Unbeaten against the capital club
Mon, 22/01/2024, 14:00
Stats and facts ahead of Bayern vs. Union Berlin
After heavy snow in December saw Bayern’s Bundesliga encounter with Union Berlin postponed, the capital club return to Munich on Wednesday to finally play the Matchday 13 fixture. Here’s the stats and facts ahead of the game at the Allianz Arena.
Still unbeaten against Union
Bayern claimed a 3-0 win over Union Berlin at the Allianz Arena in the most recent encounter last February.
Bayern are yet to lose in their eight Bundesliga meetings with Union thus far, winning five and drawing three. The record champions have only faced Darmstadt more often in the top flight without ever suffering defeat (nine times).
A reaction needed
After Sunday’s 1-0 loss to Werder Bremen, Bayern have some making up to do. However, they have shown on a number of occasions in recent times that they are more than capable of producing a response. Of Bayern’s last 15 defeats in the Bundesliga, the Reds have gone on to win their following league match 14 times, plus one draw. An average of 3.8 goals in those games also demonstrates how the Bavarians like to react to a slip-up.
Kane can surpass Lewandowski
Harry Kane brought up his 22nd goal of the season in the 3-0 win against Hoffenheim.
Although technically already into the second half of this campaign, Wednesday’s Union game is Bayern’s last of what is known in Germany as the Hinrunde – the first half of the season, after which you have played every team once. And it provides Harry Kane a chance to make further history. The English striker so far has 22 Bundesliga goals to his name, which equals the total that Robert Lewandowski had at the end of the 2020/21 Hinrunde. It means Kane has another 90 minutes to go past the Pole and set a new Bundesliga record.
An aerial battle
Bayern have scored 11 headed goals in the Bundesliga this season, which is the highest total across the division, followed in second by Union with eight (same as Gladbach and Bremen). The Munich men have also only conceded once from a header, which is the fewest of all teams in the German top flight. The Berliners have shipped five.
Bayern’s last headed goal came away at Wolfsburg through Jamal Musiala.
Contrasting records for coaches
While Thomas Tuchel won his only previous encounter with the Irons as a coach (in the 2016/17 DFB Cup second round with Borussia Dortmund), new Union boss Nenad Bjelica is yet to taste victory against Bayern. The Croatian faced FCB six times as a player with Kaiserslautern, losing five of those and managing just one draw. He also missed what was ultimately the decisive penalty for the Red Devils in a shootout in the 2001/02 DFB Cup quarter-finals.
Read what Tuchel is expecting ahead of the game at his press conference on Tuesday:
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