Bayern Munich Vs Borussia Mönchengladbach - Football Germany Bundesliga

The final round of Bundesliga matches before the winter break looks set to be a cracker, as two of Germany’s most prestigious names go head to head at Allianz Arena on Friday evening.

Bayern Munich are already assured of going into the break as “Herbstmeister”, as they top the league by 11 points, while Borussia Monchengladbach have some catching up to do if they hope to repeat last season’s top four finish.

The fixtures for Week 17 of the German Bundesliga season begins with a intriguing Friday match, as Borussia Monchengladbach aims to separate themselves in the race for a European place when they travel to Allianz Arena to battle top of the league Bayern Munich whom are looking to extend the gap.


This is a fascinating fixture when looking at it from both a tactical and individual quality perspectives, as from the Gladbach perspective they’ve clearly had trouble adjusting to life without both midfielder Marco Reus whom left for Borussia Dortmund in the transfer window and defender Dante whom did likewise for current opposition Bayern Munich. Outside of a little hiccup Bayern have just been too dominant for the rest of the league to handle, they have proven to have the necessary depth to handle multiple competitions while at the same time having the singular focus to regain their crown as kings of Germany. Much of the credit for their success is down to Coach Jupp Heynckes and his rotation policy, as he has had some difficult decisions to make and has gotten his combinations right at every turn. For Gladbach, they’ve gone unbeaten in their last four matches and are starting to find a groove after a difficult beginning to the season. This is a side that has embraced the UEFA Europa League this season and is looking to qualify for Europe with a finish in the Top 7 places. Coach Lucien Favre has come to rely on the likes of Juan Arango and Havard Nordveit, as both have contributed to the stability of the side and will be key in attempting to gain an advantage in this match.

I normally don’t like to take the total when it’s set so high but given the fact that Bayern have been just that dominant and Gladbach are an improving attacking side I’ll go with the OVER in this match, this is one of those matches to relax and enjoy as the tactical battle between coaches Heynckes and Favre should make for some fireworks.


Borussia Monchengladbach Vs. Bayern Munich
Date & Time: Friday December 14, 2012   2:30PM ET