HERTHA BERLIN – BAYERN MUNICH | Saturday 3.30pm
Yes, Bayern Munich are back. Seven wins in a row between the Bundesliga and Champions League, seven matches won by scoring a whole host of goals: 27 in total. In the championship, where in the first two months they had collected too many missteps, the Bavarians have once again reactivated their steamroller mode: last Saturday they beat Mainz (6-2), while in the previous round it was Hoffenheim’s turn (2-0) to receive a football lesson. And yet Julian Nagelsmann’s battleship is still forced to chase: In front of everyone there is Union Berlin, who are astonishing everyone, but the Capitolini now have just one point ahead of the reigning German champions and the scent of overtaking is already in the air. Bayern have not missed a beat in the Champions League either, in a group that at the time of the draw was considered among the most uncertain.
And instead it ended as in years gone by, with Kimmich and his teammates on full points, just like last season. Neither Inter Milan nor Barcelona were able to tickle Bayern, who ended on a high last Tuesday by beating Simone Inzaghi’s Nerazzurri 2-0 with plenty of second-liners on the pitch. Nagelsmann’s aim now is to end 2022 on top, and in order to do so he is aiming for an en plein with Hertha Berlin, Werder Bremen and Schalke 04, the three teams he will face before the break. Against the capital formation, Neuer – who has admitted in recent hours that he is struggling with skin cancer – Muller, Hernandez and Sané will certainly not be there. The attack, therefore, will once again be led by a wild Choupo-Moting, who also scored against Inter.
For his part, Sandro Schwarz, Hertha’s coach, will not be able to dispose of the quality of Stevan Jovetic, one of the most in-form men in recent days. Without the Montenegrin, the Alte Dame lost inventiveness and, in the last round, they ran out of goals against Werder Bremen (1-0), the second defeat in their last three matches.
Wilfried Kanga
The Prediction
Hertha Berlin have only picked up one point in their last seven matches against Bayern Munich and the chances of coming away unscathed from this one are very slim indeed. The Bavarians are in roller-coaster mode again and should be able to conquer the Olympiastadion without major problems. Almost all of Bayern’s goals in this Bundesliga have come in the first half. That is why we believe the first half can be more prolific than the second.
The likely Hertha Berlin-Bayern Munich line-up
- HERTHA BERLIN (4-3-3): Christensen; Kenny, Rogel, Kempf, Plattenhardt; Tousart, Sunjic, Serdar; Lukebakio, Kanga, Richter.
- BAYERN MONACO (4-2-3-1): Ulreich; Pavard, Upamecano, de Ligt, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Gnabry, Musiala, Mané; Choupo-Moting.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 0-3
