Bayern Munich seek a 13th victory at the Allianz Arena on Saturday when they host Europe-chasing Eintracht Frankfurt in Bundesliga's gameweek 31 action.
Thomas Tuchel's men moved three points clear of Stuttgart last weekend in the battle for second, and the deposed champions could extend that advantage against a club keen to end sixth in the top flight.
Match preview
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Bayern have bounced back from two losses on the trot to Borussia Dortmund (2-0) and Heidenheim (3-2) to win three and draw one of their recent matches in all competitions, recently thrashing Union Berlin 5-1 last weekend.
Tuchel's team may be deposed Bundesliga champions, but Die Bayern carry a formidable threat on their day, and they showed their firepower in the capital to demolish Union.
It remains to be seen how the Bavarians approach Saturday's fixture, with the league title lost to Bayer Leverkusen and the 2023-24 campaign resting on events in the Champions League, with a semi-final meeting against Real Madrid on the horizon.
Tuchel may rest players before taking on Carlo Ancelotti's men or play something resembling a full-strength side against a team that annihilated his troops in the reverse fixture in December, notching a 5-1 triumph over FC Hollywood.
The home support will be wary of the away side's threat, having lost three times in the last six against Frankfurt, with the Eagles undefeated on their recent two visits to the Allianz — winning in 2021-22 and playing out a 1-1 draw in January 2023.
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Avoiding defeat at the Champions League semi-finalists will be timely for Dino Toppmoller, whose team secured a potentially significant victory over Augsburg in gameweek 30, thus ending a four-match winless run (two defeats).
Losing would have seen the Eagles and Augsburg level on points in the Bundesliga, but instead ended the weekend six points ahead of Augsburg in eighth and five ahead of Freiburg.
Extending their ongoing two-match unbeaten run at Bayern will require an improvement in away performances for a side that have managed one victory in six road matches and two in the New Year — a 1-0 win at RB Leipzig in January and a 2-1 success at Heidenheim at the start of March.
Only four wins on their travels threaten to undermine Frankfurt's ambition to end in the top six at the season's culmination, with four away victories in 15 road games the eighth-best in the Bundesliga.
That ultimately could be the difference between making Europe for a fourth season running or falling short. Whatever happens in Munich on Saturday, SGE will not be displaced, as they hold a five-point advantage over Freiburg in seventh.
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Harry Kane scored his 33rd goal in the Bundesliga against Union last week, and the Englishman seeks to score against one of the two clubs he has yet to score against (Freiburg are the other).
Leroy Sane (groin) and Serge Gnabry (hamstring) are not expected to be risked so close to facing Real Madrid. However, Kingsley Coman (groin), Sacha Boey (hip), Bouna Sarr (knee) and Tarek Buchmann (hamstring) are not expected to play.
Mathys Tel — scorer and assister against Union — should start for only the fourth time in the top division. Thomas Muller could play from the off, keen to add to his five Bundesliga goals, even if the experienced attacker did not think he played at his best despite scoring twice in Berlin.
Sebastian Rode, Mehdi Loune and Sasa Kalajdzic are all missing this weekend's game because of knee injuries, while Jean-Matteo Bahoya (ankle) is absent.
Since joining the club on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, Hugo Ekitike had not scored for the club until last week's goal against Augsburg, and the 21-year-old should lead the away side's attack this weekend.
Regardless, Omar Marmoush (11 goals) is the away team's leading scorer, and the Egyptian should be in high spirits after ending a two-month drought in gameweek 30's 3-1 triumph.
Bayern Munich possible starting lineup:
Neuer; Kimmich, Dier, De Ligt, Guerreiro; Pavlovic, Goretzka; Muller, Musiala, Tel; Kane
Eintracht Frankfurt possible starting lineup:
Trapp; Tuta, Koch, Pacho; Dina Ebimbe, Gotze, Skhiri, Max; Marmoush, Chaibi; Ekitike
We say: Bayern Munich 1-1 Eintracht Frankfurt
While the undoubted inclination is to back Bayern for success, next week's Champions League encounter with Los Blancos means Tuchel's men have an eye on that semi-final first leg. Thus, Frankfurt, the only current Bundesliga side to hold a two-game unbeaten run over the Bavarians, could extend that streak to three at the Allianz on Saturday.
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