Boosted by big CL win Bayern also want to make amends in Hoffenheim

Bayern Munich lost last time out in Hoffenheim but return there brimming with confidence after a big mid-week statement.

Berlin (dpa) – Leaders Bayern Munich are flying high as they travel to Hoffenheim for a big Bundesliga date on Saturday but there may still be some mixed feelings as well.

Their last trip to Hoffenheim ended in a crushing 4-1 defeat which at the time in September 2020 was their first loss of any kind in more than nine months, and one of only very few overall in the Hansi Flick era.

The champions have since won the last two meetings, at home, 4-0 and 4-1, respectively. And Tuesday’s 7-1 demolition of Salzburg for a place in the Champions League quarter-finals will have plenty of confidence.

“We made a mark and a statement,” said captain Manuel Neuer who had returned between the posts from injury.

Striker Robert Lewandowski, who scored a hat-trick to bring his overall season tally to 42 goals, added: “It’s important that our form continues to improve at this important stage of the season.”

It was Bayern’s best performance in weeks as they have dropped points here and there but hold a nine-point lead over Borussia Dortmund who have a game in hand.

Bayern will reach another Bundesliga milestone when they join Werder Bremen on a record 1,934 top flight games, a mark they will then surpass a week later.

Hoffenheim however won’t be a pushover as they have won their last four games to rank fourth and in the last Champions League slot.

“We want to stay up there and are looking forward to Bayern,” said defender Stefan Posch who scored last week’s 1-0 winner in Cologne.

Also on Saturday, 13th-placed Borussia Mönchengladbach face third last Hertha Berlin in a must-win game for each side after the season has gone nowhere close to according to plan for them.

Gladbach coach Adi Hütter won’t be present because of a coronavirus infection while Hertha managing director Fredi Bobic said his players must finally get their act together and seek a first win in 2022.

“They must became a team, as soon as possible. We are not at the moment, I have to be honest,” Bobic said.

The other Saturday games are Freiburg v Wolfsburg, Union Berlin v VfB Stuttgart and Augsburg v Mainz. But coronavirus-hit Mainz have requested a postponement, which also led to their game last weekend against Dortmund moved to March 16.

The four Sunday fixtures are a Rhine area derby between third-placed Leverkusen and Cologne, Dortmund v Bielefeld, Frankfurt v Bochum and bottom club Fürth v Leipzig.