Borussia Monchengladbach vs Bayern Munich: Watch Live, Team News, Betting Tips, Prediction

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FC Bayern could become the first team in the top European leagues to be champions for a tenth time in succession. The title defence begins on Friday, 13 August, with the opening match at Borussia Mönchengladbach (20:30 CEST).

Borussia Mönchengladbach and Bayern Munich enjoyed one of the Bundesliga's defining rivalries, sharing the Meisterschale in nine consecutive seasons during the 1970s. And while it may have been 41 years since the Foals last lifted the title, they will be keen to hit the ground running under Adi Hütter at Borussia-Park on 13 August.

Head to head

When Bayern and Gladbach joined the Bundesliga in 1965, few might have predicted the impact they would have over the course of the following 10-15 years. Under former Yugoslavia midfielder Zlatko Cajkovski, Bayern finished third in their first campaign and won the DFB Cup, which led to a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup triumph the following year – the first of many trophies to fill their trophy room.

Cajkovski built his team around the remarkable 'golden trio' of goalkeeper Sepp Maier, sweeper Franz Beckenbauer and centre-forward Gerd Müller – although it was his old Yugoslavia teammate, Branko Zebec, who guided the Bavarians to their maiden Bundesliga crown in 1968/69.

It didn't take long for Gladbach to grab their share of the limelight, though. Under the guidance of the legendary Hennes Weisweiler – who was responsible for training coaches at the German Sports University in Cologne, and later gave his name to the national coaching centre – they scooped their first Bundesliga title in 1969/70. It was the prelude to a decade that belonged, almost in equal measures, to Gladbach and Bayern.

The two teams continued to spur each other on to ever greater heights. Müller inspired Bayern to the 1972 title with an eye-watering tally of 40 goals – which was the Bundesliga's single-season record up until May, when Robert Lewandowski bettered it by one – and followed that up with hauls of 36 and 30 as the Bavarians won three championships in a row, another unprecedented feat.

Naturally, their domestic success soon spilled over into Europe. Several months before the 1974 FIFA World Cup, Bayern were crowned European champions after defeating Atletico Madrid 4-0 in the final replay, having required a 120th-minute equaliser from defender Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck in the original showpiece – considered by some as the most important goal in the club's history. They would go on to win the continent's top prize again in 1975 and 1976 at the expense of Leeds United and Saint-Etienne.

Although Gladbach seized the Bundesliga crown back from Bayern in three consecutive seasons from 1975 to 1977, they could never quite match their rivals on the European scene. They reached the final of the 1977 European Cup but went down 3-1 to Liverpool in Rome. On the other hand, they did strike gold in the UEFA Cup in 1975 and 1979.

Bayern's 7-1 win at Gladbach in 1979 – the biggest margin of victory in this fixture – signalled the end of their duopoly. While Bayern continued to enjoy unparalleled success throughout the 1980s and beyond, Gladbach could never quite recapture the magic of their glory days. They narrowly missed out on the title in 1984 – finishing third behind VfB Stuttgart on goal difference – and their only domestic trophy of the past four decades has been the DFB Cup in 1995.

Yet while the modern-day rivalry between the two clubs has lost a little of its spark, Gladbach boast one of the better recent records against Bayern. Though they have not prevented the record champions from winning the last nine Bundesliga titles – taking their haul to a staggering 30 – the Foals have often proved a thorn in the Bavarians' side, claiming eight wins at the expense of their old foes since the start of the 2011/12 campaign, including a 3-2 triumph in January.

That is a result they will be looking to repeat again on opening night 2021/22, and if five goals are distributed in such a way, it would make for a spectacular start to the new Bundesliga season.

Team News

Bayern's stalwarts such as Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Muller, Lucas Hernandez, Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich are still recovering from their Euros exploits, but Serge Gnabry has now reported back for pre-season training.

A plethora of talented youngsters are taking advantage of the seniors' absence in pre-season, with the likes of Bouna Sarr and Omar Richards earning plaudits for their summer performances.

Nagelsmann will once again make sure that almost all of his contingent enjoy some minutes this week, while the likes of Jamie Lawrence and Bright Arrey-Mbi will be pushing for starting berths.

Monchengladbach's injury woes continue to pile up, as Alassane Plea's half-time change against Metz was due to a knee problem, while Breel Embolo, Ramy Bensebaini and Kouadio Kone keep the Frenchman company in the treatment room.

However, attacking veteran Lars Stindl could overcome a ligament injury in time to face Groningen, but this game will also come too soon for the Monchengladbach captain.

The visitors' Swiss Euros stars Yann Sommer, Nico Elvedi and Denis Zakaria are enjoying extended breaks following their summer exertions, but the latter is confirmed to be seeking a move away from the club.

