League leaders Bayern Munich can come within a point of the Bundesliga campaign when they host VfB Stuttgart at the Allianz Arena on Sunday.
Bayern Munich could secure their 35th Bundesliga title when they welcome VfB Stuttgart to Allianz Arena, if Borussia Dortmund drop points in their game against TSG Hoffenheim on Saturday. While Die Roten will push for the title, Stuttgart will look to strengthen their position inside the top four.
The home team are on top of the table with 76 points in their 29 games. Vincent Kompany’s men have been a cut above the rest this season. The Bavarian giants have only suffered one defeat in the league, and they have won 24 of those fixtures.
They already have a 12-point lead at the top, and if Borussia Dortmund drop points this week, Bayern would mathematically secure the title with a win here. Die Roten will be high on confidence, having knocked out Real Madrid to book a spot in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League.
Meanwhile, the visitors are third on the table with 56 points in their 29 outings. Stuttgart are pushing for a Champions League spot, and they have a four-point cushion over the team in fifth. They have won three out of their last four league outings.
Stuttgart secured an impressive 4-0 win over Hamburger SV in their last outing, and they will certainly be hoping to cause an upset here. However, taking down one of the most in-form teams in all of Europe won’t be easy. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich do not have any fresh injuries to worry about, but they do remain without the services of Lennart Karl (thigh) and Sven Ulreich (muscle).
The home side will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Manuel Neuer will be in goal. Josip Stanisic and Alphonso Davies are expected to be the full-backs, while Dayot Upamecano will partner with Kim Min-Jae in central defence.
As for the midfield unit, Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka will form the double pivot in the centre of the park. They will look to control the tempo of the game.
Jamal Musiala could be handed a start here in the number ten role, while Michael Olise and Luis Diaz continue to feature on the flanks. Finally, star striker Harry Kane will lead the line for Bayern Munich against Stuttgart on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Stanisic, Upamecano, Kim, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Olise, Musiala, Diaz; Kane
VfB Stuttgart
The visitors will be without the services of star forward Deniz Undav, who is suspended for this fixture. Apart from the German international, everyone else should be available for selection for VfB Stuttgart ahead of the trip to the Allianz Arena.
Stuttgart will also line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Alexander Nubel will continue to feature in goal. Lorenz Assignon and Ramon Hendriks will be the full-backs, while Finn Jeltsch will pair up with Julian Chabot in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Atakan Karazor and Angelo Stiller will form the double pivot in the centre of the park. The duo will have a lot of defending to do against a power-packed Bayern Munich side.
Jamie Leweling and Chris Fuhrich will provide width to their attacks, while Nikolas Nartey will take up the number ten role behind Ermedin Demirovic, who will spearhead the VfB Stuttgart attack against Bayern Munich this weekend.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Nubel; Assignon, Jeltsch, Chabot, Hendriks; Karazor, Stiller; Leweling, Nartey, Fuhrich; Demirovic
Key Stats
- Bayern Munich are pushing for their 35th league title and could secure it if results go their way.
- VfB Stuttgart have lost 72 league games out of 113 against Bayern Munich; no team has lost that many games to a single opponent.
- Bayern Munich are enjoying the third-best Bundesliga season in their history with 76 points in 29 outings.
- In the reverse fixtures, Stuttgart lost 5-0 to Bayern, their biggest Bundesliga defeat under coach Sebastian Hoeness.
- Bayern Munich have the best attack in the division with 105 goals in 29 games. They have already smashed the previous record of 101, which has been standing since the 1971/72 season.
Player to Watch
Jamal Musiala
Musiala has successfully bounced back after suffering a serious injury in the first half of the season. The 23-year-old attacking midfielder is slowly getting back to his best. While he only played a cameo against Real Madrid in the second leg, the German international did have an immediate impact.
With the German international on the pitch, they were able to open up the Real Madrid defence with much more ease, and he even bagged an assist. He started their last league outing against St. Pauli and finished with two goal contributions. Given the kind of form he has been in, Musiala could have a big say on the end result here.
Prediction
Bayern Munich 3-0 VfB Stuttgart
Bayern Munich head into this fixture with momentum firmly on their side, and with the title potentially within reach, expect them to come out with intent from the very first whistle. Vincent Kompany’s men have been relentless in the league, and with their attacking unit firing on all cylinders, they will look to assert dominance early.
While VfB Stuttgart have been impressive in their push for a top-four finish, this is arguably their toughest test of the season. They do have the quality to trouble Bayern Munich on the break, but containing the league leaders over 90 minutes is a completely different challenge.
Given Bayern Munich’s form, depth, and motivation to wrap up the title, they should have more than enough to secure a comfortable win. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 win for the home team.