Borussia Dortmund vs Fortuna Dusseldorf
Barring an epic collapse by Bayern Munich in the last two weeks of the season, Borussia Dortmund are not going to win the Bundesliga. They are now four points behind the leaders after dropping points in back-to-back weeks against Schalke and Werder Bremen.
With the title all but gone, Dortmund don’t have much else left to play for except pride. They will play their final home game of the season against midtable Fortuna Dusseldorf.
Dusseldorf managed to survive their first season in the top-flight since 2013. And while most Bundesliga 2019 predictions likely won’t fancy them to leave Signal Iduna Park with a win, they have already defied the odds against Dortmund once this season — and will look to do so again.
Talking Points
BvB blow their title chance
In a vacuum, Dortmund have had quite an impressive season. Few expected them to challenge for the Bundesliga title given their relative youth and inexperience. But they defied those expectations and pushed hard Bayern all the way.
However, it’s become clear that Dortmund just lack that mental strength to dethrone Bayern. It was evident in their humiliating defeat in Der Klassiker. And it manifested itself once again over the last couple of weeks, first in their Revierderby meltdown against Schalke and then in their 2-2 draw against Werder Bremen last weekend.
Things were looking good for Dortmund in the derby as they took an early lead. But they quickly went behind at the half-hour mark, and then all hell broke loose with the Marco Reus and Marius Wolf red cards in the second half.
Despite missing the suspended Reus, though, Dortmund again surged to a 2-0 first-half lead at Bremen. However, they were again unable to hold that lead as both keeper Roman Burki and defender Manuel Akanji committed costly errors which led to Bremen’s two goals.
Burki let a tame Kevin Mohwald shot slip right between his legs, while Akanji failed to shepherd the ball into touch, which gave Claudio Pizarro the chance to smash home the equaliser.
With the title virtually gone, it remains to be seen whether Dortmund can still pick themselves up for this match against Dusseldorf.
Dusseldorf don’t do dull
Fortuna Dusseldorf’s first season back in 1. Bundesliga has been a success. Friedhelm Funkel’s side find themselves in 10th place with 41 points, which is a respectable feat for a promoted side.
Dusseldorf are coming off a 1-1 draw away at struggling Freiburg last weekend. That result was surprising because of the lack of goals that were scored.
Dusseldorf have been notable this season in their involvement in a number of high-scoring affairs. Prior to the Freiburg draw, 10 of their previous 11 games saw three or more goals, and six saw four or more.
While Dusseldorf’s away form has been patchy, they have at least been consistent in finding the back of the net. They have scored in each of the last five away matches, putting up an impressive 10 goals during that span.
Dusseldorf have also produced two of the most surprising Bundesliga 2019 results of the season. They drew 3-3 with Bayern in a wild game at Allianz Arena back in November, and they beat Dortmund 2-1 at home in December.
With their Bundesliga survival secured, Dusseldorf should be able to play with no pressure at Signal Iduna Park. They’ve already shown they’re capable of beating Dortmund, and given the BvB’s recent stumbles, they could do so again.
History
Borussia Dortmund and Fortuna Dusseldorf have faced off 44 times over the years. Dortmund hold the slight edge with 20 wins, while Dusseldorf have 15.
But aside from preseason friendlies, the two sides have not faced each other much over the past few years since Dusseldorf have not been in the Bundesliga. But when the two did meet earlier this season, Dusseldorf picked up a shock 2-1 win at home.
Betting Tip
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Borussia Dortmund vs Fortuna Dusseldorf | Total Goal 4-6 @ 1.99 |
| May 11, 21:30 (GMT+8) |
It’s hard not to see a good number of goals being scored in this match, one way or another. Dusseldorf aren’t the only side that’s been involved in some high-scoring affairs. Of Dortmund’s last 14 Bundesliga games, nine have had four or more goals, including four of the last five.
There have been Dortmund’s defence for most of the season, and their performances of late have only helped justify those concerns. If Dusseldorf get at that Dortmund backline, they should be able to create some good chances.
At the same time, though, Dortmund are also more than capable of slicing up Dusseldorf’s defence even with Reus missing. That’s why SBOBET tips the total goals to reach 4-6, which is priced at 1.99.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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 = €20 (Highly confident) |
= €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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