Thomas Tuchel has dived straight into the deep end. The 2021 Champions League winning manager begins his assignment of turning around Bayern Munich’s lackluster start to 2023 with a mammoth Der Klassiker confrontation against former employers Borussia Dortmund in Saturday’s late Bundesliga kick off. The former Chelsea, Paris Saint Germain and Mainz boss replaced Julian Nagelmann during the international break because the club board wasn’t satisfied with a run of form that has seen the Bavarians win just 5 out of their last 10 Bundesliga matches.
Edin Terzic’s Signal Iduna Park outfit have been in irresistible form, and travel to the Allianz Arena enamored by an unbeaten domestic run that’s catapulted them to the Bundesliga summit, a point ahead of stuttering Bayern Munich. Central to Dortmund’s turnaround has been the goals of veteran forward Marco Reus, whose double in a 6-1 rout of Cologne took him to 150 career goals in the famous Black and Yellow stripe. Bayern Munich have on the other hand been blighted by injuries to key players like captain Manuel Neuer, who is out for the season, and last summer’s marquee signing Sadio Mane.
Bundesliga match day 29 commences with Oliver Glasner’s Eintracht Frankfurt hosting Bochum on Friday night. The outgoing Europa League winners have not matched last season’s highlights filled reel but are firm favourites against a Bochum side that has moved four points clear of the relegation zone in 2023.
In Saturday’s action, RB Leipzig will be hoping to get back to winning ways when they welcome on form Mainz to the Red Bull Arena. Leipzig begin the match day in an uncustomary fifth position, outside of a direct Champions League qualification slot. Leipzig boss Marco Rose is therefore unlikely to rotate his starting line up despite Wednesday’s German Cup quarter final date with Borussia Dortmund.
Xabi Alonso’s rejuvenated Bayer Leverkusen, whose 2-1 victory over Bayern Munich precipitated Nagelmann’s premature departure, face a tricky trip to Schalke, whose eight match unbeaten run has given the Gelsenkirchen outfit a fighting chance to stave off relegation. Currently third in the standings, Urs Fischer’s Union Berlin will target maximum points against basement club Stuttgart while Christian Steich’s Freiburg, who are fourth have an excellent opportunity to put points on board when they host Hertha Berlin.
FRIDAY
Eintracht Frankfurt v Bochum
SATURDAY
RB Leipzig v Mainz
Freiburg v Hertha Berlin,
Schalke v Bayer Leverkusen,
Union Berlin v Stuttgart,
Wolfsburg v Augsburg,
Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund
SUNDAY
Cologne v Gladbach,
Werder Bremen v Hoffenheim