Bayern Munich vs. Eintracht Frankfurt: Team News, Preview, Live Stream & TV Info

Bayern Munich will look to take another big step towards securing the Bundesliga title on Saturday as they take on Eintracht Frankfurt at the Allianz Arena. Pep Guardiola's men are 10 points clear of Wolfsburg with seven matches left to play, and would reach the critical 70-point mark with a win against die Adler.

The hosts can expect a challenging match following grueling wins over Dortmund and Leverkusen, the latter of which took 120 minutes to record, in the last week. Guardiola has a severely depleted squad and will have very few options available for rotation. Superstars like Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery and David Alaba are all set to miss out on the action. But however tough the task may be, he'll have a world-class squad of players on a high of confidence.

Frankfurt have everything to play for, standing eighth in the league table but only two points from potentially securing a place in the 2015-16 Europa League. They have some real weapons in their squad and may never have a better opportunity to beat Bayern as they face an injury-riddled and exhausted side. The visitors have a real chance to take a point or more if they have a go, but that's always a tall order for a club visiting the German record champions.

Date: Saturday, April 11

Time: 4:30 p.m. GMT/9:30 a.m. ET

Venue: Allianz Arena, Munich

TV Info: Not available (UK only)/Gol TV (U.S. only)

Live Stream: Gol TV (U.S. only)

Form Guide 

Bayern	Frankfurt
Leverkusen: draw	Hannover: draw
Dortmund: win	Stuttgart: loss
Monchengladbach: loss	Paderborn: win
Bremen: win	Koln: loss
Shakhtar: win	Hamburg: win

B/R

Predicted line-ups

If there ever were a time for Guardiola to bring in younger and fringe players like Mitchell Weiser and Gianluca Gaudino, it would be in Saturday's match. However, there's a fair likelihood he'll go with a similar lineup to the one that faced Leverkusen in midweek.

The front three will likely be the established trio of Thomas Muller, Robert Lewandowski and Mario Gotze. They'll be supported by Juan Bernat and either Rafinha or Weiser on the wings. There's a chance of Gaudino starting in central midfield, but one can count on Xabi Alonso and Philipp Lahm or perhaps Sebastian Rode getting the nod. At the back, Manuel Neuer can expect to play in goal with Dante, Jerome Boateng and Holger Badstuber ahead in central defense.

Frankfurt will be without a key player in defense in Carlos Zambrano, so Kevin Trapp will most likely play behind center-backs Alex Madlung and Anderson. Out wide, the visitors' defense will most likely include Timothy Chandler and Bastian Oczipka.

In midfield, Frankfurt will probably use a combination of experience in Stefan Aigner and Makoto Hasebe, as well as youth in Marc Stendera and Sonny Kittel. Up front, Bundesliga top scorer Alex Meier will be paired with Haris Seferovic.

Michael Probst/Associated Press

Players to watch

Bayern will be without many key players against Frankfurt, so those to keep an eye on may not be the usual suspects. Robert Lewandowski had a magnificent game in Dortmund and is one of the fittest players in the team, so if any Bayern player is to be expected to perform in his third game in seven days, it's him.

Sebastian Rode is also worth a close look despite playing in a not-so-glamorous defensive midfield position. The 24-year-old played very well after coming off the bench early in the Pokal on Wednesday, his tenacity and physicality combining with good technique and tactical skills to make him an all-round force to be reckoned with. He'll face his former club in Frankfurt, the team where he played for four years and rose to prominence. 

Frankfurt have a real gem in the 19-year-old Marc Stendera, who despite having a December birthday, seems to have overcome the relative-age effect. After assisting the winner in the under-19 European Championship final last summer, the playmaker has asserted himself as a regular starter in the Frankfurt team. With three goals and five assists, few players of his age across Europe can compete with his output.

The visitors' main threat, however, will surely be Alex Meier. Although never recognized with a nomination to the German national team and never having played in the Champions League, the forward is a hero for Frankfurt. He's the Bundesliga's top scorer with 19 goals, and with runner-up Robben sidelined for almost the remainder of the season, it's looking likely that Meier will win the Torjagerkanone (top scorer trophy) for his efforts.

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

Key Battles

Robert Lewandowski vs. Kevin Trapp

Robert Lewandowski has been on a very good run of form as of late, scoring the winner against Dortmund and coming the closest to netting the winner against Leverkusen. With top scorer Robben injured, the Pole's expectations have risen. And although he had some teething problems after moving to Bayern, those are melting away, bit by bit.

Opposite Lewandowski, Frankfurt will be without their most tenacious center-back, Carlos Zambrano. Alex Madlung and Anderson will match up against him, but goalkeeper Kevin Trapp will probably have his hands full. The 25-year-old spent a long spell sidelined in the first half of the campaign, but he is back in form now. He's one of Germany's finest stoppers and may be looking to make a move this summer—should he convince against Bayern, it would be a valuable addition to his resume.

Jerome Boateng vs. Alex Meier

Even at the age of 32, Alex Meier continues to impress with consistently strong displays at the tip of the Frankfurt attack. The veteran now leads the Bundesliga with 19 goals this season including five in his last five games. He'll be the main source of danger for the visitors, and Bayern will have to keep a very close eye on him if they are to keep him off the score sheet.

Jerome Boateng will be tasked to match up with Meier. The Germany international will be flanked by Dante and Holger Badstuber, but it's the former Hertha BSC and Manchester City man who will in particular be responsible. He's in the prime of his career now and in peak form, and has both the skill and the athleticism to keep Meier quiet if he plays at his best. One slip, though, and Bayern could be shocked.

Odds (Via Odds Shark)

Bayern: 1-9

Draw: 9-1

Frankfurt: 18-1

@Mr_Bundesliga