Union Berlin is coming for Bayern and the Bundesliga could explode | OneFootball

Soccer is not a science. If it were, Union Berlin would not even need to step onto the pitch this Saturday against Bayern Munich. Stats, history, squad depth, budget, it all points to an easy win for the Bavarians. But if there is one thing that the Bundesliga has taught us, it is that favorites can fall. And Bayern is coming off a home upset loss to Bochum. Union, on the other hand, is enjoying the glow of a decisive win against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Union Berlin has a daunting assignment

Against Bayern is never going to be an easy one. Vincent Kompany's team may have faltered in the last round, but they are otherwise in charge of the league table with 61 points and well in front of Bayer Leverkusen. Union Berlin, however, is involved in a completely different battle, fighting for survival in the Bundesliga. Only six points clear of the drop zone, every point counts.

Head coach Steffen Baumgart is aware of that too and wasn't reluctant to name the challenge when he spoke: "We're playing against one of the best teams in Europe. You require a totally top performance, and even that, you could still lose."

That's the harsh reality. Union will require a lot more than a galvanizing performance to take away a result. At home, the German capital team will have to bank on a physical, organized game and the support of their fans to attempt to level the match.

Bayern requires a rapid reaction

If anything does not go down with Bayern Munich, it is losing. Losing points to Bochum, a mid-table team, was not in the plan. Vincent Kompany knows his team has enough quality to overwhelm poorer teams, but the Bundesliga does not tolerate mistakes.

"We know their quality, and we need our best performance. They're a team that lives from special moments."

Kompany's words are the sole definition of what Union Berlin is nowadays, a team prone to suffering and enjoying moments of disorder to evolve in the match. Bayern's coach must adjust the defense, especially after conceding three surprise goals in the last round. Without Neuer, Kim, and Palhinha, Kompany must seek substitutes in a team that, while fewer in quantity, maintains a dominating superiority over Union.

Injuries could be the deciding factor

Union Berlin will be without three players: Kemlein, Ogbemudia, and Skov. The absence of the three players presents Baumgart with a challenge, but it is far from the Bayern bench filled with injured players. Kompany will be deprived of Buchmann, Kim, Neuer, Palhinha, and Pavlović.

Their biggest worry is the non-availability of Manuel Neuer, who remains sidelined through a calf issue. The veteran goalie is Bayern's rock-like defender and his absence leaves their backline equilibrium in disarray. Kim Min-jae, another essential defender, also misses out on the lineup. That would leave Bayern vulnerable to gaps in defence, and that is what Union Berlin can arguably try to offset with dead-ball play and extremely fast transition.