Bundesliga Tips: Bayern to excel with French flair

• Coman has five goals in last four games

• Dortmund and Leipzig clashes usually feature goals

All hail the King

Stuttgart v Bayern Munich
Saturday 04 March, 17:30
Live on Sky Sports and Betfair Live Video

We backed Bayern to comfortably win last weekend's showdown with title rivals Union Berlin, and so it came to pass. Stung by their defeat at Borussia Mönchengladbach and desperate to send a message to the likes of Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig, Bayern were 3-0 up by half-time, and that's the way it stayed.

Although they have a season-defining game coming up against PSG in the Champions League (Bayern have a 1-0 first-leg lead to protect after winning in Paris), the record champions have no choice but to take this trip to southern rivals Stuttgart seriously. They could be three points behind Dortmund by the time they kick off, and there are other clubs ready to take advantage should they slip up.

With Bayern priced as heavy odds-on favourites, I'll turn to the goalscorer markets, and I'm attracted by the price of 3.02/1 for Kingsley Coman to score at any time. Stuttgart have problems in both full-back positions - first-choice left-back Borna Sosa is suspended, while VfB coach Bruno Labbadia has experimented with several right-back options, including playing central defender Waldemar Anton out of position.

Those issues should play into the hands of Coman, and the Frenchman was outstanding in the win over Union. He has scored in each of his last four competitive appearances, and if he starts here, he's too big a price to ignore to find the net.

Big guns to light up top-tier clash

Borussia Dortmund v RB Leipzig
Friday 03 March, 19:30
Live on Sky Sports and Betfair Live Video

At the end of 2022, Borussia Dortmund looked disconsolate and dejected, after back-to-back league defeats at Wolfsburg and Borussia Mönchengladbach had left them nine points adrift of top spot in the Bundesliga. Fast forward nearly four months, and that deficit has been completely wiped away. For the first time in their history, Dortmund have won their first nine competitive games of a calendar year, and the mood is vibrant at Signal Iduna Park.

That said, RB Leipzig are no pushovers, and they are still very much in this title race. Marco Rose, who was the Dortmund coach last season, has revitalised Die Roten Bullen since replacing Domenico Tedesco from Matchday Six onwards. His first game in charge was a 3-0 demolition of Dortmund at the Red Bull Arena, and under Rose RBL have collected the most points in the Bundesliga.

There will be a fascinating array of attacking talent on show here. For Dortmund, there have been 11 different scorers in 2023, and German international midfielder Julian Brandt has found the net in each of his last four league matches. Skipper Marco Reus is back fit, and has been involved in three goals across his last two appearances. On the Leipzig side of things, Christopher Nkunku is nearly back to full fitness, and he rattled in 12 league goals before suffering the injury that wrecked his World Cup dream.

I fancy a wide-open game here, especially when you consider that eight of the last ten competitive clashes between them have yielded at least three goals. I'll use the Sportsbook's Bet Builder to back Over 2.5 Goals and both Reus and Nkunku to have shots on target. That gives us a combined price of 2.829/5.

Clash of exes should strike sparks

Wolfsburg v Eintracht Frankfurt
Sunday 05 March, 16:30
Live on Sky Sports and Betfair Live Video

Football throws up some intriguing subplots, and the clash between Niko Kovac and Oliver Glasner is fascinating. Kovac was the man who rescued Eintracht Frankfurt from relegation, before leading them to DFB Pokal glory against Bayern in 2018. Since then, Oliver Glasner has led the Eagles to success in the Europa League, and this truly is a golden era for the club.

Kovac is now in charge of a Wolfsburg side that qualified for the Champions League under Glasner, and he has restored them to being a side that can genuine push for a European place. After leaving Frankfurt, he went on to win a league and cup double with Bayern, even if the Croatian coach never truly won over his players.

I'm a little surprised to see Over 2.5 Goals trading at 1.845/6 here. That has paid out in six of Wolfsburg's eight competitive games in 2023, and 11 of their last 13 home games in the top division. Frankfurt have seen an Over 2.5 Goals bet land in five of their nine competitive matches since the World Cup, and eight of their last 12 away trips.