Afghanistan
Angola
Argentina
Asia (AFC)
Asian Games
Australia
Belgium-Netherlands
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Central American & Caribbean Games
Central American Games
Congo DR
Denmark
England
Europe (UEFA)
FYR Macedonia
Finland
Germany
Greece
International Tournaments
Italy
Mediterranean Games
Mexico
National
Nepal
North & Central America (Concacaf)
Palestine
Pan American Games
Panama
Russia
Scandinavia
Serbia And Montenegro
South American Games
Spain
Syria
USA
Venezuela
World (FIFA)
Yemen
Zimbabwe

VfL Bochumvs.Bayern

sportsmole.co.uk, 25 October 2024, 21:45
Vincent Kompany's Bayern Munich will hope to bounce back from their Champions League humiliation against Barcelona when they travel to face VfL Bochum at Vonovia Ruhrstadion on Sunday in the Bundesliga.

Managerless Bochum are last in 18th place with just one point after seven matches and are already six points from automatic safety, while Bayern are first with 17 points from their seven league games and are one of two unbeaten teams left in the top flight.

Match preview

The hosts lost 3-1 against Hoffenheim last time out on October 19, and only scored once despite producing nearly 3 xG, as well as creating five big chances.

Bochum have in fact created the joint 11th most big chances in the league, but have only netted eight times, the second fewest in the division.

Peter Zeidler was on the touchline against Hoffenheim as manager, but he was sacked on Sunday, with Markus Feldhoff and Murat Ura taking charge of the club on an interim basis.

The pair take over a team that have not won any of their eight most recent competitive games, losing seven and drawing one in that period.

Bochum have also lost 14 of their last 19 Bundesliga matches, and have lost five, drawn three and won just one of their last nine fixtures at home in the league.

Meanwhile, Bayern come into the clash having lost 4-1 against Hansi Flick's Barcelona on Wednesday, a match in which Raphinha managed to score a hat-trick and former Bavarian Robert Lewandowski also netted.

Kompany said in the aftermath of the defeat that there were no excuses for his side's performance, and he did not disagree with the notion that his team were set up far too offensively.

The result means that Bayern have now lost two of their three Champions League games and are in 23rd place in the table.

The Bavarians are first in the Bundesliga and to their credit, they have faced champions Bayer Leverkusen, Eintracht Frankfurt and last season's runners-up Stuttgart in their last three league games and came away undefeated.

Bayern beat Stuttgart 4-0 on October 19 in their most recent top-flight outing, with Harry Kane netting three times in a rampant display.

The visitors have won three and drawn one of their last four away Bundesliga matches, scoring 17 goals but conceding on six occasions in that time.

VfL Bochum Bundesliga form:

L

L

D

L

L

L

Bayern Munich Bundesliga form:

W

W

W

D

D

W

Bayern Munich form (all competitions):

W

D

L

D

W

L

Team News

Bochum will be without Manuel Riemann, who remains suspended from training with the first team after a fallout with the club over playing time at the end of the 2023-24 season.

Bernardo is also expected to miss out until late November due to a knee injury, while Matus Bero and Myron Boadu are not scheduled to return until next month.

Ivan Ordets and Erhan Medic could start as centre-backs behind a midfield three of Dani de Wit, Ibrahim Sissoko and Anthony Losilla.

Considering Bayern's humiliating defeat against Barcelona, Kompany is likely to pick a strong starting XI in order to bounce back as quickly as possible.

However, he will have to contend with the absences of Aleksandar Pavlovic and Sacha Boey until December, while Hiroki Ito and Josip Stanisic are not likely to feature until the middle of November.

Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-jae are almost certain to start in the heart of defence, and Joshua Kimmich may be joined in midfield by Joao Palhinha.

VfL Bochum possible starting lineup:

Drewes; Passlack, Medic, Ordets, Masovic, Wittek; De Wit, Losilla, Sissoko; Broschinski, Miyoshi

Bayern Munich possible starting lineup:

Neuer; Guerreiro, Upamecano, Kim, Davies; Kimmich, Palhinha; Olise, Musiala, Gnabry; Kane

We say: VfL Bochum 0-5 Bayern Munich

Bayern have been rampant goalscorers of late, and it would not be surprising if they won by multiple goals on Sunday.

