Bayern Munich vs Hoffenheim: Bayern win with under 5.5 goals

The Bundesliga returns to action this weekend with TSG Hoffenheim taking on Thomas Tuchel's Bayern Munich in a crucial encounter at the Allianz Arena on Saturday. TSG Hoffenheim is now 14th in the Bundesliga rankings and has not played well this season. Last week, the away team overcame FC Schalke 04 2-0 and will need to fight hard to obtain a similar outcome in this encounter.

Bayern Munich, on the other side, is now top of the league standings but has been inconsistent this season. The Bavarian giants were defeated 3-0 by Manchester City in their previous encounter and will need to rebound back this weekend. The hosts are two points ahead of Borussia Dortmund at the top of the table, while Hoffenheim is five points clear of relegation danger. 

Bayern Munich is the favorite and we expect goals less than 5.5.

Following a humiliating setback in the UEFA Champions League, Bayern Munich will want to respond in the Bundesliga against Hoffenheim. Bayern leads the Bundesliga tale by two points and will be looking for three points against Hoffenheim, who are five points above the relegation zone. Bayern Munich has had a difficult few years. Apart from losing three of their past five games, Liverpool was forced to ban Sadio Mane following a reported altercation with Leroy Sane following their 3-0 loss to Manchester City. This defeat puts the Bavarians at risk of being eliminated from the Champions League, following their previous elimination from the German Cup. That means they must at the very least preserve their league lead since this is their best shot at silverware.

The reigning champions, who are aiming to win the Bundesliga title for the 11th consecutive season, moved back above BVB at the top of the table earlier this month when they defeated Edin Terzic's side 4-2 in the latest edition of Der Klassiker, which was Tuchel's first match in charge after replacing Julian Nagelsmann during the recent international break.

Last time out in the league, Matthijs de Ligt's powerful strike gave the Bavarians a gritty 1-0 win away to Champions League qualifying hopes Freiburg, with Dortmund keeping up the pressure by defeating Union Berlin 2-1.

Bayern Munich's possible starting lineup:

Goalkeeper: Neuer; 

Defenders: Cancelo, Pavard, Upamecano, Davies; 

Midfielders: Kimmich, Musiala, Muller; 

Strikers: Coman, Gnabry, Sane

After losing 14 straight league games and falling to the bottom of the table last month, Hoffenheim has alleviated their relegation worries by winning three consecutive games in recent weeks. The former VfB Stuttgart coach Pellegrino finally implemented the type of game that made him such a popular figure at Stuttgart, with crucial home triumphs against relegation rivals Hertha Berlin and Schalke 04 sandwiching a stunning 2-1 away win to Werder Bremen.

Hoffenheim is climbing out of the relegation zone and will be revIved for this encounter.  A win today may propel Hoffenheim to 12th place, and while they want three points, a tightening up in defense will be critical, since they have only one clean sheet in five games. Hoffenheim has only failed to score in one of their past five games, and both teams have scored in three of their last four. Away from home, things haven't gone so smoothly, with only one win in the previous nine encounters. In seven of the nine road games, both sides scored.

Hoffenheim's possible starting lineup:

Goalkeeper: Baumann; 

Defenders: Vogt, Brooks, Akpoguma; 

Midfielders: Kaderabek, Geiger, Becker, Angelino; 

Strikers: Kramaric, Baumgartner; Bebou

Bayern Munich struggled against Manchester City this week and now faces a slew of challenges. The Bavarians have been inconsistent this season and will need to make a statement this weekend. Bayern must have wished they were playing Hoffenheim this time last month when their opponents had only two points from 14 games dating back to a 2-0 loss to the Bavarians in October.

While Matarazzo's improved form makes them a difficult opponent, Tuchel's side should have more than enough talent to keep them at bay for the most part and remain top of the table with a victory. TSG Hoffenheim may put on a show on occasion, but they have yet to find their groove this season. 

On paper, Bayern Munich is the superior squad and should be able to win this game. Potential scoreline includes 3-1, 4-1, or 3-0. A couple of combinations can be extracted from this.

Below are the expert's bets to consider. 

• W1 and under 5.5 goals for 1.65 odds (1xbet);
• BTTS for 1.68 odds (Coinplay);
• Over 9 corners for 1.90 odds (Bet365);