Ahead of their midweek clash against Liverpool, Bayern Munich hope to stay atop the Bundesliga table with a big win against Wolfsburg on Saturday.
Niko Kovac is now slowly showing signs of progress with this Bayern Munich team, who have strung together a few good performances and picked up some good results. They are now entering a crucial week, that could decide the fate of their season in more than one competition. The Bavarians play a key Bundesliga game against Wolfsburg this weekend before taking on Liverpool in the middle of next week.
The defending champions delivered an emphatic performance against Borussia Monchengladbach last weekend, putting them level on points with Borussia Dortmund. The latter only sit atop the Bundesliga table thanks to a better goal differential. Dortmund are currently struggling, though, so Bayern have to make sure they keep collecting wins to pile more and more pressure on Lucien Favre and Co.
Wolfsburg, meanwhile, are doing well in the Bundesliga compared to last season. They are seventh in the league table with a good chance of finishing in the top six. The visitors will be confident about getting a positive result at the Allianz Arena thanks to their recent upturn in form.
Team News
Arjen Robben continues to struggle with injuries after suffering a calf injury in training this week. The Dutchman will reportedly be out until the end of the month. David Alaba missed team training earlier today and likely won’t be risked tomorrow with one eye on the Liverpool match.
Leon Goretzka and Franck Ribery have returned to training after missing the game against Borussia Monchengladbach injured. Kingsley Coman has also started training on the pitch, but this game will come too soon for the Frenchman. Corentin Tolisso, meanwhile, will be back in action by the end of the March.
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Predicted XI
Niko Kovac insisted in his pre-match conference that there are unlikely to be many changes to the starting XI that played last weekend. Manuel Neuer will start in goal, while Mats Hummels and Niklas Sule are likely to form the center-back partnership. David Alaba will slot in at left-back, while Joshua Kimmich will play on the right side of defense.
Javi Martinez enjoyed a fine February, capping it off by winning player of the month. The Spaniard started the new in the same manner, delivered an assured performance against Gladbach. Martinez will keep his place in the lineup, and Thiago Alcantara is most likely going to partner him in holding midfield.
James Rodriguez has picked up form since the winter break, and he will deservedly keep his place in the lineup on Saturday. Serge Gnabry and Thomas Muller are likely to be deployed on the left and right flanks respectively. Robert Lewandowski, as usual, will lead the line for the defending champions.
"NeuerKimmich-Sule-Hummels-AlabaMartinez-ThiagoMuller-James-GnabryLewandowski"
Opposition Focus
Wolfsburg fared well against Bayern Munich at the start of the season but failed to take their chances. The visitors will be tested defensively on Saturday as Bayern will attack relentlessly from the start of the game. Bayern have shown resilience defensively in past few weeks, so Wolfsburg will have to be very efficient with any chances they create.
Wout Weghorst, who has scored nine Bundesliga goals this season, is the key man for the visitors in the final third. Admir Mehmedi has done a good job of complementing the Dutchman in attack, scoring five goals of his own in the league. Renato Steffen and Yunus Malli are a few other names who could cause trouble to Bayern’s defense.
Prediction
Bayern Munich 3-0 Wolfsburg
Bayern currently find themselves in the middle of a good run of form, so I expect them to get the job done on Saturday. In an ideal situation, Bayern wraps the game up quickly, allowing Niko Kovac to bring off a few key players ahead of Wednesday’s huge match.