Bayern Munich vs Hoffenheim predictions: Bavarians can come back with a bang – LiveScore

As the season’s halfway point approaches, an intriguing title tussle is unfolding in the German Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen the surprise leaders but Bayern Munich are snapping at their heels with a game in hand.

The Bavarians play their first competitive fixture on Friday night and it could be a testing one as they welcome Hoffenheim to the Allianz Arena.

The visitors are in the hunt for European football this season but will be hoping for an improvement after finishing 2023 with a defeat to Leipzig and draw with Darmstadt.

Bayern Munich have lost both Noussair Mazraoui and Kim Min-Jae to the Africa Cup of Nations and Asian Cup respectively, while Serge Gnabry, Bouna Sarr, Gabriel Marusic, Daniel Peretz and Tarek Buchmann are all sidelined.

Hoffenheim’s Diadie Samassekou is on AFCON duty with Mali but they welcome back Dennis Geiger in midfield.

Bayern Munich are on a run of eight wins in their last nine games in the Bundesliga.

Hoffenheim have scored in each of their last ten away games in the Bundesliga, last failing to score on the road in the league in April last year.

Bayern Munich’s league fixtures have averaged 3.82 goals per game this season.

The Bavarians have the league’s top scorer in their ranks in Harry Kane, who has scored 21 times in 15 league fixtures.

All the talk has been about Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga this season but Bayern Munich have not done a lot wrong and are still in an excellent position to land their 12th successive top-flight title.

Their only defeat in the league this term was an anomalous 5-1 hammering away to Eintracht Frankfurt but that was the sole match in their last nine which they failed to win.

Harry Kane has been everything Bayern Munich wanted and more, striking 21 times in only 15 matches, and they can start 2024 on the front foot by beating Hoffenheim.

That said, the away side could be problematic, having last failed to score away from home in the league against Leipzig in April last year.

Their tally of 32 league goals is more than Borussia Dortmund (30) and Eintracht Frankfurt (26) and they are worth a bet to get on the scoresheet in defeat with both teams having scored in their last seven games.

Win up to £250,000 with our free-to-play game, LiveScore 6!