Bayern Munich possible starting lineup:

Hoffmann; Stanisic, Upamecano, Arrey-Mbi, Richards; Booth, Rhein; Scott, Sieb, Choupo-Moting; Zirkzee

Borussia Monchengladbach possible starting lineup:

Kersken; Lainer, Beyer, Jantschke; Scally, Kramer, Reitz, Benes; Hermann, Noss, Bennetts

RELATED: Bundesliga Opening Day: Date & Time, Full Fixtures, TV Channels, Live Stream

Prediction

Bayern Munich 1-1 Borussia Monchengladbach

Monchengladbach have often followed up a defeat against Bayern by successfully gaining revenge the next time around, and several of Hutter's starlets will have no better opportunity to prove themselves this week.

With Nagelsmann's side still having to make do without the bulk of their title-winning side from last season, we expect the 34-year-old's wait for a maiden win to continue here.

How to watch Borussia Monchengladbach vs Bayern Munich

Never streamed with a VPN before? It’s actually pretty straightforward, just follow the simple steps below.

Here’s how to watch Bundesliga live online from abroad:

First, sign up for a suitable VPN service. We recommend ExpressVPN but you might also want to consider NordVPN and Surfshark, two excellent low-cost alternatives.

Download and install the VPN software, making sure to get the right version for your operating system.

Decide which of the sources below you’d like to use.

Connect to one of your VPN’s servers in the correct location. For instance, you’d use a US server for FOX Sports or a UK one for BT Sport.

Try loading video from your chosen source. It should load almost immediately, without displaying any errors.

Where to Watch All Bundesliga Matches Online in USA

Some of the world’s best soccer teams play in the Bundesliga, so it’s no surprise that there’s a huge amount of international interest. Luckily, live matches will be broadcast in more than 70 different countries, meaning there’s a good chance you’ll be able to find a suitable local source. Take a look at the country-specific guides below to find out where you can follow all the action live.

ESPN has the rights to the Bundesliga in the US, and the lion's share of games will be aired on its ESPN+ streaming service, though some will also be on the traditional TV channels ESPN, ESPN2 and Spanish-language ESPN Deportes.

ESPN+ is seriously great value at just $5.99 a month . In addition being the US home of the many big soccer soccer matches, ESPN+ also features loads of games from the NBA, NHL, MLB and MLS, plus college sports, tennis, golf, cricket, rugby, Top Rank boxing, UFC and more.

For the ultimate value, grab a combined ESPN+, Disney Plus and Hulu bundle for just $12.99 a month, which gets you loads of great entertainment and family-friendly content in addition to all that sports action.

And you don't have to use cable to access ESPN. Over-the-top streaming services let you watch TV over an internet connection and can typically be had for a fraction of the cost of even the most basic cable package.

Sling TV's Orange package includes ESPN and there's a FREE trial period for a limited time only - the regular cost is $30 a month.

US residents heading outside of the country can still access the feed they normally use and pay for by using a VPN as per the method described above.

How and Where to Watch Bundesliga Online in Germany

In Germany, Bundesliga broadcast rights are shared between Sky Deutschland and DAZN. DAZN will show three games every week and costs €11.99 per month (although your first month is free). This service has notoriously strict geo-blocking, however, so most VPNs won’t be able to unblock it.

If you are not in Germany, you can access the channel abroad using a VPN. ExpressVPN comes with a 30-day risk-free money-back guarantee, allowing you to try it and claim a full refund if you’re unsatisfied.

How and Where to Watch Bundesliga online in UK

BT Sport has exclusive Bundesliga broadcast rights in the UK. Subscribers can stream live and on-demand Bundesliga fixtures either via the mobile app or the web player. Don’t have cable? No problem: you can also sign up for an online-only pass for £25 per month.

How and Where to watch Bundesliga online in France

beIN Sports is the only official Bundesliga broadcaster in France. It’s showing every match live, but will also offer on-demand replays in case you want to watch two games that start at the same time. You can sign up to beIN Sports for €14 a month, or €15 per month with no long-term commitment.

This service will show each Bundesliga fixture with French-language commentary.

How and Where to watch Bundesliga online in Spain

Just like with the NFL, MoviStar+ has exclusive rights to show Bundesliga matches in Spain. Current MoviStar+ subscribers can stream every match live on MoviStar Deportes (which costs an extra €10 a month), but if you have broadband or TV with a different company, you’ll be unable to watch.

MoviStar+ has effectively made access to Bundesliga streams prohibitively expensive for non-subscribers. To even sign up for the required packages as a new customer, you’re expected to pay around €60 per month and even then, you’ll have to wait until the services are installed before you can stream anything.

How and Where to watch Bundesliga online in India

In Belgium, you can watch an average of five Bundesliga matches per week live on Eleven Sports. This service costs €14.99 per month, with an annual pass available at a slight discount (€149).

Soccer fans can watch matches online, or on a mobile device using the Eleven Sports app for iOS and Android. Streams will be available in Dutch, Portuguese, and French.

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