German Bundesliga
2011-05-14 - Hamburger SV vs Borussia M`gladbach
A Sports Betting Pick by Niko
Football ; Germany : Bundesliga
Imtech Arena
Saturday, 14th May 2011- kickoff 15:30
Hamburger SV
Hamburger SV will end this season around mid-table which is way below their expectations prior the start of this Bundesliga season.
Starting from this summer, there will be many changes in the squad so we should see much different side in the following season.
For this match, Ze Roberto returns in the starting line up after serving his one match suspension for yellow cards and will replace David Jarolim who is suspended for this match for the same reasons. Interestingly this will be the last match for Ze Roberto in Hamburger SV shirt as he decided to leave this club this summer.
The striker Mladen Petric and midfielder Marcell Jansen are both unavailable for this last match through injuries, but Ruud van Nistelrooy is back in the squad and he will also have his last match for Hamburger SV as he also opted to leave and join another European club this summer. His usage in this match from the start is questionable as he still lacks match fitness, but there is no doubt that he will get some playing time to say farewell to his fans in Hamburg.
Probable Hamburger SV line-up :
Diekmeier, Kacar, Westermann, Aogo,
Tesche, Ze Roberto,
Rincon, Ben-Hatira, Elia,
Guerrero
Borussia Monchengladbach
No matter how this season ends I would say hats down for Borussia Monchengladbach. They are in a fantastic series of three winning matches in a row without conceding a single goal. What is even more impressive is that they are undefeated in the last five Bundesliga matches and have four wins and just one draw, which was beyond imagination one month ago.
Since the Swiss coach Lucien Favre took over this team ten rounds ago, Borussia Monchengladbach have taken nineteen points from eleven games, and also strengthened their defense which conceded just eight goals in the last eleven matches which is same record as the champions Borussia Dortmund have.
Coach Favre has full squad available for this season finale and even the striker Igor de Camargo is back in the team after being out almost the whole season through injury. However, he will take his place at the bench and wait for his chance.
In the attack Mike Hanke will be paired with Mo Idrissou and Marco Reus will also get more offensive role from the midfield.
Probable Borussia Monchengladbach line-up :
Jantschke, Stranzl, Dante, Daems,
Nordtveit, Neustadter, Reus, Arango,
Hanke, Idrissou
The Betting Verdict
As a neutral observer of the Bundesliga, i wish Borussia Monchengladbach wins this match and get at least in the play off spot, so they can get another chance for survival in the league. What impresses me most, is that although they were written off by everybody (including me), they have shown great team spirit and kept believing in the unbelievable. Also their improvement in the attitude towards matches is very much noticeable, the team form has risen to a higher level and i think that they can make it in the league through the play off match, if they reach it.
On the other side, Hamburger SV were really unpredictable this season, winning matches when no one expected them to do so and losing when they were considered heavy favorites.
I do not involve feelings while betting so my opinion is that Borussia Monchengladbach will win this match based on their good recent form and from what i have seen in their last five matches, when not only they won three times in a row, but also did not conceded which was a major problem in the first part of the season. They might still end up at the relegation place, but i think they will give their best shot and will win their last Bundesliga match this season.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Hamburger SV 1-2 Borussia M`Gladbach
