Who would have thought that the perception of Bayern Munich’s first half of the season could hinge on one singular match against RB Leipzig?
In reality, Bayern Munich has had a very strong start to the campaign and also to the club’s tenure under the direction of head coach Vincent Kompany.
Bayern Munich sits in first place of the Bundesliga and is in a good position in the Champions League with two “League Phase” matches left to play. Sure, there was the DFB-Pokal debacle against Bayer Leverkusen, but for the most part, things have been really good:
- Bundesliga: 10-3-1
- Champions League: 4-0-2
- DFB-Pokal: 2-0-1
- Overall: 16-3-4
That is not too shabby, but how Bayern Munich gotten to this point was not always filled with dominant or even complete performances. There is also the harsh reality that club is a definite period of transition with players like Thomas Müller and Manuel Neuer potentially being their last season or two at the club.
How Bayern Munich eventually replaces those veterans, while also turning over several other rosters spots currently occupied by other established players has some fans uneasy, which has affected the way the might look or feel about how the first half of the season has played out. While the focus should on the present, many fans cannot help, but keep one eye on the future.
Regardless, Bayern Munich has been good. Very good. Great? Let’s not get too far ahead of things just yet.
There is still vast potential with this team and it is still considered to be the frontrunner in the Bundesliga and a serious (but not necessarily top) contender in the Champions League. That said, Bayern Munich has much to prove in the second half of the season — including its ability to consistent perform against the best competition. RB Leipzig should give Bayern Munich another chance to prove its mettle in that respect.
It has been a good run, but the next 90 minutes could determine how people ultimately feel about the last three-and-a-half months. Is a banged up Bayern Munich team going to be up to the task of sending itself — and its fanbase — into the next few weeks on a good note?
It should, but RB Leipzig will not go down easily — and maybe that is exactly why this particular fixture is important to so many.
Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show Season 4, Episode 23
Bayern Munich is making a lot of noise on and off the pitch these days, so let’s try and cover it all right here. This is what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show:
- Assessing the latest news on Florian Wirtz and whether or not Xavi Simons would be a good contingency plan for Bayern Munich.
- Manuel Neuer is set to ink a contract extension…how are we feeling about that? What about those rumors linking Bayern Munich to FC Koln’s Jonas Urbig?
- Should we be worried about Manchester City’s interest in Jamal Musiala and Joshua Kimmich?
- A brief Entertainment Rundown.
Song of the Week: “I’m a Song” by Stephen Wilson Jr.
Admittedly, I don’t know a ton about Stephen Wilson Jr. except that:
- He was a boxer
- His dad was a boxer
- He is referred to as Death Cab for Country (which is cool)
Anyway, I came across this song and was really struck by the unique sound and lyrics. I would suggest that you watch the entire video (just under seven minutes), so that you have some context to why the song is so important to the performer (I made the start point where the song starts). To me, this was really, really awesome. Let me know what you think:
Entertainment Rundown
Invincible
The second season of Invincible did not exactly live up to the first season, but it was not bad by any means.
The same type of feel remains for the show, but it was a lot deeper and sadder than the first season with a whole hell of a lot more teen angst. I still enjoyed the overarching storyline and the character development, but there seem to be almost too many big storylines emerging — and not nearly enough screen time for them all.
The continued evolution of Mark Grayson (Invincible) is actually being handled really well, but some of the supporting characters hit a bit of a wall during the season. And, yeah, it was a little too teen angsty for my liking.
The Omni-Man storyline with the Thraxans (and his new child) was very, very odd and probably not necessary, but it did give a way for the audience to learn more about the Viltrumites.
As always, I judge a show based on whether or not I felt like it was a good use of my time — and it was. While I did not think season two was as good as season one, it did hold my interest even if I felt it took a step back.
Rating 8.00 (I guilted myself into the 8.00…I was prepared to give it a 7.50. The next season is crucial to the sustainability of the show).
Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show: Bayern Munich vs. RB Leipzig
Bayern Munich will host RB Leipzig for a Bundesliga showdown that became really important after the Bavarians were knocked off by Mainz 05 last weekend.
Against a struggling but hungry RB Leipzig squad, whose coach — Marco Rose — is firmly on the hot seat, Bayern Munich could have its hands full.
Let’s talk about all of that and more on the Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show. This is what we have on tap:
- Can Bayern Munich shake off the injuries and doldrums for this match?
- A look at the recent form of each team and where they fall in the Bundesliga table.
- A look at the rosters and injuries for RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich.
- A guess at Bayern Munich’s starting XI.
- A prediction on the match.
Predictions
Bundesliga
Let’s be honest….both teams desperately need this game.
Bayern Munich wants to rebound from last weekend’s loss to Mainz 05, while RB Leipzig wants to take a chunk out of Bayern Munich’s lead in the Bundesliga, keep Marco Rose’s job safe, and atone for a miserable performance in the Champions League this season.
It will not be easy for Bayern Munich given the team’s injury situation, but the return of Harry Kane and the potential return of Alphonso Davies should mean something for the battered Bavarians.
Prediction: Bayern Munich 2-1 RB Leipzig
Other Bundesliga Predictions:
- Eintracht Frankfurt 3-1 Mainz 05
- Hoffenheim 2-1 Borussia Mönchengladbach
- Holstein Kiel 1-0 FC Augsburg
- VfB Stuttgart 2-0 St. Pauli
- Werder Bremen 1-2 Union Berlin
- Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 SC Freiburg
- VfL Bochum 1-2 Heidenheim
- VfL Wolfsburg 1-2 Borussia Dortmund
Prediction Records
- Last Week Bundesliga: 4-5 (Through Matchday 14)
- Overall Bundesliga: 60-66
- UEFA Nations League: 81-66
- Champions League: 60-48 (Through Matchday 6)
- DFB-Pokal: 40-16 (Through Round of 16)
- Total: 241-196
- Perfect Picks: 41 (when the score and winner is predicted exactly)
