After heavy snow in Munich prevented Bayern from hosting Union Berlin as planned in December, the Bundesliga champions finally take on the capital club on Wednesday (kick-off at 20:30 CET, live coverage on fcbayern.com and in the FC Bayern app with our text commentary and free web radio). Here’s all you need to know about the game in our preview.
Check out the best photos from Tuesday’s final training session:
State of play
Coming into this game, Bayern need to show a reaction following Sunday’s surprise 1-0 loss at home to Werder Bremen. A much improved performance in the closing stages of that match wasn’t enough to get a result. Virtues such as passion, bite and enthusiasm remain the foundation for every good football match, explained head coach Thomas Tuchel at his press conference on Tuesday. “For 70 minutes that was below the level we expect of ourselves,” he added. The Munich men now want to show from the start on Wednesday evening who’s boss and try to play with those basic characteristics.
This fixture is Bayern’s game in hand on division leaders Bayer Leverkusen, who currently hold a seven-point advantage. The objective is to reduce that gap with victory over Union. “We’re very much aware of the state of things,” Tuchel stated. The team therefore needs to quickly get back to the point where “you sense that they’re a team that’s pursuing a common goal against all odds in order to win games with enthusiasm and excitement.”
Recap what Tuchel had to say in his press conference:
Opponent: Union Berlin
Union have had a few extra days to prepare for their visit to Munich after the weather prevented another one of their fixtures from going ahead, this time in Mainz last Friday. Coming into Matchday 13, when this game should’ve been played, the Köpenick club were bottom of the Bundesliga table. They have now moved out of the bottom three, despite playing two games fewer than their rivals.
The upturn has come since the appointment of new coach Nenad Bjelica, whose debut in charge should have been in Munich. Union have earned eight points from five league games under the Croatian, with the sole loss a 3-0 reverse in Bochum. It means the Berliners come to the Bavarian capital with renewed confidence. “Three points are possible in every game,” Bjelica said at his press conference. “But that obviously depends on many factors. You need a practically perfect game and the opponent needs to be slightly off it. You also need a top goalkeeper and a bit of luck to get a result in Munich.”
Read up on the facts ahead of the game:
Team news
Apart from long-term injury absentees Bouna Sarr (cruciate ligament), Daniel Peretz (knee) and Serge Gnabry (muscular), as well as Minjae Kim and Noussair Mazraoui at the Asian Cup and Africa Cup of Nations respectively, Tuchel has a full squad at his disposal. “Everyone’s available,” the 50-year-old announced on Tuesday.
Union come to Munich without Rani Khedira and Josip Juranovic due to muscular problems. Aissa Laidouni is also competing at the Africa Cup of Nations with Tunisia.
What the coaches say
We’ll continue to influence the team until it works, till we show the passion, desire and hunger that are the foundation of every football match, and pass on that spark to the crowd.
Thomas Tuchel
We wanted to rouse Bayern. Werder have now roused Bayern. They definitely won’t allow themselves to perform like that again.
Nenad Bjelica (Union Berlin)
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