Heading to Freiburg hungry for goals: Bayern ready for Real dress rehearsal

With the international break done and dusted, and following the 4-0 win over Union Berlin on 21 March, FC Bayern now head to the Breisgau region with some serious momentum - and a host of impressive stats to boot. Not only did the Munich side celebrate a victory against the Irons that was never in doubt, they also created a veritable glut of chances: 31 shots on target and an xG of 5.1 show just how much attacking power Bayern are currently packing. Only once has the xG figure been higher under Vincent Kompany - in the 5-1 win against TSG Hoffenheim. In a match without penalties, it's never actually been as high as against Union; the only previous time Bayern had 31 shots on target under the Belgian was in the 10-0 win over Auckland City at the Club World Cup.

Bayern's hunger for goals is also reflected in the table. With 27 matchdays completed, the record champions have racked up 97 goals so far this season, just four shy of the Bundesliga season record of 101 goals from the legendary 1971/72 campaign. The latest 4-0 win was the 21st time FC Bayern have scored at least three times in the league this term - a mark that only the Munich men themselves achieved with such frequency last season. They're also on the verge of another milestone: Bayern could register a goal in every game of a league campaign for the fourth time after 2012/13, 2020/21 and 2021/22. With 70 points after 27 games, the Bavarians are also enjoying their third-best Bundesliga season - only 2012/13 and 2013/14 were even better at this stage.

One thing in common: comeback qualities

Fun fact: Freiburg and Bayern are currently level in one category - comeback qualities. At St. Pauli, with the score at 1-0, SCF were on the brink of a second consecutive league defeat for the first time this season, but a brace from Igor Matanović turned the game around to make it 2-1. Both SCF and FC Bayern have already picked up 19 points this season after going behind, more than any other club. Freiburg have turned a deficit into a win five times - a shared league record with the Munich side.

Two home defeats in a row?

Despite this impressive morale, Freiburg's form at home is somewhat shaky. The 1-0 defeat to Union Berlin ended a run of 11 unbeaten league matches at home, and now, for the first time this season, they face the threat of suffering two consecutive home defeats. What's more, the Breisgau Brazilians have managed just one win in 13 games against teams from the top half of the table, along with five draws and seven defeats - stats more suited to teams from the bottom half of the table.

One Bayern player in particular will be in the spotlight on Saturday: Serge Gnabry. He bagged his first Bundesliga brace in almost three years in the 4-0 win against Union Berlin and now has 99 Bundesliga goals to his name. His next goal would be his 100th in the top flight, 78 of which the 30-year-old scored for FC Bayern. Among the current crop of Bundesliga players, only Andrej Kramarić has already surpassed this total - Gnabry is in second place in the rankings and also equalled legend Roy Makaay ‘s 78 goals for the record champions.

Michael Olise will also be heading to Freiburg with top stats and powerful memories of his upcoming opponents. In the 4-0 win against Union Berlin, the 24-year-old registered his 28th goal contribution in this Bundesliga campaign (11 goals, 17 assists) and has already surpassed his mark from last season. Olise delivered a stellar performance in the reverse fixture: in the 6-2 win, the France international was directly involved in five goals (two goals, three assists) - something no other player in Europe's top five leagues has achieved this season. Only Harry Kane and Erling Haaland have currently registered more direct goal contributions than the Bayern forward.

The dress rehearsal ahead of Real

The situation ahead of the clash is quite clear: FC Bayern lead the Bundesliga with 22 wins, four draws, just one defeat and a goal difference of 97:25. Freiburg are battling to get into Europe and do have comeback qualities, but struggle against top teams in particular. Bayern, on the other hand, are chasing down scoring records, personal bests and are looking to lay down another marker in the title race - the facts point to an intense clash in the Black Forest. Especially with a view to the following Tuesday, when FC Bayern are away to Real Madrid at the Bernabéu in the Champions League quarter-final.