Bundesliga: Bayern Aim to Shoot Down the Eagles for a First 2023 Victory

Bayern Munich vs Eintracht Frankfurt

Following two draws since their return to domestic football FC Bayern are in search of a first win of the New Year and, on Saturday, they face another stiff task at the Allianz Arena.

Bundesliga: FC Bayern vs Eintracht Frankfurt brings together first and fourth in the German league and while the Bavarians are hot favourites to win the title they still have plenty of work to do. Meanwhile the race for a top four place is very, very competitive and Eintracht can ill afford to pass up any opportunity for points. Both teams come into the game on the back of a midweek draw, Die Bayern playing out a 1-1 draw at home to Cologne, while Eintracht held top four rivals SC Freiburg with the same score-line.

The pre-match FC Bayern vs Eintracht Frankfurt betting odds reckon this is a home win but the Eagles, who are in the last 16 of the Champions League, will be in no mood to roll over, with just one defeat in eight. And Oliver Glasner’s team have a revenge mission in mind, after they were thrashed 6-1 by Bayern on the opening day of this season, and the hosts know they will not have it so easy this time.

Talking Points

Bayern eager to break the drawing habit

On the return of domestic football, a trip to Leipzig was never going to be easy for Julian Nagelsmann’s league leaders and they had to settle for a 1-1 draw as Red Bull fought back from a first half deficit to share the spoils. That result followed a 4-4 friendly with Red Bull Salzburg and preceded this week’s stalemate at home to Cologne, when Bayern needed a 90^th minute strike from Joshua Kimmich to avoid losing to the mid table side, having trailed for 85 minutes when Ellyes Skhiri gave Cologne a lead in the fifth.

Yann Sommer, signed last week from Borussia Monchengladbach, was in the goal to replace Manuel Neuer who broke his leg in a skiing accident in December and Nagelsmann has other off field problems. His inconsistent striker Serge Gnabry flew to Paris on a day off on Sunday, and was pictured on social media showing him wearing several fashion brands. It’s not the kind of image Bayern want to portray and the striker had another off day against Cologne before being hooked off at half time.

One player the boss can rely on is his young star Jamal Musiala, who has contributed nine goals and seven assists and is always a potential match-winner.

Frankfurt’s star quality

Randal Kolo Muani has scored six goals in 16 Bundesliga appearances for Eintracht Frankfurt — Eintracht Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo Muani celebrates scoring their first goal vs Freiburg

Eintracht’s midweek date with Freiburg was a good test of their top four credentials; which they pretty much passed as France international Randal Kolo Muani gave them a first half lead, though Matthias Ginter equalised for the hosts two minutes after the break. Kolo Muani has had a real breakout season as an attacking midfielder, making an impressive ten assists and he won the penalty in the World Cup final which Kylian Mbappe converted to drag France back into the game. The 24-year-old star has some talented individuals around him too. Japanese hit man Daichi Kamada has scored seven goals and made five assists from 15 games, while 22-year-old Jesper Lindstrom has a good claim to be the brightest of them all, on recent form. The midfielder has scored eight goals so far this season and he too starred at the World Cup finals in Qatar, starting twice for Denmark.

Lindstrom has been tracked by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, but he has plenty more opportunity to come this season with Eintracht, not least in the Champions League.

At the back, 6ft 4in centre back Evan Ndicka is an imposing player, strong in the tackle and with good positional sense. He’s also a threat at set pieces, scoring nine times for the Eagles and he too will be one to watch in Munich on Saturday.

History

With 35 wins to ten the Bavarians have had much the better of the head-to-head FC Bayern vs Eintracht Frankfurt results over the past three decades, and the memory of the opening day 6-1 mauling will be at the forefront of the visitors’ minds.

Frankfurt are unbeaten in five while Die Bayern are unbeaten at home in the league, with five wins and two draws at the Allianz Arena; and recent form is comparable, FC Bayern with three wins and three draws from the last six, while Frankfurt have four wins, one draw and one loss.

This is all set up to be a cracking contest which is not a foregone conclusion by any means.