Bayern Munich are right where they need to be after four matches, sitting third on goal differential in the Bundesliga table, but the way they have gone about their business has been unfamiliar.
Bayern Munich vs. SC Paderborn: Time, TV schedule and game preview
Off to an unexpected start, Bayern look to flip the attacking switch against an unfamiliar foe.
Oliver Hardt
Known for their spectacular goal tallies and scoring class, Bayern has mustered only five goals this season. They could not hold a lead against a decimated Schalke 04 side, dropping points on the road, and they could not find the back of the net against a Hamburg SV team that they have dismantled the past two years.
Bayern now face and unexpected test in SC Paderborn 07, a team they have sparred with only once before. In their first Bundesliga season, Paderborn have used a pure counterattacking style to rocket to the top of the Bundesliga table after four matches. Paderborn’s manager André Breitenreiter doesn’t seem scared of Bayern, but the cocoon of Allianz Arena will be an environment they have yet to experience.
Three points is a must for a team looking to dominate on three fronts again. It will be an uphill battle for Bayern as Paderborn look to throw anything they can to prevent the German champions from scoring.
Key Player: Mario Götze
Pep Guardiola has shifted Götze around since his arrival from Borussia Dortmund, but injuries to Franck Ribéry and Arjen Robben have required the gaffer to use him in his best position, behind a striker. He enters the match with a goal and two assists, contributions greater than any Bayern player so far this season. He will have to create space for himself and his mates as Paderborn park 10 behind the ball. Götze sprinting free once or twice could be enough for Bayern to sneak through and find the back of the net.
Key Matchup: Bayern’s center defense vs. Paderborn’s counterattack
After the defense allowed three goals to Dortmund and four goals to Real Madrid at the end of last season, Guardiola tinkered with the side to find the right formula to stop the counterattack. That is all that Paderborn have been doing to get their goals, averaging only 39 percent possession in their first four matches. Elias Kachunga and Süleyman Koc will test Bayern up the middle, where Xabi Alonso and Jérôme Boateng come in on spectacular form. If Bayern can cap the counterattack, Paderborn will be looking for answers going forward.
Bayern Injuries and Suspensions:
Out: Thiago Alcântara (knee), Holger Badstuber (thigh), Javi Martínez (knee), Franck Ribéry (knee), Bastian Schweinsteiger (knee) In Doubt: Arjen Robben (ankle)
Paderborn Injuries and Suspensions:
Out: Marvin Bakalorz (illness), Thomas Bartels (heel), Alban Meha (knee), Mahir Saglık (muscle tear), Rafa (thigh)
The absence of the vaunted flank duo Bayern has relied on for years has affected the squad in a big way. The creativity has had to come from David Alaba and Philipp Lahm, converted midfielders that were the fullbacks in Bayern's treble season. Guardiola has also revealed that Robert Lewandowski has also been dealing with a groin issue, one that has hampered his effectiveness to start his Bayern career.
Mahir Saglık has been a devoted Paderborn player for the past decade, but Kachunga has eased concerns of his absence quite a bit. Bakalorz is under the weather, so Breitenreiter will likely result to a 4-4-2 with his absence rather than the 4-1-4-1 he has used with the 25-year-old in the side.
Match Date/Time: Tuesday, 8:00 p.m. local, 2:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany
TV: GolTV (USA & Canada), MyGermanTV + (USA), ESPN (UK), Sky Bundesliga 3 (Germany)
Online: Sky Go (Germany)
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