Bayern Munich

Although Bayern's performance was the most impressive in recent weeks, Nagelsmann was quick to point out that the Rekordmeister was favored by the fact that ...

Goalimpact believes there is a 39.4% chance of Dortmund winning the title, but Bayern remains with a 49.1% likelihood to finish first. For Dortmund, the game against RB Leipzig, who are still in it, too, will be crucial. All five Bundesliga title contenders will now have a whole week to recover before the action resumes on Friday, with Dortmund hosting RB Leipzig. Going into the matchday, Union Berlin was even on points with Bayern and remains just three points behind. Although Bayern’s performance was the most impressive in recent weeks, Nagelsmann was quick to point out that the Rekordmeister was favored by the fact that Union Berlin had a midweek game. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (31’), Kingsley Coman (40’), and Jamal Musiala (45’) sealed the victory for Bayern in the first half.

AT last, the eagerly-anticipated clash between the Bundesliga's two title contenders is here as Bayern Munich take on Union Berlin.

After this crucial clash against Bayern Munich will travel to relegation-threatened Stuttgart on 4th March. Julian Nagelsmann's men endured a sluggish start to the new calendar year, with only two wins in six Bundesliga games (D3, L1), putting the 35-year-old manager under the scanner. It is a statement that we haven't heard in a long time.

Sunday's precision performance was the Batman/Robin meme as a football game, with Bayern reprising their function as the league's Death Star.

[Josip Stanisic](https://theathletic.com/football/player/josip-stanisic-anBOYn0FD9ctv4ek/)) allowed [Kingsley Coman](https://theathletic.com/football/player/kingsley-coman-MqWbjmc99q2niuuF/) to shine — the Frenchman was arguably the best player on the pitch — and got Bayern behind Union’s back five to create two goals. [Gregor Kobel](https://theathletic.com/football/player/gregor-kobel-V9VLZJGeI5xBFCQE/) was sufficiently emboldened to mention the unmentionable “M” word for the first time this season. Their expected goals difference per 90 (xG for minus xG against) has shot up from a hopeless minus-0.50 under Frank Kramer to a very respectable plus-0.06 in the last 11 matches. “We’re playing pretty and successful football when we have momentum but we lack the resilience to deal with setbacks,” the 46-year-old said. The [Julian Brandt](https://theathletic.com/football/player/julian-brandt-FDoqODePVXpCSnFX/)-backed 1-0 at Hoffenheim was precisely the kind of game they would have drawn in recent weeks but these days, they hold out for three points and also benefit from the stroke of luck any serious title contender needs. “Both the push and the contact on the ground weren’t enough for a penalty,” the official explained later. “We’re playing for the ‘meisterschaft’ (championship). But Nagelsmann will do well to pay attention to the not-so-subtle subtext of Muller’s appraisal, which was really a plea to go back to the tried-and-trusted formula of the last decade. Muller himself felt he had done “all right” and declared the team’s cohesive showing nothing more than “a first good step”. Bayern players and coaching staff used the spare time to meet in a restaurant on Friday night, to mull over recent problems (3-2 defeat by Borussia Monchengladbach) and sharpen minds for one of the key games of the season. Davies pushed up behind a more central [Jamal Musiala](https://theathletic.com/football/player/jamal-musiala-7VKDEixJIQBzZtTe/) on the left. Both measures played a part in one of the team’s most dominant performances this season.

In this episode, INNN and Samrin discuss the following: An overall look at the lineup and formation. How Matthijs de Ligt has become a defensive rock for Bayern ...

- Why does the Bundesliga seem harder this year? Follow us on Twitter @BavarianFBWorks, @TheBarrelBlog, @tommyadams71, @bfwinnn, and more. Despite the horrible conditions, Julian Nagelsmann’s men quickly took control of the game and managed to score all three goals on one of the best defensive teams in the Bundesliga before the halftime whistle.