On paper, Bayern’s visit to Bochum on Sunday would appear a formality. Three points are simply a must for the Bundesliga leaders away at the bottom side, while the Reds have always lived up to their role as favourites in such fixtures in recent times. The record champions are unbeaten in their last 30 games against teams propping up the table (W27, D3), while each of the last 17 have ended in an FCB victory. The last time Bayern were beaten against a bottom side was 16 years ago, with a 2-0 defeat at Energie Cottbus on 15 March 2008. Find out more stats and facts ahead of Sunday’s encounter here.
Bayern targeting milestone win
Bayern slipped to a surprise 3-2 defeat on their last visit to Bochum. | Imago
Bayern have won 49 of their 74 Bundesliga meetings with Bochum to date (D15, L10), so the next would bring up a round half century in this fixture. The men from Munich have also averaged 2.58 goals per game against the Ruhr club. They only have a better return against Hannover (2.78) among opponents they have faced at least 50 times. Yet despite historical Bayern dominance, Bochum have proven a stumbling block a number of times in recent years, winning two of their three home games in this fixture since promotion back to the top flight in 2021.
Bayern’s attacking prowess on the road
Bayern have proven in impressive fashion that they don’t need the familiar surroundings of the Allianz Arena to score plenty of goals. Vincent Kompany’s side have already netted 17 across their four Bundesliga away fixtures this term, which is the most ever at this stage by any team. It’s also been at least three goals in each game. If Bayern manage that one more time, it would equal their own Bundesliga record for such a scoring streak that they set around five years ago at the turn of the 2019/20 campaign under Hansi Flick. And the chances of doing that aren’t bad against the division’s bottom side, given Bochum are without a clean sheet in 23 Bundesliga games – their second-worst run in the top flight (25 games between 2002 and 2003).
The 3-3 draw in Frankfurt was the fourth Bundesliga away game under Vincent Kompany where Bayern scored at least three goals. | Imago
Kompany equals Lattek
Kompany has witnessed his team scored 24 goals across his first seven Bundesliga games in charge, which equals the league record previously held by the legendary Udo Lattek for the most goals in his first seven matches with a team. Lattek achieved the feat with Bayern in 1970.
Another Kane best
Harry Kane scored his sixth Bundesliga hat-trick in last weekend’s 4-0 win over VfB Stuttgart. | FC Bayern/Simon Mellar
Last weekend’s 4-0 win over VfB Stuttgart saw Harry Kane bag the sixth hat-trick of his Bundesliga career – in only his 39th game. That has absolutely pulverised the previous league record held by Dieter Müller, who bagged his sixth three-goal haul in his 118th Bundesliga match. Kane’s first hat-trick in Germany actually came against Bochum in last September’s 7-0 win. The 31-year-old England captain has also been directly involved in six goals in two fixtures against the Ruhr club (four goals, two assists).
Bochum again winless after seven
For the third year in a row, Bochum have failed to win any of their first seven Bundesliga fixtures. That has never before happened to a team in the top flight. However, VfL still managed to stay up in 2022/23 and 2023/24, so they won’t give up too quickly this year either.
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