Stats and facts ahead of Bayern vs. Hoffenheim: Manuel Neuer set for milestone in first game of 2024

FC Bayern return to Bundesliga action for 2024 with a home game against Hoffenheim on Friday. Here’s the stats and facts ahead of the competitive resumption for the new year.

Home record clearly in Bayern’s favour

Bayern have lost only one of their 15 Bundesliga home games against Hoffenheim (W11, D3), which came in October 2019 (2-1). The Bavarians have never failed to score against TSG at the Allianz Arena. They have only hosted Eintracht Braunschweig (19 times) and Wolfsburg (26) more often in the Bundesliga while maintaining a record of scoring in each encounter.

Crazy Bundesliga

Last season, Bayern went into the new year top of the table with 34 points after 15 games. This year, Thomas Tuchel’s side are in fact four points better off from the same number of fixtures but only second in the standings. And despite the fact Bayern have their game in hand against Union Berlin at the end of January, they have set a new record for most points by a team in second place after 16 matchdays.

Milestone match for Neuer

Manuel Neuer made his remarkable return after a year out at the end of October and could now make his 500th competitive appearance in Bayern colours. It would see the No.1 go level with Bastian Schweinsteiger’s total for the club. Since the turn of the century, only Thomas Müller (685) and Philipp Lahm (517) have featured more often for the record champions.

Bayern = goals

Bayern have already scored 49 goals from their 15 Bundesliga matches this season. Only the Munich club themselves have ever netted more at this stage of a campaign, with 50 in 1976/77. The Bavarians have also scored in each of their last 64 Bundesliga home fixtures since a 0-0 draw with RB Leipzig in February 2020. That has equalled the league record that Bayern also set between 1970 and 1974. Regardless of location, the defending champions have struck in each of their last 42 league outings, which is the best run in the division at the moment, followed by opponents Hoffenheim with a club record 20 games. However, the Sinsheim club haven’t kept a clean sheet in 11 games going back to Matchday 6 – only Augsburg are on a longer wait of 19 fixtures.

Kane chasing Lewandowski record

Harry Kane has scored in seven of his last eight Bundesliga appearances (the exception being away at Eintracht Frankfurt) and has 21 goals to his name after 15 games in the German top flight. That surpasses the previous record held by Erling Haaland, who reached that total in his 22nd outing in the league. Should the England captain strike again against Hoffenheim, then he will equal Robert Lewandowski’s Bundesliga record from 2020/21 for most goals in the first half of a season (Hinrunde) of 22 from 16 games.

Bayern know the importance of opening the year with a win: