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Cheers to Oktoberfest as Bremen hopes to capitalize on Bayern hangover in Bundesliga

BERLIN (AP) — Bayern Munich will be hoping Oktoberfest doesn’t upset its record start to the Bundesliga when Werder Bremen visits.

The 190th edition of the beer-filled festival started last weekend in Munich and Friday’s match will be Bayern’s only one at home before the celebrations end on Oct. 5.

Vincent Kompany’s side will play in special Oktoberfest-themed kits for the occasion but the coach will be wary of the club’s traditional drop in performance during the festivities. Bayern has only a 64% winning rate at home during Oktoberfest when it usually wins 76% of its home games in the Bundesliga.

Bremen defeated Bayern 5-2 in Munich during the 2008 Oktoberfest and Bayern has won only five of its last 11 games at home during the festival. Bayern also scores fewer goals and concedes more during Oktoberfest.

Having said that, Bayern’s 12 points with a goal difference of 15-plus is a record after four rounds.

Key matchups

Bayern’s potential Oktoberfest hangover offers a glimmer of hope for unpredictable Bremen. Horst Steffen’s team lost at home to Freiburg 3-0 last weekend after winning at Borussia Mönchengladbach 4-0 the week before.

Unbeaten Borussia Dortmund visits Mainz on Saturday buoyed by Germany defender Niko Schlotterbeck’s return from injury and a new-found resilience under coach Niko Kovač. Dortmund won its last three Bundesliga games without conceding a goal.

Transformed after a coaching change, Gladbach hosts Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday when the visitors will want to atone for a surprising 4-3 loss at home to Union Berlin last weekend. Gladbach produced an encouraging performance under interim coach Eugen Polanski to draw at Bayer Leverkusen 1-1 last weekend.

Players to watch

Harry Kane can’t stop scoring and is unlikely to be put off by Oktoberfest celebrations. The England forward already has eight goals in four Bundesliga games.

Compatriot Jobe Bellingham hasn’t played as much as he would have liked since switching to older brother’s Jude former club — just 41% of the possible playing time for Dortmund so far. He only made a late entrance against Wolfsburg last weekend. Despite pressure to play him, Kovač has appealed for patience, saying 20-year-old Jobe needs time to adjust from the English second division after switching from Sunderland in the summer.

Christian Eriksen could see more playing time as Wolfsburg entertains Leipzig on Saturday. The Denmark playmaker made his Wolfsburg debut against Dortmund. “My son tells me I’m not very good, but I just tell him to wait and see,” the 33-year-old Eriksen told the German soccer league (DFL) in an interview.

Union Berlin’s forward trio of Oliver Burke, Ilyas Ansah and Andrej Ilić ran riot in Frankfurt and will relish taking on promoted Hamburger SV at home on Sunday.

Who’s out

Nathan Tella is a doubt for Leverkusen at St. Pauli on Saturday because of a left knee injury that forced him to sit out the draws at Copenhagen in the Champions League and then Gladbach.

Bayern’s list of absentees was lengthened by reserve goalkeeper Jonas Urbig, who tore an adductor muscle during training this week. Defender Kim Min-jae went off with a calf injury against Hoffenheim but could play on Friday if training goes well, Kompany said on Thursday.

Bayern was already without injured defenders Josip Stanišić, Raphaël Guerreiro, Alphonso Davies and Hiroki Ito. Star player Jamal Musiala is out to the end of the year after breaking his leg at the Club World Cup.

Off the field

Former Germany coach Joachim “Jogi” Löw thinks a 64-team World Cup in 2030 is a very bad idea, saying 48 teams at the World Cup next year is already too many and will lead to a drop in competitive matches.

“I heard that FIFA was talking about it and pushing ahead with the plans half a year ago. I find it totally over the top,” Löw told TV channel Nitro on Wednesday. “Forty-eight teams is a already a loss in quality, without wishing to offend the smaller teams. A World Cup, a European Championship thrives on high quality games, that’s what people want to see.”

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

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