The record champions will be back in Bundesliga to host Werder Bremen at the Allianz Arena in their bid to get the league campaign back in track.
Bayern Munich will now shift their focus on their current Bundesliga campaign and will host Werder Bremen at the Allianz Arena in order to get back on track after consecutive defeats.
The Bavarians are currently in seventh position and are seven points adrift of current table toppers, Borussia Monchengladbach after getting beaten by them recently. Hansi Flick’s men will be eager to get back on track and this match against Werder may just be the start of the winning momentum they want to build in the league.
On the other hand, Werder Bremen have been pretty underwhelming in the league this season, considering their current position, they are in 14th spot only two points above the relegation zone. Their young manager, Florian Kohfeldt is a promising prospect in the field of coaching but looking at the current situation the 37-year old is under a lot of pressure.
Bayern are coming to this game after a morale-boosting 3-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur in their last Champions League group stage clash. While Werder Bremen have had contrasting fortunes with their 0-1 defeat against a relegation-threatened Paderborn in the Bundesliga. So we can expect a fierce clash with both sides looking to get back on track.
Team News & Tactics
Bayern Munich
Hansi Flick is bound to face a selection conundrum with multiple players unavailable due to injuries and suspensions. Niklas Sule and Lucas Hernandez’s long term injury has not helped the Bavarians and now Kingsley Coman looks to join that list. With Jan Fiete Arp also injured and Corentin Tolisso a major doubt for the match, Flick has limited players to chose. Also with Javi Martinez suspended for this fixture.
Manuel Neuer is a mainstay in goal with Jerome Boateng taking his spot at the heart of the defence alongside David Alaba. Benjamin Pavard will fill up the right-back spot with Alphonso Davies continuing his good work at left-back. In midfield, Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka are set to form the double pivot with Philippe Coutinho and Serge Gnabry adding with and Thomas Muller playing in a withdrawal role behind the striker.
Robert Lewandowski will return to the starting eleven after being rested against Spurs. He will be desperate to add to his tally, while Croatian winger Ivan Perisic may also find himself in the starting eleven.
Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Pavard, Boateng, Alaba, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Gnabry, Muller, Coutinho; Lewandowski.
Werder Bremen
Florian Kohfeldt is under tremendous pressure to deliver as his side is under scrutiny. Kohfedlt will miss several players due to injury among which the most notable are Omer Toprak, Niclas Füllkrug and Kevin Mohwald, who are long term absentees. While players like Fin Bartels and American forward Josh Sargent are also out of this fixture with fitness issues and torn hamstring respectively.
Werder are set to play in their conventional 4-3-3 formation with Jiří Pavlenka guarding their goal. The back four will include captain Niklas Moisander who returned against Paderborn after a three-month injury layoff, he will be partnered by Miloš Veljković. Theodor Gebre Selassie and Ludwig Augustinsson will slot in the fullback positions.
Kohfeldt may opt for Nuri Sahin to add more creativity in midfield replacing Philipp Bargfrede, as Davy Klaassen and Maximilian Eggestein are likely to keep their place in the starting eleven. In attack, Leonardo Bittencourt and Milot Rashica will add attacking impetus as Japanese international Yuya Osako will lead the lines. Rashica is their main weapon in attack having scored six goals in the league so far.
Predicted Lineup (4-3-3): Pavlenka; Gebre Selassie, Veljkovic, Moisander, Augustinsson; M. Eggestein, Sahin, Klaassen; Bittencourt, Osako, Rashica.
Key Stats
- No team has inflicted more Bundesliga defeats on Bayern than Bremen (26), but they haven’t beaten the record champions since September 2008 when they won 5-2 at the Allianz Arena, making them the only team to score more than four goals away at Bavaria in the Bundesliga since October 1976.
- Bayern have claimed three points in each of their last 17 Bundesliga meetings with Werder Bremen, making it the longest winning run by any club against another in the league’s history. In all competitions, it’s 20 victories in a row, since a goalless draw in September 2010.
- Werder are unbeaten in the five games where Milot Rashica has scored this season (W1, D4). On the other hand, they’re yet to win when the Kosovo international hasn’t found the back of the net (D1, L4) which speaks volume about his importance for this side.
- Lewandowski has gone without scoring in the last three matches but the Polish forward has bagged 14 goals and three assists in his last 13 league matches against Bremen, plus a brace in last season’s DFB Cup semi-final.
Player to Watch
Alphonso Davies
The young Canadian has been a livewire on the field for Bayern Munich this season after his transformation as a left-back. Davies has made the left-back position his very own especially under Hansi Flick who has given him license to venture forward. The 19-year old has shown tremendous courage and mental strength to keep several world-class players at bay.
Recently in Bayern’s 3-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur, he showed immense pace to recover the ball from Heung-min Son. His tremendous work ethic coupled with blistering pace has made him a very able player for the left-back position. If need be he can also feature in a more attacking role which is actually his main position. With every game, Alphonso davies has developed as a player and looks like one for the future for the Bavarians.
Prediction
Bayern Munich 2-1 Werder Bremen
With both sides going for the win, it is going to be a feisty fixture for both the sides. Bayern will look to get back in winning ways in the Bundesliga and will look to dominate proceedings against Werder. Whereas the Die Werderaner will look to spoil the party considering their own condition they can afford anything but three points from this fixture.
However, considering that both sides will go all out for a win it will be a very open game. The team that will take their chances will have an upper hand. Therefore considering the difference in quality between both sides. the Hard Tackle predicts a narrow win for the hosts, leaving the visitors in a spot of bother.