Form
In 16 matches since he took the helm, Hansi Flick has picked up 13 wins and a draw with just two defeats. Germany’s most successful club got the season back under way last Sunday after the enforced break with a 2-0 win away to Union Berlin, both goals coming from set pieces. Having conceded 26 goals and scored 75, Bayern boast both the best defence and the best attack in the league. The Union match saw FCB make it a half-century of goals in the 16 matches under Flick – the quickest that any coach has got the team past that particular marker.
Tactics
Flick sets Bayern up in a 4-3-3 system, with the back line of Alphonso Davies, David Alaba, Jerome Boateng and Benjamin Pavard now working like a charm. Joshua Kimmich, Thiago and Leon Goretzka were the three in midfield against Union, with Serge Gnabry and Thomas Müller on the wings either side of Munich’s star striker Robert Lewandowski, who bagged his 40th goal of the season in Berlin. It’s quite likely that Flick will follow the old adage of “never change a winning team” for this week’s starting XI.
One to watch: Alphonso Davies
The 19-year-old Canadian moved to Munich during the 2018 winter break, and played just 74 minutes across six appearances in his first season. However, this term – and particularly since the change of coach – Davies has developed into a key figure and is now one of the first names on the team-sheet. In 16 matches under Flick, the teen sensation has been on the pitch for all but 37 of the 1,440 minutes played, showcasing his offensive prowess and speed. He’s registered a goal and three assists from left-back, and has also been clocked at a top speed of 35.29 kilometres per hour, making him one of the quickest players in the league.
