Bayern Munich host Hoffenheim on Saturday as they look to avenge the defeat they suffered in the return fixture.
The Bavarians have not been too impressive against Hoffenheim throughout the past year. Bayern Munich suffered a 2-0 defeat against the visitors earlier this season. The German Champions also dropped points at home last season in this fixture.
Bayern Munich suffered a scare against Werder Bremen last week despite a convincing result. They will be hoping for a much more composed display this weekend. Bayern currently sit comfortably at the top of the Bundesliga table with a 16-point lead.
Hoffenheim are enduring a difficult campaign as they have struggled in both the Bundesliga and Europe. They have been knocked out of the Europa League in the group stage itself. In the Bundesliga, they have failed to find a win in the past five matches. These poor performances have dropped them to ninth position in the Bundesliga.
Team News
Mats Hummels is back in training but he will need another week to be back in contention for a starting spot. Javi Martinez is also out for this game after suffering a knock against Werder Bremen. David Alaba is back for this game after missing last week’s game due to illness.
#Heynckes: "@Javi8martinez had some problems against Bremen and won't be around tomorrow. @matshummels also needs a week to get up to speed with his training." #FCBTSG pic.twitter.com/Cqi7aLrSKe
— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) January 26, 2018
Thiago Alcantara has started training with the team, but the Spaniard is still weeks away from first team action. On the other hand Manuel Neuer remains tight lipped about his return date. The German goalkeeper has started light training.
Predicted XI
Bayern Munich are likely to make just one change to the defense which featured against Werder Bremen. Sven Ulreich will keep his place in goal, while Jerome Boateng and Niklas Sule will form the partnership in the heart of defense. David Alaba will resume his duties at Left-back. while Joshua Kimmich will slot in on the right hand side.
In the midfield, Sebastian Rudy is likely to face his former club. The German will play the role of defensive midfielder in the absence of Javi Martinez. Arturo Vidal is likely to partner Rudy in order to provide tenacity in the midfield.
Kingsley Coman and Arjen Robben are likely to start this game on the left and right flank respectively. James Rodriguez is likely to be preferred over Thomas Muller in the attacking midfield role due to his red hot form. Robert Lewandowski will lead the line for the German Champions.
"UlreichAlaba-Boateng-Sule-KimmichRudy-VidalComan-Rodriguez-RobbenLewandowski"
Opposition Focus
Hoffenheim are not in the best form right now, but they have the right manager and personnel to inflict a defeat on Bayern. The visitors lost their main striker earlier this month after Sandro Wagner completed his move to Bayern Munich. They are still capable of executing swift moves to hurt opponents on the counter. Bayern cannot afford to lose concentration while defending like they did last week against Bremen.
Mark Huth has been a key player for Hoffenheim this season as he has scored nine goals in the Bundesliga. He can cause serious problems on set-pieces. Apart from him Andrej Kramaric is also an attacking player which Bayern have to keep an eye on.
Next: Serge Gnabry will return to Bayern Munich in the summer
Prediction
Bayern Munich 3-1 Hoffenheim