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The Bavaria giants face a difficult fixture in this weekend’s round of games in the German top flight while there is also the little matter of the Berlin derby too.
Matchday 18 takes centre stage in Bundesliga this weekend after another exciting round of mid-week action.
The mid-week games delivered some shocking results, with Bayern needing Joshua Kimmich’s late goal to salvage a point at home against Cologne.
Meanwhile, Gio Reyna came off the bench for the second game running to score the winning goal as Borussia Dortmund snatched a late win at Mainz.
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Bayern still set the pace with 36 points from 17 matches, three more than Union Berlin, with RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt five points behind.
However, things could look different this weekend, with some interesting matchups. RB Leipzig kicks off proceedings with a clash against VFB Stuttgart on Friday.
Leipzig, who are still without Christopher Nkunku, could move up to second if win at home on Friday night.
The Red Bulls are unbeaten against Stuttgart in their nine competitive meetings to date (all in the Bundesliga), winning seven and drawing just two.
Bayern Munich vs Eintracht Frankfurt
Following Leipzig’s clash, Bayern will take on Frankfurt on Saturday in a match that could change the course of the title race.
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Julian Nagelsmann’s men currently lead the table but they are yet to win since the league returned this year, drawing against Leipzig and Cologne.
Meanwhile, Frankfurt have picked up four points from their first two games this year, beating Cologne 3-0 before playing a 1-1 draw against Freiburg.
Frankfurt will go into the clash full of confidence as they have not lost in their five league games. Meanwhile, Bayern are also unbeaten in their last ten games in the league, but they will be without Manuel Neuer and Sadio Mane for this game.
This is a match Bayern need to win to keep Union off their tails. Meanwhile, Frankfurt can cut the deficit at the top to two points if they cause an upset on Saturday.
Oliver Glasner’s men have a decent record against Bayern in recent years with two wins and two defeats in their last four games against the Champions.
Hertha Berlin vs Union Berlin
When Bayern kick off their clash on Saturday, Union will have one eye on it, even though they also have a big game at the same time.
Union take on city rivals Hertha in the Berlin derby on Saturday. Since they got promoted to the top flight, Union have been punching above their weights.
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This season is no different, with Urs Fischer’s men sitting just three points behind Bayern at the top.
Union go into this derby as the form team, with wins over Hoffenheim and Werder Bremen. Meanwhile, it is a contrasting tale for Union’s city rivals as they sit in the relegation zone, with losses in their last two league games.
The Old Lady also have also lost their last four games against Union in all competitions, conceding at least three goals in their last three games against them. It does not look good for Hertha but it is a home derby game, anything can happen.
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