Bayern Munich travel to take on VfL Bochum in the Bundesliga this Sunday, fresh off their 4-1 pummelling at the hands of Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League.
The visitors have a habit of taking out their European frustrations on their Bundesliga rivals, and the relegation-embroiled hosts could find themselves in hot soup when Die Rekordmeister roll into town.
Fans will demand an immediate response to the humbling at the Spotify Camp Nou so they’ll be keen to buy tickets to the game and secure a spot on the stands.
You can expect Bayern Munich tickets to be in high demand ahead of this weekend’s showdown, but they’ll be available on Seatsnet.com at unbeatable prices.
Match preview
Bochum have survived relegation by the skin of their teeth over the past two seasons, but this campaign might be the end of their stay in the top flight.
Die Unabsteigbaren are yet to win a league game and sit at the foot of the log. They have only managed one point, drawing fellow strugglers Holstein Kiel at home around a month ago.
Die Blauen have been the whipping boys for the rest of the division, and Bayern will be waiting to impose more punishment.
Former assistant turned permanent manager Markus Feldhoff is in the hot seat with the fans hoping he can turn the tide before matchday 34.
The season has been a gruelling disappointment, with the team also crashing out of the DFB-Pokal in the first round following a 1-0 loss to second-division side SSV Jahn Regensburg.
They currently sit four points below 16th place, where they finished last season before surviving relegation by beating Fortuna Dusseldorf in the play-offs.
Bochum will hope they can claw their way into that position, looking to secure another year with the big boys.
On the other hand, Bayern have been unsurprisingly steamrolling their way through Bundesliga teams eager to recover their crown, which they lost to Bayer Leverkusen last term.
Bayern are undefeated domestically, clattering through opponents under the ultra-attacking imprint of Vincent Kompany. They have put 22 goals past opponents in just seven matches, averaging over three goals per game.
Bayern stung Holstein Kiel with six goals and mullered Werder Bremen 5-0 at the Weser Stadium. Just last week, they stepped on VfB Stuttgart’s neck, downing them 4-0 after a frustrating run of results.
They had drawn successive matches against Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt, with the disappointing 1-0 loss to Aston Villa sandwiched between.
RB Leipzig look like the biggest threat to Bayern’s season, sitting level on points with the record champions and boasting the meanest defence in the league. Bayern will be desperate to create some separation at the summit.
The only blemish in Bayern’s season has been their frustrating European campaign. They raised the curtains with a commanding 9-2 demolition of Dinamo Zagreb, but they have lost to Aston Villa and Barcelona since then and find themselves in lowly 23rd.
Bayern’s brittle rearguard was carved open consistently by Hansi Flick’s youthful Barcelona, prompting questions about Kompany’s tactics and Manuel Neuer’s recent performances.
Bayern will be desperate to answer those questions with a resounding win in Bochum this Sunday.
Bayern are expected to thump their chest with a massive win as they eye their 33rd meisterschale. Bochum will try to hang on for dear life for most of the game while the six-time UCL winners flex their muscles.
Key stats
The last time Bayern and Bochum faced off, the unfancied hosts claimed a shock 3-2 win over Thomas Tuchel’s side, allowing Leverkusen to extend their lead at the top.
Takuma Asano and Kevin Schlotterbeck scored to cancel Jamal Musiala’s opener before a Dayot Upamecano error led to his dismissal and a penalty that Kevin Stoger netted.
Harry Kane’s late goal proved to be nothing but a consolation. Bochum will look to tap into that performance.
Bayern welcomed Bochum back into the top flight in 2021 with a 7-0 mullering at the Allianz Arena, but the minnows bounced back with a famous 4-2 win over the Bundesliga behemoths.
It was their first win over the league table-toppers since 2004.
Bayern reminded them who the sheriff was with a pair of 7-0 thrashings and another 3-0 win between. Bochum will still be proud of their record against them (W2, L4).
Die Blauen know how to nick a result at home against Bayern, but they will need to punch above their weight significantly to down the feared giants.
Team news
Bochum will be without Manuel Riemann, who remains sidelined due to a dispute with the club over playing time. The German goalkeeper was a massive part of their exploits last season but remains missing in action.
Patrick Drewes, his replacement, has not kept a clean sheet this season while shipping around 2.8 goals per game.
Brazilian left-back Bernardo is also unavailable until late November due to a knee injury, while Matus Bero and Myron Boadu remain sidelined. They should also return to action next month.
Ivan Ordets and Erhan Medic could form the central defensive pairing in their absence, with a midfield trio of Dani de Wit, Ibrahim Sissoko, and Anthony Losilla ahead of them.
Given Bayern Munich’s recent heavy defeat to Barcelona, Kompany will likely field a strong starting XI to ensure a swift return to form.
However, he will be without Aleksandar Pavlovic and Sacha Boey until December, while Hiroki Ito and Josip Stanisic are not expected to be available until mid-November.
Joshua Kimmich could potentially partner with Joao Palhinha in midfield.
Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-jae will likely start in central defence despite the pair’s disastrous showing against Barcelona.
Both men are front-foot and aggressive defenders, and attackers sell them dreams, but the manager has no better option than the uncalculating duo.
VfL Bochum potential starting line-up:
(5-3-2): Patrick Drewes; Felix Passlack, Erhan Medic, Ivan Ordets, Erhan Masovic, Maximilian Wittek; Dani de Wit, Anthony Losilla, Ibrahima Sissoko; Moritz Broschinski, Koji Miyoshi.
Bayern potential starting line-up:
(4-2-3-1): Manuel Neuer; Raphael Guerreiro, Dayot Upamecano, Kim Min-jae, Alphonso Davies; Joshua Kimmich, Joao Palhinha; Michael Olise, Jamal Musiala, Serge Gnabry; Harry Kane.
Prediction
Despite their recent Champions League disappointment, Bayern are a force to be reckoned with in the Bundesliga.
With a potent attack led by Harry Kane and an attacking core boasting Leroy Sane, Olise, Kingsley Coman, Gnabry, and Musiala, they should have little trouble dismantling Bochum. They could make it ugly for their opponents if they are in the mood.
Meanwhile, Bochum are struggling to find their footing and have been outclassed by most opponents this season.
They may put up a fight, but they may not be able to withstand Bayern’s fiery firepower. Expect a dominant performance from Bayern.
Prediction: Bochum 1-4 Bayern
