccer 2GO USA at 6:30 AM PST/9:30 AM EST
Feb. 4: Köln vs Wolfsburg on Fox Soccer 2GO USA at 6:30 AM PST/9:30 AM EST
Feb. 4: Borussia Dortmund vs RB Leipzig on Fox Sports GO, Fox Soccer 2GO USA, Fox Sports 2 USA, GOLTV USA at 9:30 AM PST/12:30 PM EST
Feb. 5: Augsburg vs Werder Bremen on Fox Sports GO, GOLTV USA, Fox Soccer 2GO USA, Fox Sports 1 USA at 6:30 AM PST/9:30 AM EST
Feb. 5: Eintracht Frankfurt vs Darmstadt 98 on Fox Soccer 2GO USA, Fox Sports GO, Fox Sports 1 USA, Fox Deportes at 8:30 AM PST/11:30 AM EST
*For more information, please navigate to each match's specific page
Bundesliga - Matchday 19 overview
The last round saw some notable things happen. For starters, Hoffenheim's reign as the only unbeaten side in the Bundesliga came to an end. Prior to being defeated by none other than RB Leipzig, Julian Naglesmann's men were also the only team in Europe's Big 5 leagues yet to lose a game this term. Indeed, this season's title race looks increasingly set to be a two-party affair. Die Bullen are three points behind reigning champs Bayern Munich and will be eager to push die Roten all the way till the end.
Speaking of Bayern, they have started 2017 off well by winning their past two fixtures against Freiburg and Werder Bremen. Both were road fixtures, and both finished as 2-1 results, but it was far from a fully-assured performance by Carlo Ancelotti's side. Nonetheless, they earned six points out of six and that is enough to keep them three points clear of the pack as they take on Schalke on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund now have Pierre Emerick Aubameyang back from AFCON duty, and just at the right time. Thomas Tuchel's side have been in a funk as of late, with just one win out of their past five games. Having dropped a whopping eight points thanks to four draws, they now find themselves out of the title race and in a tough battle for third spot along with the aforementioned Hoffenheim and Eintracht Frankfurt, who have been surprisingly solid so far this term. Die Schwarzgelben face a tough test against Leipzig on Saturday in what should be an interesting clash for both fans and neutrals alike.
Bundesliga - Matchday 19 standings
Here's how things stand so far after 18 rounds in the 2016/2017 Bundesliga season. How will it look after matchday 19 concludes?
| Поз. | Команда | CM | П | Н | П | Заб | Проп | +/- | П | Форма | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Байер | 31 | 25 | 6 | 0 | 77 | 22 | +55 | 81 | ННППП | |
| 2 | Бавария | 31 | 22 | 3 | 6 | 89 | 38 | +51 | 69 | ППППП | |
| 3 | Штутгарт | 31 | 20 | 4 | 7 | 70 | 38 | +32 | 64 | НПППН | |
| 4 | РБ Лейпциг | 31 | 19 | 5 | 7 | 73 | 35 | +38 | 62 | ППППН | |
| 5 | Боруссия Дортмунд | 31 | 16 | 9 | 6 | 59 | 39 | +20 | 57 | ПНППП | |
| 6 | Айнтрахт (Франкфурт) | 31 | 11 | 12 | 8 | 47 | 42 | +5 | 45 | ПППНН | |
| 7 | Фрайбург | 31 | 11 | 7 | 13 | 43 | 55 | -12 | 40 | ПНППП | |
| 8 | Аугсбург | 31 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 48 | 52 | -4 | 39 | ППППН | |
| 9 | Хоффенхайм | 31 | 11 | 6 | 14 | 55 | 63 | -8 | 39 | ППППП | |
| 10 | Хайденхайм | 31 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 44 | 52 | -8 | 37 | ППНПН | |
| 11 | Вердер | 31 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 41 | 50 | -9 | 37 | ПППНП | |
| 12 | Вольфсбург | 31 | 9 | 7 | 15 | 37 | 51 | -14 | 34 | ППППП | |
| 13 | Боруссия Менхенгладбах | 31 | 7 | 11 | 13 | 53 | 60 | -7 | 32 | НПППП | |
| 14 | Унион (Берлин) | 31 | 8 | 6 | 17 | 26 | 50 | -24 | 30 | НПППН | |
| 15 | Бохум | 31 | 6 | 12 | 13 | 37 | 62 | -25 | 30 | ППНПН | |
| 16 | Майнц | 31 | 5 | 13 | 13 | 32 | 49 | -17 | 28 | ННППН | |
| 17 | Кёльн | 31 | 4 | 11 | 16 | 24 | 54 | -30 | 23 | НПППН | |
| 18 | Дармштадт | 31 | 3 | 8 | 20 | 30 | 73 | -43 | 17 | ППППН |
