BERLIN, Oct 18, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Niko Kovac says Bayern Munich need to
prove their shock defeat to Hoffenheim was only a Champions League hangover
in their bid to reclaim top spot in the Bundesliga Saturday.
Bayern followed up their 7-2 thrashing of Tottenham in the Champions
League by crashing to a 2-1 loss in the Bundesliga a fortnight ago when mid-
table Hoffenheim earned their first win at the Allianz Arena.
In the process, Moenchengladbach topped the table and Bayern dropped to
third with five other teams all within two points of first place.
Now Kovac wants a win this weekend at Augsburg, where Bayern conceded a
first-minute Leon Goretzka own-goal and needed two Kingsley Coman goals to
earn a 3-2 win in February.
“There are teams all over Europe who have problems in their league after
Champions League games,” said Kovac on Thursday.
“Hoffenheim were better than their place in the table (12th) suggested –
the same goes for Augsburg (14th).
“We know that is a hard place to win, we were a goal down after 10 seconds
there last season.
“I expect a game in which we will have to hang in there and make the most
of our opportunities.”
Fresh from scoring a hat-trick for Poland, and helping them qualify for
the Euro 2020 finals, Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski can equal the league
record by scoring at Augsburg to continue his run of a goal in each of the
first eight games.
The 31-year-old is in blistering form with 15 goals, including 11 in the
Bundesliga, so far in 11 matches in all competitions.
Kovac said Germany winger Serge Gnabry, who had a leg knock, and French
defender Lucas Hernandez (knee) were both “ready to play”.
Things are so tight in the top half of the table that seventh-placed Bayer
Leverkusen could move into first place by beating Eintracht Frankfurt on
Friday night.
“It’s striking that the league is divided into two parts,” acknowledged
Kovac.
“Many of the top teams play in Europe, but I think that Leipzig, Dortmund
and Leverkusen will stay at the top for a long time.”
Despite Kovac’s confidence in Bayern’s rivals Dortmund, Lucien Favre’s
team must end their run of three consecutive 2-2 league draws — in which
they have thrown away the lead on each occasion — at home to current leaders
Gladbach on Saturday.
On Thursday, Dortmund extended the contract of Euro 2016 winner Raphael
Guerreiro until 2023, but Favre says it is still “too early” for striker Paco
Alcacer, who has an Achilles tendon injury.
Favre says Dortmund must improve “five to ten percent” to beat Gladbach
and close the four-point gap behind the leaders.
One to watch: Thomas Mueller
The 2014 World Cup winner has started Bayern’s last six games on the bench
— “a trend that doesn’t make (him) happy” — with Kovac preferring Philippe
Coutinho in the attacking midfielder role behind Lewandowski.
Mueller could start at Augsburg after Coutinho endured a mammoth round-
trip to Singapore, on duty with Brazil, for internationals against Senegal
and Nigeria.
On Thursday, Kovac admitted he “made a mistake” by saying the 30-year-old
Mueller, who has made 495 appearances for Bayern and helped them win eight
Bundesliga title, will only be called upon off the bench “in case of
emergencies” and held clear-the-air talks.
Key stats
1.57 – the number of goals Lewandowski has scored on average per
Bundesliga game this season.
52 – his projected goal tally for 34 matches in the 2019/20 season if he
maintains his present average. It would beat the record of 40 Gerd Mueller
set in 1971/72.
88 & 90 – the minutes in which Dortmund have conceded own-goals in two of
their last three matches – all of which ended in 2-2 draws.
Fixtures (all times 1330 GMT unless stated)
Friday Eintracht Frankfurt v Bayer Leverkusen (1830)
Saturday RB Leipzig v VfL Wolfsburg, Werder Bremen v Hertha Berlin,
Fortuna Duesseldorf v Mainz, Augsburg v Bayern Munich, Union Berlin v
Freiburg, Borussia Dortmund v Borussia Moenchengladbach (1630)
Sunday Cologne v Paderborn, Hoffenheim v Schalke 04 (1800) ryj/dmc ALLIANZ
(isin = DE0008404005) BORUSSIA DORTMUND (isin = DE0005493092)