Preview: Greuther Furth vs. Bayern Munich - prediction, team news, lineups

Bayern Munich will be looking to make it eight straight victories in all competitions when they continue their Bundesliga campaign away to an out-of-form Greuther Furth on Friday night.

The German champions - top of the division - will enter the contest off the back of a 7-0 win over Bochum, while 18th-placed Greuther suffered a 2-1 defeat to Hertha Berlin last time out.

Match preview

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Greuther secured a return to the top flight of German football by finishing second in the 2. Bundesliga last term, with a total of 64 points from 34 matches seeing them claim the runners-up spot in the league behind Bochum.

Stefan Leitl's side are operating at this level for the first time since 2012-13, when they finished bottom of the table, claiming just 21 points from their 34 matches, and it does appear that it will be another tough campaign for the club, who sit 18th in the division after five games.

Greuther opened their season with a 5-1 defeat at Stuttgart before claiming a point at home to Arminia Bielefeld on August 21, but they have suffered three defeats since.

Indeed, the promoted side entered the international break off the back of a 3-0 defeat at Mainz and have lost 2-0 to Wolfsburg and 2-1 to Hertha in their last two games.

Greuther will not be judged by their results against the bigger sides this season, and it is difficult to imagine them causing Bayern any serious issues on Friday, but Leitl's outfit must find a way to beat the teams around them in order to avoid returning to the second tier of German football.

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Bayern, on the other hand, have been in irresistible form of late, winning each of their last seven matches in all competitions, including a 7-0 home victory over Bochum in the Bundesliga on September 18.

Julian Nagelsmann's side recorded a thumping 12-0 win over Bremer SV in the German Cup towards the end of August and also started their Champions League group-stage campaign with a 3-0 success against Barcelona.

In the Bundesliga, Bayern have won four and drawn one of their five matches this season to sit top of the table with 13 points and beat RB Leipzig 4-1 after the international break before putting seven unanswered goals past Bochum in the league last time out.

The German champions have already scored 20 times in their five league matches this term, and although it is very early in the campaign, it seems unlikely that they will be denied a 32nd German league title this term.

The likes of Borussia Dortmund will be desperate to stay in touch in the opening weeks of the campaign, but Bayern will be confident of winning their next two against Greuther and Eintracht Frankfurt before facing a difficult clash away to Bayer Leverkusen after the next international break.

Team News

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Greuther will again be without the services of Gideon Jung, Robin Kehr and Jessic Ngankam for Friday's contest with the league leaders and reigning champions.

Head coach Leitl will have been pleased with his team's performance in their 2-1 loss at Hertha last time out, so it would not be a surprise to see the same XI take to the field for the first whistle.

Branimir Hrgota was on the scoresheet in the defeat at Hertha and should again be joined in the final third by Cedric Itten, while Havard Nielsen should retain his position on the right.

As for Bayern, Sven Ulreich, Jamal Musiala, Kingsley Coman and Corentin Tolisso will all be unavailable for selection against the promoted club, while Serge Gnabry is a doubt through illness.

Benjamin Pavard could take Josip Stanisic's spot at right-back, while Marcel Sabitzer is in line to replace Gnabry, but it might otherwise be the same side that took to the field for the clash with Bochum.

Leroy Sane should again operate on the left, with Thomas Muller operating just behind Robert Lewandowski, who has scored 11 times in seven appearances at club level this term.

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting will come into Nagelsmann's thinking in terms of a start, but the head coach is expected to resist the temptation to shuffle his pack on Friday.

Greuther Furth possible starting lineup:
Burchert; Meyerhofer, Bauer, Viergever, Willems; Nielsen, Seguin, Griesbeck, Dudziak; Hrgota, Itten

Bayern Munich possible starting lineup:
Neuer; Pavard, Sule, Hernandez, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Sabitzer, Muller, Sane; Lewandowski

We say: Greuther Furth 0-3 Bayern Munich

Greuther are capable of causing Bayern issues, but we are finding it difficult to predict anything other than an away success here. The reigning champions have an abundance of quality going forward and should have far too much for their opponents, who have found it difficult in the early stages of the season.