Hoffenheim lambs to slaughter
– Bayern Munich winger Serge Gnabry’s four-goal bonanza against Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League this week is an ominous warning for his former club Hoffenheim who travel to Bavaria tomorrow.
Gnabry, with one goal and two assists in the league so far, aims to pick up where he left off on Tuesday in their 7-2 demolition of Tottenham in London.
The German international, who has also netted nine times in 10 games for the national team, has been the toast of Munich after a superb 2018/19 season.
“Gnabry always plays,” said Germany coach Joachim Loew last month ahead of their Euro 2020 qualifiers and this now seems to be the case in Munich as well.
Bayern are top on 14 points after taking over the lead in the title race with last week’s 3-2 victory at promoted Paderborn, with Gnabry on target.
Another win, this time against his former club, could see them pulling further away with several other top teams playing each other at the same time.
“What I liked as coach about his performance in London is that he defended,” said Bayern coach Niko Kovac (pictured).
“I know he can play up front and he does that exceptionally well. Defend
Lausanne
ing sometimes causes him problems.”
With Gnabry in top form and Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski making his best start ever in the Bundesliga with 10 goals from six games so far, the champions have every right to believe they are gradually hitting their stride.
Having won the last seven league titles in succession, early season slip-ups against Hertha Berlin and RB Leipzig initially raised questions regarding the team’s commitment and drive to win an eighth league crown.
But Tuesday’s victory in London is as big a confidence boost as they can get.
“There are many things we still need to improve but
London
But for a Steven Gerrard stumble five-and-a-half years ago against Chelsea, Brendan Rodgers might well be idolised by the Liverpool faithful and Juergen Klopp’s love affair with an adoring Kop may have never happened.
Such thoughts spring to mind as Klopp’s impressive side, Premier league leaders with 16 wins in a row, prepare to host Rodgers’ third-placed Leicester City in tomorrow’s big match at Anfield.
Another win would put Liverpool eight points clear of champions Manchester City, who host Wolves on a busy Sunday.
Had Rodgers’ Liverpool beaten Chelsea and claimed a 12th successive win, they would been five points clear at the top with two games left and within touching such a game can carry us for the next few weeks,” said defender Niklas Suele.
Second-placed Leipzig, on 13, travel to Bayer Leverkusen, who are unbeaten at home since April and are also on 13, in sixth place on goal difference.
Freiburg, in third, also on 13, entertain self-proclaimed title contenders Borussia Dortmund, in eighth on 11 points and with only one win from their last four league games.
But Dortmund also head into the game with improving confidence after their own 2-0 Champions League win at Slavia Prague on Wednesday ended a run of three straight draws in all competitions for the Ruhr Valley club. – Reuters distance of a first title since 1990.
They lost 2-0 and the rest, as they say, is history. Manchester City pipped Liverpool by two points to win their second Premier League title and Liverpool went on the slide, finishing sixth the following season.
Rodgers was sacked in October 2015 and a few days later Klopp arrived to begin a journey that, while yet to deliver the Holy Grail of a Premier League title, took Liverpool to last season’s Champions League title.
Rodgers, meanwhile, mopped up two Scottish Premiership (SPL) titles and numerous other silverware at Celtic.
In February, with a third SPL title almost in the bag, Rodgers quit to take over at Leicester in the wake of Claude Puel’s sacking and they have thrived ever since.
Since his first weekend in charge in March, Leicester have amassed 31 Premier League points – a total beaten only by Liverpool (49) and Manchester City (46).
Liverpool have won their opening seven league games but there has been the odd blemish of late.
Klopp’s side were forced to hang on for a 1-0 win over Sheffield United last weekend and in midweek surrendered a 3-0 lead at home to Salzburg in the Champions League before winning 4-3.
After a 5-0 hammering of Newcastle United last weekend, a vibrant Leicester side look the most likely to gatecrash the top four.
Winger Marc Albrighton, part of the Leicester fairytale in 2016 when they won the Premier League under Claudio Ranieri, believes the current side is better.
“We’re a different team now, we’ve got different qualities, but we’re a force going forward,” he said. – Reuters