Bayern Munich vs VfL Wolfsburg
Former Bayern Munich boss Niko Kovac has found himself back in the Bundesliga, this time at VfL Wolfsburg, and he’ll face the daunting task of trying to beat his old employers this Sunday at the Allianz Arena.
The Croatian tactician coached the Bavarians from 2018 to 2019 but was unceremoniously sacked after a stretch of poor results and he went to Ligue 1 to coach AS Monaco for two seasons.
Kovac will certainly look to get one over his former club, but it’s easier said than done since the defending champions are off to a flying start following their outstanding season opener.
In contrast, his side is fresh from a disappointing performance against Werder Bremen and they wouldn’t want to have the same outcome this weekend.
Talking Points
Bayern Munich not skipping a beat
Questions surrounding Bayern Munich as to how they’ll compensate for Robert Lewandowski’s departure were answered emphatically by their impressive display during their 6-1 mauling of Eintracht Frankfurt.
Sadio Mane opened his Bundesliga scoring account six days after striking in their DFL Supercup victory over RB Leipzig, which was the team’s third goal after Joshua Kimmich and Benjamin Pavard’s efforts.
Jamal Musiala notched a brace while Serge Gnabry added one for good measure, while Randal Kolo Muani could only muster one for Die Adler to prevent a clean sheet.
Given that his men are in form, Julian Nagelsmann is likely to retain the same starting lineup, although he may consider giving his other new signings spots in the starting XI in order to get their feet wet.
Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, and Ryan Gravenberch all came off the bench last weekend, and at some point, they will all play key roles in their pursuit of their 11th straight Bundesliga championship.
Leon Goretzka is Bayern Munich’s only major injury concern as he continues to recover from his knee surgery, but they should be fine since Marcel Sabitzer has been filling in well for the German midfielder.
VfL Wolfsburg still adjusting to their new coach
Die Wolfe will need more time to get acclimated to Niko Kovac’s tactics as shown in their 2-2 draw against Werder Bremen.
The newly-promoted visitors were eager to upstage their hosts and they were solid at the start, up until Lukas Nmecha scored for the Wolves at the 11th minute.
But Ole Werner’s men stuck to their gameplan and they reclaimed the advantage as Niclas Fullkrug and Leonardo Bittencourt both found the back of the net in just a span of three minutes.
Both sides exchanged chances in the second half, and it was super sub Josuha Guilavogui who scored the equaliser for Die Wolfe through Max Kruse’s cross during the 84th minute.
VfL Wolfsburg have a couple of injury worries to deal with ahead of Saturday as Jonas Wind and Yannick Gerhardt are doubtful to play after their opener.
So Niko Kovac will continue to rely heavily on the trio of Lukas Nmecha, Max Kruse, and Omar Marmoush to provide Bundesliga 2022 highlights, while Josuha Guilavogui might get the nod to start as well.
History
Bayern Munich have been dominant against VfL Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga, losing only four of their last 50 meetings (8-per cent), which is their second-lowest losing percentage against any German counterpart only behind KFC Uerdingen (7-per cent).
Their last league defeat to VfL Wolfsburg happened in January 2015 where the Wolves won with a scoreline of 4-1.
The Bavarians have yet to lose in their last 25 league home matches against Die Wolfe (W23, D2), which is their longest undefeated home streak against any other side. They’ve also scored in each of their last 28 league matches against VfL Wolfsburg since their goalless draw back in May 2008 (80 goals total).
Die Wolfe held Bayern Munich to a 2-2 draw in their previous encounter last May as Jonas Wind and Max Kruse netted after trailing early in the first half.
Betting Tip
The SBOTOP Bundesliga 2022 odds have Bayern Munich as the favourites to win. They are installed at 1.14, while VfL Wolfsburg are huge underdogs at 17.50 and a draw is priced at 7.60 in the 1X2 market.
Over 4.00 @ 1.92 might be a bet to consider especially after looking at their encounters last season, although Bayern Munich are likely to provide majority of the goals.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the hosts should get their second consecutive win, which will heighten their confidence even more as they continue to defend their crown.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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