Four games remain in this Bundesliga season and Bayern Munich can clinch what seems like an inevitable title against Dortmund in Saturday’s Der Klassiker. Elsewhere, Hertha host Stuttgart in a crucial tie for this season’s relegation battle.
Here are our Fantast Bundesliga picks for Matchday 31.
Once again, Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland are not available for selection in this squad to keep it interesting.
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Goalkeepers
Mark Flekken (8.7m), Marcel Lotka (1.3m)
The only goalkeeper to have collected more than 200 points this season, Mark Flekken gets the nod yet again on Matchday 31 (MD31). Freiburg have the division’s third-best defence and are still pushing for a Champions League place. Opponents Gladbach have taken the second-most shots of any team this season, yet only rank ninth for goals – a disparity which should lead to plenty of save points for new Dutch international Flekken.
The cheapest starting keeper left in the game, Marcel Lotka secured nine points and a clean sheet against Augsburg in Matchday 30 (MD30), soon after picking up 12 save points in a loss to Union Berlin. For just 1.3m, you get a starting keeper playing at home in a must-win relegation clash.
Defenders
Alphonso Davies (14.9m), Borna Sosa (12.0m), Aaron Martin (3.6m), Mitchel Bakker (6.1m), Lukas Kubler (3.6m)
Meep meep, the Roadrunner is back and has the distinction of being the only Bayern or Dortmund player to make this week’s squad. Alphonso Davies picked up 18 points during MD30, meaning he averages exactly ten points per game across this season’s 18 outings – more than a point higher than any other defender. His free-roaming attacking role in this side means he doesn’t need clean sheets or goals to pick up points, as showcased by his 19-point haul in Matchday 11 and 14-point score four rounds later.
Stuttgart have a crucial relegation clash and Borna Sosa will have to be at his best to strengthen his side’s chances of survival. The Croatian averages over eleven points per game during his last six matches, aided heavily by Sasa Kaladjzic’s return to form.
Aaron Martin is back from suspension and should start Friday’s meeting with Wolfsburg. Mainz’s form has dropped off a cliff recently but Wolfsburg are fresh from a 6-1 spanking by Dortmund and have won just one of their last five. For his price and attacking threat, Martin remains a great pick.
Fürth have only actually lost one of their last four games, due to goalless draws with Freiburg, Frankfurt and Hoffenheim. Yet they haven’t scored since the 6-1 loss to Leipzig from Matchday 26, which bodes well for Mitchel Bakker. The Dutch left-back has been inconsistent since his summer move from PSG to Bayer Leverkusen, but has proven himself capable of a haul, especially against teams lower down the table, with double-digit scores against Gladbach, Stuttgart and Augsburg.
Lukas Kübler has two himself from Freiburg’s last pair of games and was rested for the midweek Pokal win over Hamburg. He even scored last time out. For a bargain price, you get a starting wing-back with attacking threat in one of the league’s best defences, with a relatively easy fixture.
Midfielders
Dominik Szoboszlai (12.9m), Jonas Hofmann (15.6m), Suat Serdar (9.8m), Roland Sallai (11.0m), Filip Kostic (18.6m)
Picking who will start in this Leipzig midfield is a minefield at the moment but Dominik Szobszlai was subbed off early against Union in midweek, seemingly behind Christopher Nkunku and Dani Olmo in the pecking order for big games. Yet Szoboszlai has performed well when given the opportunity and now has 29 points from his last two league games, thanks to two goals and an assist.
Gladbach continue to be bad and Freiburg will provide staunch opposition but it doesn’t seem to matter to Jonas Hofmann. He picked up 13 points in last week’s 3-1 loss to Cologne, adding to the second-highest points average amongst midfielders (10.3 per game). If Gladbach hope to get anything out of this game, their hopes lie at Hofmann’s feet.
Suat Serdar delivered 20 points and the winner for Hertha in Matchday 30. He will be crucial to their hopes of getting a win against Stuttgart. The former Schalke man looked liberated playing on the left-wing last time out and will have opportunities to rack up points against Stuttgart’s leaky defence.
Roland Sallai appears to be hitting form for Freiburg, with two goals against Bochum and an assist against Frankfurt the week before. Although a slight rotation risk – having played an hour in their midweek cup action – Sallai has form and a great fixture to continue his good run of form against.
Filip Kostic has not hit the heights of last season in Frankfurt’s underwhelming domestic campaign but has a good tie against a woefully out-of-form Hoffenheim. Their opponents are now five games without a win and Kostic remains the third-highest scoring midfielder this season with 251 points.
Forwards
Patrik Schick (16.6m), Emil Forsberg (12.0m), Jonathan Burkardt (9.4m)
Neither Patrik Schick nor Leverkusen are in the same vein of form as earlier this season but it’s hard to ignore the result of their reverse fixture with Fürth. Leverkusen triumphed 7-1 at the BayArena, with Schick bagging four goals and an assist for 31 points. In a game that may well confirm Fürth’s relegation, the Czech international should get plenty of opportunities for a return to form.
RB Leipzig have played a Europa League quarter-final, crucial Bundesliga tie and a DFB-Pokal semi-final in the past week, alongside an imminent Europa League semi-final, so expect rotation for this match against Union Berlin. Emil Forsberg came off the bench to score the late winner against Union in midweek, and may well get the start this time. The Swede achieved 19 points for a goal and two assists against Fürth in Matchday 26 and could add to that this time.
Finally, Jonathan Burkardt faces a Wolfsburg defence which has shipped six to Dortmund and three to Augsburg in its last three games. The German starlet has three goals from four for Mainz, takes penalties and should get plenty of opportunities in this match.
