Born in the south east of Ireland, Simon put his life-long love of football to good use when he started a successful independent blog in 2010. That opened up an alternative route to a career in journalism, and having had work published across a number of sites and publications, Simon joined the staff at Spotlight Sports Group in 2018.
The Bundesliga has been given the green light to resume after a lengthy coronavirus-induced shutdown, and Germany’s top-flight will make a welcome return to pitches and screens this weekend.
With over a quarter of the season left to contest, there is plenty to play for in the 2019/20 campaign, and the battle for points and places between now and the end of the season promises to be equal parts thrilling and tense.
Ahead of the action, we’ve put together a two-part Bundesliga team by team guide to give you some quick-fire information detailing what you should expect from each of the competing clubs from here on in.
In part two, we’re taking a look at the division’s current bottom nine clubs. Check it out below.
You can read part one of our Bundesliga guide focusing on the league’s top nine teams here.
Remember – we’ll be covering all the the German top-flight action extensively with match previews and tips on our Bundesliga predictions page.
FC Köln
Position: 10th
Manager: Markus Gisdol
Top Scorer: Jhon Córdoba (10 goals)
Key Player: Mark Uth
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- Köln were in fine form before club football’s enforced break in Germany, winning eight of their 11 Bundesliga matches in the lead up to the hiatus. Only Bayern Munich (twice) and Borussia Dortmund beat them during that period.
- Köln’s league games have averaged a healthy 3.26 goals per 90 minutes so far this season. Over 2.5 goals rattled the net in 72% of their matches overall.
- Only Eintracht Frankfurt (0) have kept fewer clean sheets on the road this term than Köln (1).
- With 62 cards (58 yellow, 3 red), Köln are statistically the second dirtiest team in the Bundesliga this season.
- Interestingly, Köln are the German top-flight’s set-piece specialists in 2019/20. Die Geißböcke have plundered 15 goals from set plays this season – more than any other Bundesliga team.
Union Berlin
Position: 11th
Manager: Urs Fischer
Top Scorer: Sebastian Andersson (11 goals)
Key Player: Christopher Trimmel – Arguably the best performing right-back in the entire Bundesliga this season, the 33-year-old Austrian has provided seven assists from his defensive berth for Union in 2019/20.
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- With 30 points in the bag already, Union Berlin have performed above expectations in their first Bundesliga campaign after their promotion last year.
- Almost one of every three goals Union have scored in the league this season has arrived via a set piece.
- Midfield enforcer Robert Andrich has picked up nine yellow cards for his indiscretions this term.
- Union Berlin rarely fail to find the net at home. They scored at least once in 10 of their 12 Bundesliga games at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei since their promotion.
- Die Eisernen have kept just one clean sheet in 13 attempts away from home however.
Eintracht Frankfurt
Position: 12th
Manager: Adi Hütter
Top Scorer: Gonçalo Paciência (7 goals)
Key Player: Filip Kostic – The Serbian has four goals and eight assists to his name this season and has consistently been Frankfurt’s most potent creative force from the left.
- Frankfurt find themselves in a desperately disappointing 12th spot ahead of the run in. However, they rank an incredible 4th in the Bundesliga for average shots attempted per game (15) – which is more than a free-scoring Borussia Dortmund team (13.8).
- After they lost key attacking trio Luka Jovic, Sebatien Haller and Ante Rebic last summer, it should come as little surprise that Die Adler are struggling to convert their chances however.
- It looks like coach Adi Hütter is trying to get around his lack of firepower using alternative methods. 31% of Eintracht Frankfurt’s Bundesliga goals this season were scored from set-pieces.
- Frankfurt are capable of springing a surprise or two, particularly at home, as evidenced by their wins over top six sides Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich earlier this season.
- Most of Frankfurt’s problems this season have been rooted in their dreadful away form. In fact, the Launische Diva (Moody Diva) have the Bundesliga’s worst away record in 2019/20. They are on the only team in the division yet to keep a clean sheet as the visiting team.
Hertha Berlin
Position: 13th
Manager: Bruno Labbadia
Top Scorer: Dodi Lukébakio (5 goals)
Key Player: Dedryck Boyata – the former Man City youngster has been Hertha’s best defender in 2019/20. The Belgian has also had an impact in the final third, netting three times and assisting once in 20 Bundesliga matches.
- Hertha are already on the the club’s fourth coach of the season after Ante Covic, Jurgen Klinsmann, Alexander Nouri (temporary) took the reins before current boss Bruno Labbadia.
- Die Alte Dame’s games have provided plenty of excitement this term, with over 2.5 goals hitting the net in 76% of their 25 Bundesliga fixtures so far. Their matches have averaged 3.2 goals per 90 minutes overall.
- Only Hoffenheim (10) have scored fewer first half goals than Hertha Berlin (11) so far in 2019/20 however.
