Seeking to move to within one point of Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich play their first top-flight game of 2024 on Friday night, when Hoffenheim visit the Allianz Arena.
Thomas Tuchel's men - who are in mourning following the death of club legend Franz Beckenbauer - recently played out a 1-1 friendly draw with Basel as they gear up for the return of competitive football, while their visitors were beaten 1-0 by Augsburg in an exhibition match.
Match preview
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After Borussia Dortmund came within a whisker of ending Bayern's perpetual dominance of the German footballing landscape last year, the 2023-24 Bundesliga title is now Leverkusen's to lose, as Xabi Alonso threatens to deny his former club a 12th consecutive top-flight crown.
With the league leaders - who have played a game more - not back in action until Saturday, though, Bayern can pile the pressure on their unexpected title rivals by marching to a third successive Bundesliga win on Friday night, having battled past Stuttgart and Wolfsburg in their final contests of 2023.
As a means of maintaining fitness levels during the winter break, Bayern were in friendly action against Swiss powerhouses Basel on January 6, where Tuchel's men fell behind to Juan Gauto's finish before 18-year-old midfielder Noel Aseko levelled matters off the bench.
However, for Aseko, Tuchel and many others associated with the Bavarian giants, on-field endeavours will not take precedence this weekend as the club mourn iconic player and manger Beckenbauer, whose death at the age of 78 over the weekend sparked an outpouring of tributes from across the globe.
A memorial service for 'Der Kaiser' will take place at the Allianz Arena on January 19, prior to which Bayern and Hoffenheim fans will stand as one to remember one of only three men to have won the World Cup as both a player and manager on Friday, where a special illumination will also light up the Allianz Arena.
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While Hoffenheim will no doubt pay their deepest respects to the legendary Beckenbauer, Pellegrino Matarazzo's men still have a job to do on the field as they bid to turn over a new leaf in 2024, having won just one of their final eight competitive fixtures of 2023.
A magnificent start to the new term which saw Hoffenheim triumph in six of their opening nine Bundesliga encounters has been firmly consigned to history for Friday's visitors to the Allianz Arena, who took the lead three times against SV Darmstadt 98 on December 19, only to be pegged back on each occasion in a 3-3 thriller.
Owing to their stellar opening exploits, though, Matarazzo's team remain in the European mix in seventh place in the table, only behind Eintracht Frankfurt on goal difference and with a three-point gap to make up to a faltering Borussia Dortmund, meaning that a spot in the top five could temporarily be theirs by the close of play on Friday.
If the Blues are to sneak into the continental places, they must rectify recent mistakes from their friendly battle with Augsburg, who took the lead inside the opening two minutes through Fredrik Jensen and shut up shop for the remainder of the contest en route to a one-goal success.
Furthermore, after remarkably winning each of their first five away games of the 2023-24 Bundesliga season, Hoffenheim are now without victory in their last three on the road - gleaning just one point in the process - although they did hold Bayern to a surprise 1-1 draw at the Allianz Arena nine months ago.
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Team News
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Since their most recent Bundesliga showdown with Wolfsburg, Bayern have seen defensive duo Noussair Mazraoui and Kim Min-jae depart for the Africa Cup of Nations and Asian Cup respectively; the former was called up in spite of a calf injury.
Serge Gnabry (tendon), Bouna Sarr (ACL), Gabriel Marusic (ACL), Daniel Peretz (knee) and Tarek Buchmann (hamstring) are out of contention too, but Matthijs de Ligt has recovered from a bug, while Konrad Laimer is also expected to be given the all-clear despite a knee concern.
The former RB Leipzig man should be required at right-back with Mazraoui unavailable for a number of weeks, while a fit-again De Ligt will continue to partner Dayot Upamecano for the time being, although moves for Eric Dier and Nordi Mukiele are in the works after Radu Dragusin snubbed the German champions in favour of Tottenham Hotspur.
Hoffenheim also have one AFCON absentee to cope without for the coming weeks, as Diadie Samassekou is away with the Mali squad, but fellow midfielder Dennis Geiger has now returned to training following a groin problem.
Bambase Conte remains in the infirmary with a similar concern, though, while ACL victims Marco John and Mergim Berisha are not expected to play again this season, and defender Kevin Vogt has completed a move to Union Berlin.
As a result, either Attila Szalai or Kevin Akpoguma should earn promotion to the back three with John Brooks and Ozan Kabak, while Wout Weghorst could also make his comeback from a muscular problem here, having now resumed team training.
Bayern Munich possible starting lineup:
Neuer; Laimer, Upamecano, De Ligt, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Sane, Musiala, Coman; Kane
Hoffenheim possible starting lineup:
Baumann; Szalai, Brooks, Kabak; Stach; Kaderabek, Promel, Grillitsch, Skov; Bebou, Kramaric
We say: Bayern Munich 3-1 Hoffenheim
Not since April have Hoffenheim failed to score away from home in the Bundesliga, and the Blues have fond memories of their most recent trip to the Allianz Arena, although that may not count for much against Tuchel's well-oiled machine.
Focusing on the football may be a challenge for the hosts on Friday evening, but with Hoffenheim's previous ruthlessness now eluding them, the reigning champions should still emerge triumphant.
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