Borussia Dortmund to Host Bayern Munich in a Pivotal Match

The best teams in the Bundesliga face off in the biggest game of the season. Borussia Dortmund hosts Bayern Munich on Tuesday. Dortmund is four points behind Bayern. This game could determine who wins the Bundesliga title. Bayern can settle for a draw but Dortmund needs to win. 

Bayern’s factors

In the last five games between these teams, the games that have been close Dortmund  has prevailed. Bayern has been victorious in blowouts. Bayern has won 4-0, 5-0 and 7-0. While, Dortmund has won 3-2 and 2-0. A determining factor is “momentum” and who can score first. Bayern will pile it on if they get an early lead as they did vs Tottenham and Chelsea in the Champions League. One glaring weakness is Bayern’s defense after going up 3-0 on Eintracht Frankfurt they conceded two goals in less than five minutes. However, Bayern are still the favorites and have the best player in the Bundesliga. Robert Lewandowski is on a historical run. He has 27 goals in 25 Bundesliga games. A serious candidate for the Ballon d’Or. They also have a World Cup champion as their goalkeeper in Manuel Neuer. Bayern is loaded with talents like Alphonso Davies, Serge Gnabry, Thomas Muller, and Leon Goretzka. It’s difficult for any team to contain Bayern’s ability to score.

Dortmund Avantages

Dortmund just needs to keep the game close to keep the pressure on Bayern. Bayern hasn’t fared well lately in this rivalry in tight games. This is a revenge game for Dortmund they lost the previous meeting 4-0. As much praise as Erling Haaland gets, keep your eye on Raphael Guerrerio. Since the season has resumed he scored three goals in two games. Very impressive considering he is a defender. If Haaland scores he better not celebrate excessively. Bayern could use it as motivation if Haaland showboats. Dortmund roster is a mix of young and old players Jadon Sacho, Giovanni Reyna, Thorgan Hazard, Mario Gotze and Mats Hummels. The young players need to stay confident if they concede a goal first.

Prediction

I have Bayern winning 3-1 because it seems like they are a team of destiny and Lewandowski’s superb season. Also, I think this game being played without fans will be negatively impact the home side. Dortmund will not be able to feed off the home crowd’s energy.   

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