Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich will look to take a step closer to the title with a win against Union Berlin away from home.
Having suffered their second defeat in the Bundesliga last time out, Bayern Munich will look to bounce back when they hit the road to square up against Union Berlin, who are fighting for survival in the German top flight.
The home team are 14th on the points table with 26 points in their 25 outings. Union Berlin are six points clear of the drop zone, but they cannot relax with nine games still to go. The team from Berlin are heading into the fixture on the back of a hard fought win over Eintracht Frankfurt, and it certainly gives them some belief that they can script an upset against Vincent Kompany’s team.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich sit comfortably at the top of the table with 61 points in their 25 outings. Despite a shocking defeat against VfL Bochum, they still have an eight-point lead over Bayer Leverkusen.
Having defeated Xabi Alonso’s men 2-0 in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 last time out, Die Roten will be confident of getting things back on track in the Bundesliga. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Union Berlin
The home team remain without the services of Robert Skov, Aljoscha Kemlein, and Oluwaseun Ogbemudia.
Union Berlin will line up in a 3-5-2 formation, where Frederik Ronnow will be in goal. The back three will be made up of Danilho Doekhi, Leopold Querfeld, and Diogo Leite. Christopher Trimmel and Josip Juranovic will be the wing-backs.
In the centre of the park, Lucas Tousart will start alongside Rani Khedira and Janik Haberer. The trio will look to ensure the Bayern Munich midfielders do not end up dominating the proceedings. In the final third, Andrej Ilić will partner with Tim Skarke.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Ronnow; Doekhi, Querfeld, Leite; Trimmel, Tousart, Khedira, Haberer, Juranovic; Hollerbach, Ilic
Bayern Munich
The visitors will be without the services of Manuel Neuer, Aleksandar Pavlovic, and Kingsley Coman. Meanwhile, Palhinha is suspended for this fixture.
Bayern Munich will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Jonas Urbig is set to continue in goal. Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-jae should feature at the heart of the defence, while Konrad Laimer and Alphonso Davies should feature on the flanks.
In the centre of the park, Joshua Kimmich will partner with Leon Goretzka. The duo will look to shield the backline and control the tempo of the game. Michael Olise and Leroy Sane could feature on the flanks, while Jamal Musiala will take up the no. 10 role. Harry Kane will lead the line for Bayern Munich against Union Berlin on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Urbig; Laimer, Upamecano, Kim, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Olise, Musiala, Sane; Kane
Key Stats
- Union Berlin’s win over Eintracht Frankfurt was just the third time they scored in any of their last seven games.
- Bayern Munich have scored two goals in 27 out of their 40 games this season.
- The home team have lost 13 out of their last 18 games across competitions.
- Vincent Kompany’s team won the reverse fixture 3-0.
- The team from Berlin have only won one out of their last nine league games.
Player to Watch
Leroy Sane
Sane is no longer a regular starter at Bayern Munich, but he tends to deliver every time he takes the field. In just over 1,700 minutes of first-team action, the 29-year-old has eight goals and four assists. With Coman out injured, the German international is certain to star, and he will be looking to make a big impact.
Prediction
Union Berlin 1-3 Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich might have suffered a setback in their last outing, but they bounced back against Leverkusen in the UEFA Champions League, and they will be favourites to win this clash. Union Berlin have struggled in the majority of the games this season, and they might not be able to trouble the visitors. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the away team.
