Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich will look to make it three wins in a row when they square up against Heidenheim at home.
Bayern Munich have recovered well after their shocking defeat in the DFB-Pokal Cup to third-division team Saarbrucken, and they will now look to strengthen their position in the league when they host Heidenheim. The visitors have not had the best of starts and will look to script a historic upset when they square up against the defending champions.
Bayern are currently second in the points table, with 26 points out of their ten matches. They have been unbeaten in the ongoing season in the league with eight wins and two draws. The Bavarian giants have had the best attack as well as defense in the league.
After losing to Saarbrucken in the DFB-Pokal, Die Roten won 4-0 against rivals Borussia Dortmund and followed it up with another 2-1 win in the UEFA Champions League against Galatasaray. As a result, they will be confident of getting it right against the visitors.
Heidenheim are currently 13th in the Bundesliga, with ten points in as many matches. They have lost six of those outings and it has not been the best of starts to the new season for them. The visitors were on a five-match losing streak in all competitions before securing a win in their last outing against VfB Stuttgart.
Their 2-0 win over Stuttgart will surely give them confidence heading into this fixture against Bayern. But, it still might not be enough. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy during this fixture.
Team News and Tactics
Bayern Munich
Thomas Tuchel will be without the services of Tarek Buchmann, Matthijs de Ligt and Jamal Musiala. Joshua Kimmich will be serving a suspension, and he won’t feature in this match.
How about another look at Upa's opener against BVB at the weekend? 👀#MiaSanMia pic.twitter.com/rUxpLRWudv
— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) November 9, 2023
Tuchel will go ahead with the 4-2-3-1 formation, where skipper Manuel Neuer will be in goal. Noussair Mazraoui and Alphonso Davies will be the full-backs for this fixture. The two will look to join the attack and also help out their centre-back duo of Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-jae.
In the centre of the park, Leon Goretzka wants to pair up with Konrad Laimer. They will form a double pivot and look to shield their backline. The duo will also look to dictate the pace of the game.
In the absence of Musiala, veteran Thomas Muller will take charge as the attacking midfielder. He will look to create chances for his teammates and spread the ball out wide to Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry who will be taking charge on the flanks. Meanwhile, star striker Harry Kane will continue to lead the line for the home team.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Mazraoui, Upamecano, Kim, Davies; Laimer, Goretzka; Sane, Muller, Gnabry, Kane
Heidenheim
Frank Schmidt will be without the services of Thomas Keller and Elidon Qenaj. Meanwhile, there are doubts about the availability of Marvin Pieringer.
The visitors will also line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Kevin Muller will be in goal. Omar Haktab Traore and Norman Theuerkauf will be the full-backs for this outing. Patrick Mainka will start in the heart of the defense alongside Benedikt Gimber.
Lennard Maloney and Jan Schoppner will be the double pivot in the centre of the park. The duo will look to help out their defence and ensure Bayern do not dominate the ball too deep in their half.
Probable lineup (4-2-3-1): Muller; Traore, Mainka, Gimber, Theuerkauf; Maloney, Schoppner; Dinkçi, Beck, Beste; Kleindiest
Key Stats
- Bayern’s summer signing Harry Kane already has 20 goal contributions this season.
- The home team have the best attack (38 goals scored) and the best defence (7 conceded) in the league.
- Heidenheim have scored the most goals (five) from outside the box in the ongoing season so far.
- Jan-Niklas Beste has been the star man for the visitors with eight goal contributions to his name.
- Bayern Munich’s Leon Goretzka is all set to make his 250th Bundesliga appearance.
Players to watch
Leroy Sane
While all the limelight is on summer signing Harry Kane, Sane has quietly gone about his business. The German international has been on fire in the ongoing season. He has featured in a total of ten Bundesliga games and he has contributed towards 12 goals.
The 27-year-old winger has found the back of the net on eight occasions and has contributed with an assist on four occasions. He has been integral to their dominant run in the league and will look to add to his tally when he squares up against the visitors.
Prediction
Bayern Munich 3-0 Heidenheim
The German giants might have lost to a third-division team in the DFB-Pokal. But they have bounced back from that defeat with back-to-back wins, although they won’t take Heidenheim lightly. Meanwhile, the visitors might have ended their losing streak and registered a win in their last outing.
But, they will be well aware of the kind of power the home team possesses. While they will push for a win, the visitors will be happy if they manage to avoid defeat. However, given the strength of the home team, they are expected to come out on top. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 win for Bayern Munich.