Bochum vs Bayern München

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The conclusion of Matchday 22 in the Bundesliga will see a struggling Bayern Munich facing VfL Bochum at the Vonovia Ruhrstadion on Sunday evening.

Currently, the hosts occupy the 14th position in the league standings after completing 21 matches, while Bayern Munich finds themselves trailing the league leaders Bayer Leverkusen by five points and aiming to avoid a third consecutive defeat.

Bayern Munich, traditionally a powerhouse in domestic competitions, is facing a significant challenge as their remarkable 11-year streak of winning the Bundesliga title is now in serious jeopardy, with Bayer Leverkusen showing formidable form this season.

The Bavarians suffered notable setbacks recently, including a comprehensive defeat by RB Leipzig in the DFL Supercup and an embarrassing elimination from the DFB Pokal by third-tier FC Saarbrucken. This has raised concerns that Bayern might fail to secure any trophies in a single season for the first time since the 2011-12 campaign.

With their focus potentially shifting towards the Champions League as their primary objective, Bayern's hopes in the continental competition were dealt a significant blow when they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Lazio in the first leg of their round of 16 tie.

The surprising loss in Rome followed a disappointing 3-0 defeat against Die Werkself just four days earlier, causing Bayern to fall behind the unbeaten Bundesliga leaders by five points and marking their first consecutive losses since 2019.

Thomas Tuchel, who took over from Julian Nagelsmann with the aim of delivering trophies, is now facing immense pressure to secure a positive result this weekend, especially with the likes of Jose Mourinho, among others, potentially waiting in the wings.

Nevertheless, this upcoming fixture presents an opportune moment for Tuchel to uplift the team's morale, as they face a side that Bayern Munich convincingly defeated 7-0 for the second consecutive year earlier in the season, back in September.

However, Thomas Letsch sees this as an ideal opportunity to challenge the reigning league champions, believing his team can secure a positive result against Bayern, especially with their confidence seemingly waning.

While Bochum hasn't been spectacular in the league this season, they've proven to be tough competitors, leading the top flight with the most drawn matches (10) in the 2023-24 season. Moreover, they've suffered just one defeat at Vonovia Ruhrstadion in 13 matches and are currently on an unbeaten streak of seven home games, including three victories and four draws.

Despite these encouraging statistics, Bochum faces a daunting task against Bayern, who have scored 17 goals unanswered in their last three encounters alone, indicating the significant challenge ahead for Letsch's side.

Bochum will be without midfielder Matus Bero due to a one-match suspension after receiving his fifth yellow card of the season against Frankfurt last week. Additionally, Mohammed Tolba has been ruled out for the rest of the season due to an ACL injury, while goalkeeper Michael Esser is still recovering from a knee injury and is expected to be unavailable for a few more weeks.

Manager Tuchel's team selection has attracted scrutiny recently, especially after Dayot Upamecano's midweek red card and criticism directed at Min-jae Kim for appearing fatigued. It remains to be seen if Tuchel will stick with his current lineup or make changes for the upcoming match. Potential alterations in defense could see Matthijs de Ligt return to the starting lineup, with Eric Dier, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, also being an option.

Bayern Munich is dealing with several injury concerns, with players such as Alphonso Davies, Kingsley Coman, Konrad Laimer, Noel Aseko, and Serge Gnabry sidelined for the foreseeable future.

Currently positioned 14th in the Bundesliga standings, VfL Bochum's performance this season has been inconsistent. In their recent outing, they managed a 1-1 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt, but they must elevate their game for the upcoming match.

Contrastingly, Bayern Munich sits second in the league table and has demonstrated commendable form this season. However, they suffered a surprising 1-0 defeat to Lazio in their previous fixture and are eager to rebound in the upcoming game.

Bayern Munich boasts a strong track record against VfL Bochum, having triumphed in 21 out of their last 25 encounters, while VfL Bochum has secured only two victories. Since ascending to the Bundesliga in 2021, VfL Bochum has lost three of their last five matches against Bayern Munich, including the reverse fixture this season.

VfL Bochum has notably played to 10 draws in the Bundesliga this season, the highest among all teams. However, they have lost just once in their last 13 home matches in the league, with their sole defeat being a 3-1 loss to Borussia Monchengladbach.

Bayern Munich has faced difficulties in scoring goals recently, failing to find the net in two of their last five Bundesliga games—equalling the number of such instances they experienced in the 153 league matches preceding this streak.

Bayern Munich finds themselves in a slump, having lost their last two games across all competitions without scoring. They must address their current form and cannot afford any further setbacks in the upcoming fixture.