Borussia Mönchengladbach - Hamburger SV
Borussia have won four of their last six BL games against Hamburg (D1, L1) including this season's first meeting when Gladbach beat HSV 1-0 courtesy of an Igor de Camargo goal. It was the last match in charge of the Redshorts for former HSV manager Michael Oenning who was sacked in the aftermath of that game.Only once in their BL history have the Foals accrued more points after 22 games than they have this term (46): When they won the league in 1969-70 they had registered 51 points after the same number of games (adjusted to the three-points rule).
Only three teams have ever conceded fewer goals after 22 games of a BL season than Gladbach have this campaign (13): Bremen 1987-88 (ten), Stuttgart 2003-04 (ten) and Bayern 2007-08 (11).
Gladbach are unbeaten in six games (W 5, D 1) - only Dortmund (16 games) and Hannover (nine games) have currently gone longer without defeat.
Gladbach and Hannover are the only two sides in the league yet to lose a home game this term. The Foals have now gone 14 league home games without defeat - currently the longest run of its kind in the Bundesliga.
Last week's 3-1 defeat to Bremen was only the second defeat for Hamburg in the 13 BL games since Thorsten Fink took charge of the team (W 4, D 7). The Redshorts have lost none of their last seven league games on the road (W 4, D 3) - only reigning champions Dortmund have gone longer without defeat away from home (nine games).
The Foals have scored the fewest goals in the current top four (36), but boast the best defensive record in the league with only 13 goals conceded.
Foals manager Lucien Favre has only lost one of his six BL encounters with HSV (W 2, D 3). HSV gaffer Thorsten Fink only lost three of his 18 BL games against Gladbach during his playing career (W 9, D 6).
Gladbach-born HSV midfielder Marcell Jansen joined Borussia in 1993 and signed his first professional contract with the Foals in 2004. The German international made 73 BL appearances for Gladbach between 2004 and 2007, scoring five goals in the process.
FSV Mainz 05 - 1. FC Kaiserslautern
Mainz have only lost one of the last seven meetings with Lautern in all competitions (W 3, D 3) when they were beaten 3-1 on the road by the Red Devils in this season's first meeting.Since the foundation of the Bundesliga in 1963 there have been 16 Rhineland-Palatinate derbies in the top two tiers of German football and the German Cup. The head-to-head record is perfectly balanced with five wins for each side (D 6).
Mainz are unbeaten in four games (W 1, D 3), but have only enjoyed one win in their last nine league games (D 6, L 2).
Lautern have gone 12 league games without a win (D 7, L 5) - currently the longest run of its kind in the German top flight. Their last win came over four months ago when they beat Freiburg 1-0 at home.
In none of their previous 44 BL seasons (partially adjusted to the three-points rule) have Lautern accrued as few points after 22 games as they have this term (18).
Mainz and Lautern have both only kept one clean sheet in their last 12 league games. The last time FCK shut their opponents out away from Betzenberg was in April 2011 when they beat Schalke 1-0 at Veltins Arena.
Only three teams in BL history have ever netted fewer goals after 22 games of a BL season than Lautern have this term (16) and all of these three sides finished the season in the bottom three.
Mainz have netted a joint league-high nine goals in the opening 15 minutes while Lautern have shipped more goals in the first quarter-hour than any other side in the league (nine).
Mainz equalled an all-time BL record by netting their fifth own goal of the campaign last weekend. Additionally, it was the sixth career own goal for Mainz defender Nikolce Noveski who has hence equalled the BL record for the most own goals by a single player set by Manfred Kaltz.
Since his return to Mainz in January Mohamed Zidan has netted once in each of his three games for FSV and has now registered as many goals in three games as Lautern's top scorer Itay Shechter has netted in the whole of the campaign so far.
