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Hoffenheim vs. Bayern Munich: probable line-ups, match stats and LIVE blog!

bundesliga.com, 10 March 2022, 22:15
Robert Lewandowski and Bayern Munich have a chance to open up a 12-point lead at the top when they visit fourth-placed Hoffenheim and talisman Andrej Kramaric on Saturday (kick-off: 3.30pm CET).
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Kramaric's numbers may be down on previous years with only four goals, but that hasn't prevented Hoffenheim from enjoying the third-best Bundesliga campaign in their history. Stefan Posch got the only goal of the game last weekend as the Sinsheimers won 1-0 at Cologne to make it four victories on the spin and keep themselves in fourth, two points ahead of RB Leipzig. The clean sheet was even more impressive given the number of defensive absentees. Captain Benjamin Hübner is likely to miss out again, but Chris Richards is in with a chance of facing his parent club after returning to training last week following a badly bruised foot suffered on international duty with the USA in January. Coach Sebastian Hoeneß has also hinted that Justin Che - a former Bayern loanee who was signed in the winter from FC Dallas - could also be in line for his debut very soon.

Hoffenheim may be the form side on paper, but Bayern bounced back from a 1-1 draw with Bayer Leverkusen by smashing Red Bull Salzburg 7-1 in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday. Lewandowski was the star of the show with a hat-trick inside 23 minutes as the Bundesliga leaders booked their place in the quarter-finals. Their advantage over Borussia Dortmund is currently nine points after BVB's game last matchday was postponed, and they don't play until Sunday this weekend. Julian Nagelsmann takes Bayern to his former club with Manuel Neuer back fit in goal, plus a plethora of attacking options in Thomas Müller, Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman behind Lewandowski. Corentin Tolisso and Leon Goretzka have trained this week but may not yet be ready to return. Alphonso Davies remains sidelined due to a heart issue.

Match stats

Hoffenheim already have as many home wins after 25 matchdays (eight) as across the whole of last season. They are bidding to land a club record fifth straight top-flight victory.

Hoeneß won the 2019/20 3. Liga as coach of the Bayern reserves, while Nagelsmann oversaw a club record 116 Bundesliga matches as Hoffenheim boss.

Richards, who played under Hoeneß for Bayern II, has made 31 competitive appearances for Hoffenheim compared to 10 in the colours of his parent club.

Lewandowski has scored 14 goals in 23 competitive appearances against Hoffenheim, doing so once in six of his last seven.

At 19, Jamal Musiala is set to become the youngest player in Bayern history to reach 50 Bundesliga appearances.

The match will be Bayern's 1934th in the Bundesliga, levelling the all-time appearance record held by Werder Bremen.

Probable line-ups

Hoffenheim: Baumann (c) - Posch, Grillitsch, Vogt - Kaderabek, Samassekou, Stiller, Raum - Baumgartner - Bebou, Kramaric

Out: Bicakcic (knee), Nordtveit (thigh), Rudy (hamstring), Skov (thigh)

Doubtful: Hübner (not included)

Coach: Sebastian Hoeneß

Bayern: Neuer (c) - Pavard, Süle, Hernandez - Kimmich, Musiala - Gnabry, Müller, Sane, Coman - Lewandowski

Out: Davies (heart), Goretzka (knee)

Doubtful: Tolisso (hamstring)

Coach: Julian Nagelsmann

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