USMNT weekend viewing guide: the Bundesliga marches on

There is a good slate of games this weekend with a pair of games on Saturday and a potential matchup between Josh Sargent and John Brooks Sunday though first Fabian Johnson’s Borussia Monchengladbach takes the field on Friday afternoon looking to solidify their fourth place position.

Friday

Freiburg v Borussia Monchengladbach - 2:30p on FS2

Our action starts on Friday when Borussia Monchengladbach faces Freiburg. Unfortunately, Fabian Johnson has been out and seems unlikely to return this weekend. Gladbach won last weekend and are in fourth place which would qualify them for Champions League play. However, Johnson may not be able to take advantage of that situation regardless as his contract expires at the end of this season and the club and player will need to decide what is in their best interests moving forward. Their opponent this weekend, Freiburg, are looking for their first win since the restart. They currently sit in 8th place and are sitting on the fringes of European competition.

Saturday

RB Leipzig v Paderborn - 9:30a on FS2

Tyler Adams came off the bench last weekend and played the final thirty minutes in RB Leipzig’s 4-2 win over FC Koln. The win left the team in third place, though just two points clear of fifth place Bayer Leverkusen. This weekend the team will play last place Paderborn who are bound for relegation, eight points behind Fortuna Dusseldorf for the relegation playoff spot with just five games remaining. While they can’t afford to trip up against anyone the weaker opponent should give Leipzig an opportunity to rotate their squad and it would not be surprising to see Adams make the starting lineup.

Borussia Dortmund v Hertha Berlin - 12:30p on FS2

Giovanni Reyna continues to see regular playing time for second place Borussia Dortmund though he’s still seeking his first start for the club. Dortmund are coming off a 6-1 drubbing of Paderborn and have a four point advantage in the Champions League race but are seven points behind Bayern Munich for the league title and have lost all realistic hope of winning the league this year. Dortmund face a Hertha Berlin team that has been in good form recently, undefeated in their past six games.

Looking through the paywall:

• Timothy Chandler and Eintracht Frankfurt face Mainz 05 at 9:30a on Fox Soccer Plus. Frankfurt are coming off a midweek 3-0 win over Werder Bremen. Chandler did not see any minutes but could get some time this weekend with the quick turnaround.
• Alfredo Morales played sixty minutes as Fortuna Dusseldorf took a beating at the hands of Bayern Munich last weekend. The team plays Hoffenheim this weekend at 9:30a on Fox Soccer Match Pass.

Sunday

Werder Bremen v Wolfsburg - 7:30a on FS1

A potential US v US matchup this weekend as Josh Sargent and Werder Bremen face John Brooks and Wolfsburg this weekend. Sargent made a substitute appearance midweek in Werder’s 3-0 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt that leaves them two points behind Fortuna Dusseldorf for the relegation playoff position with five games remaining. John Brooks went 90 minutes in Wolfsburg’s 2-1 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt last weekend. Wolfsburg are currently in sixth place, tied with Hoffenheim for European play but holding a healthy point differential lead if they can maintain the points necessary to stay level.

Union Berlin v Schalke 04 - 9:30a on FS1

Weston McKennie and Schalke continued their slide last weekend with a 1-0 loss to Werder Bremen, a loss that extended their winless streak to 11 matches, dating all the way back to mid-January. McKennie started, picked up a yellow before the half and was pulled in the 55th minute. This weekend Schalke face 14th place Union Berlin who are coming off a 4-1 loss to Borussia Monchengladbach and are on a seven game winless streak themselves.

Hit the comments section to let us know what you’re seeing this weekend.