Hoffenheim vs Bayern Munich
After punctuating 2018 with five straight league wins, Bayern Munich return to Bundesliga action looking to pick up where they left off.
The Bavarians are just six points behind Borussia Dortmund and are still very much in the race for the German top-flight title. However, they know they can’t afford to slip-up, especially with Borussia Monchengladbach and RB Leipzig also aiming for a shot at the no.1 spot.
Hoffenheim, last year’s third-place team, may be struggling to replicate their success last campaign, but make no mistake; they are always tough to beat and are actually unbeaten in their last 10 outings in the competition.
Talking Points
Bayern Munich are on a roll, and they are not showing any signs of slowing down as they look to pile more pressure on Dortmund at the top of the table.
Hoffenheim are no easy opponents, but Niko Kovac and his charges will be confident as they head back to the Bundesliga with fresh legs and a new-found hope—especially after winning the Telekom Cup against Fortuna Dusseldorf and Gladbach.
The Bavarians are on a tear offensively over their five-game winning streak. In fact, they are averaging 2.6 goals a game during that stretch, all while keeping three clean sheets and conceding just twice.
Robert Lewandowski, Franck Ribery and Serge Gnabry have been pivotal in their recent resurgence, accounting for 10 of their 13 goals during that run. Ribery has four for Bayern, while Lewandowski and Gnabry have three markers each.
Moreover, it should only help Bayern that they are likely to have James Rodriguez back from injury.
Rodriguez missed Bayern’s last eight games due to ligament damage in his left knee, but he is now back in training and could feature for the team when they visit WIRSOL Rhein-Neckar-Arena this week.
The Colombian superstar, who had seven goals and 11 assists for Bayern last term, remains a reliable playmaker who can change the course of the game with his scoring and passing ability. Rodriguez has three league goals in his eight appearances, putting him at an incredible rate of one in every 117 minutes.
“I know he’s a top player, I know what he can do,” Kovac said about Rodriguez.
“He’s shown that not just here but at other big clubs. I expect top performances from him, just like I do any other player. We finished the first half of the season strongly, and competition for places is fierce, as is always the case. Now it’s down to him to show he deserves a place in the team again.”
If there’s any silver lining for Hoffenheim in this match-up, it’s that they haven’t lost in the top flight since October. Sure, they have drawn their last six matches, but that only goes to show they are a team that won’t go down without a fight.
It’s also worth mentioning that they know when to step up, as proven by their 1-1 stalemate with Dortmund earlier in the season and goalless draw with third-placed Gladbach last month.
Julian Nagelsmann’s side boasts a record of three wins, four draws and two defeats at home this 2018-19.
History
Bayern are looking to get the best Bundesliga 2019 results, and they will be hoping to start it the right way by repeating their August thrashing of Hoffenheim.
The Bavarians won their opener with the Sinsheimers, 3-1. Thomas Muller, Lewandowski and Arjen Robben were all on target at the Allianz Arena that time, with Adam Szalai scoring the lone goal for the visitors.
Interestingly, Lewy and Robben’s goals came in the last eight minutes of the game, making the fight one of Hoffenheim’s biggest collapses of the season.
Prior to that, Bayern Munich clobbered Hoffenheim 5-2 in their battle last January 2018. Remarkably, five different players scored for the then Jupp Heynckes-managed squad!
Hoffenheim, however, will be optimistic as they play on their turf. In their past two home games against Bayern, Nagelsmann and his men won both times. They came out 2-0 winners the last time they played against each other at Sinsheim.
Betting Tip
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Hoffenheim vs Bayern Munich | Under 3.25 @ 2.06 |
| January 19, 03:30 (GMT+8) |
Wins are still better than draws, and that’s exactly what the Bundesliga 2019 odds at SBOBET tell you.
Bayern’s streak is no joke, so it’s understandable why they are favoured. But Hoffenheim’s unbeaten run shouldn’t be taken lightly, either. After all, any club knows how hard it is to stay consistent and pull off wins or draws when the team is playing ugly.
I think it won’t be a one-sided affair, and it’s not far-fetched that the game would end up a low-scoring one or even a draw.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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| = €20 (Highly confident) |
 = €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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