A particularly challenging game awaits tonight (21:30) for the players of Hanzi Flick, when Bayern Munich will play an away game against Borussia Mönchengladbach of Marco Rosa. The European champions come into the game with fantastic momentum after the upheaval against Mainz in the previous round. By the way, the victory over Mainz closed for the Bavarians a streak of 12 league games without a loss (the longest streak in the league) and 20 games in all settings. Who will return to the Bavarian squad is Kingsley Coman, who has not played since the win over Leverkusen (1: 2) in mid-December. Serge Gnabry is in doubt for the intriguing encounter.
Still, why should Bayern fear the encounter? Borussia Mönchengladbach have won three of the last six meetings between the teams, and are one of three teams that have beaten Bayern in the Flick era (joining Leverkusen and Hoffenheim). The one who is still having a hard time against Mönchengladbach is Bayern pioneer and player of the year in the world, Robert Lewandowski. It’s hard to believe, but the Polish striker, who scores an average of every 57 minutes in the Bundesliga, has ‘only’ scored four goals in his 14 meetings in Bayern’s uniform against Mönchengladbach.
Hanzi Flick commented on the upcoming encounter: “Marco Rosa is doing an exceptional job in his team, he has taken them a step further. They play bravely and very fast. I really like the way they play.” Regarding the possibility that his team will be strengthened in January, the coach added: “The situation at the moment is very complex because of the Corona, that’s why we will stay with the existing staff until the end of the season. I do not know if anyone will leave, but we have excellent quality and our goals are not in danger.”
Despite the impressive rise to the quarter-finals of the Champions League where they will face Manchester City, Marco Rosa’s team is stuttering this season in the league. Mönchengladbach is currently in seventh place, four points away from fourth place where it finished last season. Those who will not be available to Rosa are midfielder Valentino Lazaro (injury) and striker Marcus Toram (serving a six-match suspension due to spitting on Stefan Push in a loss to Hoffenheim).
For the Bavarians this is a great opportunity to establish themselves in the first place. RB Leipzig, its top rival, will meet Borussia Dortmund on Saturday. If Bayern succeed in the meeting against Gladbach and Leipzig stumble against Dortmund, the gap at the top may grow to five points.
