Matthijs de Ligt will return to the base at Bayern Munich against 1. FC Union Berlin on Sunday. The center defender was passed against Borussia Mönchengladbach (3-2 loss) and now replaces the suspended Dayot Upamecano. Daley Blind and Ryan Gravenberch lose their place in the team and start on the bench. The match starts at 5:30 p.m. and can be viewed on via play.
Bayern lost the lead in the Bundesliga last week by losing 3-2 to Gladbach. Early in that game, Upamecano was shown a red card, resulting in the Frenchman being suspended. It offers De Ligt a new chance in the base. It remains to be seen whether Julian Nagelsmann envisions a three- or four-man defense for the top match against Union, which has exactly the same number of points as number two Bayern in third place.
Union Berlin eliminated Ajax in the Europa League on Thursday by winning the return in the intermediate round 3-1. Danilho Doekhi and Sheraldo Becker remain in the starting line-up, in which Morten Thorsby also returns. The ex-midfielder of sc Heerenveen started against Ajax on the reserve bench. Josip Juranovic, good for a hit and an assist against the team from Amsterdam, also starts on the bench.
Title competitor Borussia Dortmund won on Saturday at TSG Hoffenheim (0-1) and so Bayern needs a win to level the points again. However, the same applies to Union, which, like Bayern, has 43 points compared to Dortmund’s 46 points. Big windfall for Julian Nagelsmann is the return of Sadio Mane. The Senegalese was sidelined for months due to a calf injury, missed the World Cup, but is now fit enough to make his comeback in the match selection. Dayot Upamecano is missing due to a suspension, while Noussair Mazraoui, Lucas Hernández and Manuel Neuer, who have been injured for some time, are also absent. In the last seven head-to-head meetings with Union, Bayern have not lost once (four wins, three draws).
? ??????R???????? ? So we start at 17:30 Uhr ?? @fcunion! #packmas #MiaSanMia #FCBFCU pic.twitter.com/uSpCZu5h2V
— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayern) February 26, 2023
Union is still undefeated in all competitions this calendar year and also qualified for the eighth final of the Europa League at the expense of Ajax on Thursday. The meeting with Bayern earlier this season in Berlin ended in a 1-1 draw. Sheraldo Becker then made one of his seven Bundesliga goals this season. The striker started the season stormy, but has not been able to find it since November 9 last year. Nevertheless, in 2023 Union only lost points in the previous round against Schalke 04 (0-0). Danilho Doekhi has been the celebrated man four times this calendar year. The defender proves very effective from corner kicks in particular. Trainer Urs Fischer cannot rely on the injured András Schäfer, but has everyone else at his disposal.
Lineup Bayern Munich: Summer; Stanisic, Pavard, De Ligt, Davies; Goretzka, Muller, Kimmich; Coman, Choupo-Moting, Musiala.
Lineup Union Berlin: Ronnow; Doekhi, Knoche, Diogo Leite; Trimmel, Laidouni, Khedira, Thorsby, Roussillon; Becker, Sibatcheu
| No. | Team | m | W | G | v | +/- | Pnt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Borussia Dortmund | 22 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 18 | 46 |
| 2 | Bayern Munich | 21 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 40 | 43 |
| 3 | 1. FC Union Berlin | 21 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 43 |
| 4 | RB Leipzig | 22 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 18 | 42 |
| 5 | SC Freiburg | 21 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 40 |
| 6 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 22 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 38 |
| 7 | VfL Wolfsburg | 22 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 11 | 33 |
| 8 | FSV Mainz 05 | 22 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 32 |
| 9 | Werder Bremen | 22 | 9 | 3 | 10 | -7 | 30 |
| 10 | Borussia Monchengladbach | 22 | 8 | 5 | 9 | -1 | 29 |
| 11 | Bayer Leverkusen | 21 | 8 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 27 |
| 12 | 1. FC Cologne | 22 | 6 | 8 | 8 | -4 | 26 |
| 13 | FC Augsburg | 22 | 7 | 3 | 12 | -12 | 24 |
| 14 | Hertha BSC | 22 | 5 | 5 | 12 | -13 | 20 |
| 15 | VfB Stuttgart | 22 | 4 | 7 | 11 | -11 | 19 |
| 16 | TSG Hoffenheim | 22 | 5 | 4 | 13 | -12 | 19 |
| 17 | VfL Bochum | 22 | 6 | 1 | 15 | -30 | 19 |
| 18 | Schalke 04 | 22 | 3 | 7 | 12 | -26 | 16 |