Borussia Monchengladbach will welcome league leaders Bayern Munich to Borussia Park on Saturday night in the standout Bundesliga fixture of the weekend
Borussia Monchengladbach might be enjoying a poor run of form since the turn of the year but have in recent years held the upper hand over Bayern Munich, something not many teams can claim to have done.
Daniel Farke led his side to a 1-1 draw at the Allianz Arena in the reverse fixture, extending Gladbach’s unbeaten run against Die Roten to four games across all competitions. Julian Nagelsmann’s side have turned a corner since and now sits pretty at the top of the Bundesliga standings.
Bayern face off against Union Berlin next weekend, and with just one point separating both sides, they cannot afford to drop any points this weekend. A trip to Borussia Park is never easy, but Gladbach are on a two-game winless streak at home and are ripe for the taking.
A win will see Bayern hold onto the top spot, and they will fancy their chances following the 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes. With a four-game losing streak in the Bundesliga going into the game, Gladbach have little chance of securing a result on paper.
Farke’s men have struggled for consistency and have lost eight of their 20 games this season in the top flight. More so, they are rather open at the back, keeping a mere four clean sheets in the Bundesliga this season. Bayern have several reasons to lick their lips going into the game.
As things stand, Bayern are on course for a treble heading into the business end of the season. Nagelsmann will be keen to see his side extend their lead at the top of the table, giving them breathing space in the weeks to come. A win against Gladbach will not just end their recent hoodoo against the Foals, but also extend their winning run to five games.
The Hard Tackle looks at how both sides could line up on the night and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
Borussia Monchengladbach
🛑 𝑺𝑶𝑳𝑫 𝑶𝑼𝑻 🛑#BMGFCB pic.twitter.com/Gi0551NOQZ
— Gladbach (@borussia_en) February 17, 2023
Daniel Farke’s first season at the club has brought with it a sense of inconsistency that continues to plague the club’s chances of making a European spot. They have won just eight games this season in the Bundesliga and continue to struggle for form since the turn of the year.
The Gladbach boss has no excuses as he has a fully fit squad at his disposal. Given their struggles of late, one could argue it is down to a lack of balance in tactics rather than any key players being absent.
Die Fohlen are likely to turn up in a 4-2-3-1 formation on the night and attempt to overload the midfield with strength in numbers. Jonas Omlin should start in goal behind the back four of Joe Scally, Kou Itakura, Nico Elvedi and Ramy Bensebaini.
Julian Weigl and Kouadio Kone should form the double pivot, making use of their energy and experience to shield the defence. The duo are also capable of carrying the ball forward, aiding Gladbach’s tactics on the counter.
The attacking trio of Jonas Hofmann, Christoph Kramer and Alassane Plea will hope to hit Bayern on the counter, aiming to take advantage of the space that could emerge between the backline and the goal. French international Marcus Thuram will lead the line and hope to catch Bayern dead in their tracks.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Omlin; Scally, Itakura, Elvedi, Bensebaini; Weigl, Kone; Hofmann, Kramer, Plea; Thuram
Bayern Munich
The game will see a former Gladbach favourite Yan Sommer returns to the club following his transfer to Bayern in the January transfer window. The Swiss ace single-handedly kept Gladbach in the tie in the reverse fixture, and Die Roten will be glad to see the back of him as an opponent.
With Manuel Neuer still out, Sommer should start in goal. The same cannot be said of Sadio Mane, Noussair Mazraoui, and Lucas Hernandez, all of whom are still some way away from returning to action. Kingsley Coman has been in hot form of late but picked up a knock against PSG and is unlikely to be risked from the start.
Nagelsmann is likely to go with a 4-2-3-1 formation that will seek to set the pace of the game early on. Sommer in goal will be protected by the quartet of Joao Cancelo, Dayot Upamecano, Matthijs De Ligt and Alphonso Davies.
🗣️ @J__Nagelsmann on the squad: "Coman is a doubt for tomorrow. We're waiting to see whether he's able to train or not before we decide. I assume that @SergeGnabry will play tomorrow." #packmas #BMGFCB
— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) February 17, 2023
Joshua Kimmioch and Leon Goretzka will form the double pivot, providing the trio of Leroy Sane, Thomas Muller and Serge Gnabry the perfect springboard to kickstart attacks. The prolific Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has impressed following Robert Lewandowski’s departure and should lead the line on the night.
Gladbach’s best shot of gaining something from the game will be to upset Bayern’s rhythm early on. A lot will depend on just how Kimmich and Goretzka approach the game. The sooner they seize control, the more straightforward the game will be for the visitors.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sommer; Cancelo, Upamecano, De Ligt, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Gnabry, Muller, Sane; Choupo-Moting
Key Stats
- Borussia Monchengladbach have beaten Bayern Munich 27 times in the Bundesliga, more than any other side in the German top flight.
- This is the 110th meeting between both teams in the Bundesliga. It is the second most-played fixture in the German top flight only behind the 111 meetings between Bayern Munich and Werder Bremen.
- Bayern Munich have failed to defeat Borussia Monchengladbach in their last four meetings across all competitions. This is Die Roten’s longest current barren spell against another German side.
- Borussia Monchengladbach are on a two-game winless streak at home in the Bundesliga, their longest such run under Daniel Farke.
- Borussia Dortmund have lost just one game in the Bundesliga this season. The last time they achieved such a run at this stage of the season was in 2016/17 when they went on to win the title.
- Bayern Munich have managed to put together the most attacking sequences in the Bundesliga this season.
- Bayern Munich have not only scored the most goals of any team in the Bundesliga this season, but also possesses the German top-flight’s meanest defence.
Player to Watch
Marcus Thuram
The French international proved to be a difficult player for Bayern to pin down in the reverse fixture and opened the scoring for Gladbach on the night. He is likely to be Gladbach’s most potent attacking threat on Saturday and will hope to catch his international teammate Dayot Upamecano off guard.
Thuram’s contract is up in the summer, and several sides are keeping a close watch on his performances. A standout one against Bayern will certainly push the odds in his favour and prove that the 25-year-old is the real deal.
Prediction
Borussia Monchengladbach
Gladbach have failed to score on just four occasions in the Bundesliga this season and have enough in their ranks to cause the visitors problems. However, they are open at the back and will have to play out of their skins to keep a potent Bayern attack at bay. Die Roten also have superior players, and it should make the difference on the night. It should prove to be a winning return for Sommer at Borussia Park.
