Bayern Munich: Three things to watch out against Hertha Berlin
The final phase of the Bundesliga is set to be exciting as the title race is going down to the wire. Bayern Munich goes into matchday 30 in a must-win situation to keep the hopes alive of retaining the league title. They will be coming up against the bottom-of-the-table team Hertha Berlin at Allianz Arena on Sunday.
Bayern suffered a major setback in the Bundesliga by conceding three goals in the second half against Mainz. It was Thomas Tuchel’s third defeat in seven games as the head coach of the Bundesliga. After the capitulation against Mainz, let us look at the three things to watch out for against Hertha Berlin on Sunday.
Fast start to the game after Dortmund’s result against Bochum
Borussia Dortmund has already dropped points in gameweek 29 as they were held to a 1-1 draw by VfL Bochum on Friday. Bayern can go back to the top of the points table by defeating Hertha Berlin on Sunday. They will have a slender lead of one point if they claim all three points against Hertha Berlin.
The defending Bundesliga champions will be playing in front of the Bavarian faithful on Sunday, so a fast start will be needed to set the tone for the game. Dortmund’s result should give Bayern an initiative to start the game on fire against Hertha Berlin. Bayern had blown teams away in the first half when the pressure was on the team during this season. Will the same trend follow on Sunday after seeing Dortmund drop two points on Friday?
Will Sadio Mane build on his goal against Mainz?
Sadio Mane got back on the scoresheet last weekend when he nodded home to give Bayern the lead against Mainz. The Senegalese forward has endured difficult few weeks on and off the pitch. There is growing speculation about his future at Bayern.
Mane can silence the critics and speculation by scoring goals in the final five games of the season. He needs to build on his performance against Mainz by showing more ruthlessness in the final third against Hertha Berlin. Considering the form of Hertha, Mane should be looking to score at least one goal on Sunday to boost his form and confidence.
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Intensity from the team in and out of possession
Bayern looked lethargic against Mainz with and without the ball in the second half. They were struggling to win the second balls across the park, which allowed Mainz to get back in the game and eventually clinch the victory.
Thomas Tuchel got one full week of training with players, so there should be much more fluidity in the team’s play on Sunday. Bayern needs to play on the front foot and put Hertha under pressure from the word go. It will be intriguing to see the tactical tweaks Tuchel has adopted to make the team more proactive in and out of possession against Hertha on Sunday.