FC Bayern Munich: Three things to watch for against Hertha Berlin
By Daniel Garza
FC Bayern Munich faces Hertha Berlin on matchday three. Here are three things to watch for.
After a shocking defeat to Hoffenheim, FC Bayern Munich will look to bounce back against Hertha Berlin on Sunday. This will be Die Roten’s last Bundesliga fixture before the October international break commences. Bayern is facing a Hertha side who have recorded a victory and defeat in their opening two matches of the season. In the previous campaign, the clubs tied in their first meeting but Bayern won the second meeting 4-0.
Here are three things to watch for ahead of Sunday’s match.
Another match without Sane
Leroy Sane remains out of the lineup as he recovers from a knee injury. Although it doesn’t appear there is a long timeframe for his return, not having Sane available is still an early-season blow. The winger produced a spectacular performance against Schalke on the first matchday and appeared to be heading in the right direction at Bayern.
Despite the absence of Sane, Bayern was able to win the DFL Supercup in mid-week action. With Kingsley Coman returning from his quarantine Bayern now have a player available on the wing who can produce high-quality minutes on the pitch. Coman could very well be in the starting XI for this match as well.
Bayern was able to still achieve victory without their star summer signing available against Borussia Dortmund. It appears they will be just fine entering this match and with possible reinforcements on the way things aren’t looking so doom and gloom after all.
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Will Hertha’s attacking players shine?
Hertha has had two polar opposite performances in the Bundesliga so far, much like Bayern. In their first match, they were very clinical with their chances and won comfortable 4-1 against Werder Bremen. However, their performance last Friday against Eintracht Frankfurt ended in a 3-1 defeat as they were unable to match their opponent’s goal-scoring ability.
The attacking unit Hertha currently has is perhaps their greatest strength. They have a pair of very good strikers in Jhon Cordoba and Krzysztof Piątek who are both dangerous when they are at their best. Hertha also has two young talented playmakers in Matheus Cunha and Dodi Lukebakio. If these players can find good form for this fixture then they should give Bayern trouble.
Fatigue could still be an issue
Much like last weekend’s match against Hoffenheim, Bayern is entering this fixture having played just days ago. The only difference from last week is they get four days of rest as opposed to three. Regardless, there’s a chance the squad could show signs of fatigue with the jam-packed schedule. In the span of 10 days, they will have played four fixtures.
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The coming weeks will continue to have a similar schedule for Die Roten as the DFB-Pokal and UEFA Champions League matches will be on the calendar. It remains to be seen how Bayern performs as the season continues with this frantic schedule of matches in quick succession. This match should give more insight into if last weekend’s defeat was an anomaly or a sign of continued struggles to come in Bundesliga fixtures on the weekend.