Bayern Munich vs Union Berlin. Prediction and Preview. Probable Lineups, Team News, Stats and more

FC Bayern Munich will host FC Union Berlin in the Bundesliga 22nd-tour match at Allianz Arena Stadium. The fixture will take place on Sunday, February 26, beginning at 22:00 IST.

The Bundesliga title chase has turned into a three-way tussle, with Bayern, Borussia, and Union jockeying for position in a battle for top spit! With only 13 games left on the docket, every match is a must-win affair. Bayern Munich, in particular, can’t afford any slip-ups as they gear up to face off against Berlin Union in a crucial six-pointer. The stakes couldn’t be higher as a loss could prove costly in the title race. 

But it’s not just the upcoming head-to-head encounter that they need to worry about – Dortmund have been on a perfect seven-match win streak, gaining momentum with every victory. Now the Bumblebees are doing everything flawlessly and holding first place midway through the current tour. The pressure on Julian Nagelsmann is mounting and it’s imperative for Bayern to not let their main rivals get too far ahead in the table. Freiburg and RB Leipzig are also hot on their heels, waiting to pounce on any opportunity.

This is football at its finest, with high intrigue and thrilling competition. Who will rise to the top after the 22nd matchday? Parimatch News will tell you everything you need to know ahead of the upcoming match.

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Bayern Munich News & Current Form:

Bayern, in first place in the table, are ahead of the third-ranked Union on goal difference, and Borussia Dortmund FC is in between. Will the perennial champions be able to perform well at home? Or will the capital’s surprise team remain in contention for the title?

The Bavarians have lost 2 of their 21 Bundesliga games this season, winning 12 meetings and drawing seven times. Given that Julian Nagelsmann’s team has also scored in each of their last 35 home matches, the hosts should have no trouble on Sunday.

Bayern Munich comes into the meeting after a 2-3 defeat against Borussia Mönchengladbach FC, with Dayot Upamecano receiving a red card after just eight minutes of play at Borussia Park.

Bayern’s management stated before the important championship match that they have full confidence in the current head coach and believe in his ability to build a long-term project. Now the club is on the first line in the standings, has 43 points with a goal difference of 61:21.

At the same time, a series of failures after the restart of the championship led to the fact that three teams have the same number of points, even Eintracht Frankfurt FC is theoretically able to compete for the title – an unexpected density, from which everyone has long been accustomed.

Bayern has not yet lost once at home, scoring 31 goals at the Allianz Arena. The Munich team is not only the most productive team in the Bundesliga, but also the most spectacular – xG is 47.5 goals while actually scoring 61 goals.

The FCB and German national team goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who suffered a serious injury while skiing after the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, attended the Munich team meeting for the first time. It is noteworthy that the goalkeeper moved without the help of crutches.

It should be recalled that recently the goalkeeper gave an interview in which he criticized the club management for firing goalkeepers’ coach Tony Tapalovic with whom he had worked for a long time. This provoked a conflict between Neuer and the head coach of the German champions Julian Nagelsmann.

Kingsley Coman, who has been struggling lately, returned to team training just in time for the start of preparations for the main Bundesliga match against Union. The French attacker completed the first training session of the new week on Tuesday after a day of rest. Coach Julian Nagelsmann has scheduled, among other things, an indoor tournament consisting of four teams on the small field. The team, led by Yann Sommer and Joshua Kimmich, won in spring temperatures.

Coman scored the winning goal in the 53rd minute in the first leg of the UEFA  Champions League 1/16 against Paris Saint-Germain FC (1-0) last Tuesday. He was later forced to come on as a substitute because of problems with his calf and ankle muscles.

FCB striker Sadio Mane will return to the field in the upcoming 22nd round Bundesliga match against Union. The Senegalese has fully recovered from a fibula surgery he underwent in mid-November. Mane played 23 games for Bayern in the 2022/23 season, scoring 11 goals and providing three assists.

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Union Berlin News & Current Form: 

The Berliners are one of the main sensations of the German soccer championship, even the bravest experts did not assume that after a bright start to the season, the club will fight on equal terms with the reigning champion and by this round will score as many points. The Munich side has a tough encounter in the Champions League ahead, the upcoming two meetings will say a lot about Nagelsmann’s prospects at Bayern.

Union are having an impressive season, with one more win than Bayern in the Bundesliga. The capital club extended its unbeaten streak in all competitions to nine matches on Thursday with a 3-1 victory over Dutch AFC Ajax in the UEFA Europa League. Urs Fischer’s side once again proved that they should not be underestimated in attack and quietly defeated their opponent. Their determination to beat the hegemon and beat it in the table will only add strength to the Irons, who will be incredibly strongly motivated.

Urs Fischer commented on his team’s victory over Ajax:

“The madness continues. Wow. We had some problems, we saw Ajax’s class with the ball, especially in the first half. Effective. We handled their pressure so well, and it was important that we scored our second goal before halftime.”

“It’s impossible to describe in words what the team accomplished, how deep they dug and performed. When I look back on the first two games we lost, and now we are in the 1/8 finals. Football knows how to write those stories.”

