VfL Bochum will host Bayern Munich at Vonovia Ruhrstadion on Sunday, looking to pick up their first win of the Bundesliga campaign.
VfL Bochum are coming into the game against Bayern Munich on the back of five defeats from their last six Bundesliga games, and they will need to raise their performance levels drastically in order to grind out a win this weekend.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich are at the top of the league table, and they are unbeaten so far in the Bundesliga. However, they come into this weekend’s league game on the back of a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League. Vincent Kompany’s men will look to pick up a routine victory here and extend their lead at the top of the table.
The Bavarian giants have won four of their last six meetings against Bochum, but they cannot afford to be complacent here. They were beaten by the same opposition away from home in February. Bayern Munich will have to be professional as they look to get the job done. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
VfL Bochum
The home team will be without Bernardo because of a knee injury, and Matus Bero is ruled out with a similar problem. VfL Bochum are likely to shape up in a 4-4-2 formation against Bayern Munich, with Patrick Drewes in goal.
Felix Passlack and Jakov Medic will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things compact defensively and help create chances on the counter. Ivan Ordets will start at the heart of the defence alongside Erhan Masovic.
Koji Miyoshi and Max Wittek will start in the wide areas. They will look to protect the full-backs and hit Bayern Munich on the break. Anthony Losilla will start in central midfield alongside Ibrahima Sissoko. They will look to add defensive cover and drive to the side. Finally, Myron Boadu will lead the line for Bochum alongside Philipp Hofmann.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Drewes; Passlack, Medic, Ordets, Masovic; Miyoshi, Losilla, Sissoko, Wittek; Boadu, Hofmann
Bayern Munich
Sacha Boey is a long-term absentee with a knee injury, and Aleksandar Pavlovic misses out with a broken collar bone. Josip Stanisic is out with a knee ligament injury. Bayern Munich will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against VfL Bochum, with Manuel Neuer in goal.
Raphael Guerreiro and Alphonso Davies will start as the full-backs, and they will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Kim Min-jae will start alongside Eric Dier in the central defensive pairing.
As for the midfield unit, Joshua Kimmich and Joao Palhinha will add defensive cover and control to the side when they pair up in the double pivot. Thomas Muller will be deployed in the number ten role, and he will look to link up with Harry Kane in the final third and create opportunities for his side. Michael Olise and Serge Gnabry will start in the wide areas. They will look to add pace and flair to the Bayern Munich attack against VfL Bochum.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Guerreiro, Dier, Kim, Davies; Kimmich, Palhinha; Olise, Muller, Gnabry; Kane
Key Stats
- Bayern Munich have scored at least two goals in their last 16 matches against VfL Bochum in all competitions.
- Bayern Munich have won four of the last six matches against Bochum.
- 35 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two sides.
- Bochum have conceded 28 goals in the last six matches against Bayern Munich.
- Bochum have lost five of the last six matches in the Bundesliga.
Player to Watch
Harry Kane
The England international has been in spectacular form, scoring 13 goals in 10 appearances across all competitions. Kane will look to add to his goal tally here and he is our key player to watch out for.
Apart from his ability to find the back of the net, the Englishman’s creativity and link-up play could cause all sorts of problems for the Bochum defence as well. Kane is full of confidence right now and a vulnerable Bochum defence is unlikely to be able to keep him quiet.
Prediction
VfL Bochum 1-3 Bayern Munich
The visitors will be the firm favourites heading into this contest, and they should be able to pick up a victory here. The home team are struggling right now, and they will struggle to contain the Bayern Munich attack. A comfortable away win is on the cards.
Bayern Munich should be able to extend their lead at the top of the table with a comprehensive result here. The Hard Tackle predicts a run-of-the-mill 3-1 win for Vincent Kompany and his charges this weekend.
