Twenty-one rounds of the 2022-23 German Bundesliga have passed, and the top three teams are on level points. Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and Union Berlin each have 43 points right now. Thirteen more rounds are left, but all of these teams have no room for complacency.

In fact, Sunday’s game between Bayern Munich vs Union Berlin could prove crucial for them later on. This is why we expect both teams to give their utmost, which, in turn, will lead to 90+ minutes of absolute joy for soccer fans.

Bayern Munich vs Union Berlin Odds

*Odds taken from bet365 on Friday, February 24, 2023.

When, Where, and How to Watch?

• Place: Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany
• Date: Sunday, February 26, 2023
• Time: 11:30 AM ET
• How to Watch: ESPN+

Bayern Munich Missing Several Key Men

The reason why Bayern Munich are sitting top of the Bundesliga table despite having the same number of points as Borussia Dortmund and Union Berlin is that the reigning champions have a superior score differential.  

Julien Nagelsmann’s men are the highest-scoring bunch in the league, with 61 goals scored in 21 games. They also have the best defense in the Bundesliga, with only 21 goals conceded thus far. What needs to worry them is that one-third of the goals they allowed this season happened in their last five games. A possible explanation for this is that they’ve been having some injury problems at the back.

First of all, their long-serving goalie Manuel Neuer is out for the season (or possibly forever) with a broken leg. Bayern signed Yann Sommer as his replacement, who’s been doing an okay job, although not as impressive as Neuer.

Sommer would probably be even better if Bayern weren’t missing a few important defenders, including Lucas Hernandez (knee) and Noussair Mazraoui (heart). In addition to those two, Bayern will also miss Dayot Upamecano on Sunday, who’s suspended for getting a red card in Bayern’s last Bundesliga game (a 3-2 loss to Borussia Monchengladbach).

Union Berlin are a Force to Be Reckoned With

It was the year 2019 when Union Berlin were promoted to the Bundesliga for the first time in the club’s history. Four years later, they’re sitting in the No. 3 position in the league and have made it to the Top 16 of the UEFA Europa League. 

So, what’s going on with this team? Unlike soccer powerhouses from other parts of Europe, Union Berlin isn’t owned by a billionaire or a multinational company. Instead, the club is owned by fans. Speaking of Union Berlin supporters, they’re famous as the most passionate, as well as the most creative bunch in Germany. That said, we can say for certain that they’re going to follow their boys to Munich on Sunday.

Union Berlin will have their fans to cheer them on, but do they have the player quality to win point(s) against mighty Bayern? Well, they’re still without a single win over this opponent in history, but they did hold Bayern to a 1-1 draw the last time they met.

Bayern Munich vs Union Berlin Prediction

Bayern Munich is the best team in Germany, and anything but a home win on Sunday would be a huge surprise. This, however, doesn’t mean they will blow out Union Berlin. On the contrary, we expect to see a real battle on the pitch of Allianz Arena.

Picks:

• Bayern Munich to win
• Over 2.5 goals
• Union Berlin +1.5