Reigning Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich face a tricky process to bounce again from final weekend’s humbling at Eintracht Frankfurt once they host shock title challengers Stuttgart on Sunday.
The assembly with third-positioned Stuttgart on the Allianz Arena will pit two of Europe’s type strikers towards one another in Bayern’s Harry Kane and the guests’ Serhou Guirassy.
Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern slipped 4 factors behind early leaders Bayer Leverkusen, albeit with a sport in hand, after their 5-1 thrashing by Frankfurt, with Stuttgart only one level additional adrift and hoping to leapfrog their opponents within the desk.
Kane has been a revelation for the Bavarian giants since becoming a member of in the summertime from Tottenham, with 18 objectives in 13 league matches.
Guirassy sits simply behind the England captain with 16 objectives from 12 Bundesliga appearances this time period, already the 27-12 months-previous’s greatest tally for a single season lower than half the way in which via the marketing campaign.
The Guinean boasts a good higher objectives-per-minute ratio than Kane, having scored a objective each 55 minutes, in contrast to the Bayern striker’s each 63 minutes.
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Guirassy’s very good type has been key to Stuttgart’s beautiful turnaround beneath coach Sebastian Hoeness.
Hoeness, who coached Bayern’s reserve staff to a 3rd-division title and is the nephew of former Bayern president Uli, took over Stuttgart in April, with the membership sitting lifeless final and heading in the right direction for relegation.
But a run of simply two defeats of their closing 12 video games of final season in all competitions noticed Hoeness take Stuttgart to the German Cup semi-finals and keep within the prime flight with a two-legged relegation playoff victory over Hamburg.
The 5-time German champions have gone from power to power beneath Hoeness this time period, successful 13 of 17 matches.
They stayed in contact with the leaders thanks to a 1-1 draw with Leverkusen final Sunday.
Only Bayern and Borussia Dortmund have additionally taken factors off Xabi Alonso’s unbeaten Leverkusen this season.
Bayern alternatively equalled their worst loss within the league this century, though Kingsley Coman scored to assist them bounce again with a 1-0 Champions League win at Manchester United on Tuesday.
France winger Coman injured his thigh, although, becoming a member of Serge Gnabry and Noussair Mazraoui on the sidelines.
Netherlands centre-again Matthijs de Ligt stays a doubt for Sunday however returned to coaching on Thursday.
“They (Stuttgart) have got momentum, they’re a very good team who are growing together nicely under a top manager,” mentioned Bayern captain Manuel Neuer.
“They’re a very serious opponent.”
Elsewhere this weekend, Leverkusen tackle Frankfurt on Sunday, after fifth-positioned Dortmund go to Augsburg and fourth-positioned RB Leipzig host Hoffenheim on Saturday.
Player to watch: Jamie Bynoe-Gittens (Borussia Dortmund)
English teenager Jamie Bynoe-Gittens is in prime type, a shiny spark in an inconsistent Dortmund facet.
Having overcome early-season accidents to string a run of a number of matches collectively, the 19-12 months-previous has turn into considered one of Dortmund’s key inventive gamers alongside Julian Brandt.
Bynoe-Gittens gained some uncommon reward from compatriot Jude Bellingham, who backed his former Dortmund teammate to observe in his footsteps and win the Golden Boy award for the world’s greatest younger participant.
“He has faith in me and believes in me to do better for myself,” Bynoe-Gittens advised the Bundesliga web site.
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Key stats
Five: Dortmund have conceded 5 penalties this season — a league excessive.
14: Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface has extra objectives and assists than some other participant for the league leaders, with eight and 6 respectively.
Six: Unbeaten Leverkusen have dropped simply six of a doable 42 factors this season.
Fixtures (1430 GMT except said)
Friday
Borussia Moenchengladbach v Werder Bremen (1930)
Saturday
Darmstadt v Wolfsburg, Bochum v Union Berlin, Augsburg v Borussia Dortmund, Mainz v Heidenheim, RB Leipzig v Hoffenheim (1730)
Sunday
Bayer Leverkusen v Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayern Munich v Stuttgart (1630)
(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is revealed from a syndicated information company feed – AFP)