FC Köln - Bayer Leverkusen
Following a run of 15 league games without a win against Leverkusen, Köln have won the last two league encounters with Bayer.On the 32nd day of last season Köln enjoyed their first win over Bayer in over 14 years when they beat Leverkusen 2-0 courtesy of a brace by Milivoje Novakovic and consequently ended Bayers title hopes.
Köln have never won both meetings with Leverkusen in a single BL season, nor have the Billygoats ever beaten Bayer three times in a row.
Köln have conceded the second-most goals this term (43, only Freiburg have shipped more). Only twice in their BL history have the Billygoats allowed more goals after 22 games (2005-06: 47, 1997-98: 48) - they were relegated at the end of both these campaigns.
Bayer have gone four away games without a win - something that last happened to them between February and May 2010.
Köln have lost five of their last six league games (W 1), scoring only three goals in the process.
Köln are the only side in the league to use all three available substitutions in each of their 22 league games. Leverkusen, on the other hand, have made the fewest changes of all BL teams this term (50).
Bayer's young goal-keeper Bernd Leno conceded a career-high four goals in Leverkusen's 4-1 defeat against Köln in this season's first meeting of the two sides. Prior to that game Leno boasted the best saves-to-shots ratio in the league (89%), while he now has only the 14th best figure in that particular ranking (67%).
Milivoje Novakovic has been directly involved in each of Köln's last six league goals against Bayer (three goals, three assists).
Miso Brecko is the first player in the league to be suspended for the third time this season. After two suspensions for sending-offs he will now have to sit out against Bayer after picking up his fifth yellow card of the camapign in last week's 2-1 defeat to Nürnberg.
FC Augsburg - Hertha BSC
Otto Rehhagel, who took charge of Hertha last Sunday, is the most experienced manger in BL history. The 73-year-old will oversee his 825th game in the German top flight and is the second-oldest manager in BL history behind only former Werder gaffer Fred Schulz.Augsburg will be the 48th team Rehhagel has faced in the Bundesliga as player and manager. From the 51 teams ever to play in the Bundesliga, Rehhagel has only never faced Augsburg, Hoffenheim, Mainz and Tasmania Berlin.
Each of the last five Hertha managers have lost their first BL game in charge of the Old Lady. Rehhagel has won his first BL game with each of the last four German clubs he has taken charge of (Lautern, Bayern, Bremen, Düsseldorf), though.
Augsburg have won none of their three matches against Hertha in all competitions (D 2, L 1) and had at least one player sent in each of these three encounters.
FCA are winless in six games (D 4, L 2), but have lost none of their last four BL matches on home soil (W 2, D 2).
Hertha have gone 11 BL games without a win (D 4, L 7) and are the only side in the league to lose all five league games since the turn of the year.
The Berlin-based side have gone 12 games without a clean-sheet - something that last happened to them in 2006-07.
Hertha have failed to net more than one goal in any of their last eight league games (four goals in total) and have currently gone 279 minutes without scoring.
Since 1995-96, no team making their Bundesliga debut has acccrued as few points as Augsburg have this term (18). Only one of the six clubs to have played their first ever BL season during that period was relegated after their first top-flight campaign, though (SSV Ulm in 1999-2000).
Jos Luhukay's men have shipped more goals following set-pieces than any other team in the league (16). Hertha have netted two of their last three league goals from dead-ball situations.
VfB Stuttgart - SC Freiburg
None of the last 12 competitive matches between these two sides have ended in a draw.Freiburg have only enjoyed one victory in their last 12 games away at Stuttgart in all competitions (D 1, L 10) - they won the corresponding fixture last season 1-0 at Mercedes-Benz-Arena.
Stuttgart have won only two of their last 13 league games (D 4, L 7). Both of these wins have come at home against teams form the current bottom four (2-1 against Augsburg, 5-0 against Hertha).
Freiburg still have the worst defensive record in the league (49 goals conceded), but held record champions Bayern to a stalemate last weekend.
Stuttgart are yet to enjoy back-to-back home wins in the league this season.
