Despite their largely unchallenged dominance of the Bundesliga over the past decade, even Bayern Munich can have the odd off day. That's exactly what happened as Bochum recorded a stunning 4-2 win over the reigning champs, and Julian Naglesmann's men nearly also had another slip-up midweek against rank underdogs Salzburg - only to salvage a draw at the last minute via Kingsley Coman. As such, many will be curious to how Bayern react after two disappointing results, with relegation-threatened Greuther Fürth likely to be in for a long day at the Allianz Arena.
Here's all you need to know ahead of matchday 23.
Bundesliga standings heading into matchday 23
Here's how the table looks ahead of the next round of fixtures.
| Pos. | Team | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | P | Form | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bayer Leverkusen | 30 | 25 | 5 | 0 | 75 | 20 | +55 | 80 | DWWWW | |
| 2 | Bayern München | 30 | 21 | 3 | 6 | 87 | 37 | +50 | 66 | WWLLW | |
| 3 | Stuttgart | 30 | 20 | 3 | 7 | 68 | 36 | +32 | 63 | LWWDW | |
| 4 | RB Leipzig | 30 | 18 | 5 | 7 | 69 | 34 | +35 | 59 | WWWDW | |
| 5 | Borussia Dortmund | 30 | 16 | 9 | 5 | 58 | 35 | +23 | 57 | DWLWW | |
| 6 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 30 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 46 | 40 | +6 | 45 | WLDDL | |
| 7 | Freiburg | 30 | 11 | 7 | 12 | 42 | 53 | -11 | 40 | DWLWL | |
| 8 | Augsburg | 30 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 48 | 49 | -1 | 39 | LWLDW | |
| 9 | Hoffenheim | 30 | 11 | 6 | 13 | 53 | 60 | -7 | 39 | WLWLL | |
| 10 | Heidenheim | 30 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 43 | 52 | -9 | 34 | LDWDD | |
| 11 | Werder Bremen | 30 | 9 | 7 | 14 | 38 | 50 | -12 | 34 | WLDLL | |
| 12 | Borussia M'gladbach | 30 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 53 | 60 | -7 | 31 | LLWLD | |
| 13 | Wolfsburg | 30 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 35 | 50 | -15 | 31 | WLLWL | |
| 14 | Union Berlin | 30 | 8 | 5 | 17 | 26 | 50 | -24 | 29 | LLLDW | |
| 15 | Mainz 05 | 30 | 5 | 12 | 13 | 31 | 48 | -17 | 27 | DWWDW | |
| 16 | Bochum | 30 | 5 | 12 | 13 | 34 | 60 | -26 | 27 | LDLDL | |
| 17 | Köln | 30 | 4 | 10 | 16 | 23 | 53 | -30 | 22 | LLWDL | |
| 18 | Darmstadt 98 | 30 | 3 | 8 | 19 | 30 | 72 | -42 | 17 | WLLDL |
Bundesliga games you won't want to miss on matchday 23
Mainz vs Bayer Leverkusen: Leverkusen have been in excellent form as of late, and that has helped die Werkself move into third spot. As things stand, they're still five points away from Dortmund, who occupy second, but could temporarily move to just two points behind if they can make it a fifth win on the spin against Mainz on Friday evening. Since the start of 2022, Leverkusen have been the most in-form team in the Bundesliga, with 13 points from their five matches played so far this year.
Wolfsburg vs Hoffenheim: After a rough past few months, Wolfsburg have seemingly started to turn a small corner. They'll come into their match with Hoffenheim having won two matches back to back for the first time since matchdays 10 and 11 and have conceded just four goals since the start of the current year. Still, upcoming opponents Hoffenheim are very much in the hunt for European football, and having ended their three game losing streak with a win last time out, will be looking to overcome a frustrating run that has seen them fail to win their last nine away games against Wolfsburg (D4, L5). Both teams are also dealing with quite a few injuries, so it will certainly be interesting to see how their respective managers select their starting XIs for this game.
Bayern Munich vs. Greuther Fürth: On paper, this looks like another David vs. Goliath clash. Bayern, despite slipping up recently, are still firmly in control of the title race, while Fürth are still rooted to the bottom of the table despite losing just one of their last five games. Despite the solid form of skipper Branimir Hrgota, who has netted seven of his team's 21 goals so far this term, it's safe to say that the visitors will be facing their own "Mission Impossible" when they travel to the Allianz Arena - especially considering they have picked up just one point from their travels, meaning that they've yet to win a single away game so far this season.
Borussia Dortmund vs. Borussia Mönchengladbach: Another installment of the famous Borussen derby is on the cards as Dortmund welcome familiar foes Gladbach this weekend. Both teams could be missing some of their key players, with die Schwarzgelben worried about the fitness of Erling Haaland, who is once again struggling with another injury, but could return in time for the match, while die Fohlen will have to make do without skipper Lars Stindl due to a knee issue. However, this match will be quite interesting as it's set to be the 100th meeting between the two sides. So far, Dortmund have won 40, while Gladbach have won 31.
Hertha Berlin vs RB Leipzig: After picking up a draw in an entertaining Europa League clash against Real Sociedad, Leipzig return to domestic action with an away match against Hertha Berlin. Die Roten Bullen come into this contest having won four of their last five games, which has helped them surge up the table and now sit in fourth spot. With teams like Hoffenheim, Freiburg, Union Berlin, and Koln all nipping at their heels, it's going to be a very interesting scrap for Champions League football, and Leipzig will certainly know that a win here will perhaps help them put a bit of distance between themselves and the teams immediately behind them in the table.
Team news for matchday 23
*All info as of 18 February 2022
Bayern Munich: Alphonso Davies (heart issue), Leon Goretzka (knee injury), Manuel Neuer (knee injury); Doubtful - Jamal Musiala (COVID-19)
Borussia Dortmund: Mateu Morey (knee injury), Marcel Schmelzer (knee injury); Doubtful - Manuel Akanji (calf injury), Erling Haaland (groin injury), Thomas Meunier (muscular issues), Marius Wolf (knee injury)
Bayer Leverkusen: Mitchel Bakker (suspended), Julian Baumgartlinger (knee injury), Karim Bellarabi (hamstring injury); Doubtful - Sardar Azmoun (knee injury), Odilon Kossounou (hamstring injury)
RB Leipzig: Doubtful - Marcel Halstenberg (knee injury)
Hoffenheim: Ermin Bicakcic (knee injury), Dennis Geiger (suspended), Florian Grillitsch (suspended), Chris Richards (foot injury), Robert Skov (thigh injury ); Doubtful - Angelo Stiller (ill)
Borussia Moenchengladbach: Lars Stindl (knee injury); Doubtful - Mamadou Doucoure (muscular issues)
Wolfsburg: Lukas Nmecha (ankle injury), Otavio (knee injury), Xaver Schlager (knee), Micky Van de Ven (thigh injury), William (knee injury)
