Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich will look to return to winning ways when they host mid-table outfit Union Berlin at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.
Union Berlin will look to record consecutive wins in the Bundesliga when they hit the road to square up against leaders Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on Saturday afternoon. The German champions will look to further strengthen their position at the top of the table.
The home team have once again been the team to beat in the German top flight. They have won 21 out of their 26 league outings (D4 L1) and are top of the table with 67 points. Die Roten are nine points clear of second-placed Borussia Dortmund with just eight games to go.
The title race looks done and dusted, but Bayern Munich certainly won’t take things lightly until they are officially crowned champions. After five straight wins in the league, they could only manage a draw against Bayer Leverkusen. But they are heading into this on the back of a 4-1 win over Atalanta in the Champions League.
Vincent Kompany’s men are in fine form, and they should be able to dominate the proceedings here. Meanwhile, Union Berlin are ninth on the table with just 31 points in their 26 outings. The away side have only won eight games and have suffered defeat on 11 occasions.
While they have not been in the best of form, having won just two out of their last 11 league outings, they are heading into this fixture on the back of a positive result. Union Berlin secured a 1-0 win over SC Freiburg in their last outing courtesy of an injury-time winner by Jeong Woo-yeong.
Despite being the second-best for most parts of the game, they did get the job done. However, it will take a lot more than that to take down Bayern Munich away from home. 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 quite a few first-team stars. Alphonso Davies (hamstring), Wisdom Okpako Mike (tendon), Manuel Neuer (calf), and Sven Ulreich (groin) remain on the sidelines. Meanwhile, Jonathan Tah, Luis Diaz, and Nicolas Jackson are all suspended for this outing. Jamal Musiala remains a doubt because of an ankle issue.
Bayern Munich will stick with the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Jonas Urbig will feature in goal. The back four will consist of Konrad Laimer, Dayot Upamecano, Kim Min-jae, and Tom Bischof. Laimer and Bichof will start on the flanks, while Upamecano and Min-jae will take charge in the heart of the defence.
The back four will receive significant support from Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich, who will form the double pivot in the middle of the pitch. The duo will look to control the tempo of the game.
Michael Olise and Serge Gnabry are expected to take charge on the flanks, providing width to their attacks. Lennart Karl will feature as the attacking midfielder behind Harry Kane, who will be leading the line for the Bavarians.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Urbig; Laimer, Upamecano, Kim, Bischof; Kimmich, Goretzka; Olise, Karl, Gnabry; Kane
Union Berlin
While shot-stopper Matheo Raab (fractured hand) is out injured, they do have a boost as Frederik Ronnow is back in time to feature in this game. Meanwhile, Andras Schafer is suspended, while Robert Skov is out with a calf injury.
The visitors will line up in a 3-5-2 formation, where Ronnow will feature in goal. The back three will be made up of Danilho Doekhi, Leopold Querfeld, and Stanley Nsoki. They will certainly have a tough day in the office against a power-packed Bayern attack.
Christopher Trimmel and Derrick Kohn, who will feature as wing-backs, will try to help out of the backline. Meanwhile, Rani Khedira will start alongside Janik Haberer and Aljoscha Kemlein in the centre of the park. The trio will try to ensure Bayern midfielders do not dominate the ball too deep in their half.
In the final third, Ilyas Ansah will start alongside Andrej Ilic. The duo will be waiting for a chance to hit Bayern on the break.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Ronnow; Doekhi, Querfeld, Nsoki; Trimmel, Haberer, Khedira, Kemlein, Kohn; Ilic, Ansah
Key Stats
- Union Berlin have only won two out of their last 11 Bundesliga games.
- After five straight wins in the league, Bayern Munich could only manage a draw against Bayer Leverkusen in their last league outing.
- Bayern Munich have only lost one league game all season (2-1 defeat to Augsburg in January)
- The Berlin-based outfit have only kept two clean sheets in their 26 league outings.
- Union Berlin’s win over Freiburg was their only away win this season. So they certainly have a massive task of taking down the leaders in their backyard.
Player to Watch
Serge Gnabry
While Gnabry has gone down the pecking order at Bayern Munich in recent years, he is still a very important squad member. Every time the German international is handed an opportunity to start, he certainly ends up making the most out of it.
He has had less than 1,800 minutes of first-team action in his 33 outings, but still has eight goals and 10 assists to his name. The 30-year-old bagged an assist in his last start against Borussia Dortmund, except something similar when he takes the field against Union Berlin.
Prediction
Bayern Munich 5-1 Union Berlin
Bayern Munich will head into this fixture as overwhelming favourites, especially given their dominant form in the league and formidable record at home. Despite a few absentees, the Bavarians have more than enough quality in their ranks to control possession and dictate the tempo from the very start.
Union Berlin are likely to adopt a defensive approach and look to frustrate the hosts while relying on counterattacks for opportunities. However, given their struggles away from home and Bayern’s attacking firepower, it is difficult to see them containing the league leaders for long. If Bayern find their rhythm early, this could turn into a comfortable outing for the home side. The Hard Tackle predicts a 5-1 win for the home team.
