Bavarian hunger for goals v Berlin wall
There have usually been plenty of goals whenever FC Bayern have come up against Hertha BSC in the recent past. In six of the last seven head-to-heads with Berlin, FCB managed at least three goals -- 25 in total. The record champions were deadly in home matches too with 27 goals in the last seven matches at the Allianz Arena -- 3.9 goals per game on average. The last time that FCB failed to score against the Blue and Whites in a home match was in October 1977: they lost 2-0.
Hertha BSC on a roll...
Under new coach Pal Dardai, Hertha BSC have become more stable. The men from the capital have gone seven games unbeaten with three wins and four draws -- the last time they achieved this was in 2006, when Dardai was still a Hertha player. Recently the Berlin defence has been like a wall: they avoided conceding a goal in five of their last seven matches. What's more, the Blue and Whites have proved adept at scoring late goals (after the 80th minute) in five of their last seven games.
...but have failed to win in Munich for 38 years
Hertha BSC haven't had much success in matches away to Munich. The Reds left the field as winners in 23 of 29 encounters, with four draws and two victories for the club from the capital. The last Berlin victory was the 2-0 success on 29 October 1977. The subsequent 19 Bayern home matches against Hertha, all in the Bundesliga, ended with 15 FCB wins and four draws. The goal difference (84-28) is clearly in favour of the record champions.
Match-winner Dardai
Hertha coach Pal Dardai knows how it feels to win against FC Bayern. The Hungarian was on the field for Berlin's last three Bundesliga victories against the Reds, even scoring the winning goal in the 2-1 victory in December 2001. The last Hertha win dates back to February 2009 (2-1).
Winkmann as referee
Guido Winkmann will referee the game on Saturday evening. The 41-year-old policeman takes charge of an FC Bayern league match for the first time this season. The last time Winkmann refereed the Reds was in August 2014, the away match against Preußen Münster in the first round of the DFB Cup (4-1). His assistants are Christian Bandurski and Arno Blos, with Dr Jochen Drees as the fourth official.