Bayern Munich target their third win in seven days with trip to Hamburg

Bayern Munich travel to Volksparkstadion to face Hamburg as they look to maintain their winning momentum under coach Jupp Heynckes.

Jupp Heynckes aims to maintain his 100% record in his current coaching tenure when Bayern Munich face Hamburg on Saturday. The German has begun his fourth tenure at the club with two convincing performances against Freiburg and Celtic.

Bayern Munich gained three points on their rivals Borussia Dortmund last weekend as BVB lost their game against RB Leipzig. The Bavarians are currently second in the Bundesliga, two points behind the black-and-yellows. Bayern can go top of the table with a win over Hamburg provided Dortmund fail to win yet again (given their poor form, that’s not too unlikely).

Hamburg are nowhere near being in good form. Having struggled much in the Bundesliga this season, the hosts are sitting just above the relegation zone, but only on goal differential.

Team News

Manuel Neuer is the long term absentee for the Bavarians. Juan Bernat has started training with the ball but will not be ready for the game against Hamburg, while Franck Ribery also remains on the sidelines. The French winger, however, is aiming for an early return from his recent knee injury.

Javi Martinez featured against Freiburg last weekend but injured his shoulder during the game. The Spaniard is expected to be out for 10-12 days, so he will also miss out on the game against Hamburg. Arturo Vidal and James Rodriguez are fit to play this weekend after missing out the match last weekend.

Predicted XI

Sven Ulreich has had two comfortable outings so far under Heynckes. He will keep his place in the goal, while Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng will form the center-back pairing. Joshua Kimmich has been a consistent player for Bayern this season and he will occupy the right-back position. On the other side, David Alaba will slot in the left-back role.

In the midfield, Heynckes is likely to continue with Sebastian Rudy and Thiago Alcantara. The pair delivered a very good performance against Celtic midweek and are likely to be rewarded for that with a place in the XI on Saturday.

Heynckes praised Muller on Wednesday and the German is slowly getting back into his groove. Muller is likely to play the number ten role behind Robert Lewandowski. James Rodriguez is tipped to get his first start under Heynckes while Arjen Robben will play on the right flank.

"UlreichKimmich – Hummels – Boateng – AlabaRudy – ThiagoRobben – Muller – JamesLewandowski"

Opposition Focus

Hamburg have not won at home since the first gameweek, and have not won against Bayern Munich in their last 18 meetings. Despite their poor results this season, Heynckes is not taking the hosts lightly.

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The Bavarians cannot afford to be complacent as even a single point is very crucial for the hosts. Nicolai Muller will be a big miss for the home side, but they have decent attacking players who can cause problems. Bobby Wood and Walace are the two players whom Bayern should take care of in order to get a convincing win.

Predictions-

Hamburg 0- 4 Bayern Munich