Bayern Munich host Freiburg in Bundesliga clash

Bayern Munich eye their fifth consecutive win since their early season slump when they host Freiburg on matchday 10 of the Bundesliga.

Bayern Munich have been slowly gaining momentum since the end of the last international break. The defending champions have ground out results, but there are still questions about their overall performances. Niko Kovac will be eager to get a good result with a convincing display on Saturday when they host Freiburg in Bundesliga play.

The Bavarians have won their last two Bundesliga games after a 3-0 defeat against Borussia Monchengladbach at the Allianz Arena. Bayern’s recovery has helped them climb back up the table, as they currently sit second, trailing Borussia Dortmund by two points. It’s important they get all three points tomorrow to keep themselves in a good position ahead of next weekend’s Der Klassiker.

Freiburg has endured a mixed Bundesliga campaign so far. They are currently 12th in the league and have a healthy gap between themselves and their relegation rivals. The visitors have been in poor form lately, though, having won only two of their past five Bundesliga games. However, they come into this mtatch hot off a solid win over Borussia Monchengladbach.

Team News

Bayern Munich suffered a major injury blow earlier this week when Thiago Alcantara hurt his ankle against SV Rodinghausen. The Spanish midfielder is set to be on the sidelines for a month and will miss next week’s high octane clash against Borussia Dortmund. Arjen Robben will be back for this game, though, after serving his suspension in the last Bundesliga game.

Mats Hummels is back in training after suffering a minor injury against Wolfsburg last weekend. James Rodriguez and Jerome Boateng missed the game against SV Rodinghausen due to illness, but the duo are now fit to face Freiburg. French pairing Corentin Tolisso and Kingsley Coman remain the long term absentees for the defending champions.

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Predicted XI

Niko Kovac will make several changes to the starting lineup that featured against SV Rodinghausen. Manuel Neuer will be desperate for a clean sheet, as Bayern have struggled defensively this season. Mats Hummels will make a return to the starting lineup and he will partner Niklas Sule in central defense. The normality will also resume at full-back, where Joshua Kimmich and David Alaba will start on Saturday.

Thiago Alcantara has been the main man for Niko Kovac in the midfield department. The Spaniard’s midfield role is likely to be filled by Javi Martinez on Saturday. Leon Goretzka will go in as the box-to-box midfielder in this formation, while James Rodriguez will be deployed in the attacking midfield position.

Robert Lewandowski will lead the line for the hosts after being rested in the midweek match, while Arjen Robben will slot in on the right side of the attack. Franck Ribery delivered a very disappointing performance against SV Rodinghaunsen and is unlikely to keep his place in the lineup and make way for Serge Gnabry on the left flank.

"NeuerKimmich-Sule-Hummels-AlabaMartinez-GoretzkaRobben-James-GnabryLewandowski"

Opposition Focus

Freiburg suffered a disappointing result in the DFB Pokal this week, as Holsten Klein clinched a narrow victory against them. The visitors have been on a run of poor form lately and a good result against Bayern Munich will be a massive boost for their confidence. Freiburg can take advantage of Bayern’s defensive fragility, but they will have to defend vigorously for 90 minutes.

The visitors have been inefficient in front of goal, but they have many talented players that can cause Bayern problems. Janik Haberer and Roland Sallai are the two young midfielders to keep an eye on Saturday. Freiburg will be without some of their key players, so Luca Waldschmidt will be the most important player in attack.

Prediction

Bayern Munich 3-1 Freiburg

Bayern Munich have been poor at the Allianz Arena compared to their usual standards. The Bavarians have momentum with them, though, and a dominant performance is likely to arrive sooner rather than later. I expect the home side to get the job done against Freiburg, but they will fail to keep the clean sheet as their defense is not at its best right now.