Bayern Munich will look to continue their defence of the Bundesliga title this Saturday when they host Hoffenheim at Allianz Arena.
The hosts come into this tie on the back of an embarrassing 3-0 loss to Manchester City in the Champions League. The loss was their second in four games under new manager Thomas Tuchel.
The German boss has his work cut out for him as he attempts to navigate a difficult week that could see Bayern lose their grip on their chances of winning a trophy at the end of the season.
Currently, they sit top of the table but with just two points ahead of Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga table.
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Meanwhile, having secured back-to-back Bundesliga victories in the infancy of his reign, Tuchel now has the chance to become just the fourth Bayern coach since the turn of the century to win his first three league games.
With the Bavarians boasting eleven wins from their last 14 Bundesliga home outings against Hoffenheim (D2, L1), you’d fully expect him to secure that feat and ensure his side end the weekend still on top.
The visitors aren’t pushovers, though, as they travel to Munich on a run of three consecutive league wins. Those priceless nine points have helped steer them clear of the immediate clutches of relegation.
However, with just a five-point cushion to the drop zone ahead of the round, the job is far from done. But all three Hoffenheim victories came against sides starting this round in the bottom half of the table. But it’s not been quite as plain-sailing for them against the division’s better sides, winning just two of their 15 Bundesliga games so far this season against teams starting the round tenth or higher, a record that looks ominous as they travel to face high-flying Bayern.
Meanwhile, Bayern have led at half-time in a league-high 21 of their 27 Bundesliga games this term (HT: D4, L2), so you can expect a first-half goal in this game.
