5 reasons why Bayern Munich will beat Borussia Mönchengladbach
Bayern Munich head to Borussia Mönchengladbach this Saturday, trailing the league-leading Foals by four points and aware that the fixture is likely to have a big say in this season's title race.
Although the record champions could find themselves as many as seven points off the summit after the weekend, bundesliga.com has five compelling reasons why Bayern will instead be right back in the hunt come the end of Matchday 14.
1) Lewandowski the best in the world
When you have a striker who has already scored 16 goals in 13 games, do you fear anybody? When that striker recently set a new record for scoring the quickest four goals in a single UEFA Champions League fixture, are you concerned about not scoring? If you have Robert Lewandowski in your team, half of the job is already done.
Watch: Lewandowskli's top skills of 2019/20 so far
Lewandowski has already found the back of the net 27 times in just 20 outings in all competitions this term, so even the most mathematically challenged among you don't need a calculator to work out he's averaging more than a goal per game.
With such artillery, added to the fact that Gladbach have already conceded 195 goals to Bayern – more than against any other club – then you have a very good reason to believe that Bayern will score goals again this Saturday, and chalk up win number 50 against the Foals.
2) Müller Mönchengladbach's menace
Lewandowski cannot do it all by himself, but with Thomas Müller back firing on all cylinders, he doesn't have to. Müller has arguably benefitted the most from Hansi Flick's appointment as caretaker coach, following the departure of Niko Kovac. He delivered two assists in the Klassiker win over Borussia Dortmund, teed up two more against Fortuna Düsseldorf a week later and opened his account for the season in the ill-fated 2-1 loss to Bayer Leverkusen.
Furthermore, Müller has been something of a menace to Gladbach down the years, with four goals and five assists in his 11 previous meetings with Borussia.
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His blind understanding with Lewandowski is one of Bayern's most dangerous weapons and six of his league-leading eight assists have been laying the ball on a plate for the Pole.
"It's easier with Thomas next to me," Lewandowski said recently. "He helps me out a lot; we complement each other very well. Thomas is always heading towards the opposition goal, with a lot of movement. We always have one player more in the penalty area when he plays, I have more space and not always two or three opponents against me."
3) The Flick factor
Hansi Flick has not just brought the best out of Müller, he has revitalised the entire Bayern squad – right from day one. The former assistant to Germany coach Joachim Löw lifted Bayern from a bruising 5-1 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt and gave them the belief, and tactical nous, to beat Olympiacos 2-0 in the UEFA Champions League and Dortmund 4-0 in Der Klassiker.
"I'm very happy because we did exactly what we had to do," Flick said after his stunning start in the Bayern dugout. "We played the football that fans here are used to and want to see." Indeed, they were back playing the kind of football which has been a hallmark of their seven straight Bundesliga titles, and their charge to an eighth appears to be gathering pace again.
Watch: How Flick masterminded Bayern's Klassiker victory
Bayern won Flick's second game 4-0 at Fortuna Düsseldorf before Red Star Belgrade were seen off by an authoritative 6-0 scoreline. Not much should be read into last weekend's hiccup at home to Leverkusen, though, since Bayern still managed 22 shots on goal, hit the woodwork three times and found Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky in the form of his life.
That defeat notwithstanding, Flick has certainly energised Bayern ahead of their trip to the league leaders.
4) Delivering on the big occasions
To be able to rise to an even higher level when it matters most is the sign of a true champion, and Bayern boast that particular trait. Take Der Klassiker as the prime example: a change in coach, reeling from a crushing defeat and up against a confident, fellow title rival – it was a recipe for disaster. Bayern being Bayern, though, mixed those ingredients like a Michelin-starred chef to deliver a delectable 4-0 victory.
It is not the first time they have responded to adversity either. A year ago, they fell as far as nine points behind Dortmund in the Bundesliga before rolling up their sleeves and clawing their way back. Perhaps one of their key wins en route to winning the title by two points was their 5-1 win at Gladbach on Matchday 24, when they were still three points adrift of Dortmund. The greater the challenge, the more Bayern thrive.
When it matters most, the Bavarians manage to find that extra gear, and Saturday is one of those occasions when, rather than find themselves seven points adrift of the summit, they can narrow the gap to a single point by flexing their muscles and showing, once again, who Germany's dominant force are.
5) What defensive crisis?
With Niklas Süle ruled out for up to six months with a torn cruciate ligament, and Lucas Hernandez joining him in the treatment room with an ankle injury, Bayern's defence was deprived of two of its pillars earlier this season.
The house did not come tumbling down, though, because Bayern have such strength in depth that they can cope with the sort of a crisis which would bring many clubs to their knees. Alphonso Davies, for one, has been repurposed as a left full-back to great success. The Canada international had Dortmund's Jadon Sancho and Achraf Hakimi in his back pocket in Der Klassiker and, with a top speed of 21.4mph, he will hold no fear of Marcus Thuram and Co. when they look to get past him on Saturday.
A makeshift defence it may be, but with only two goals conceded in their past four games – a better defensive record than any other Bundesliga club over the same period – it can hardly be considered a weakness. Then again, is there any weakness in this Bayern team?
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