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Apr 11, 2015 at 2.30pm UK
 
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Preview: Bayern Munich vs. Eintracht Frankfurt

:Headline: Preview: Bayern Munich vs. Eintracht Frankfurt: ID:216144: from db_amp
Sports Mole previews Saturday's Bundesliga clash between Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt.

Bayern Munich will continue their seemingly inevitable journey to another Bundesliga title when they host Eintracht Frankfurt at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.

A busy week for Pep Guardiola's side has already begun, and they will be looking to boost their hopes of a treble once again as they take on a team still aiming for a Europa League spot.


Bayern Munich

As is often the case at this stage of the season, Bayern will turn their focus from one competition to another after continuing their bid for a treble by reaching the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal in midweek.

Manuel Neuer and Bernd Leno stole the show for each side with superb performances, but it was Bayern who eventually triumphed over an unfortunate Bayer Leverkusen side thanks to a 5-3 penalty shootout victory at the BayArena.

In truth, it was one of the sternest tests of Guardiola's side this season, and the Spaniard is likely to be pleased with how they responded to the challenge on a night when a number of their key men were out of action due to injury.

The injuries that have prevented the likes of Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben and David Alaba from joining their teammates recently could have a big say on their success this season, but winning another Bundesliga title looks certain due to a 10-point advantage at the top of the table with just seven games remaining.

A self-confessed perfectionist, Guardiola will be reluctant to take his foot off the gas at this stage of the campaign, but the Bayern supporters will be forgiven for looking ahead to next Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final tie against Porto.

Winning the Bundesliga is the minimum target for Bayern every season, but the pressure is on Guardiola to follow in the footsteps of Jupp Heynckes by clinching the treble, and his side's trip to Portugal will be crucial to their hopes.

Only two sides have managed to avoid defeat at the home of the champions, and Bayern will welcome Frankfurt to the Allianz Arena looking to secure the title as soon as possible in order to boost their chances of success in two other competitions.

Recent form: WWWWLW
Recent form (all competitions): WWWLWD


Eintracht Frankfurt

In what has been a thrilling race for both Champions League and Europa League football, Frankfurt remain in the hunt to reach the latter, despite inconsistent form threatening to kill off their bid on more than one occasion.

Frankfurt head into the 28th round of Bundesliga fixtures in eighth spot, but with Augsburg currently just four points better off, Thomas Schaaf will be fully aware that his side can still force their way into the top six before the end of the campaign.

However, a trip to face the champions and runaway leaders may have arrived at the worst possible time, with Frankfurt winning just two of their last six games ahead of the toughest test in German football.

A disappointing defeat to relegation-threatened Stuttgart before the international break was followed by more frustration last weekend as Hannover came from two goals behind to snatch a 2-2 draw.

Frankfurt supporters may look back at those two results if they fall just short in their quest for European football, but a shock result at the Allianz Arena could prove to be a turning point in the run-in.

Meetings with Borussia Monchengladbach and Borussia Dortmund follow Saturday's test, and Schaaf's side could find themselves out of the race for a place in the top six if they fail to deliver the goods over the next three weeks.

Recent form: LWLWLD


Team News

Bayern's injury crisis will still be evident on the weekend, with Ribery, Robben and Alaba all set to watch from the sidelines once again due to their respective knocks.

Alaba may not return until the final couple of weeks of the season, while Guardiola has refused to set a date for when Ribery and Robben will be back in action.

Bastian Schweinsteiger missed the game against Leverkusen with an ankle problem, but he is likely to be handed a recall in midfield at the weekend.

Frankfurt have no new injury concerns ahead of the trip to Bavaria, but Marc Stendera is among the players pushing for a start, and Schaaf could be tempted to name another midfielder in his side in response to Bayern's usual dominance.

Bayern Munich possible starting lineup:
Neuer, Rafinha, Benatia, Boateng, Bernat, Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Alonso, Thiago, Gotze, Lewandowski

Eintracht Frankfurt possible starting lineup:
Trapp, Madlung, Zambrano, Oczipka, Chandler, Hasebe, Inui, Aigner, Kittel, Stendera, Seferovic


Head To Head

Recent history suggests that scoring a goal would be an achievement for Frankfurt on Saturday as they look to finally bring a dismal record against Bayern to an end.

Bayern have managed to win the last five meetings between the two sides, scoring nine times in the last two games, and Frankfurt have not managed to score a goal against the champions since April 2011.

Martin Fenin was the hero in Frankfurt's last victory over Bayern as he scored an 89th-minute winner to secure the points with a 2-1 triumph in 2010.


We say: Bayern 4-0 Frankfurt

Bayern will have one eye on Porto and the injuries will be a concern for Guardiola, but they still have the talent to produce another dominant home performance. Frankfurt will be low on confidence after two disappointing results, and Bayern should record a comfortable win.



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Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Bayern MunichBayern15113147133436
2Bayer LeverkusenB. Leverkusen1595137211632
3Eintracht FrankfurtFrankfurt1583435231227
4RB Leipzig158342420427
5Mainz 05Mainz157442820825
6Borussia DortmundDortmund157442822625
7Werder Bremen157442625125
8Borussia MonchengladbachBorussia M'bach157352520524
9Freiburg157352124-324
10Stuttgart156542925423
11Wolfsburg156363228421
12Union BerlinUnion Berlin154561419-517
13Augsburg154471732-1516
14St Pauli154291219-714
15Hoffenheim153572028-814
16Heidenheim1531111833-1510
17Holstein Kiel1522111938-198
18VfL BochumVfL Bochum1513111335-226
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