By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
After Bayern Munich confirmed coach Thomas Tuchel will leave the club at the end of the season, the team faces a tough task to salvage what it can from the remaining Bundesliga and Champions League games.
That starts on Saturday against RB Leipzig on Saturday evening, a team Bayern has failed to beat in any of its three games under Tuchel.
After suffering a 3-0 defeat to main title rivals and current league-leaders Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Tuchel’s men lost 3-2 against VfL Bochum to fall eight points adrift of Die Werkself with just 12 games left to play.
Dayot Upamecano’s red card in that clash was a further setback for Die Roten, who have now lost their previous three games in all competitions, including a 1-0 first-leg defeat in their Champions League round of 16 clash with Italian outfit Lazio.
Leipzig have also struggled at the start of 2024, winning just two of their seven matches across all competitions. However, they were victorious last time out as they beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-0 and, with centre-forward Loïs Openda having scored in six of his last seven Bundesliga outings, they will be confident of extending their unbeaten run against Bayern to five matches.
Leverkusen, meanwhile, kick off the matchday at home versus 1. FSV Mainz 05 on Friday night. Their narrow 2-1 triumph over Heidenheim last time out took them to 33 consecutive unbeaten games this season, and they are now well on course for a maiden Meisterschale.
They have looked imperious throughout this campaign, which is in stark contrast to their next opponents. Mainz’s 1-1 draw with Borussia Dortmund last time out was a step in the right direction but still leaves them in the drop zone and seven points away from guaranteed safety.
Against Die Nullfünfer’s fellow relegation candidates 1. FC Köln, VfB Stuttgart will be looking to further underline their top-four credentials. After four successive league wins, they possess a six-point buffer over Leipzig in fifth and are just four points behind Bayern, meaning any result in the stand-out fixture of the matchday will please Sebastian Hoeneß if his side can prevail at the MHPArena on Saturday afternoon.
Köln, though, are in need of three points themselves as they look to close the gap to Borussia Mönchengladbach in 15th and, having lost just one of their last four, they will be no pushovers.
Dortmund will be waiting to take advantage of any Stuttgart slip-up when they host Hoffenheim on Sunday. Yet to taste defeat in 2024, Edin Terzić’s men will be favourites against Die Kraichgauer, who have not won since 8 December and have slipped down to ninth after previously looking in good shape for European qualification.
Elsewhere, SV Werder Bremen will continue their top-six push when SV Darmstadt 98 travel to the Weserstadion on Saturday. Die Werderaner have lost just once since the start of December and will be confident of prolonging their strong form against the side that currently sits bottom of the division and has won just two of 22 league games this term.
Ole Werner’s men will be trying to put the pressure on sixth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt, who sit one place above them in the table, on Sunday afternoon. Nine points from a possible 21 has stunted their Champions League charge, but beating winless-in-seven VfL Wolfsburg would provide a welcome boost.
After beating Die Wölfe away from home during Matchday 21, 1. FC Union Berlin play Heidenheim at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei on Saturday. Union have put some distance between themselves and the bottom three but will be tested by a team who have taken well to life amongst the elite since their maiden promotion to the top flight as they sit 10th.
Also on Saturday, Bochum travel to Mönchengladbach looking to build on the Bayern win. While they are looking up the table, Gladbach are peering over their shoulders as only six points separate themselves and the relegation play-off spot.
Augsburg’s game with SC Freiburg will bring the weekend’s action to a close on Sunday. Having failed to win any of their last four games, Die Fuggerstädter could do with a positive result against a Freiburg outfit that has recently lost a bit of ground in the battle for Europe.