L FEBRUARY 18
BERLIN: After thrashing Arsenal in mid-week, leaders Bayern Munich return to Bundesliga business at Hertha Berlin on Saturday with captain Philipp Lahm backing Thomas Mueller to return to form.
Bayern head to the capital with a seven-point lead in Germany’s top flight and one foot in the Champions League’s quarterfinals after hammering Arsenal 5-1 in Wednesday’s last 16, first-leg.
Carlo Ancelotti opted for Thiago Alcantara instead of Mueller to run Bayern’s attack against the Gunners.
The attacking midfielder scored two goals in a display his coach hailed as ‘perfect’.
Germany star Mueller was left on the bench but still managed to come on and score Bayern’s fifth goal in his four minutes on the pitch — after Thiago presented him with a simple tap-in.
It had been 999 minutes since he had previously netted for Bayern.
Ancelotti is set to rotate his squad with Mueller poised to make the starting line-up at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium.
Lahm says home-grown Germany star Mueller is working tirelessly to rekindle his form. “He has a place in every team,” Lahm told Kicker. “It’s unbelievable the way he trains every day, he always looks forward and pushes, regardless of whether he plays from the start or not.
“It’s just a question of time until he finds his form.”
All of their six closest rivals lost last weekend and Berlin is a happy hunting ground for the Bavarians.
They won the Bundesliga title there with a record seven games to spare in March 2014, and have been victorious in their last 11 games against Hertha.
Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer could record his 100th clean sheet in the league playing a team that has not scored against Bayern in their last five meetings.
Having been as high as third this year, Hertha are down to sixth after winning just two of their last seven league games.
Hertha striker Vedad Ibisevic is set to play despite an ankle knock. Second-placed RB Leipzig are at Borussia Moenchengladbach on Sunday looking to bounce back from defeats in their last two games.
Gladbach are on a roll and up to tenth after last week’s 3-2 comeback win against Bayer Leverkusen, when they fought back from two goals down.
There is a seven point gap behind Leipzig in the table, but the Saxons are wobbling.
Their defence was badly caught out in their 3-0 home loss to Hamburg, their first home defeat this season, which came on the back of a 1-0 defeat at Dortmund.
Centre-back Willi Orban is suspended while striker Yussuf Poulsen is out for the coming weeks with a leg injury.
Fourth-placed Borussia Dortmund will host Wolfsburg on Saturday with their iconic south stand empty.
The club will lock fans out as part of a German FA (DFB) punishment after hooligans attacked RB Leipzig fans, including families, two weeks ago.
Juventus host relegation-haunted Palermo on Friday when Massimiliano Allegri’s men will likely go 10 points clear.
Former Juventus and Palermo striker, Fabrizio Miccoli, told Tuttojuve.com: “I’m sorry, but I really don’t see how Palermo can put Juve in difficulty.”
Napoli, in third at just two points further off the pace, will look to make amends for a 3-1 defeat at Real Madrid on Wednesday with a win at Chievo. Napoli have won the past four encounters including those at Chievo’s Bentegodi Stadium.
Roma coach Luciano Spalletti had blasted Dzeko only last month for being “too soft” in front of goal. But the striker’s recent purple patch has Spalletti purring with praise.
“Italian football has improved Dzeko, said Spalletti. “He’s a sensitive lad and when things don’t go to plan it affects him.
“His second goal was magnificent, a goal from a mature striker. He’s strong, he’s got character and he will become an even better player.”
Inter Milan, in fourth at 15 points adrift, sit in pole position in the race for Europa League qualification.
But Atalanta, also on 45 points, Lazio (44), AC Milan (41) and Fiorentina (40) are all in hot pursuit.