Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich have already wrapped up the title race, and they do not have anything to play for heading into this fixture against bottom-placed FC Heidenheim, who still have a chance of surviving the drop.
The home team are top of the table with 82 points in their 31 outings. They have already clinched their 35th league title without much trouble and are heading into this fixture on the back of a five-game winning streak in the league.
Their entire focus will be on the Champions League semi-final 2nd leg against PSG; as a result, expect Kompany to heavily rotate his team. While they are heading into this fixture on the back of a 5-4 defeat in the 1st leg, Bayern are clear favourites to win this game.
Meanwhile, the visitors are at rock bottom with 22 points in their 31 outings. While only three games remain in the season, Heidenheim could still survive the drop as they are only four points behind 16th-placed St.Pauli, who occupy the relegation play-off spot.
Given Pauli’s recent form, a few positive results right at the end could save Heidenheim. With Bayern unlikely to field their best XI, they will certainly look to cause an upset here. They have won two out of their last three and are heading into this one on the back of a 2-0 over direct relegation rival St.Pauli. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Vincent Kompany will return to the touchline after serving a suspension in the Champions League. While his return is a boost, they do remain without the services of Raphael Guerreiro (hamstring), Serge Gnabry (thigh), Tom Bischof (calf), Sven Ulreich (muscle), and Lennart Karl (muscle) because of injury.
Kompany will certainly shuffle the pack ahead of the Champions League 2nd leg, and he could rest the majority of his stars. It will be the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Jonas Urbig will be in goal.
Hiroki Ito could partner Kim Min-Jae in the heart of the defence, while Konrad Laimer and Alphonso Davies will feature on the flanks as full-backs.
The back four will look to keep things tight at the back, and they will receive significant support from Aleksandar Pavlovic and Bara Ndiaye, who will form the double pivot in midfield. The duo will look to ensure they dominate the ball.
Josip Stanisic and Luis Diaz will feature on the flanks, providing width to their attacks. Leon Goretzka could take up the number ten role behind Nicolas Jackson, who is likely to be leading the line here.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Urbig; Laimer, Kim, Ito, Davies; Ndiaye, Pavlovic; Stanisic, Goretzka, Diaz; Jackson
The visitors will be without the services of Nick Rothweiler (illness), Leart Pacarada (knee), Sirlord Conteh (knee) and Mikkel Kaufmann (calf) in this all-important fixture against Bayern.
Heidenheim should line up in a 4-3-1-2 formation, where Diant Ramaj will charge between the sticks. Marnon Busch and Hennes Behrens will be the full-backs, while Patrick Mainka will partner with Jonas Fohrenbach in the heart of the defence.
In the centre of the park, Niklas Dorsch will take up the holding role, while Jan Schoppner and Adrian Beck will be in his support. While they might not have much of the ball, they will look to make the most out of every chance to hit the home team on the break.
Eren Dinkci will take up the number ten role behind Budu Zivzivadze and Marvin Pieringer, who will form the attacking duo.
Probable Lineup (4-3-1-2): Ramaj; Busch, Mainka, Fohrenbach, Behrens; Beck, Dorsch, Schoppner; Dinkci; Zivzivadze, Pieringer
This game against Heidenheim could prove to be a great opportunity for Jackson, whose future hangs in the balance at this point. While Bayern won’t trigger the buy clause, they are considering negotiating a lower fee with Chelsea, and a lot might depend on his performances right until the end of the season.
So far, he has been involved in 30 matches, racked up just over 1,100 minutes and has contributed towards 14 goals. He has certainly made the most out of the limited chances he has had. The 24-year-old will look to carry on the good work in this home fixture.
Relegation-threatened Heidenheim face a golden opportunity to claw their way out of the drop zone when they travel to champions Bayern Munich, who have nothing left to play for in the league after securing the title.
Heidenheim’s recent form (two wins in three), including a vital 2-0 over St. Pauli, gives them real upset potential. Only four points adrift of the playoff spot with three games left, the visitors will relish the chance to exploit a weakened home side.
However, expect Bayern to dominate possession and eventually come out on top, as they would still have enough quality to deal with one of the weakest teams in the Bundesliga. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the home team.
