Bundesliga: Foals Out to Foil Bayern in Sommer’s Return

Borussia Monchengladbach vs Bayern Munich

Borussia Monchengladbach have been Bayern Munich’s bogey team in recent years. The Foals are undefeated in their last three matches against Bayern in all competitions, including their first Bundesliga match of this season which saw Yann Sommer produce a record-breaking performance to hold the champions to a draw.

But Sommer will be on the opposite side as he returns to Borussia-Park for the first time when Bayern pay Gladbach a visit this weekend.

The Bavarians are back to their best after their post-break blip, while Gladbach have suffered back-to-back setbacks against relegation-threatened clubs.

Can the Foals defy the Bundesliga 2023 betting odds yet again and deny the defending champions a much-needed away win?

Talking Points

Foals lacking form

Borussia Monchengladbach have made a bad start to 2023. They have lost three of their last five matches, with their most recent defeat a 4-1 beatdown against relegation-threatened Hertha Berlin.

Gladbach took the lead through Nico Elvedi, but they still conceded four goals despite controlling nearly 70 per cent of possession.

Prior to that match, Gladbach were held to a goalless draw at home by bottom side Schalke, which was another shock result. They allowed 19 shots to their visitors and couldn’t get a goal against Schalke’s Bundesliga-worst defence.

Those two poor results have seen Gladbach join both Hertha and Schalke in the bottom half of the Bundesliga table at 10^th.

Striker Marcus Thuram, who stayed at Gladbach amid speculation about a potential move during the winter transfer window, has been unable to recapture the form that saw him score 10 goals before the World Cup break.

Captain Lars Stindl, who had 3 goals and an assist in a two-game stretch against Leverkusen and Hoffenheim, has slowed down in the last two games.

Kingsley Coman leading Bayern revival

Bayern Munich are back on track. After drawing three straight games on their return from the winter break, Bayern have won four games in a row in all competitions while scoring 12 goals. That includes their 1-0 win away at Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 clash.

Just like in the 2020 Champions League final against PSG, Kingsley Coman got the winning goal against his old club. The French winger has been producing plenty of Bundesliga 2023 highlights of late, scoring 4 goals in his last 3 games.

Coach Julian Nagelsmann has switched to a back 3 in recent matches, with loan signing Joao Cancelo playing a more advanced wing-back position. This formation produced a 3-0 win against Bochum last time out in the league, and Nagelsmann could decide to stick with the formation against Gladbach.

Yann Sommer returns

But of course, the big talking point in this match is the return of goalkeeper Yann Sommer to Borussia-Park to face old club Gladbach. After some early wobbles, Sommer’s performances have improved in recent game and was particularly strong in their win against PSG.

And on the other side of the pitch is his replacement, Swiss compatriot Jonas Omlin. The 29-year-old has not had a great start to life at Gladbach, conceding 9 goals in his first 5 games in the Bundesliga.

History

As mentioned at the top, Borussia Monchengladbach have been a thorn in Bayern’s side over the years. The Foals have won 9 out of their last 28 Bundesliga battles against Bayern, with the Bavarians winning 12.

Gladbach held Bayern to a 1-1 draw in their first meeting of the season back in August. Yann Sommer was the star of that match as he made a Bundesliga-record 19 saves to keep Bayern at bay.

Betting Tip

SBOTOP odds have Bayern Munich installed as significant 1.38 favourites to beat Borussia Monchengladbach, who are priced at 6.40 to deliver another shock defeat to the defending champions. A draw is 5.40.

While the Foals have had more than their fair share of success against Bayern in recent years, it’s hard to back them this time around given their current struggles on both ends of the pitch. Despite their midweek match in Paris, I expect Bayern to go into Borussia-Park and get a convincing win over Gladbach to maintain their lead atop the Bundesliga.

 

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