Bayern head to Bochum: ‘Be dominant and get the results'

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FC Bayern München

·26 October 2024

Bayern head to Bochum: ‘Be dominant and get the results'

FC Bayern round off a busy week of football with a trip to VfL Bochum on Sunday (kick-off at 15.30 CET, live coverage with our text commentary and free web radio on fcbayern.com and in the FC Bayern app). After the 4-0 win over VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga and the 4-1 defeat at Barcelona in the Champions League, they'll now be looking to end it on a high by picking up all three points againt the side who are bottom of the table. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our preview.

Check out the photos from the final training session on Saturday:

OneFootball Videos

Final training session before heading to Bochum

The best images from FC Bayern's final training session on Saturday ahead of the Bundesliga clash at VfL Bochum.

The situation for FC Bayern

Vincent Kompany announced straight after the midweek defeat at the current best Spanish side in the Champions league that he would analyse the game in Barcelona so he could learn from it and improve. He and his team have now drawn the right conclusions to get back on the road to success in Bochum. They let control slip against Barça, the Belgian explained in the press conference on Saturday and demanded: "We have to continue to be dominant, then we'll get the results." Sporting director Christoph Freund agreed: "If the team stick to the match plan that Vincent has worked out with them, that's the key to success."

Especially as the men from Munich, despite not getting off to the best possible start in the Champions League with three points from their first three games, are still looking very strong in the Bundesliga. Heading into Matchday 8, FCB are top of the table with 17 points ahead of Leipzig, who are level on points. ‘We won our last game in the Bundesliga and we want to build on that,’ said Kompany, stressing just over 24 hours before kick-off: "The game after Barcelona is very important for us, we would have loved to have played it today!"

The key statements from the press conference ahead of the game in Bochum:

Kompany ahead of Bochum: Heading into the week with a fit team

The opposition: VfL Bochum

Just one point from the first seven games and 18th place in the table - VfL Bochum took the decision to part company with head coach Peter Zeidler during the week. Now the task of turning things around falls to his two former assistant coaches Markus Feldhoff and Murat Ural, who will take over as interim coaches in the dugout. The Bochum side proved themselves in the past two seasons that it's not necessarily impossible. The club from the Ruhr also got off to a bad start and was still winless at this point in the season, but managed to avoid the drop on both occasions.

Feldhoff, a former Bundesliga player, described the initial measures he has taken to lead the team out of the relegation zone since taking over his post, holding lots of discussions and covering all areas in training, such as tackling, playing against the ball and playing in possession. "Everyone will be able to leave all the fuss behind and just look forward to the game," said the 50-year-old: "I think we all agree that this is the game of the year." According to Feldhoff, FC Bayern are the 'non plus ultra' in Germany and it's fantastic to be able to prove yourself and compete with these teams in the league."

Take a look at the facts on the clash with Bochum:

Facts ahead of Bochum vs. Bayern in the Bundesliga

Team news for Bochum vs. FC Bayern

Despite the exertions of the Champions League during the week, Kompany revealed that the team would be ‘fit and ready’ for the upcoming challenges. Long-term injurees Hiroki Ito (broken metatarsal), Josip Stanišić (torn collateral ligament in his right knee), Sacha Boey (torn meniscus) and Aleksandar Pavlović (broken collarbone) have not been joined by any new casualties.

In addition to long-term injurees Bernado (medial meniscus injury), Bochum will also be without Matúš Bero (knee problem). According to Feldhoff, Myron Boadu (hip problem) will also not be available.

What the coaches say

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Sydney Lohmann has had to pull out of Germany's friendly with Australia on Monday:

Sydney Lohmann forced to withdraw from Germany squad