- Hertha’s defensive record took a battering just before the break. They conceded 10 times in just three top-flight outings in the run up to the season’s postponement, which accounts for 20% of their total goals conceded for the campaign.
- With an average of just 10.8 shots per game, Hertha have been threatening their opponent’s goal less often than any other team in the Bundesliga this season.
FC Augsburg
Position: 14th
Manager: Heiko Herrlich
Top Scorer: Florian Niederlechner (11 goals)
Key Player: Florian Niederlechner – with six assists and 11 goals, the 29-year-old has been a prolific attacking force for Augsburg this season.
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- Augsburg’s Bundesliga matches at the WWK Arena were a thrill a minute earlier this season. Over 2.5 goals were scored in a huge 83% of their league matches there since August.
- Only three teams have conceded more often in the Bundesliga this term. In fact, Augsburg managed to keep just four clean sheets in their first 25 league contests of the campaign.
- Augsburg currently rank last in Bundesliga for average possession per game this season (40.1%). Die Fuggerstädter have also played fewer shorter passes per game on average (252) than any other team in the division.
- Augsburg are statistically the second worst performing away team in the Bundesliga so far this season, winning just two of their first 13 assignments on the road overall. Only Mainz have shipped more goals on their travels than Augsburg in 2019/20.
- 26-year old wingback Philipp Max has chipped in with an impressive seven goals and five assists from Augsburg’s left flank this season.
Mainz 05
Position: 15th
Manager: Achim Beierlorzer
Top Scorer: Robin Quaison (12 goals)
Key Player: Jean-Philippe Mateta – Mainz leading marksman in 2018/19, French striker Mateta missed the first half of the current campaign through injury. The 22-year-old is highly-regarded and could prove an important figure between now and the end of the season.
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- Mainz have the Bundesliga’s 3rd worst defensive record this season.
- Only Freiburg (17.5) have conceded more shots per game on average than Mainz (15.2) this term.
- Only Werder Bremen (1) have kept fewer clean sheets than Mainz this season (3).
- Over 2.5 goals were notched in 92% of Mainz’ Bundesliga away games in 2019/20.
- Mainz have been on the wrong end of some real hammerings this season, conceding three or more goals in 10 separate games since August. RB Leipzig put eight past them in November.
Fortuna Dusseldorf
Position: 16th
Manager: Uwe Rösler
Top Scorer: Rouwen Hennings (11 goals)
Key Player: Erik Thommy – The on-loan Stuttgart midfielder has been deployed in numerous positions this season and has performed well almost every time.
- Fortuna Dusseldorf currently occupy the relegation playoff position in 17th, with four points between them and 16th and another four between them and 18th.
- With just 27 goals, Dusseldorf are the joint lowest scorers in the Bundesliga so far this season. They have also conceded an average of 2.0 goals per game at the other end.
- Having won only two of their 15 league games in the run up to the health crisis, Uwe Rosler’s outfit were caught in a powerful downward current before the COVID-19 enforced pause.
- Fortuna picked up a bone-crunching 63 yellow cards in their first 25 games of the 2019/20 Bundesliga campaign, making them the dirtiest team in the division statistically.
- 32-year-old veteran forward Rowen Hennings has scored over twice as many Bundesliga goals (11) as any of his Dusseldorf teammates this season, though the target-man has scored just three times in his last 13 run outs in all competitions.
Werder Bremen
Position: 17th
Manager: Florian Kohfeldt
Top Scorer: Milot Rashica (7 goals)
Key Player: Milot Rashica – A bright park in an otherwise miserable season, the Kosovan wide-attacker looks destined for bigger things whether Werder beat the drop or not.
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- Werder Bremen are staring down the barrel of their first Bundesliga relegation since the 1979/80 season.
- Die Werderaner have conceded more goals than any other team in the division this term (55).
- Werder have also scored the joint fewest goals in 2019/20 alongside fellow relegation candidates Paderborn (27 each).
- Bremen have a major problem defending set pieces. They have conceded more goals from set plays (14) than any other team this season.
- Werder Bremen have the Bundesliga’s worst home record this season, winning just one and losing eight of their 11 fixtures at the Weserstadion.
Paderborn
Position: 18th
Manager: Steffen Baumgart
Top Scorer: Streli Mamba (5 goals)
Key Player: Sebastian Schonlau – the 25-year-old centre-back has performed admirably in very difficult circumstances this season and could earn a summer move on the back of his displays.
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- With just 16 points in the bank, Bundesliga new boys Paderborn are rock bottom and look like exiting the division at the first time of asking.
- Paderborn have taken just six points from seven games against the league’s other bottom six clubs this season.
- Steffen Baumgart’s men have kept only one clean sheet in 13 attempts at home in 2019/20. Only Werder Bremen (0) have kept their visitors out less often.
- Unsurprisingly, Paderborn have lost more home games (10) than any other team in the league.
- The club’s Albanian anchorman Klaus Gjasula has been booked (12) more times than any other player in the Bundesliga in 2019/20.
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