Nurnberg vs Bayern Munich Predictions

In seasons gone by, Bayern would be home and hosed at this point, though there is still lots of work to be done if they want to be crowned Bundesliga champions for the seventh season in a row.  As things stand, they’re just a point clear at the top, but having won each of their last five in all competitions, Niko Kovač’s men will be feeling confident ahead of facing a Nurnberg side that is heading back to the second division.

Nurnberg are heading back to the second division, there’s no two ways about that, and overall, their relegation is deserved, although that doesn’t mean that Der Club have been terrible every time that they’ve stepped out onto the pitch this season. They were beaten somewhat comfortably by Leverkusen last time out, but they managed to go three games without tasting defeat prior to that, while they’re currently unbeaten in two at this venue.

In fact, on their own patch, Nurnberg have looked like a reasonably useful side of late. They were the better team when drawing 1-1 with Schalke recently, while they offered an excellent amount both in terms of defensive solidity and attacking end-product when beating Augsburg by three goals to nil prior to that. Their task against Bayern on Sunday is an enormous one, but they should take plenty of confidence from their last couple of performances at this venue.

In terms of overall quality, Bayern have had too much for their opponents in each of their last four on the road, but they’ve not been infallible during that time. Freiburg held them to a draw, scoring in the process, while Augsburg pushed the current league leaders very hard.

From an attacking point of view, there’s been little stopping Niko Kovač’s men in recent times, even on their travels. They’ve scored 14 goals in their last five on the road, though they’ve only won three of those, while they’re without a clean sheet during that time, shipping a total of eight goals. It’s fair to say that for all their quality and attacking power, Bayern are not all that strong defensively, so there is some hope for Sunday’s lowly hosts.

As the league table and just about every stat category suggests, Bayern are by far a better side than Nurnberg, so much so that it would be a huge surprise if the visitors were to avoid winning on Sunday. That said, the recent away-day efforts of Sunday’s travelling side make ‘Over 2.5 Goals & Both Teams to Score’ look slightly over-priced.

Bayern have conceded at least once in each of their last six on the road, while Nurnberg have improved offensively at home in recent weeks. Bayern have the quality to score multiple goals at Max-Morlock-Stadion but don’t be surprised if they fail to keep a clean sheet, which is something that they’ve often done on their travels.