MX23RW : Thursday, May 16 08:58:05| >> :60:2362:2362:
[monks data]
Attendance: 31,500
Hoffenheim logo
Bundesliga | Gameweek 18
Jan 18, 2019 at 7.30pm UK
 
Bayern logo

1-3

Schulz (59')
FT(HT: 0-2)
Goretzka (34', 45'), Lewandowski (87')

Niko Kovac urges Bayern Munich to keep momentum going

Bayern won five successive matches before the winter break.

Bayern Munich will hope to cut the gap to Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund as their season resumes at Hoffenheim on Friday.

Niko Kovac's side will have a chance to move back within three points of the summit – for a day at least – as they travel to the Rhein Neckar Arena for the competition's first game after the winter break.

Dortmund are in action at Leipzig in one of six Bundesliga games on Saturday.

Bayern won five in succession before the break.

Kovac told the club's website, fcbayern.com: "We want to build on our final five games of 2018 and try to take that positive experience with us so we can keep winning games and build up the necessary confidence.

"We're six points off the lead and we want to, and have to, make that up. The game against Hoffenheim is very, very important and we're looking forward to it."

Bayern remain without Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery. The veteran wing duo have been troubled by thigh injuries and, while they are close returning, this game comes too soon.

Bayern's Franck Ribery is also sidelined
Bayern's Franck Ribery is also sidelined (Nick Potts/PA)

Hoffenheim, who have beaten Bayern at home in each of the past two seasons, are seventh in the table after drawing six consecutive games before the break.

Manager Julian Nagelsmann has warned his side about the importance of maintaining their concentration.

"It is important not to surrender when playing against Bayern," Nagelsmann told the club's website, achtzehn99.de. "It will be a tough fight. We will try to attack them and keep the points."

Nagelsmann, who is joining Leipzig next season, felt his side's performance levels had been improving towards the latter end of the first half of the season, despite a failure to secure more wins.

He said: "The momentum was on our side in only a few games of the first half of the season. We scored too little for the way we played. We have to act as we did in the second half of the first leg."

ga('create', 'UA-72310761-1', 'auto', {'name': 'pacontentapi'});
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'referrer', location.origin);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension1', 'By Andy Hampson, Press Association Sport');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension2', '36dce393-e8b8-464f-bc27-9d857b882ec9');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension3', 'paservice:sport,paservice:sport:football,paservice:sport:world');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension6', 'story');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension7', 'composite');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension8', null);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension9', 'sport:football');
ga('pacontentapi.send', 'pageview', { 'location': location.href, 'page': (location.pathname + location.search + location.hash), 'title': 'Niko Kovac urges Bayern Munich to keep momentum going'});

ID:347077: cacheID:347077:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:7381:No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Paris Saint-Germain attacker Neymar celebrates scoring against Liverpool on November 28, 2018
Read Next:
UCL Team of the Week - Neymar, Mbappe, Sane
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
CBayer LeverkusenB. Leverkusen33276087236487
2Bayern MunichBayern33233792415172
3Stuttgart33224774393570
4RB Leipzig33197775373864
5Borussia DortmundDortmund33179764432160
6Eintracht FrankfurtFrankfurt33111394948146
7Hoffenheim33127146264-243
8Freiburg33119134456-1242
9Heidenheim33912124654-839
10Augsburg33109144958-939
11Werder Bremen33109144453-939
12Wolfsburg33107164053-1337
13Borussia MonchengladbachBorussia M'bach33713135663-734
14VfL BochumVfL Bochum33712144170-2933
15Mainz 05Mainz33614133650-1432
16Union BerlinUnion Berlin3386193157-2630
17FC Koln33512162756-2927
RSV Darmstadt 98Darmstadt3338223082-5217


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!