Following their strong start, Bayern now head into their first real standout fixture of the season. On Saturday evening (18:30 CEST), second-placed Borussia Mönchengladbach take on the league leaders from Munich at the Allianz Arena. Check out our key facts and stats on the encounter to find out why it's not just the league positions that suggest a tight match and what trump cards the record champions have up their sleeve:
1. A real Bundesliga classic
FC Bayern meet Borussia Mönchengladbach for the 109th time in the Bundesliga - only the fixture between the Munich side and Werder Bremen has been played more often in the competition's history (110 times). In the last eleven years or so, this clash has been fought on equal terms: both teams have won nine games against each other since the start of the 2011/12 season (four draws). No other club has taken as many points from the record champions in this period as the Foals.
2. Top-of-the-table clash of the rare kind
Last season, Mönchengladbach never rose higher than seventh place in the table - now Daniel Farke's team travel to the leaders in second place: The two teams are meeting in the ultimate top-of-the-table clash for only the second time in the last 48 years: In October 2014, they played out a goalless draw in Mönchengladbach.
3. Home vs. away strength
Bayern remain undefeated at the Allianz Arena in eight games in the Bundesliga; only 1. FC Union have gone that long without losing at home in the top flight. The visitors, on the other hand, haven't lost any of their last five away games, which is currently the longest run of its kind in the league.
4. Two top starters go head to head
With nine points and a goal difference of +14 (15:1 goals) after three games, FC Bayern have made their best start in Bundesliga history. Opponents Gladbach have seven points after three games, the best start to a Bundesliga season for Borussia in four years. In 2018/19, it was also seven points at this stage.
5. Goal-hungry Bayern
Julian Nagelsmann's side have scored a whopping 20 goals in their first four competitive games this season, setting a club record at senior level. Apart from the German record champions, only one other Bundesliga team have managed to start the season with so many goals since the inception of Germany's top flight - in 1977/78, MSV Duisburg also scored 20 goals in their first four games across all competitions.
6. Coman's strong start to the season
In the 7-0 win at Bochum last Sunday, his first game of the campaign, Kingsley Coman became the first player to record three goal contributions in a single match this season (one goal, two assists). Overall, it was the fourth time the Frenchman had managed the feat in a Bundesliga match, previously last doing so in a 3-3 draw with RB Leipzig in December 2020.
7. Sané the lucky charm
Last season, Bayern won all 13 competitive games in which Leroy Sané got on the scoresheet. The trend has continued in the current campaign, with the Munich side winning at Leipzig in the Supercup and most recently at Bochum thanks in part to a Sané goal. So we've got no objection to the 26-year-old grabbing another one on Saturday.
FC Bayern are absolute top-of-the-table clash specialists:
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