Bayern Munich have been their typically dominant selves so far this season, not losing a single match in the Bundesliga, and falling only twice in other competitions so far. Their defensive record in the league has been jaw-droppingly good -- but their attack has somehow been even better. It’s just not fair to face them right now when they’re in this kind of form, and the first time they lose in the Bundesliga will inevitably be a huge surprise.
Bayern Munich vs. Hertha Berlin 2015 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch online
Hertha Berlin have been one of the big surprises of the Bundesliga season, but they’re about to face the buzzsaw that is Bayern Munich.
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Of course, surprise has been Hertha Berlin’s specialty this season, sitting in fourth place this season thanks to some wonderful form this season. People keep expecting them to cool off and start looking like the midtable team people expected them to be, but they just keep chugging along, winning games and looking good in the process. It would be a huge coup for them to get as much as a draw against a team as titanic as Bayern -- a win would be monumental in its importance.
Key player -- Salomon Kalou (Hertha Berlin)
Kalou has enjoyed something of a revitalization of his flagging career this season, leading his team in scoring with seven goals. His rather unique style of playing his withdrawn center forward position has left many defenses befuddled and out of sorts in their efforts to defend against him, and if anyone can take advantage of the tendencies of Bayern’s defenders to get a bit sloppy with their positioning, it’d be Kalou. Should he manage it, that would make Hertha’s efforts to earn a huge upset much easier.
Key matchup -- Arturo Vidal (Bayern Munich) vs. Per Ciljan Skjelbred (Hertha Berlin)
Vidal has been in steadily improving form of late, finally starting to look comfortable in his role for Pep Guardiola’s team. He’s been looking better and better when he starts ranging forward to support the attack, adding another weapon to Bayern’s already-vast arsenal and making them harder to defend against. Skjelbred will have his work cut out for him to try and keep Vidal at bay, but he’s certainly capable of the task. Keeping Vidal from joining the attack won’t single-handedly keep Bayern from scoring, but it will help take a lot of pressure off Hertha’s defense and keep them from having to worry about him coming up from behind Bayern’s front line.
Bayern Munich injuries and suspensions
Out: Douglas Costa, Thiago Alcantara, Juan Bernat, Mario Götze, Franck Ribery, Tom Starke, Gianluca Guadino, Sinan Kurt, Julian Green
Hertha Berlin injuries and suspensions
Out: Niklas Stark, Thomas Kraft, Peter Pekarik, Sami Allagui, Julian Schieber
Match Date/Time: Saturday, 9:30 a.m. ET, 3:30 p.m. local
Venue: Allianz-Arena, Berlin, Germany
TV: Fox Sports 1 (U.S. - English), Fox Deportes (U.S. - Spanish), Sky Bundesliga 1/HD (Germany)
Online: Fox Soccer 2 Go, Fox Sports Go (U.S.), Sky Go Deutschland (Germany)
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