Freiburg are the only side apart from Wolfsburg to lose their last three league games on the road. This means that new SCF manager Christian Streich still hasn't won a single point with Freiburg away from home.
Since the turn of the year Stuttgart have only taken something from games against teams against whom they had lost this season's first meeting. The Swabians won the first leg against Freiburg this campaign 2-1.
Freiburg are in 12th place in the BL table of the second half of the season and therefore the best Baden-Wuerttemberg side in 2012 - Stuttgart follows in 13th place, Hoffenheim in 14th.
Freiburg's last seven league goals have been scored by either defenders or midfielders. The last striker to score for SCF in the league was Demba Papiss Cisse in December, who has since left Freiburg to join Newcastle.
Martin Harnik has netted more goals in the Bundesliga since the turn of the year than any other player (five).
Stuttgart striker Julian Schieber has netted three goals in three appearances against Freiburg - only against Frankfurt has he scored as many goals in the top flight.
SCF players Julian Schuster, Andreas Hinkel, Oliver Barth and Simon Brandstetter have all formerly plied their trade with Stuttgart.
VfL Wolfsburg - 1899 Hoffenheim
Hoffenheim won this season's first meeting with Wolfsburg 3-1. In that game Wolves outfield-player Makoto Hasebe had to deputise for VfL goal-keeper Marwin Hitz, who was sent off when Wolfsburg manager Felix Magath had already used all three available substitutions.With their 3-1 win over Wolfsburg earlier this season Hoffenheim completed their best ever start to a BL season - never before had they won 12 points from their opening six games of a BL campaign.
Hoffenheim have won none of their three BL outings at Wolfsburg. Their first two BL visits to Wolfsburg both saw them lose 4-0 while they at least got a point from their last league game at VW Arena (2-2).
The last seven BL meetings between these two sides have seen a total of 28 goals.
Hoffenheim are on a run of six winless games (D 5, L 1). 1899 have only enjoyed one victory in their last 12 league games with their last three matches all ending in draws.
The Wolves have only lost one of their last ten BL games on home soil (W 7, D 2) and are unbeaten in their last six at VW Arena (W 4, D 2). Felix Magath's men have won 23 of the 27 points they have accrued so far this season in front of their home crowd.
Hoffenheim have only won one of their last eight BL games on the road (D 1, L 6) and have failed to score in four of these eight games.
Only Hoffenheim (431) have commited more fouls than Wolfsburg (429) this season.
Hoffenheim have netted a league-low nine second-half goals.
1899 have scored 25% of their goals this term from outside the area - only Gladbach have also netted such a high percentage of their goals from distance.
Hoffenheim striker Firmino has scored three of his so far eight BL goals against Wolfsburg.
Werder Bremen - 1. FC Nürnberg
Nürnberg have scored more goals against Werder than against any other team in the German top flight (79).Werder have won seven of their last eight league encounters with FCN, but lost the corresponding fixture last season 3-2 at Weserstadion.
Bremen had only 28% of the possession and registered only two shots in their 1-1 draw against Nürnberg earlier this season. Both figures are the lowest for Werder in a single BL game since Opta's detailed data collection began in 2004/05.
Nürnberg have scored the fewest goals on the road so far this term (seven). Dieter Hecking's men have failed to score in five of their last six BL away games.
Nürnberg have netted 52% of their league goals this campaign from set-pieces - a higher proportion than any other side in the league. Four of the last five goals Werder have conceded in the league have come from dead-ball situations.
Werder's Markus Rosenberg (six) and Nürnberg's Tomas Pekhart (five) are the two players who have hit the woodwork most often this term.
Werder goal-keeper Tim Wiese is set to make his 250th BL appearance while striker Claudio Pizarro could make his 150th appearance in the German top flight.
FCN goal-keeper has conceded 29 goals in ten BL games against Werder - more than he has allowed against any other side in the German top-flight. Schäfer has so far never managed to keep a clean sheet against Werder.