Previews by email

Top News

22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Monaco vs. Brest (Friday, 6.00pm) The first game in Ligue 1 since the final international break of 2024 will see Monaco welcome Brest to the Stade Louis II on Friday night. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea have reportedly told Mykhaylo Mudryk that he is still in their first-team plans ahead of the January transfer window. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka has reportedly not yet made a full recovery from the knock he suffered prior to the international break. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Legendary striker Robert Lewandowski has revealed he was close to joining Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United in 2012. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Xabi Alonso will hope that his Bayer Leverkusen side can return to winning ways when they welcome strugglers Heidenheim to BayArena in their 11th Bundesliga game of the campaign on Saturday. 21 November 2024 talksport.com Wayne Rooney gives Romeo Montague a run for his money with wife Coleen revealing he writes her love poetry. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Six places separate Wolfsburg and Union Berlin in the Bundesliga table ahead of Saturday's gameweek 11 match at the Volkswagen Arena. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Borussia Dortmund have already fallen behind in the title race and will at least aim to stay within touching distance of the Champions League qualifications spots when they welcome Freiburg to Signal Iduna Park on Saturday in their 11th Bundesliga game of the campaign. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk A crunch clash at the bottom sees Heracles and RKC Waalwijk go head to head at the Asito Stadium on Saturday evening in gameweek 13 of the Eredivisie season. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Stuttgart sit a disappointing 11th in the Bundesliga table before welcoming cellar-dwelling VfL Bochum in Saturday's gameweek 11 action at the MHPArena. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Brentford boss Thomas Frank has confirmed that Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa will both be available for Saturday's Premier League away meeting with Everton. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Benfica and Estrela Amadora return to action on Saturday when they go head to head at the Estadio da Luz in the fourth round of the Taca de Portugal. 21 November 2024 talksport.com West Ham have sounded out former Borussia Dortmund boss Edin Terzic as a potential replacement for Julen Lopetegui, talkSPORT understands. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming to move back into the top six of the League One table, Huddersfield Town will welcome Charlton Athletic to the John Smith's Stadium on Saturday. 21 November 2024 talksport.com talkSPORT's Ally McCoist has opened up about living with Dupuytren's contracture, an incurable hereditary condition that affects the hands. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Luton Town will welcome Hull City to Kenilworth Road on Saturday for a crucial game at the bottom end of the Championship table. 21 November 2024 talksport.com Martin Odegaard is everything for Arsenal - he's at the heartbeat of everything positive they do. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming to go top of the Championship table with a fifth straight victory, Sheffield United will travel to take on Coventry City on Saturday. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk RB Leipzig will aim to prevent the five-point gap to Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich from extending by claiming all three points at Hoffenheim's PreZero Arena on Saturday. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Champions League hopefuls Eintracht Frankfurt will hope to maintain their five-point advantage over Werder Bremen after hosting them on Saturday at Deutsche Bank Park in their 11th Bundesliga outing of the season. 21 November 2024 talksport.com Newcastle defender Lewis Hall says his lack of game time in the first-team left him 'in a dark place' last season. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two teams who could really do with a victory kick off round 13 of the 2024-25 Eredivisie season as Go Ahead Eagles welcome Almere City to De Adelaarshorst on Saturday afternoon. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Promotion-chasing Barnsley are favourites heading into Saturday's gameweek 17 League One match at Oakwell. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Feyenoord and Heerenveen will both be looking to pick up where they left off right before the international break in Saturday's meeting at De Kuip in matchday 13 of the 2024-25 Eredivisie season. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City officially announce that manager Pep Guardiola has signed a two-year contract extension. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Girona will be bidding to make it three straight wins in La Liga for the first time this season when they welcome Espanyol to Estadi Montilivi on Saturday evening. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk An in-form Las Palmas will be aiming to make it five wins from their last six matches in all competitions when they continue their La Liga campaign at home to Mallorca on Saturday night. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Following four straight defeats leading into the international break, Aston Villa will return to action on Saturday, when Crystal Palace pay a visit to Villa Park. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea have reportedly set a £100m asking price for Enzo Fernandez amid interest from Real Madrid. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Saudi Pro League action will return to the Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium this weekend when Al Khaleej play host to the defending champions Al-Hilal on Saturday evening.