Bielefeld earned a 3-3 draw when the clubs met in Munich
last February and have picked up four points from their last two league games.
Yet even with a host of stars sidelined, Bayern head coach
Julian Nageslmann still has plenty of talent available against
second-from-bottom Bielefeld.
“We are concentrating on the players who are there — the
four World Cup winners and nine Champions League winners,” Bielefeld coach
Frank Kramer quipped drily.
Bayern are missing midfielder Joshua Kimmich and back-up
striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, who also miss next weekend’s clash at
second-placed Dortmund after both tested positive for Covid-19.
Midfielders Michael Cuisance, Serge Gabry and Jamal Musiala
are also quarantining at home as contact cases, but defenders Niklas Suele and
Josip Stanisic returned to training on Wednesday after previously testing
positive.
A shock defeat at Augsburg trimmed Bayern’s lead in the
table to just a single point ahead of Dortmund.
Record numbers of coronavirus cases in Germany this week
means a tightening of hygiene rules at Bundesliga stadiums.
Bayern’s Allianz Arena will be at 25 percent capacity — up
to 18,745 — on Saturday.
There will be reduced capacity at all grounds, apart from RB
Leipzig, who must play behind closed doors against Leverkusen on Sunday due to
restrictions in Saxony.
A crowd of 13,000 is expected at Wolfsburg, who host a
Dortmund side licking their wounds after their mid-week Champions League exit.
A 3-1 loss at Sporting Lisbon was Dortmund’s third straight
European defeat, blocking their route to the knock-out stages and consigning
them to the Europa League.
Failing to reach the Champions League’s last 16 will cost
Dortmund around 9.5 million euros ($11 million).
“It’s not only a setback financially, but it also hurts from
a sporting perspective and image,” said sports director Michael Zorc.
Dortmund still have star forward Erling Braut Haaland
sidelined by a hip injury, but hope Youssoufa Moukoko, 17, can return after
missing nine of their last ten games with knocks.
Belgium winger Thorgan Hazard is out after testing positive
for Covid last Monday.
Fresh from thrashing Brugge 5-0 in the Champions League, RB
Leipzig can break into the top six with a home win Sunday against fourth-placed
Leverkusen.
Leipzig are missing Spanish playmaker Dani Olmo, 23, who
tore a thigh muscle last weekend, a latest injury setback for the Spain
midfielder who has been blighted by knocks since playing in both this summer’s
Euro 2020 finals and Tokyo Olympics.
Leizpig’s erratic form this season has not affected the
24-year-old whose 13 goals and 11 assists means he must soon be knocking on the
door of selection for France.
Usually a winger, Nkunku, 24, shone with two goals and an
assist in the thrashing of Brugge after moving across to attacking midfield.