The best and worst of the Matchday 16 Bundesliga schedule

As Bayern Munich continues to dominate the league, sitting two points clear of RB Leipzig to claim first place, there’s plenty of action this weekend as Bundesliga heads into Week 16, nearing the halfway point of the season. Let’s have a look at the best and worst of this weekend’s slate.

Best of Week 16

Union Berlin v. Bayer Leverkusen

Friday, January 15, 2:30p.m. ET
Watch on ESPN+, ESPN Deportes

Sparks will fly in this week’s headliner match between fifth-place Berlin and third-place Leverkusen. Berlin will look for all three points and hope to break into the top four, as they sit just three points below fourth-place Borussia Dortmund. Union are impressing the league this season even without leading scorer Max Kruse who has been out with a thigh injury since last month. Despite Kruse’s absence, Berlin have still been putting away the wins as they’re unbeaten in all five matches since he went out. They’ve been impressive results, too — a 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich, a 2-1 win over Dortmund, and most recently a 2-2 draw with Wolfsburg. Their immediate road ahead isn’t an easy one, either as they take on RB Leipzig midweek after their clash with Leverkusen. Speaking of Leverkusen, they’re in the midst of a three-game winless streak, losing to Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt while following that up with a 1-1 draw to Werder Bremen. They’re still in third place for now, but all signs point to a possible win for Union Berlin this weekend.

Worst of Week 16

FC Cologne v. Hertha Berlin

Friday, January 15, 9:30a.m. ET
Watch on ESPN+

16th-place FC Cologne will play host to 12th-place Hertha Berlin this weekend in a match that will certainly end in a low-scoring draw or win for either side. Cologne has particularly been struggling this season, winning only two games on the season so far. They haven’t logged a win since December 12th when they beat last-place Mainz with a 1-0 score line. They’ve failed to even score a goal in their five matches since then, being outscored 11-0 by their opponents. Hertha are coming off a disappointing loss to Bielefeld last week and will look to bounce back against this bottom-of-the-barrel team.

Week 16 Sleeper

RB Leipzig v. VfL Wolfsburg

Saturday, January 16, 9:30a.m. ET
Watch on ESPN+, ESPN Deportes

This is sure to be an incredibly entertaining match as Wout Weghorst and Wolfsburg make the trip to take on Dayot Upamecano and RB Leipzig. The home side will be looking to bounce back from a 3-1 loss to Dortmund last week, marking only their second loss of the season, and their first Bundesliga loss since Halloween. Other than that, Leipzig have been on an absolute tear as they’ve hung in the top four all season long, always hot on Bayern Munich’s trail. Wolfsburg will be without midfielder Maximilian Arnold who received a red card in last week’s 2-2 draw with Union Berlin. Weghorst is responsible for the draw last week as he found the equalizer for Wolfsburg in the 65th minute by way of a penalty kick, salvaging a point for the visitors.

This Weekend’s Full Schedule

All times listed are Eastern. All matches streaming on ESPN+ in the United States.

Friday, January 15

2:30 p.m.: FC Union Berlin v. Bayer 04 Leverkusen

Saturday, January 16

9:30a.m.: Borussia Dortmund v. FSV Mainz 05
9:30a.m.: TSG Hoffenheim v. DSC Arminia Bielefeld
9:30a.m.: VfL Wolfsburg v. RB Leipzig
9:30a.m.: FC Köln v. Hertha Berlin
9:30a.m.: SV Werder Bremen v. FC Augsburg
12:30p.m.: VfB Stuttgart v. Borussia Mönchengladbach

Sunday, January 17

12:00p.m.: Eintracht Frankfurt v. FC Schalke 04