Chances at both ends early in the first half as Christopher Lenz tests Manuel Neuer. Bayern break at speed with Kingsley Coman, but the Frenchman doesn't get enough draw on his right-footed strike and the ball sails harmlessly wide.

Union have held their own for long periods, but Benjamin Pavard's sweetly struck effort gives Bayern the half-time lead. Not the rollover many expected...

Bayern are all in red, Union decked head-to-toe in white. Can the visitors spring another surprise?

Manuel Neuer is set to make his 350th competitive appearance since joining Bayern from Schalke in summer 2011. The Bayern and Germany goalkeeper has kept 182 Bundesliga clean sheets in that time.

There is precedent for a shock in Munich. Bayern lost 2-1 to Hoffenheim in their last home match, and were held to a 2-2 draw by Augsburg last weekend. There's also the little matter of Union's stonking win over title contenders Borussia Dortmund on Matchday 2. The Berliners recorded an historic 3-1 victory - their first at Germany's top table.

"There's always a chance," said Union coach Urs Fischer before the game. "It'll be very difficult if Bayern put in a top performance, vut it also depends on our display: we want to make life as difficult as possible for them. Our plan is to put them under pressure and force mistakes. I think we have a chance if we make it difficult for them."

It wasn't all that long ago that Kovac said playing Thomas Müller and Philippe Coutinho in the same side would be "too attacking". They started the 3-2 win over Olympiacos, though, and retain their places at the Allianz Arena today. The game marks Müller's first Bundesliga start since the Matchday 4 draw in Leipzig. He's not scored in the league this season, but does have a couple of assists in the bag. A third would take him onto 100 in the Bundesliga, making him the first player to achieve a three-digit number of top-flight assists since detailed data collection began in 2004/05. Coutinho has tallied two goals and three assists in his seven Bundesliga outings since swapping Barca for Bayern earlier this summer.

Robert Lewandowski will break former Dortmund teammate Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's record for goals in consecutive games to start a league campaign if he adds to his 12 strikes this weekend. The Bayern striker has scored in every single Bundesliga, DFB Cup and UEFA Champions League game so far this season, his midweek brace against Olympiacos taking him onto 18 goals in 13 competitive outings. No one in Europe’s top five leagues has scored more - not this season, not even this calendar year (34).

Bayern coach Niko Kovac springs a surprise by naming Alphonso Davies in his starting line-up at the expense of David Alaba. The Canadian teenager has made 10 Bundesliga appearances since joining Bayern from Vancouver Whitecaps in January 2019, but this will be his first start. Thomas Müller keeps his place in midfield alongside Barcelona loanee Philippe Coutinho, while Ivan Perisic comes in for Serge Gnabry, who is only fit enough for a place on the bench.

Neven Subotic goes straight into the Union side after missing last week's 2-0 win over Freiburg through injury. The Serbian is one of two changes made by coach Urs Fischer. Midfielder Felix Kroos also starts, with Michael Parensen making way. Subotic has faced Bayern more than any other club in his career, winning five, drawing three and losing 10 of his meetings with the record champions.

Neuer (c) – Kimmich, Pavard, Boateng, Davies – Thiago – Coman, Müller, Coutinho, Perisic – Lewandowski

Ulreich, Cuisance, Goretzka, Gnabry, Tolisso, Alaba, Mai

Gikiewicz – Trimmel (c), Friedrich, Subotic, Lenz – Gentner, Kroos, Andrich – Ingvartsen, Bülter - Andersson

Nicolas, Ryerson, Mees, Polter, Ujah, Schmiedebach, Becker, Parensen, Schlotterbeck

Welcome along to the match centre for the game FC Bayern vs. Union Berlin from matchday 9 of the 2019/20 Bundesliga season at the Allianz Arena. Check back here for full information on the match.