Can the Bavarians bounce back?

By Ben Sully   @SullyBen

After suffering a heavy defeat in Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Manchester City, Bayern Munich will be looking for a response when they play host to Hoffenheim on Saturday.

Bayern Munich

Thomas Tuchel has experienced a mixed start to his tenure as Bayern boss. A crucial victory over Borussia Dortmund in his first game in charge was followed by a home defeat to Freiburg in the quarter-finals of the DFB-Pokal. The Bavarians got their revenge over Christian Streitch’s side last weekend, claiming a narrow 1-0 away victory, but their midweek trip to Manchester turned out to be a forgettable experience.

Manchester City cruised to a 3-0 victory in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final tie, leaving Bayern’s European hopes hanging by a thread. However, headlines have focused on events after the game rather than what happened on the pitch at the Etihad Stadium. Sadio Mané reportedly punched his teammate Leroy Sané in the dressing room following Tuesday’s defeat, and the former Liverpool striker has since apologised and been suspended by the club for Saturday’s fixture.

After experiencing a dramatic few days, Tuchel will have to refocus his side for their home meeting with Hoffenheim. Bayern currently boasts a two-point lead at the top of the table over title rivals Borussia Dortmund, and their home record suggests that they will be confident of maintaining that gap at the very least.

The Bavarians have not lost a home game in the Bundesliga since January 2022, and they have won eight of their previous 10 league matches at the Allianz Arena, including their last four.

Team News

In addition to Mané’s absence, Bayern will also be unable to call upon Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting. The Cameroon international returned to training on Thursday, but he is

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