Bayern Munich’s relentless goals machine turns its multiple production barrels on little neighbours Greuther Furth in the season’s first Bavarian derby Friday night.
Julian Nagelsmann’s nine-time defending champions are in irrepressible form, having plundered 31 goals in their last six matches across all competitions. In what is an ominous sign for the hosts, the Bavarian juggernaut condemned Furth’s fellow newcomers, Bochum, to a 7-0 pummeling in a victory that propelled them to the Bundesliga summit.
The league leaders and record champions have turned on the afterburners since drawing at Gladbach in their season’s opener, with leading scorer Robert Lewandowski already into double figures for club and country.
The club’s fans are sitting pretty after witnessing winger Leroy Sane, support striker Serge Gnarby and midfield dynamo Joshua Kimmich all hit a rich vein of goal-scoring form.
Even top summer signing Dayot Upamecano is rapidly developing into an immovable defensive object.
Marco van Bommel’s joint leaders Wolfsburg are hoping to return to winning ways when they visit unpredictable Hoffenheim on Saturday.
The Wolves were toppled off the summit on goal difference following last weekend’s home 1-1 draw with former boss Oliver Glasner’s Frankfurt. The focus will fall squarely on leading marksman Wout Werghost, who squandered a number of goal scoring chances before finding a late leveller against Frankfurt. Andrei Kramaric will carry Hoffenheim’s biggest attacking threat.
Marco Rose takes his free-scoring Borussia Dortmund to former club Gladbach in the pick of this weekend’s matches. Dortmund currently lie third thanks in no small part to the imperious form of the division’s leading scorer Erling Braut Haaland, whose double against Union Berlin last weekend kept the Signal Iduna Parkside in the conversation for the title.
Fading giants Gladbach will meanwhile be hoping their gifted line up which includes established stars Lars Stindl, Breel Embolo, Florian Neuhaus, and Jonas Hoffman can quickly find form to propel the five-time titlists from the 1970s out of relegation places.
FIXTURES
TODAY
Greuther Furth v Bayern Munich
SATURDAY
Hoffenheim v Wolfsburg,
Union Berlin v Arminia Bielefeld,
Bayer Leverkusen v Mainz,
Frankfurt v Koln, Gladbach v Borussia Dortmund
SUNDAY
Bochum v Stuttgart
Freiburg v Augsburg
