Korean Showdown in the Bundesliga: Kim Min-jae and Jung Woo-young Clash in Bayern Munich vs Union Berlin Thriller
Game Schedule: Saturday, November 2, 11:30 PM (Korean Time) / Allianz Arena
Expert Sports Prediction: 4 or more goals
On November 2nd at 11:30 PM (Korean time), FC Bayern Munich and FC Union Berlin will meet in the 9th round of the 2024-25 Bundesliga season. The match will be played at Bayern Munich’s home stadium, the Allianz Arena.
1. Munich aim for 3 straight wins… Kim Min-jae is likely to be selected.
First-placed Bayern Munich (6 wins, 2 draws, 20 points) is traveling the league under coach Vincent Kompany this season. They have recorded 6 wins in 8 league games, including 2 recent wins in a row, and are showing their might with 29 goals even though it’s only early in the season.
However, there is still something unsettled. They have only managed two draws against top-tier rivals Leverkusen and Frankfurt and have lost both of their Champions League (UCL) games against Aston Villa and Barcelona. This means we have to be competitive even against strong teams.
Nevertheless, after a 5-0 win over Bochum last week and a 4-0 win over Mainz in the Pokal midweek round of 32, it seems important for Munich to keep the momentum going.
Among the attacking players, the performances of Harry Kane and Jamal Musiala are noteworthy. Kane has scored 9 goals in 8 league games this season and Musiala has scored 4 goals in the last 2 official games, including a hat-trick in the previous Pokal match.
Meanwhile, Kim Min-jae could start as a starter in this home game as well. Kim Min-jae, who has been a starter in all games this season, played as a starter in the midweek Pokal game and helped the team win without conceding a goal. Additionally, the fact that Coach Kompany substituted Kim Min-jae after 58 minutes to conserve his stamina also strengthens his chances of being selected for this game.
2. ‘No win in 2 official games’ Union Berlin need to end goal drought
Union Berlin, fourth in the league (4 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss, 15 points), is also recording good results in the league under coach Bo Svensson, who took over this season. They have lost just one match in eight league games and have won three of their last five games.
However, with no wins in the last two official games, losing this game in Munich is likely to lead to a slump. Last week, they drew 1-1 with Frankfurt in the 8th round of the league and were eliminated in the round of 32 of the midweek Pokal after losing 0-2 to third division Arminia Bielefeld.
Jung Woo-young, who did not play in the previous Pokal game because he was left out of the squad, is likely to be selected for this game against Munich. Jung Woo-young is increasing his game time, playing over 60 minutes in the last 5 games, but his attack points still remain at 1 goal.
As Union Berlin suffer from a goal drought, scoring just 9 goals in 8 league games this season, Jung Woo-young’s performance in this ‘Korean derby’ seems even more important.
3. Predict the winner
Considering that Bayern Munich have scored three or more goals in seven of their last nine league games, expect multiple goals in this match as well.