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 league 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. They are six points clear of the drop zone but can’t 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 2nd leg of the Champions League round of 16 last time out, the German giants will be confident of getting things back on track in the league. 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 Rønnow 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 Bayern 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.
The German giants 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 in central 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 number ten role. Harry Kane will be the one leading the line for them.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Urbig; Laimer, Upamecano, Kim, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Olise, Musiala, Sane; Kane
Key Stats
- Union Berlin’s win over Frankfurt was just the third time they scored in any of their last seven games.
- Bayern 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
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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, he is certain to star and will be looking to make a big impact.
Prediction
Union Berlin 1-3 Bayern Munich
Bayern might have suffered a setback in their last outing, but they bounced back against Leverkusen in the UCL and 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.
