Bayern Munich will look to keep their unbeaten run intact when they hit the road to square up against one of the most in-form teams in Germany, SC Freiburg.

Having suffered back-to-back defeats in all competitions, SC Freiburg will be eager to get their season back on track when they host league leaders Bayern Munich on Sunday.

The home team are third in the Bundesliga with 13 points in their six outings. They were off to a flying start with four wins and a draw in their first five outings, but ended up suffering a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Bayer Leverkusen last time out.

Freiburg then went on to suffer a 3-0 defeat at the hands of AS Monaco in the UEFA Europa Conference League. They have been outplayed in their last two games and will have to do much better if they are to stand a chance against Bayern.

Meanwhile, the visitors had a slow start to the campaign, but have eventually managed to claim the top spot in the league with 14 points in their six outings. However, with Borussia Dortmund level on points in second place, Bayern cannot afford to relax.

They secured a 6-1 win over RB Leipzig in their last league outing, but are heading into this fixture on the back of a 2-2 draw at the hands of Arsenal in the Champions League. While they did drop points against the Gunners, they have enough quality to secure all three points from this away fixture against Freiburg. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.

Team News & Tactics

SC Freiburg

While Florent Muslija (ACL) remains on the sidelines, Freiburg do not have any fresh injury concerns to worry about. They will look to line up with their best possible XI, as they hope to take down the most dominant force in German football.

Freiburg are likely to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Mio Backhaus starting in goal. Philipp Treu and Jordy Makengo should occupy the full-back positions, while Matthias Ginter is expected to pair up with Philipp Lienhart at the heart of the defence.

Maximilian Eggestein and Yannik Engelhardt are likely to form the midfield double pivot, providing defensive cover while helping Freiburg progress the ball. Jan-Niklas Beste and Derry Scherhant should operate on the flanks, with Yuito Suzuki taking up the attacking midfield role behind Igor Matanovic.

The home team will need to remain compact defensively while making the most of their opportunities in transition.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Backhaus; Treu, Ginter, Lienhart, Makengo; Eggestein, Engelhardt; Beste, Suzuki, Scherhant; Matanovic

Bayern Munich

Joshua Kimmich missed the Arsenal game because of personal reasons, but is expected to be back available for this one. But they do remain without the services of Jamal Musiala (thigh) and Luis Diaz (hamstring), who picked up a knock in their last outing is also unlikely to be available here.

Bayern Munich suffered another blow as Vincent Kompany collapsed in training and is unlikely to be on their bench for this fixture. The away side will also line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Manuel Neuer starting in goal. Konrad Laimer and Nathaniel Brown should occupy the full-back positions, while Dayot Upamecano will line up alongside Jonathan Tah in the heart of the defence.

Kimmich should return to the starting XI alongside Aleksandar Pavlovic in the double pivot, with the pair tasked with controlling possession and dictating the tempo. Michael Olise and Alphonso Davies are likely to provide width from the flanks, while Serge Gnabry operates in the attacking midfield role behind Harry Kane, who will spearhead the Bayern Munich attack vs Freiburg.

Despite the absences of Musiala and Diaz, Bayern still possess considerable attacking quality. Davies was deployed on the flanks against Arsenal, and he is likely to be used in that role once again in this fixture. He can certainly cause serious problems for Freiburg with his pace and dribbling.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Laimer, Upamecano, Tah, Brown; Kimmich, Pavlovic; Olise, Gnabry, Davies; Kane

Key Stats

• SC Freiburg have won each of their last five home games, scoring 18 goals in the process.
• Bayern Munich are unbeaten in the new season so far (W7 D4 in 11 outings).
• The home team have scored in each of their six Bundesliga games this term.
• Bayern Munich have only bagged four goals in their three away league games, which is a concern.
• Freiburg have only won two out of their last 31 games against Bayern Munich.

Player to Watch

Alphonso Davies

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Davies was deployed as a winger against Arsenal, and he ended up bagging a goal. With Diaz unavailable, he is likely to be used in that role once again, and it won’t be much of a surprise if he ends up having a big say in the end result here.

The Canadian international used to be a winger in his early years, and he seems quite comfortable in that role. Despite playing as a full-back in all other games this season, he still has five goal contributions in his 10 outings and will be eager to add to his tally against Freiburg.

Prediction

SC Freiburg 1-3 Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich may have dropped points against Arsenal in the Champions League, but they remain unbeaten this season and will be confident of extending that run against Freiburg. The visitors have the quality to dominate possession and create plenty of chances, particularly with Harry Kane leading the line and Michael Olise providing creativity in the final third.

Freiburg, however, should not be underestimated, having won their last five home games and scored 18 goals in the process. Their recent defeats will be a concern, but they have enough attacking threat to trouble Bayern, especially if they can exploit spaces in transition.

Nevertheless, Bayern Munich’s superior quality should ultimately prove decisive, even if the hosts manage to get on the scoresheet. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the away team.