In addition, Union have won five of their last six games in the Bundesliga, although they played a goalless draw against FC Schalke 04 last weekend. Not only has the Berlin team won its last three away matches in the German championship, but it has also scored more than 1.5 goals on all occasions. Naturally, this will give confidence before the trip to Munich.

Union played against Bayern in September this year in a 1-1 draw. It is worth noting that they have failed to beat the team from Munich in the six meetings since promotion in 2020, recording three draws and three defeats.

It is no secret that Munich rarely loses points at home. This weekend, however, the Union Berlin intend to annoy their title rivals.

Bayern Munich form guide: D-W-W-W-W-L

Union Berlin form guide:  W-W-W-D-D-W

Bayern Munich vs Union Berlin Head-To-Head Record: 

• May 17, 2020: Union Berlin 0 – 2 Bayern Munich (Bundesliga);
• December 12, 2020: Union Berlin 1 – 1 Bayern Munich (Bundesliga);
• April 10, 2021: Bayern Munich 1 – 1 Union Berlin (Bundesliga);
• October 30, 2021: Union Berlin 2 – 5 Bayern Munich (Bundesliga);
• March 19, 2022: Bayern Munich 4 – 0 Union Berlin (Bundesliga);
• September  3, 2022: Union Berlin 1 – 1 Bayern Munich (Bundesliga).

Bayern Munich vs Union Berlin Predicted XI:

Bayern Munich possible starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Sommer; Cancelo, De Ligt, Pavard, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Coman, Musiala, Sane; Choupo-Moting.

Union Berlin possible starting lineup (3-5-2): Ronnow; Jaeckel, Leite, Knoche; Juranovic, Haberer, Laidouni, Khedira, Trimmel; Siebatcheu, Becker.

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Statistical preview of the match Bayern Munich vs Union Berlin:

• Bayern’s First XI average age is 27.3 yrs.
• Union’s First XI average age is 29.3 yrs.
• Bayern Munich are unbeaten in 20 of its last 22 matches.
• Bayern are unbeaten in their last 8 matchups against this opponent.
• Union Berlin are unbeaten in their last 8 games.
• Union Berlin conceded on average 0.60 goals per game in their last 5 games.
• Union Berlin scored an average of 1.40 goals per game in the last 5 games.
• In their last 5 games Bayern conceded an average of 1.00 goals per game.
• Bayern scored in the last 8 games against this opponent.
• Bayern scored in their last 21 games.
• In their last 5 games Bayern scored an average of 2.80 goals per game.

What has been said before the match:

Julian Nagelsmann, Bayern’s coach, shared his expectations of the Sunday game:

“It’s all about topping the table and knocking off a direct competitor. “Union had an exhausting game in the Europa League on Thursday, but they are used to playing midweek and have a big squad.”

“Union always bring their style of football to the pitch: defending deep, often counter-attacking, and with their physicality they are always getting to the second balls. It’s always unpleasant to play them, it’s not easy because you have little space.”

“Their development and continuity has been incredible. They stick extremely closely to their philosophy and are a real team with a great fan base. They are really strong at home. If you are so high in the table at this stage of the season, you deserve to be.”

“I’m expecting a high-class game. It’s always tough to play Union because they give you such little space. It will be an exciting and interesting match, which we will hopefully win.”

“The lads trained really well and with a lot of commitment. We have a great chance of being successful if we carry this enthusiasm and commitment into our games.”

Coach of Berlin club Urs Fischer ahead of the Bundesliga fixture:

“FC Bayern are a top European team. They have many players who can make a difference and who can decide games on their own. Recently, they have changed their style a bit, choosing to play more long balls, and after the defeat last week, they are probably a bit irritated. We had a good plan in the first leg, which worked to a large extent, and we need that again now. Nevertheless, it will be a very difficult match.”

“Bayern is the best team in the league and a top team in Europe. They have a lot of players who can make a difference and decide games by themselves. Their individual quality allows them to play themselves out of trouble. It’ll be a difficult task for us.”

Bayern Munich vs Union Berlin Prediction:

Union’s tenacity on the field has left big clubs struggling to keep up. The Reds may have missed a win in Berlin, and the victory in the returning head-to-head Bundesliga game at home is far from guaranteed. The visitors are feeling really confident, having impressive physical and functional preparation, plus a recent Europa League triumph, which granted additional inspiration for the new heroics.

Although the Reds remain the lowest conceding team in the top German division, they have become vulnerable in defence in recent times and even at home, they rarely leave the field unscathed. However, the attacking quality is exceptional and the Munich side are unlikely to be held scoreless. Besides, CFB are unbeaten in the Bundesliga at home so far. In their 10 games at the Allianz Arena, they have won six affairs and drawn in four which suggests that the visitors could face severe troubles in the quest of securing 3 points to their account.

For their part, Union will certainly be determined to put up a good fight, and their blistering vertical defence-to-attack transitions will come in handy when Bayern mount a dominant siege. The second-fiddle game is very much suited to the visitors, who will try to extract 120% of any missteps of Stern des Südens. There is every reason to believe that the resultative acts will prove to be mutual.

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Parimatch News staff prediction:

We say: both teams to score – Yes.