Bayern Munich vs. Hertha BSC preview: The Bavarians can go back in front
Following Dortmund’s controversial draw to Bochum, Bayern can reclaim their place atop the Bundesliga table against lowly Hertha on Sunday afternoon.
| Photo: Steffen Prößdorf, CC BY-SA 4.0 |
Bayern Munich
Bayern disastrously fell to Mainz last weekend and gave complete control to BVB in the title race. But, in classic Dortmund fashion, they drew against Bochum on Friday, which gives the reins back to the Bavarian club.
The pressure to avoid a trophyless season is huge, as supporters are starting to clamor for the removal of both Oliver Kahn and Hasan Salihamidzic. Even former president Uli Hoeneß was seen having a tense conversation with Thomas Tuchel on the training ground this week.
On Matchday 30, Sadio Mane is expected to lead the front line and Joao Cancelo should start at left-back. It’s unclear if Leon Goretzka and Kingsley Coman are fit enough to start after recovering from minor knocks.
On Friday, Tuchel commented, "I don't even know if I'll watch Dortmund today. For us, the situation is clear: We no longer have it in our own hands and now we have to get 15 points. It's not too late to react. We have to deliver and then hope it will be enough."
Team News
Dayot Upamecano, Alphonso Davies and Eric Choupo-Moting are out, while Goretzka and Coman should be ready to go. Manuel Neuer and Lucas Hernandez remain out with long-term injuries.
Hertha BSC
The blue capital club sit last in the league and are staring at relegation right in the face. While it’s difficult to see Hertha getting a result in Munich, the hungry teams at the bottom in this part of the season can sometimes be the toughest to face.
Pal Dardai has taken control of the club yet again, but his side were blown out at home by Bremen last weekend. The squad is thinning with a big injury list and three key players out suspended on Sunday.
In his press conference, Dardai said, "Last week there were a few things I had to criticize, but today in training you could really see the togetherness of the team. The team spirit is there in the dressing room, but now we also have to see that on the pitch."
Team News
The injured absentees are Kevin-Prince Boateng, Marton Dardai, Stevan Jevetic, Marco Richter and Kelian Nsona. Marc-Oliver Kempf and Suat Serdar are suspended, while Ivan Sunjic has been barred from team activities for the foreseeable future.
