Borussia Monchengladbach vs Bayern Munich
In other circumstances, the upcoming Bundesliga clash between Borussia Monchengladbach and Bayern Munich at Borussia Park would’ve been a blockbuster. But that’s not the case here.
Last season’s underwhelming 10th-place Bundesliga finish already looks like a pipe dream for out-of-sorts Borussia Monchengladbach. Following the high-profile departures of Yann Sommer and Marcus Thuram, Gladbach’s bid to renew the enthusiasm under new manager Gerardo Seoane received a huge boost as ‘Die Fohlen’ thumped lower-league Bersenbruck 7-0 in the DFB-Pokal. However, they’ve failed to translate that momentum to the Bundesliga. After a breathtaking 4-4 draw against Augsburg, which marked the joint-highest scoring opening-day fixture in Bundesliga history, Seoane lost 3-0 at home to his former employers Bayer Leverkusen last weekend. Having conceded 7+ goals after the opening two Bundesliga matchdays for the first time since 1993/94, Gladbach will face an uphill task of maintaining their impressive five-game unbeaten home run against Bayern Munich (W3, D2)!
Unlike their hosts, Bayern Munich’s quest to win a record-extending 12th Bundesliga title on the trot has been off to a perfect start. Ex-Tottenham talisman Harry Kane scored on his Bundesliga debut to inspire Thomas Tuchel’s side to a 4-0 rout of Werder Bremen in a curtain-raising fixture before netting a brace in a 3-1 thumping of Augsburg last time out. A dismal 3-0 defeat to RB Leipzig in August’s DFL-Supercup showpiece already looks like ancient history, with the ‘Bavarians’ heading to North Rhine-Westphalia seeking their first top-flight win at Borussia Park since March 2019. However, after that emphatic 5-1 triumph, the record-time German champions have conceded at least three goals on three of their last five visits to Gladbach in all competitions! Therefore, they cannot take anything for granted.