Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich will look to take another step towards the league title when they hit the road to square up against FC Augsburg on Friday.

After playing out a draw against TSG Hoffenheim, FC Augsburg will look to bounce back with a win over Bayern Munich at the WWK Arena as they push for a European spot, while the visitors aim to inch closer to the Bundesliga title.

The home team are eighth on the points table with 39 points in their 27 outings. While they are the fourth-lowest-scoring team in the division (30 goals), a strong defensive base has helped them stay in contention for a spot in one of the European competitions.

Augsburg have been unbeaten in their last 11 league games, and they will certainly give Bayern Munich a run for their money. After consecutive wins over Borussia Dortmund and VfL Wolfsburg, they were held to a 1-1 draw against Hoffenheim last time out. Now, they will be eager to get things back on track.

The visitors are on top of the table with 65 points in their 27 outings. Die Roten are already six points clear on second-placed Bayer Leverkusen, and a win here will take them a step closer to the title with just seven games to go.

Having dropped points against VfL Bochum and Union Berlin last month, Vincent Kompany’s team will look to ensure there are no more slip-ups from their side. Having defeated FC St. Pauli last time out, they will be eyeing another three points against Augsburg. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the squad they could deploy.

Team News & Tactics

FC Augsburg

Apart from Robert Gumny and Yusuf Kabadayi, the home team should have everyone fit and available for this fixture. Against Bayern Munich, FC Augsburg will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, where Finn Dahmen should continue in goal.

Chrislain Matsima, Jeffrey Gouweleeuw, and Cedric Zesiger are expected to form the back three. While wing-backs Marius Wolf and Dimitrios Giannoulis would ideally love to contribute on both ends of the pitch, they will have a lot of defending to do in this fixture.

In the centre of the park, Frank Onyeka will partner with Elvis Rexhbecaj. The duo will have to ensure the Bayern Munich midfielders do not end up dominating the proceedings. In the final third, Fredrik Jensen and Alexis Claude-Maurice will be the two attacking midfielders, while Samuel Essende will lead the line for Augsburg against Bayern Munich.

Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Dahmen; Matsima, Gouweleeuw, Zesiger; Wolf, Onyeka, Rexhbecaj, Giannoulis; Jensen, Claude-Maurice; Essende

Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich will be without the services of eight of their first-team stars as Hiroki Ito has joined Manuel Neuer, Alphonso Davies, Dayot Upamecano, Aleksandar Pavlovic, Leon Goretzka, Kingsley Coman, and Tarek Buchmann on the sidelines.

The visitors will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Jonas Urbig will be in goal. Konrad Laimer and Raphael Guerreiro will be the full-backs, while Eric Dier and Kim Min-jae should be the central defenders.

As for the midfield unit, Joshua Kimmich should start alongside Joao Palhinha in the centre of the park. They will shield the backline and look to control the tempo of this fixture. Jamal Musiala will take up the number ten role, while Michael Olise and Leroy Sane will feature on the flanks, providing much-needed width to their attacks. Harry Kane will continue to lead the line for the away team.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Urbig; Laimer, Dier, Kim, Guerreiro; Kimmich, Palhinha; Olise, Musiala, Sane; Kane

Key Stats

• Bayern Munich have won 26 out of the last 33 fixtures against FC Augsburg, who have only won five of those games.
• Bayern Munich have won nine out of their 13 away league games against Augsburg, their best win rate against any team that they have faced a minimum of 10 times.
• Augsburg have only won two out of their last 20 games against Bayern Munich, but those wins did come on their home turf.
• The visitors are unbeaten in their last 11 league games which will certainly be a massive boost for them heading into this fixture.
• Augsburg are eighth on the points table despite having the fourth-worst attack in the division (30 goals scored).

Player to Watch

Jamal Musiala

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Musiala has been one of the standout performers for Bayern Munich this season. He has 24 goal contributions in his 39 outings so far, and Vincent Kompany will hope the 22-year-old finishes the season on a high and helps his team clinch a few titles. Having contributed towards just one goal in his last seven league outings, he will be eager to make an impact against Augsburg.

Prediction

FC Augsburg 0-2 Bayern Munich

While Augsburg have been on an 11-game unbeaten run, they might not be able to avoid defeat against Bayern Munich. The visitors have quite a few injuries to deal with, but they still have enough quality in their ranks to get the desired result.

Bayern Munich are also the odds-on favourites to win, and you can take your match-watching experience a notch further by participating in the betting-related markets, with caesars sportsbook promo code likely to come handy. As you get set to do your bit, The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for Vincent Kompany and his charges.