Berlin (AFP)
Mönchengladbach-Bayern on Friday and Dortmund-Leipzig on Saturday: the Bundesliga offers itself a 15th gala day with the clashes between its four teams still in contention in the Champions League.
The defending champion Munich, often jostled recently but with a steel mind, travels to Mönchengladbach in an advanced match on Friday evening (8:30 p.m.).
Borussia have generally done well in recent years in this prestigious showdown, which was Germany's great "classic" in the 1970s.
Last season, the Rhenish were the last to beat Bayern, in December (2-1), before the Bavarians followed up the incredible series of unbeaten which led them to triumph in the Champions League at the end of August.
- Lewandowski vs Gerd Müller -
From an accounting point of view, all is well for Munich, but the team has shown a lot of signs of fatigue since November.
Last Sunday, it even found itself led 2-0 by Mainz, penultimate in the standings.
At the break, coach Hansi Flick sharply reframed his players, released two defenders, including Benjamin Pavard, in persistent misform for a few weeks, and recomposed his defensive sector.
Spurred on by an increasingly impressive Joshua Kimmich, Bayern scored five goals in the second period (5-2).
This match was the 8th consecutive where Manuel Neuer's teammates conceded the first goal.
A worrying series for a leader, even if Bayern has managed to do it each time, with a record of five wins and three draws.
"We need another state of mind from the kick-off", hammered Flick Thursday: "I expect another attitude, another dynamic, more intensity, more conviction".
"We cannot let the opponent play and then rely on Manu (Neuer)," he added, referring to the goalkeeper's exploits which have largely contributed to avoiding defeats recently.
When the team is not doing well, however, it has life insurance: Robert Lewandowski.
The "best FIFA player 2020" has just scored 19 goals in the first 14 days (in 13 matches played).
A pace that would allow him, if he held it to the end, to beat at 32 years old the record that was believed to be eternal of 40 goals in a season set in 1971-72 by the legendary Gerd Müller, under the same jersey from Bayern.
If successful against Mönchengladbach, Flick could reach the 100 point mark in 39 matches.
A record set by his predecessor, Pep Guardiola.
- "Even Bayern can be taken" -
On the side of Mönchengladbach, the charismatic coach Marco Rose obviously noted the defensive weaknesses of Bayern: "They defend very high, because their backs help the attackers, which gives the opponent the possibility of finding spaces, it is an open secret ", he analyzed.
To take advantage of these spaces, he will count on his striker Alassane Pléa, in the absence of the other French pearl of the attack, Marcus Thuram.
The young international, son of 1998 world champion Lilian Thuram, is serving a five-match suspension for spitting on an opponent.
Borussia have struggled to keep up with the pace of the two matches per week imposed between September and December by the Champions League, and are currently only in 7th place, 12 points behind Bayern.
But the prospect of hosting the best team in Europe has whetted appetites: "Even Bayern can be taken," assures midfielder Jonas Hofmann, "provided of course that we are having a very, very good day. But we have already shown in the past that we are able to hold out on them.
The "Colts" have won five of the last twelve encounters, five losses and two draws.
Few teams can boast such a record against the "Rekordmeister".
On Saturday, the other two entered in the Champions League will battle it out on the lawn of Leipzig, second by two points.
RB will be favorites against Borussia Dortmund, current fourth but still in doubt after the dismissal of his coach Lucien Favre in mid-December.
At the bottom of the standings, Schalke who receives Hoffenheim could, if he did not win, equal a sad record: that of 31 consecutive games without a win in the first division, established during the season 1965-66 by Tasmania Berlin, today in 5th division.
Program of the 15th day:
.
Friday
(8:30 p.m.) Mönchengladbach - Bayern Munich
.
Saturday
(3.30 p.m.) Bayer Leverkusen - Werder Bremen
Freiburg - Cologne
Union Berlin - Wolfsburg
Schalke 04 - Hoffenheim
Mainz - Eintracht Frankfurt
(6.30 p.m.) RB Leipzig - Dortmund
.
Sunday
(3.30 p.m.) Augsburg - Stuttgart
(6:00 p.m.) Bielefeld - Hertha Berlin
© 2021 AFP