After three rounds of action in the 2015/2016 Bundesliga, there is already a growing gap between the top sides and those that will likely struggle to stay afloat in the top tier this season. Not surprisingly, a handful of these teams so far have yet to drop any points, and even more predictably, reigning champions Bayern Munich are one of two squads with a perfect 100 per cent win record. And fortunately perhaps for Saturday's hosts, they will be welcoming Augsburg, a side who are already floundering for the first official Bavarian Derby of this season.
Bayern Munich
Die Roten, who are only behind Borussia Dortmund on goal difference, will be seeking to not just defend their domestic title but also to break a slew of records this campaign. With 24 league titles, the Bavarian giants are the most decorated side in German football, and Pep Guardiola's men would love to make it 25 this upcoming May. Should they do so, they will become the first German side to successfully win four consecutive league championships. In addition, as things stand, they could also complete this season sans suffering a single defeat - which has been done in Italy and England but not yet in Germany.
Still, the season is still young, and May is quite some time away, and first, they will hope to make it four wins in four as they clash with Augsburg at the Allianz Arena. Interestingly, it is this very same side that pulled off a shock upset at Bayern's home ground last season, and were just one of two teams - the other being Borussia Mönchengladbach - to depart with all three points in hand.
As such, Guardiola's troops will be gunning for revenge, and are naturally viewed as the huge favorites to draw first blood in Saturday's Bavarian derby. The Spanish tactician will have to do without the services of Arjen Robben, who has suffered yet another injury setback and is set to miss about four weeks of action, as well as Franck Ribery, Medhi Benatia, and long-term absentee Holger Badstuber.
Since their opponents won promotion to the top flight back in 2011, Bayern have won six out of their eight meetings across all competitions, scoring 20 and conceding just two in the process. Still, Augsburg has represented a thorn in their side as of late - despite it having no impact on them winning the league title - and Guardiola will be keen on making sure that his team's win record remains intact. With Thomas Müller in blistering form for both club and country with five league goals so far, the visitors certainly look set to be in for a tough afternoon at the Allianz Arena.
Augsburg
Last season saw Augsburg finish in fifth - an impressive accomplishment for a team that has only been playing in the upper tier since 2011. This term, however, has not been so kind for the Bavarian side, who have yet to win a match and have earned just one point from their first three matches. Still, despite their woes so far, the team does have something to boast about. Current manager Markus Weinzierl is, to date, the only tactician to have successfully defeated Guardiola twice in the league, having done so by 1-0 results in April 2014 and May 2015.
In addition, the visitors have no injury concerns ahead of the game - a crucial fact given the massive task they have at hand. So far, they have won two of their last three matches against their highly esteemed Bavarian counterparts, meaning that indeed anything is possible on Saturday afternoon.
Will Bayern make it four wins in four? Or will Augsburg again manage to frustrate Guardiola's troops at home for the second straight season?
Make sure you don't miss out on what looks to be an interesting Bavarian Derby by bookmarking LiveSoccerTV's special Bayern Munich vs. Augsburg page for specific viewing info and times for your current location.
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