FC Bayern hit the road for the first time in the new year on Matchday 15 with a visit to seventh-placed Borussia Mönchengladbach on Friday evening (kick-off 20:30 CET). While the record champions go into the game as favourites, they will be wary of the Foals – find out why in our facts and stats on the fixture:
1. Bayern goal fests in last two Friday games
This will be the second time this season that Hansi Flick’s men play on a Friday – the first was an 8-0 thrashing of FC Schalke 04 in the opening match of the campaign. Their last competitive fixture on this day of the week was no less of a goal fest, when the Munich men defeated Barcelona 8-2 in the Champions League. In total, FCB have won 16 of their last 20 Friday games in all competitions (D3 L1).
Bayern kicked off the 2020/21 Bundesliga season with an 8-0 win over Schalke 04 in their only previous Friday fixture this term.
2. Wins shared in recent years
In each of the last three seasons, Borussia have come out on top in this match in the first half of the season while Bayern have won the return fixture. Moreover, no other Bundesliga side have taken more points against Bayern since summer 2014 than Gladbach, with five wins, two draws and five defeats.
3. Bayern dominate overall
However, in the overall head-to-head record, the treble winners are way out in front with 50 wins in their 104 encounters with Gladbach. The Foals have also suffered more defeats and conceded more goals against Bayern (198) than anyone else in their Bundesliga history.
4. Two teams who guarantee goals
Borussia have scored in each of their last 13 Bundesliga outings, something they’ve not managed in nearly two years. That run somewhat pales in comparison to Bayern’s hunger for goals, though. Flick’s side have netted at least once in their last 27 league matches, scoring 86 goals overall – a Bundesliga high.
5. Lewandowski’s endless hunt for records
Robert Lewandowski wrapped up last Sunday’s 5-2 victory against Mainz with a late brace.
Best FIFA Men’s Player Robert Lewandowski has scored a brace in each of the last three Bundesliga games, against Wolfsburg (2-1), Bayer Leverkusen (2-1) and Mainz (5-2). If the Pole strikes double again at Mönchengladbach, he would equal the league record held by Lothar Emmerich (1967 for Dortmund) and Tomislav Marić (2001 for Wolfsburg), who are the only two players to date who have scored four successive braces in Germany’s top flight. With 19 goals overall, the 32-year-old currently leads the goalscoring charts – only Gerd Müller (20 goals in 1968/69) has bettered this tally after 14 matchdays.
6. Fortress BORUSSIA-PARK wobbling
Gladbach have not been as strong at home as they have been in previous years, collecting just 10 of the 21 points on offer at BORUSSIA-PARK. The Foals are without a win in two on home turf – they’ve not gone longer than that since Marco Rose was coach.
Read about the other important games taking place on Matchday 15:
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