Bayern Munich vs. Freiburg: Issues and Decisions That Will Shape Bundesliga Game

Bayern Munich may be gripped with all sorts of Champions League prospects this week, and as such, you’d be forgiven for forgetting that the Bavarian champions actually have a game on Tuesday against Freiburg. 

Pep Guardiola’s side will be licking their lips at the prospect of wrapping up this year’s fixtures with a win over Christian Streich’s team and then taking on Mainz on Friday in the final match before the winter break. 

With six wins from their last six outings in the Bundesliga, the current German champions would expect to keep their momentum going long into the winter period. 

Here are the key factors to consider before Tuesday’s match. 

Freiburg’s Poor Away Form

John Leicester/Associated Press

Form usually goes out the window when teams make the trip to Munich these days, yet for Streich’s side, one notable factor in their own current run of results has been their horrendous form on the road of late. 

The Black Forest team have only won one game on the road this season—against FC Cologne a few weeks ago—but have been forced into accepting draws when they haven’t been comfortably beaten. 

That doesn’t look good as they head to the Allianz Arena. 

Bayern Have Stumbled Against Freiburg in the Past

Kerstin Joensson/Associated Press

Bayern very rarely have poor head-to-head records against sides in the Bundesliga, and Freiburg are no exception, with just three wins from the 30 times the two sides have played each other. 

Yet, the Bundesliga minnows have on occasion managed to steal a point against the Bavarian giants, with a famous 1-1 draw against Guardiola’s side last season and a similar 0-0 draw two seasons before that in the 2011/12 campaign. 

Not exactly stellar stuff, but when we consider the huge difference in budgets between the two sides, anything but three points would be seen as a disaster for Bayern. 

Guardiola’s Title Race Is Built on Home Form

Kerstin Joensson/Associated Press

Bayern Munich have won every single Bundesliga game they’ve played at the Allianz Arena this season. They've picked up every point, scored every goal and ultimately built an unmatchable league campaign off of it. 

In comparison, Guardiola’s side have already dropped six points from a possible 21 on the road this season and looked far from impressive at times. 

Should Bayern go on to win the league title this season—something that seems inevitable even at this point—it will be built on their form at the Allianz Arena, where they welcome Freiburg. 

Streich Has Made Freiburg Hard to Beat

Armando Franca/Associated Press

On the face of things, Freiburg haven’t had a very good season. Sitting in 15th position, level on points with relegation battlers Borussia Dortmund and Werder Bremen, Streich’s team look in trouble with no hope in sight. 

Yet, when we take a look at their past performances, we can note a certain grittiness to their form against some of the bigger teams in the league. 

This begun with a 0-0 draw with Borussia Monchengladbach, followed by an identical result against Bayer Leverkusen and then a 2-0 win over Schalke. Freiburg may be struggling in the league, but they tend to up their game against the best in the Bundesliga. 

Robben Key to Bayern’s Form

Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

In a stat that seems almost as obvious as Bayern’s own form, Arjen Robben has been truly fantastic of late and seems to be single-handedly winning games for Guardiola’s side at the moment. 

In his past four games in the Bundesliga, Robben has scored four and assisted one, per Transfermarkt.com, as well as a match-winning goal against Dortmund last month. 

Undoubtedly in his prime, the Dutch winger is quite simply one of the most in-form players in Europe at the moment and will surely be the one to overcome Freiburg, should Bayern win on Tuesday night.