Bayern Munich will look to return to winning ways in the Bundesliga when they welcome VfL Bochum to the Allianz Arena on Saturday.
David faces Goliath at Allianz Arena this Saturday lunchtime as Bayern Munich and VfL Bochum lock horns in the fifth round of the Bundesliga.
Although Bayern Munich extended their unbeaten run to five games on Wednesday night as they successfully dispatched Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League with a 4-3 victory despite the late scare, they were frustratingly held to a 2-2 draw by Bayer Leverkusen in their last domestic appearance.
A point on home turf against Xabi Alonso’s high-flying Bayer Leverkusen certainly was not a bad result. But after three Bundesliga wins in a row from opening three games since losing the DFL Supercup 3-0 to RB Leipzig in August, Thomas Tuchel’s troops came ever so close to making an early statement of their continued domestic dominance before they were pegged back in the final stages of the game.
Indeed, they are still second in the Bundesliga table after that result, with table-toppers Leverkusen boasting a better goal difference. But Bayern Munich will still be regarded as strong favourites to claim all three points on Saturday against 13th-place Bochum, who are one of six Bundesliga teams yet to win this season after four matches.
The visitors have drawn three out of four games, including a surprise share of the spoils against Borussia Dortmund, and rescued a point from another side playing in Europe, Eintracht Frankfurt, last weekend.
Bayern Munich have had the upper hand in recent meetings with Bochum, having won three of the last four Bundesliga meetings with Bochum, scoring a whopping 21 goals in the process. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News and Tactics
Bayern Munich
🗣️ Tuchel on de Ligt:
"You don't often make changes to your centre-backs. Matthijs deserves to play, 100%. He's in good form. Of course he would prefer to play more, but he's a team player. Everyone has to be ready. Matthijs is doing exactly that, so it's all good." #FCBBOC pic.twitter.com/KpIlB20LwU
— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) September 22, 2023
Thomas Tuchel should have all players at their disposal apart from Manuel Neuer, whose comeback is on hold after breaking his leg in a skiing accident in January. Meanwhile, summer signing Raphael Guerreiro is nearing a return from a calf injury and is back in training.
Tuchel could do with some rotation in his preferred starting XI due to a quick turnaround from their midweek win over Manchester United. Back at full strength after a spell on the sidelines, Jamal Musiala could make way for the experienced Thomas Muller in the No. 10 role.
In Neuer’s absence, Sven Ulreich will continue to deputise between the sticks, while summer arrival Kim Min-jae could again join Dayot Upamecano in the middle of a back four, with Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich bound to continue their partnership in the engine room, although the former was a passenger against Manchester United.
Noussair Mazraoui could come in at the expense of Konrad Laimer, who played as a makeshift right-back in the midweek, Meanwhile, Alphonso Davies will pose an attacking threat on the opposite flank.
Although Mathys Tel has a claim to come in from the outset after making a fine start to the season and finding the back of the net against United, Harry Kane should again be preferred up front. The England captain was on target yet again for his new club on Wednesday and has hit the ground running in Germany, while there is still competition for supporting roles with Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane, and Kingsley Coman all vying to feature.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ulreich; Mazraoui, Upamecano, Kim, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Sane, Muller, Gnabry; Kane
VfL Bochum
The visitors have several injury concerns heading into Saturday’s game. Head coach Thomas Letsch will be without the services of Lys Mousset, who is a long-term absentee. Backup goalkeeper Michael Esser and teenage defender Mohammed Tolba are both ruled out with knee injuries, with the former battling problems with his adductors.
Right-back Jordi Osei-Tutu has missed the last three games with an abdominal problem and is a doubt for Saturday alongside Moritz-Broni Kwarteng. While his side are considered rank underdogs to gain a positive result here, they played well to earn a credible draw against Eintracht Frankfurt last time out, so there seems no reason for Letsch to make many changes to his starting XI.
Our final session ahead of the #FCBBOC is in the books, so full steam ahead towards Munich! 💪#meinVfL pic.twitter.com/2YgzYRFKet
— VfL Bochum 1848 (@VfLBochum1848EN) September 22, 2023
Manuel Riemann will take his place between the sticks, with Bochum lining up in a 5-3-2 formation in front of him. Ivan Ordets, Erhan Masovic, and Bernardo should form the three-man central defensive unit. Should Osei-Tutu miss out again, former Borussia Dortmund man Felix Passlack is expected to continue at right wing-back, with Maximilian Wittek operating on the opposite flank.
Takuma Asano has been in fine form for club and country at the start of the season, having scored three goals in five games in all competition for Bochum this season. He also got on the scoresheet in Japan’s cruising 4-1 win against Germany over the international break. The 28-year-old will likely continue in a central striker role alongside Philipp Hofmann, who is still looking to open his account in the new campaign.
Probable Lineup (5-3-2): Riemann; Masovic, Ordets, Bernardo; Passlack, Bero, Losilla, Stoger, Wittek; Asano, Hofmann
Key Stats
- Bayern Munich secured a league double over the VfL Bochum last season with an aggregate score of 10-0.
- The Bavarians have won nine of their last 10 meetings in all competitions against VfL Bochum, keeping five clean sheets in the process.
- Bochum have no clean sheets in five competitive games so far this season.
- The hosts’ clean-sheet record isn’t much better either, with just one shut-out in six matches.
- Thomas Letsch’s side have won just two of their previous 20 away Bundesliga games.
Player to Watch
Harry Kane
Harry Kane has continued his excellent strike rate with Tottenham and England for Bayern, with five goals and two assists in his first six games. His presence creates additional space for others, with the likes of Sane and Gnabry benefiting.
He was immense in the 4-2 UEFA Champions League win against Manchester United, with a clever lay-off to tee up Leroy Sane for the opener and dispatching an exemplary penalty. Up against a ropey Bochum defence, the Englishman will be looking to add to his tally here.
Prediction
Bayern Munich 4-1 VfL Bochum
Things could get ugly for Bochum on Saturday, with their main aim likely to be keeping the scoreline as low as they possibly can. The in-form Bayern Munich attackers will have plenty of scoring chances in the final third against a Bochum side who have already shipped seven goals in two games on the road this season.
Bayern noticeably took their foot off the gas a little last time out in the Bundesliga against Bayer Leverkusen and late against Manchester United. So, the visitors will hope for something similar this weekend to breach the Bavarians’ rearguard, even if we are not sure it would make a great deal of difference.