Werder midfielder Mehmet Ekici plied his trade with Nürnberg last season and made 32 BL appearances for FCN (three goals). With nine assists to his name he was Nürnberg's best provider last campaign. Since he has joined Bremen he has only registered one goal and one assist.
Bayern München - FC Schalke 04
Schalke have suffered more defeats (40) and conceded more goals (168) against Bayern than against any other team in the Bundesliga.The Gelsenkirchen-based side have only lost one of their last five matches in all competitions (W 2, D 2), but lost their last BL outing at Bayern 4-1 last season.
In 1976-77 Schalke beat Bayern 7-0 on the road. That 7-0 drubbing is still Bayern's heaviest defeat in the Bundesliga and Schalke's biggest win in the German top flight.
In April 2009 Schalke won at the Allianz Arena for the first time when they beat Bayern 1-0. In the aftermath of that defeat Jürgen Klinsmann was sacked as Bayern manager.
FCB have won nine of their last ten league games at Allianz Arena (L 1). Only upcoming opponents Schalke (28) have accrued more points at home this term than the German record champions (27).
The Royal Blues have only lost one of their nine BL games following a midweek Europa League match (W 7, D 1).
Only Schalke (50) have scored more goals so far this term than Bayern (49).
Bayern's Mario Gomez and Schalke's Klaas-Jan Huntelaar currently share the lead in the BL scorer charts (18 goals each).
Jupp Heynckes (2003 - September 2004), Manuel Neuer (1991-2011) and Rafinha (2005-10) have all formerly been under contract to Schalke, while Schalke's Alexander Baumjohann plied his trade with Bayern between summer 2009 and January 2010.
Current S04 manager Huub Stevens was sacked as Hertha gaffer in December 2003 following a 3-1 defeat against a Schalke side managed by Jupp Heynckes. Schalke's next league goal will be their 300th in Huub Stevens' two stints with the club.
Borussia Dortmund - Hannover 96
Hannover have only won of their last seven BL encounters with Dortmund (D 3, L 3) when they came bach from 1-0 down courtesy of late goals by Karim Haggui and Didier Ya Konan to beat the reigning champions 2-1 in this season's first meeting between the two sides.The last six BL duels between Hannover and Dortmund have seen a total of 27 goals - an average of 4.5 goals per game.
This match will see the two teams with the longest current unbeaten runs take each other on. Hannover have gone nine games without defeat, while league-leaders Dortmund suffered their last defeat in this season's first meeting with Hannover and haven't lost any of their 16 BL games since.
Borussia have won their last six games on the bounce and could equal the club record for the most consecutive wins in the Bundesliga with a victory over Hannover. BVB have managed to win seven games in a row three times before - they achieved that feat twice last season and once in 2008-09.
Hannover are unbeaten in their last five BL games on the road, but have only enjoyed one win in their last ten league games away from AWD Arena (D 5, L 4) and have failed to score more than one goal in any of these matches.
Dortmund haven't conceded a goal in 387 minutes in all competitions. The last team to score against the reigning champions was Hoffenheim at the end of January. If BVB shut out Hannover they will have gone the whole month of February without conceding a single goal.
The Reds have lost none of their nine BL games following a midweek Europa League match (W 4, D 5).
Dortmund have netted at least once in each of their last 18 BL games - currently the longest run of its kind in the league.
With 49 (Dortmund) and 34 points (Hannover) respectively both teams have registered their second-best ever points haul after 22 games in the Bundesliga. The only campaign in which both sides had accrued more points after the same number of games was last season when Dortmund had won three and Hannover had won four more points than they have this term.
BVB midfielder Sven Bender has won an average of 2.26 points per game in his so far 66 BL appearances - the best points-per-game average by any BL player with at least 50 BL appearances.
Christian Pander scored one and assisted two goals for Hannover in the Reds' 4-2 win over Stuttgart last weekend and could make his 100th BL appearance against Dortmund.
