Bayern Munich need a dominant performance against Hannover

Bayern Munich will be looking to bounce back after their poor result against Nurnberg last weekend when they host Hannover on Saturday.

The final stretch of an exciting Bundesliga season is upon us, and the title race is poised to go down to the wire. Bayern Munich had the chance to kill Borussia Dortmund’s hopes by gaining a four-point lead at the top of the table, but they failed to do so — instead succumbing to a 1-1 draw against Nurnberg. The defending champions have one more chance to put pressure on Dortmund this weekend by clinching a win over Hannover at the Allianz Arena.

Niko Kovac was annoyed with his team’s performance against Nurnberg. Bayern were close to dropping all three points, but luckily for them Nurnberg failed to convert a penalty in the dying minutes of the game. The Bavarians were inefficient in the final third and struggled to create clear-cut chances as they went deep into the game. They cannot afford any more slip-ups in their final three league games.

Hannover, meanwhile, cannot wait to end a hapless season. They have most likely began preparations for next year’s campaign in the second division as their relegation from the Bundesliga is already sealed. The weekend’s visitors have nothing to play for right now, but a positive end to the season will at least give their fans something to cheer about.

Team News

Manuel Neuer will continue to miss Bayern’s games due to a calf injury he suffered a few weeks ago. The German goalkeeper is on schedule in his recovery process and should be able to at least play the last league game against Eintracht Frankfurt. Javi Martinez missed training on Thursday due to a knee problem, but the Spaniard is expected to be fit for the game on Saturday.

James Rodriguez suffered a calf injury against Nurnberg last weekend. The time frame of his recovery is not yet clear, but the Colombian will surely miss the game against Hannover. Arjen Robben was included in the matchday squad last weekend so he is likely to get some minutes tomorrow. Jerome Boateng will also be back in the squad after missing the last game due to a minor injury.

Predicted XI

Kovac is hardly going to make any significant changes to the starting lineup as every league game is now like a final for the Bavarians. Sven Ulreich will keep his place in goal, while Mats Hummels and Niklas Sule will form the center-back partnership in front of him. The full-backs are pretty obvious, as David Alaba and Joshua Kimmich will start on the left and right side of the back four respectively.

There are many midfield options for Kovac to choose from, but he has stuck with a Spanish midfield partnership in the last couple of months. Javi Martinez has nailed down the holding midfield role, while Thiago Alcantara is the dynamic box-to-box midfielder in this setup. Thomas Muller, meanwhile, will move back in the number ten role after starting on the right flank against Nurnberg.

Kovac is likely to make one change in attack as he will opt for Serge Gnabry over Leon Goretzka. The German winger has been in fine form but missed out on the starting place last weekend due to a minor knock. Kingsley Coman will be the other winger in this lineup, while Robert Lewandowski will lead the line for the hosts.

"UlreichKimmich-Sule-Hummels-AlabaMartinez-ThiagoGnabry-Muller-ComanLewandowski"

Opposition Focus

Die Roten will have to be patient and efficient in possession as Hannover are likely to defend deep on Saturday. Nurnberg showed the exact way to suffocate Bayern’s attack last weekend, and Hannover will be hoping to execute a similar plan to frustrate the league leaders. Moreover, this Bayern defense is permeable and can be hurt on the counter fairly easily.

Hannover have struggled to score goals this season, but their squad surely have some attacking players that have the potential to be threating to any defense on their day. Hendrik Weydant has scored six goals in the league, so he is likely to be the focal point of Hannover’s attack on Saturday. Genki Haraguchi and Linton Maina are the players that will do the bulk of creating chances for Weydant. Bayern are massive favorites, but expect these three Hannover players to test their fragile defence.

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Prediction

Bayern Munich 3-0 Hannover

Bayern were very sloppy against Nurnberg last weekend. The defending champions have bounced back very well from many setbacks this season, so I expect a convincing performance from them at the Allianz Arena on Saturday. Bayern’s goal differential is already superior to Borussia Dortmund, and I can see it getting even better this weekend.