Bayern Munich will look to avenge the 5-1 defeat at the hands of Eintracht Frankfurt in the reverse fixture when they host them on Saturday.
The reverse fixture which took place towards the end of last year was a nightmare for Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern Munich as they were smashed by Eintracht Frankfurt. Despite having more of the ball and taking more shots at goal, they lost 5-1 and will be eager to give it back as they prepare to host the sixth-placed team in the league.
Bayern Munich are fighting to ensure they finish second on the points table after failing to challenge Bayer Leverkusen in the title race. They have a three-point advantage over third-placed VfB Stuttgart, and a win here will almost ensure they get it done.
Their major focus will be on the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, where they will host Real Madrid in the first leg. As a result, Tuchel could look to rest a few of his players, although he will also aim to ensure they have a strong enough team to avenge the loss in the reverse fixture.
The visitors are currently sixth in the Bundesliga with 45 points out of their 30 matches. They have a five-point lead over SC Freiburg, and a positive result against Bayern Munich will almost guarantee a top-six finish. They did beat Die Roten at home and have an opportunity of a rare double against the Bavarian giants.
After dropping points in four consecutive games, they did win their last game against Augsburg by a scoreline of 3-1 and will look for a similar result against Tuchel’s Bayern. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Bayern Munich
The home team will be without the services of Kingsley Coman, Sacha Boey, Bouna Sarr, and Tarek Buchmann. While Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry are closing in on their returns, they won’t be risked in this fixture, with the UEFA Champions League semi-final tie against Real Madrid coming up.
Bayern Munich will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Manuel Neuer will be in goal. Raphael Guerreiro could feature at left-back for this fixture, while Joshua Kimmich will be on the right. In the heart of the defence, Eric Dier will pair up with Matthijs de Ligt. Aleksandar Pavlovic and Leon Goretzka will form the double pivot in the centre of the park.
They will shield the back line and also look to control the tempo of the game. Thomas Muller and Mathys Tel should feature on the flanks, while Jamal Musiala should be the attacking midfielder for the home team. Harry Kane, who has been breaking records for fun, will once again lead the line for the German giants.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Kimmich, Dier, de Ligt, Guerreiro; Pavlovic, Goretzka; Muller, Musiala, Tel; Kane
Eintracht Frankfurt
The visitors will be without the services of Sebastian Rode, Mehdi Loune, Sasa Kalajdzic, and Jean-Matteo Bahoya. Eintracht Frankfurt will go ahead with the 3-4-2-1 formation, where Kevin Trapp will continue in goal. The back three will be made up of Tuta, Robin Koch, and Willian Pacho.
They will look for a clean sheet against one of the best attacks in the division and will have the support of Philipp Max and Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe, who will feature as the wing-backs. Mario Gotze will pair up with Ellyes Skhiri in the centre of the park.
The duo will look to ensure Bayern midfielders do not end up dictating the pace of the game. Omar Marmoush and Fares Chaïbi will be the two attacking midfielders in behind Hugo Ekitike, who will lead the line for Eintracht Frankfurt against Bayern Munich.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Trapp; Tuta, Koch, Pacho; Dina Ebimbe, Gotze, Skhiri, Max; Marmoush, Chaibi; Ekitike
Key Stats
- In the last 46 matches between Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt, the home team have won 32 while the visitors only have eight wins to their name.
- Frankfurt have not lost their last two away matches against Bayern in the league.
- The reverse fixture earlier in the season ended 5-1 in favour of the visitors. It was Bayern’s heaviest league defeat since the turn of the century.
- The visitors have only won one out of their last six away league games in the second half of the season.
- Bayern Munich have scored 20 goals in the league from set-pieces and are the join-highest alongside Bayer Leverkusen.
Player to Watch
Harry Kane
Given the kind of form Kane has been in since making the move from Tottenham to Bayern Munich in the summer, he has to be the player to watch out for. With just four games left in the league, the England skipper will look to add to his tally of 33 goals and 10 assists in 30 league outings.
Prediction
Bayern Munich 3-1 Eintracht Frankfurt
The reverse fixture might not have gone according to plan for Bayern Munich. But they are expected to go all out in search of a win here. While there is nothing much left to play for in the Bundesliga and the focus is on the Champions League, Bayern will surely look to settle the score after having suffered a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Frankfurt earlier in the season. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the home team.
