Bundesliga, Ingolstadt Vs. Bayern Munich 2017: Prediction, Lineup, H2H, & Live
Twenty-six-time Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich will travel to face a struggling Ingolstadt in Audi Sportpark stadium this Saturday.
At the moment, Bayern is sitting at the top of the Bundesliga table comfortably with four points more than the nearest challengers, RB Leipzig. They have 46 points from the 19 games played, and the Bavarians could extend their lead if they can overcome the challenge of Ingolstadt.
Contrary to Bayern’s current state, Ingolstadt is facing a relegation battle as they are just a position above the last team of the league. The Schanzers have just 15 points from 19 games played this season. So, a good performance against Bayern Munich will not only increase their points tally, but will also boost their morale ahead of the difficult months coming.
Douglas Costa's goal was enough to earn Bayern a place in the German Cup quarter-finals at the expense of visitors Wolfsburg. #UCL pic.twitter.com/DhCCcBSQk9
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) February 7, 2017
Carlo Ancelotti’s men faced Wolfsburg in their last game in the German Cup. The game ended 1-0 in the favor of the FCB thanks to the goal from Douglas Costa.
Bayern manager Carlo Ancelotti, after a difficult start to this season, finally seems to have steadied the boat, evident by their 11-game unbeaten run since their defeat against Rostov in Champions League. Furthermore, during this amazing run, Bayern has registered 10 wins. They have not conceded in five of those games, scoring an impressive 26 goals.
On the other hand, Ingolstadt has won just one out of their last four games. The Schanzers have failed to find the net in three of those games, and the tie against the Munich giants will be a mountain to climb for the rookies.
Philipp Lahm will retire as an all-time Bayern great.@ThomasHautmann: https://t.co/vYELo43LFh
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) February 8, 2017
Meanwhile, Bayern has been rocked by a surprise announcement of their captain, Philipp Lahm, that says he is going to retire at the end of the season. At 33, with still few more years of top class football with him, the retirement, first with German national team and now with his love of life, Bayern Munich, is a true loss for football, via the BBC Sport.
But a twist came later after Bayern released a statement which says they expected to make the announcement together in a seemingly angry response from the club, via the Independent.
“FC Bayern Munich is surprised by the approach of Philipp Lahm and his adviser.
“Until yesterday we assumed that there would be a joint announcement on this decision by Philipp Lahm and FC Bayern Munich.”
Although, the loss of the captain, the leader, and the legend will be a huge loss, Bayern fans got positive news this week after another Germany star, Mesut Ozil, was linked to the club. The playmaker, who plays for Arsenal, is stalling over a new deal, and it is likely that an offer from Bayern will be too difficult to refuse.
Interestingly, Germany legend Micheal Ballack even urged Ozil in public to leave Arsenal and sign with the FCB if he wants to win trophies, via Sky Sports. Many pundits have predicted that if Ozil were to leave Arsenal, Bayern will be his first choice.
Team News: Ingolstadt
Manager Maik Walpurgis will be without the services of midfielders Moritz Hartmann and Almog Cohen in the upcoming game. It will be interesting to behold how Walpurgis will set his lineup after the absence of his regular stars.
Upfront, Dario Lezcano and Lukas Hinterseer will fight to lead the line, while Romain Bregerie could play in defense for the Schangers.
Ingolstadt: Predicted Line-up (3-4-2-1)
Hansen – Matip, Roger, Bregerie – Hadergjonaj, Christiansen, Morales, Suttner – Gross, Jung – Lezcano
Team News: Bayern Munich
Bayern supremo Carlo Ancelotti may opt to rest Xabi Alonso, with the Champions League game against Arsenal in mind, and play Joshua Kimmich in the pivot role in his starting lineup.
In attacking midfield position, Thiago Alcantara and Thomas Muller will compete, although the Germany striker is likely to play as he didn’t participate in the win against Wolfsburg.
French winger Frank Ribery is injured, so he will not take part. In his place, Brazilian winger Douglas Costa is expected to be in the starting lineup despite being embroiled in a controversy this week after stating his future is uncertain with Bayern.
In attack, Robert Lewandowski should play as a target-man, supported by Arjen Robben and Costa from right and left wings respectively.
Bayern Munich: Predicted Line-up (4-4-1-1)
Neuer – Rafinha, Martinez, Hummels, Bernat – Kimmich, Vidal – Robben, Muller, Costa – Lewandowski
Head-to-Head results (H2H)
#FCBayern have good memories of playing in Ingolstadt… ? #MiaSanMia 4?? pic.twitter.com/vs6chEYjpB
— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) February 10, 2017
The two teams have met each other a total of five times before, and unsurprisingly Bayern came out top in their H2H battle.
- September 17, 2016 – Bayern 3 : 1 Ingolstadt (Bundesliga)
- May 7, 2016 – Ingolstadt 1 : 2 Bayern (Bundesliga)
- December 12, 2015 – Bayern 2-0 Ingolstadt (Bundesliga)
- October 27, 2010 – Bayern 6-0 Ingolstadt (German Cup)
- October 9, 2008 – Ingolstadt 1-0 Bayern (ICF)
TV Schedule and Channel
In the U.S., the match will be live on Fox Sports 1 USA, Fox Soccer 2GO USA, Fox Sports GO, and GOL TV USA. In the U.K., the game will not be live on TV. The match can be watched live streaming online through the link provided at the bottom of this page.
For other regions, the TV schedule of this Bundesliga match can be found in this link here.
Match Prediction
On paper, Bayern is huge favorite for this tie, and also to lift the Bundesliga title at the end of the season. They are also the form team of the league, while Ingolstadt has largely struggled to win games recently. Bayern will be charged to give a few stars some rest, but still their quality will be head-and-shoulders above the Schanzers.
Final Prediction: Ingolstadt 1-3 Bayern Munich
Betting Tips and Odds
- Ingolstadt win: 8-1
- A draw: 4-1
- Bayern Munich win: 1-3
- Under 2.5 goals: 6-5
- Over 2.5 goals: 8-13
- Both teams score: 10-11
- Both teams fail to score: 4-5
The Bayern vs. Ingolstadt odds were provided by Paddypower.
Key Stats to consider
- Bayern has come out on top in 11 of their last 13 outings in Bundesliga.
- Ingolstadt has kept a clean sheet in their last five games.
- Bayern has not tasted a defeat in their last 11 games in all competitions.
Ingolstadt vs. Bayern Munich: Live Stream
The match can be streamed live online by clicking at this link. The link will be updated just before kick-off.
[Featured Image by Adam Pretty/Bongarts/Getty Images]
