Bundesliga| Nurnberg vs Bayern Munich: Match prediction, Who will win the match?
It is the weekend of derbies with similar stakes in Germany as Bayern Munich travel to Nurnberg to play in the Bavarian Derby. Bayern Munich are on a decent run of form despite some unconvincing displays in recent weeks. They are on course to win their 7th league title on the trot.
This time, however, situations are a bit different as Borussia Dortmund are trailing them by just a point and neither of the teams has any room to lose points in the remaining matchdays.
Nurnberg, on the other hand, got promoted back to the league this season but their performances have been dismal and they are languishing at 17th place in the table, fighting for survival. A loss this weekend would only push them closer to the second division as there are only 2 more matchdays left after this.
How will the sides set up?
Nurnberg will primarily look for a draw and field a defensive setup. A 4-1-4-1 formation with the midfielders playing a very deep role is on the cards. Mikael Ishak will lead the attack with Kerk and Pereira on the wings. Hanno Behrens and Patrick Erras are likely to form the defensive midfield duo. Ewerton and Muhl are expected to start in the central defence.
A typical 4-2-3-1 with Thomas Muller as a no.10 and Robert Lewandowski up front is expected. Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman will occupy the wings for Bayern while Leon Goretzka can be brought in for either Thiago or Javi Martinez with either of the Spaniards getting rested for the match.
Hummels, Sule, Alaba and Kimmich are expected to be the back 4 while Sven Ulreich will guard the posts. This setup will allow Bayern to attack fluidly while also maintaining a high tempo and slick passing football in which counter-attacks can be initiated by the wingers if space is found.
Verdict
Bayern Munich are the hot favourites and are expected to edge closer to the title. It is expected that Bayern will be having the lion's share of possession with more shots and chances. Nurnberg will typically defend deep and try to hit Bayern on the counter where they have been exposed time and again this season including the midweek DFB Pokal fixture against Werder Bremen.
It is going to be a high-intensity match but the result will mostly likely be going to be in favour of Bayern Munich as Niko Kovac looks forward to laying his hands on the title for the biggest club in Germany, this time as a coach. Nurnberg will look to prevent Bayern from scoring and a disciplined display from the relegation battlers could be very much on show.
Score Prediction: Nurnberg 1-4 Bayern Munich