An ancient rivalry will be renewed this weekend, as Bayern Munich host Hamburger in the third round of the Bundesliga. HSV's fans have every right to be worried, given the not-so-recent history between the two teams.
The defending champions already look unbeatable after four games played across the different domestic competitions. The Bavarians are unbeaten and have already scored 14 goals in four games. The only negative has been their defensive work, as they conceded two goals in back-to-back games and against teams that shouldn't normally be able to score twice.
But conceding goals is not such a major problem when you have one of the best attacks in the world and you can outscore every opponent. Given the history between these sides, fans expect a heavy trashing, and especially since Vincent Kompany spent two years at Hamburger back in the day, and will be looking forward to this game.
The Red Shorts finally returned to the Bundesliga after six failed attempts, but their return hasn't exactly been a happy one so far. Hamburger won a point in the opening round after an uneventful 0-0 with Monchengladbach, then surprisingly lost to St Pauli at home a week later. Keep in mind that HSV's manager, Merlin Polzi,n is 34 years old and still a work in progress, as this is his first official job as a main manager.
How the bookies view it: The gap is extreme
It is almost pointless to discuss the odds unless you plan to chase the extreme odds for Hamburger. Bayern Munich are available at 1/20, making all bets completely useless, while Hamburger are available at 25/1. Even a draw seems like a hopeless choice here, but you can pick it at 11/1.
Recent head to head: Only extreme results
If we go back 50 years, Hamburger were one of Bayern's fiercest rivals. But the recent history paints a completely different picture, with the Bavarians winning nine of the last 10 H2Hs. The Red Shorts last beat Bayern in 2011. The scorelines from the most recent meetings are what matter most, and we've seen some extreme margins. The last five matches at the Allianz Arena saw a combined 30 goals for Bayern Munich, including two 8-0 wins, a 6-0, a 5-0, and a 3-1.
Players to watch: Olise is a world-class player
While Harry Kane is the obvious pick whenever Bayern Munich play at home, his odds are practically pointless, too. And to be fair, you can really pick anyone from Bayern's midfield or front three and you will not be wrong. In our opinion, you should opt for Michael Olise.
The 23-year-old finished the previous campaign with 36 goal contributions across the different competitions, and his form hasn't changed one bit either. Olise scored in Bayern's last three games and was also active in the international break, helping France beat Ukraine.
Probable line-ups
Bayern Munich: Neuer, Stanisic, Tah, Upamecano, Laimer, Goretzka, Kimmich, Olise, Diaz, Gnabry, Kane
Hamburger: Fernandes, Vuskovic, Elfadli, Omari, Muheim, Capaldo, Remberg, Mikelbrencis, Vieira, Dompe, Konigsdorffer
Anything else catch the eye?
While Bayern Munich had some problems in the three away games to date, conceding goals on every occasion, playing at the Allianz Arena is a whole different story. And like everyone else, we expect them to demolish Hamburger just like they did with RB Leipzig (6-0).
While we can never be 100% sure about a 5-0, 6-0, or any similarly extreme prediction, we just know that Bayern will send Hamburger back home with a handful of goals. And we can't imagine the visitors finding the net even once, so the safest-sounding option is to bet on a clean sheet.
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