This may be the penultimate game of the Bundesliga season, but it really feels like a final. Bayern Munich need all three points if they’re going keep hold of top spot, but RB Leipzig are fighting for a place in the Champions League next season so they’ll be reluctant to just roll over for the reigning champions.
Games between these two sides are always competitive, but they rarely come with stakes this high. Let’s see what Thomas Tuchel has to work with.
Team news
According to the coach, only Alphonso Davies, Lucas Hernandez, Manuel Neuer, and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting will miss the game with injury. Yann Sommer was back in training after his GI problems earlier in the week, while Thomas Muller and Serge Gnabry trained normally. This means the squad is nearly the healthiest it’s been in the Tuchel era.
Friday’s training received a special guest in the form of Arjen Robben, who dropped by at the Sabener Strasse for a quick chat with his former teammates. Tuchel confirmed they were going to try and get him on the pitch:
Damn rules, they always ruin everything.
So, who exactly will start? There’s two options — either a 4-2-3-1 with Leon Goretzka as the b2b next to Joshua Kimmich, or a 4-1-4-1 like we saw against Schalke. The merits and demerits of each setup are discussed in our preview podcast, which you can listen to below or on Spotify.
In short, a 4-2-3-1 with Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich as the mids gives Bayern Munich more protection against Leipzig’s transitional play. However, the 4-1-4-1 showed its might against Schalke, being wildly unpredictable and hard for the opponent to counter. With Thomas Muller and Jamal Musiala on the pitch together, Bayern multiply their offensive presence tenfold. Given the struggle to score goals under Tuchel this season and the lack of a true striker, the 4-1-4-1 may get the nod after all.
Here’s a glimpse of what the lineup could look like, if Tuchel opts for the 4-1-4-1 after all:
Meanwhile, on the RB Leipzig side of things, Timo Werner may miss the game due to a cold. It’s hard to tell if that’s a good or bad thing for Bayern Munich, given the way he usually plays against us.
Update
Here’s what Bild thinks the lineup will be: