Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich will look to make it three wins in a row when they host fourth-placed Union Berlin on Saturday.
Vincent Kompany’s men have bounced back in some fashion after getting smashed at the hands of Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League. Bayern Munich have recorded back-to-back wins since that defeat at will now host Union Berlin, who have been inconsistent in recent weeks.
The home team are on top of the Bundesliga points table. Die Roten are yet to lose a game in the league, and they have accumulated 20 points in their eight points thanks to six wins and two draws. Bayern Munich are heading into this fixture on the back of a 4-0 win over FSV Mainz 05 in the DFB-Pokal, and they will look to build on that result.
The visitors have accumulated 15 points in their eight outings and have only lost once in the league this season. Union Berlin have been unbeaten in their last three Bundesliga outings. However, the team from Berlin are heading into this fixture on the back of a disappointing 2-0 defeat at the hands of Arminia in the DFB-Pokal.
Bo Svensson’s men will have to put up a much better performance to get something out of this game against Bayern Munich. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich will be without the services of Aleksandar Pavlovic, Hiroki Ito, Josip Stanisic, and Sacha Boey. Vincent Kompany made a few changes to his preferred XI for their last outing, but he is expected to return to his full-strength XI for this one.
The home side will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Union Berlin, with Manuel Neuer in goal. Raphael Guerreiro and Alphonso Davies will be the full-backs, while Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-jae should feature in the heart of the defence.
Summer signing Joao Palhinha should start alongside Joshua Kimmich in the centre of the park. The central midfield duo will look to control the tempo and ensure they dominate the proceedings.
Jamal Musiala will take up the number ten role, with Michael Olise and Serge Gnabry on the flanks providing width to their attacks. Finally, star striker Harry Kane will continue to lead the line for Bayern Munich against Union Berlin.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Guerreiro, Upamecano, Kim, Davies; Kimmich, Palhinha; Olise, Musiala, Gnabry; Kane
Union Berlin
The visitors will be without the services of Yannic Stein and Ivan Prtajin, who are expected to be out until the middle of November. Meanwhile, the availability of Josip Juranovic is also doubtful.
Union Berlin will line up in a 3-4-3 formation, where Frederik Ronnow will be in goal. The back three should be made up of Danilho Doekhi, Kevin Vogt, and Diogo Leite. They will look to keep things tight at the back while hoping Christopher Trimmel and Tom Rothe, who should feature as the wing-backs, are there to help them out.
Aljoscha Kemlein and Rani Khedira will start in the centre of the park. The duo will try to shield the backline and ensure they have a stable base to attack from. Jeong Woo-yeong and Yorbe Vertessen will provide the width to their attacks, while Benedict Hollerbach should continue to lead the line for them.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Ronnow; Doekhi, Vogt, Leite; Trimmel, Kemlein, Khedira, Rothe; Jeong, Hollerbach, Vertessen
Key Stats
- Bayern Munich have scored 20 goals in their last five matches. The tally goes up to 24 when we talk about their last six league games.
- Union Berlin might be fourth on the points table but they are the third-worst offensive team in the league with just nine goals in eight matches.
- Vincent Kompany’s team are unbeaten in the league so far along with second-placed RB Leipzig.
- The Bavarians have won five out of their last six league games at home. They have only lost one out of their last 18 games at Allianz Arena.
- The visitors have the second-best defensive record in the league having conceded just five times in their eight outings.
Player to Watch
Jamal Musiala
Musiala has seven goals and four assists in his 11 outings across competitions this season. He has been one of the most consistent players for Vincent Kompany, who will hope the 21-year-old attacking sensation brings his A game to the table for Bayern Munich against Union Berlin.
Prediction
Bayern Munich 2-0 Union Berlin
While Union Berlin have one of the best defensive records in the division, they will be going up against a team that has been scoring goals for fun. So, the team from Berlin will surely find it difficult to stop them this weekend.
Apart from the defeat at the hands of Barcelona and Aston Villa in the UEFA Champions League, Bayern Munich have done most things right. So, we expect them to get the job done in this fixture. The Hard Tackle predicts an easy 2-0 win for Vincent Kompany and his charges.