Bayern Munich will aim to keep pace with Borussia Dortmund atop the Bundesliga when they hit the road to face FC Augsburg on Saturday afternoon.
FC Augsburg will hope the break works in their favour and helps them to return to winning ways. While they will have the home court advantage, taking down the defending champions, Bayern Munich, is never an easy task. However, Vincent Kompany’s team have some catching up to do at the top of the table.
The home team are fourth on the table with seven points from their first four outings. While Die Fuggerstadter started with back-to-back wins, they lost momentum prior to the break with a draw and a defeat.
Augsburg fought hard for the 2-2 draw against Bayer Leverkusen, but the 3-2 defeat to Werder Bremen was disappointing, as they threw away a two-goal lead. Manuel Baum’s charges will hope they can take down giants Bayern Munich and put their campaign back on track.
The reigning Bundesliga champions are second on the table with ten points in their four outings (W3 D1). They are two points behind Borussia Dortmund, who have made a perfect start to the season and can stretch their lead on Friday when they face Werder Bremen. So, Bayern will look to ensure they keep the pressure up on the team in yellow and black with a win here.
Die Roten thrashed Union Berlin 7-0 before the international break and will be the clear favourites heading into this fixture. Vincent Kompany will be hoping his side can pick up from exactly where they left off and maintain their impressive form. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Noahkai Banks (knee) is sidelined after picking up a serious injury during international break. He joins Tim Breithaupt (toe) and Steve Mounie on the sidelines.
Augsburg are expected to line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Finn Dahmen starting between the sticks. Calvin Brackelmann, Jeffrey Gouweleeuw, and Chrislain Matsima should form the back three, with the trio tasked with keeping Bayern Munich’s dangerous attackers at bay.
Marius Wolf and Hennes Behrens are likely to operate as wing-backs, providing width in attack while tracking back to support the defence. Han-Noah Massengo and Fabian Rieder should form the central midfield pairing, with the duo looking to win possession and protect the backline.
Robin Fellhauer and Alexis Claude-Maurice are expected to operate in the attacking midfield roles behind Michael Gregoritsch, who will lead the line for the hosts.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Dahmen; Brackelmann, Gouweleeuw, Matsima; Wolf, Massengo, Rieder, Behrens; Fellhauer, Claude-Maurice; Gregoritsch
Bayern Munich will be without the services of Jamal Musiala, who picked up a thigh injury while on duty with the German national team. Apart from the 23-year-old, everyone else is expected to be available for selection.
The visitors are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Manuel Neuer starting between the sticks. Konrad Laimer and Alphonso Davies should occupy the full-back positions, while Jonathan Tah is likely to pair up with Dayot Upamecano at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Aleksandar Pavlovic and Joshua Kimmich are expected to form the double pivot in the middle of the park. The duo will look to control possession and dictate the tempo.
Michael Olise and Luis Diaz should operate on the flanks, using their creativity and attacking quality to stretch the opposition defence. Ismael Saibari is likely to feature in the number ten role behind Harry Kane, who will lead the line for the visitors.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Laimer, Upamecano, Tah, Davies; Pavlovic, Kimmich; Olise, Saibari, Diaz; Kane
Saibari might not have played 90 minutes every game, but he has certainly made quite an impact in his debut campaign at the club. He has three goal contributions in his four league outings. While it has been a promising start, he needs to do more to become a regular in Kompany’s team.
With Musiala out injured, Saibari will get to play in his preferred number ten role, and this might be the game where Bayern fans get a proper look at what he has to offer.
FC Augsburg will be keen to make the most of their home advantage and bounce back after dropping points in their last two league games. However, their defensive vulnerabilities could make life difficult against a Bayern Munich side that has been ruthless in front of goal. The hosts have shown they can trouble quality opposition, but they will need to be far more disciplined at the back to stand a chance of getting a result.
Bayern head into this fixture full of confidence after their emphatic 7-0 win over Union Berlin. Kompany’s men have made an impressive start to the campaign and will be eager to maintain their momentum in the title race. With Harry Kane leading the attack and Michael Olise and Luis Diaz providing creativity from the flanks, the visitors should have enough firepower to exploit Augsburg’s defensive weaknesses. The Hard Tackle predicts a 4-1 win for the away team.
