Four goals in the second half here in Berlin quickly took the game away from Hertha Berlin. That 15-minute spell between the first and third goals were a real sign of how clinical Bayern can be, even without a fully fit Serge Gnabry or Kingsley Coman. Bayern go into second place and are in a good place to welcome Schalke to the Allianz Arena next weekend.

Just one minute of added time here in Berlin.

With the result in almost no doubt, both Jürgen Klinsmann and Hansi Flick have made a couple of late substitutions here in Berlin.

For the first time in Bundesliga history two players have scored at least 20 goals after 18 Matchdays in the same season. Robert Lewandowski and Timo Werner are powering each other on to bigger and better things every weekend.

The ball is rolling once again as Bayern get the second half underway. No changes at the break.

Two strong defensive walls have been put up at the Olympiastadion and both are standing firm so far. Torunarigha has won 83 per cent of his challenges against Lewandowski and co. to prove he's worth his place in the side today. Bayern have had 60 per cent possession and four shots on target to Hertha's none so far, but Hertha have looked dangerous on the break. Both sides will be looking to find their next gear in the second half.

The two fastest speeds registered so far by players today come in the direct battle on one wing. Lukebakio's 33.6kmh (20.8mph) vs. Davies' 34.8kmh (21.6mph). If you want to get some entertainment then make sure you keep your eyes on that battle ongoing.

This game is really opening up now with both sides going into attack mode. Perisic's cross finds Lewandowski's head but Jarstein saves with ease before releasing his side on the counter with Selke charging ahead. Thiago is back to snuff that out and the cycle continues. 

Almost 20 minutes into the game and both defences have done their job thus far. Bayern have completed over 100 more passes than their hosts while enjoying close to 70 per cent of the possession, but they've not had a clear opening beyond a Müller run in behind which was quickly snuffed out.

The first of our two games today are underway and it's a big one in the German capital as Hertha host Bayern.

It's a sold out crowd here at the Olympiastadion in Berlin and the home fans are BOUNCING in the capital. It's loud, it's proud and it's going to be a fun 90+ minutes ahead for us this afternoon.

The home side have become a difficult side for Bayern to beat on the road in recent years. Hertha are unbeaten in their last three Bundesliga games at the Olympiastadion against the boys from Munich, recorded one win and two draws from those games. A win today, though, for Bayern, would take them above Gladbach and into second spot. Hertha, meanwhile, can climb above Frankfurt into 11th if they pick up all three points.

Welcome back to the Bundesliga, Santiago Ascacibar. The Argentina international starts in holding midfield to make his club debut after his January move from VfB Stuttgart. Jordan Torunarigha starts in central defence ahead of Karim Rekik, while Davie Selke leads the line, supported from the wings by Dodi Lukebakio and Javairo Dilrosun.

It's as expected from Hansi Flick here in Berlin as Robert Lewandowski leads the attack with Serge Gnabry only on the bench as he continues his recovery from an Achilles problem. Philippe Coutinho, Thomas Müller and Ivan Perisic all start.

Jarstein – Klünter, Boyata, Torunarigha, Plattenhardt (c) – Asacibar – Lukebakio, Darida, Grujic, Dilrosun – Selke

Kraft, Pekarik, Skjelbred, Rekik, Esswein, Köpke, Mittelstädt, Ibisevic, Wolf

Neuer (c) – Pavard, Boateng, Alaba, Davies – Goretzka, Thiago – Müller, Coutinho, Perisic – Lewandowski

Ulreich, Cuisance, Dajaku, Gnabry, Tolisso, Mai, Zirkzee

With just over an hour to kick-off, we'll have the official line-ups from both sides with you very shortly and before you can see them anywhere else.

Santiago Ascacibar is the only new, albeit significant, face at the Olympic Stadium so far in the current transfer window. The Argentina international has made the switch from Bundesliga 2 outfit VfB Stuttgart, and is expected to go straight into the centre of midfield at the expense of Per Skjelbred.

A fully fit Lewandowski will come as welcome news to interim coach Hansi Flick, who is without the suspended Joshua Kimmich, as well as a handful of waylaid first-team candidates. Benjamin Pavard is expected to line-up at right-back, with Jerome Boateng partnering David Alaba in the middle and Alphonso Davies continuing on the left. Leon Goretzka and Thiago should start in midfield, but Serge Gnabry may have to settle for a place on the bench after an Achilles problem. Thomas Müller, Philippe Coutinho and Ivan Perisic will likely form the attacking triumvirate behind lone striker Lewandowski.

Nevertheless, Bayern were unable to count on Robert Lewandowski for that Nuremberg defeat, but the Pole is back in contention for a starting berth today. Having dropped to second in the Bundesliga scoring charts behind RB Leipzig's Timo Werner yesterday, you can expect him to be keen to start 2020 with a bang today.

Speaking of results, Bayern can look back on their poorest first half of a Bundesliga season in nine years, with just 33 points on the board. Furthermore, a 5-2 defeat to Bavarian rivals Nuremberg during the winter break was hardly ideal preparation for today's restart.

While Klinsmann acknowledges people may call him "crazy" for setting such ambitious targets, he says he is most certainly not alone in believing them. "Observers in London, Rome, Paris or Milan whom I've spoken to are definitely noticing that something big is happening here," he said. The results are on his side too, with three consecutive clean sheets putting them on the verge of setting a new club record for consecutive shut-outs today.

Klinsmann's days as Bayern coach are firmly in the past, though, and he now has big plans for his and Hertha's future. "The first step is to get away from the danger zone and take a deep breath," he said. "Then the second step is qualifying for the Europa League next season, then the third step is to be challenging for the title in three to five years, and get into the Champions League."

For Jürgen Klinsmann, this afternoon's clash with Bayern brings back plenty of memories. He spent 302 days at the helm of the record champions, and says it was an important period in his and Bayern's life. "I was able to learn a great deal there," he told Bild. "We built a new training centre which they continue to benefit from now, and promoted players like Thomas Müller and Holger Badstuber to the first team."

Welcome along to the match centre for the game Hertha BSC vs. FC Bayern from matchday 18 of the 2019/20 Bundesliga season at the Olympiastadion. Check back here for full information on the match.