Bayern Munich have the opportunity to put 10 points between themselves and third place Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday when the Eagles come to the Allianz Arena. With the win, Bayern will be sitting on 30 points after only 11 matches.
Bayern Munich vs. Eintracht Frankfurt 2012: Preview and tv schedule
Mario Mandzukic returns to the Bayern Munich side, and they host Eintracht Frankfurt in a match between top three sides.
Dean Mouhtaropoulos
Mario Mandzukic missed the midweek Champions League match against Lille after becoming ill, but he will return this weekend. He wasn’t needed midweek as Bayern thrashed the French side 6-1. The match featured a hat trick from Claudio Pizarro. While Mandzukic will likely replace Pizarro in the starting eleven, Bayern should be fine.
For Frankfurt, Alexander Meier has been incredible so far this year. He's currently third in goals with seven already this season. He finished last season in the 2.Bundesliga with 17 goals, and he's brought that form with him into the top flight. It is believed that Olivier Occean will be replaced up time by Karim Matmour. Occean has yet to find his footing in the Bundesliga year this season.
After dropping two points in their first six matches of the season, Frankfurt have only picked up four out of twelve points. They’ve allowed some goals from silly mistakes in the back and have missed opportunities to put matches away with some wasteful finishing by Occean among others.
Bayern's defense has been stout this year. They've conceded four goals through the first ten matches this season, and the backline has remained consistent. Aside from Holger Badstuber's recent injury, the backline has been him, Dante, Jerome Boateng, and Philipp Lahm. David Alaba steps in to replace Badstuber, and he's a more natural fit at left back anyway.
Bayern Munich injuries and suspensions
Out: Luiz Gustavo (sprain), Holger Badstuber (thigh), Mario Gomez (foot), Emre Can (ankle).
Holger Badstuber and Mario Gomez remain out for Bayern, but Gomez is expected to return to the squad next week. Gustavo will miss this weekend’s match after picking up an ankle sprain last week against Hamburg. Emre Can picked up an ankle injury and will be out for some time.
Eintracht Frankfurt injuries and suspensions
Out: Carlos Zambrano (toe), Martin Amedick (psychological).
Starting centerback Carlos Zambrano will miss out after breaking a toe, and Martin Amedick remains out after taking a leave of absence for psychological reasons. The logical replacement for Zambrano is Vadim Demidov.
Match Date/Time: 3:30 p.m. local, 9:30 a.m. ET
Venue: Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany
TV: Gol TV (U.S. & Canada)
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