Bayern Munich, the perennial champions of the Bundesliga, are actively pursuing the top spot as they prepare to face mid-table team Borussia Monchengladbach at the Allianz Arena this Saturday.
The upcoming match marks their first encounter since September last year, when Bayern secured a comeback 2-1 victory at Borussia-Park, with Leroy Sane and Mathys Tel scoring in the second half.
Monchengladbach recently played a goalless draw against Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen, offering Bayern an indirect advantage. In their last outing, Bayern managed to secure a crucial 3-2 away victory against Augsburg, with goals from Aleksandar Pavlovic, Alphonso Davies, and Harry Kane.
While the reigning champions faced some challenges, including two second-half goals by Augsburg's Ermedin Demirovic and a late penalty miss by Sven Michel, they ultimately clinched the victory. Bayern is now within two points of Leverkusen, setting the stage for an intense title race.
Looking ahead, Bayern must first focus on their 112th Bundesliga meeting with Monchengladbach before their title showdown with Leverkusen on February 10. Despite being seven points ahead compared to their position in the 2022-23 title-winning campaign, Bayern has struggled against Monchengladbach in recent years, winning only one of their last six encounters. Notably, they have failed to secure victories in their last two home matches against Monchengladbach and have never gone three consecutive home games in the top flight without a win over them.
While Monchengladbach manager Gerardo Seoane can find positives in his team's resilient showing in the recent goalless draw against Leverkusen, their inconsistent performance is hindering them from rising above mid-table mediocrity.
The Foals have gathered only 21 points in the first 19 Bundesliga matches this season, marking their poorest points tally in 13 years. Under Seoane's leadership since July last year, they have yet to secure consecutive league victories.
Currently positioned 12th in the table, Monchengladbach faces no immediate threat of relegation, enjoying a nine-point cushion from 16th-placed FC Koln. Nevertheless, they must address their form to maintain slim aspirations for European football, trailing Eintracht Frankfurt by 10 points in sixth place.
Despite being strong contenders in this season's DFB-Pokal, with an upcoming quarter-final against Saarbrucken, who have caused upsets against Bayern and Frankfurt, Monchengladbach needs to prioritize their upcoming league match at the Allianz Arena. Their history against Bayern is noteworthy, having beaten them 28 times, and a victory could propel them to ninth place. However, their away form has been challenging, securing just one win in nine league fixtures on the road – a 3-1 triumph at VfL Bochum in September last year.
Bayern Munich encountered another setback as Kingsley Coman sustained a knee injury during the match against Augsburg, adding to their list of sidelined players, including Joshua Kimmich, Serge Gnabry, Konrad Laimer, Dayot Upamecano, Daniel Peretz, Tarek Buchmann, and Bouna Sarr.
While Kim Min-jae is still on duty with South Korea at the Asian Cup, Noussair Mazraoui is now available for selection after Morocco's exit from the Africa Cup of Nations. He may face competition from January signing Sacha Boey for the right-back position.
In the absence of Kimmich, Pavlovic is expected to retain his spot in midfield. Raphael Guerreiro, who played at right-back in the Augsburg match, might shift to the midfield alongside Leon Goretzka. With Coman sidelined, Thomas Muller is likely to be brought back into the attacking lineup.
For Monchengladbach, Tomas Cvancara, Jonas Omlin, and Lukas Ullrich are still recovering from ankle and shoulder injuries. Ko Itakura is unavailable as he is representing Japan at the Asian Cup. Patrick Herrmann is uncertain due to a knee problem, while Maximilian Wober is expected to return after missing the previous match due to illness. Wober is likely to join Joe Scally and Nico Elvedi in the center-back positions.
Midfielder Rocco Reitz, who overcame a muscle issue, hopes to secure a spot in the starting lineup alongside Julian Weigl and Manu Kone.
Bayern VS M'gladbach
