Bayern Munich vs Hoffenheim - High-flying Hoffenheim out to prove their credentials against Bayern Munich

Posted Friday, November 04, 2016 by PA

Hoffenheim coach Julian Nagelsmann wants his team to prove why they worthy of their place in the top three of the Bundesliga when they head to league leaders Bayern Munich on Saturday.

The Sinsheim-based club are on a five-game winning streak, having started the season with four straight draws, and they will be looking to return from the Allianz Arena with their unbeaten record still intact.

"We have put ourselves into a position that this is a top-of-the-table clash so we have got to take positive energy from that," said Nagelsmann, whose side are four points behind Bayern and two adrift of Leipzig.

"The attraction of trying to hurt them is even greater."

Hoffenheim have been in superb form since Nagelsmann took over in May, with only Bayern and Borussia Dortmund having picked up more points.

In his 23 games in charge, Hoffenheim have won 42 points, compared to Bayern's 58 and Dortmund's 48, with the likes of Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Monchengladbach earning fewer with 41 and 35 respectively.

That is all good reason for Hoffenheim to fancy their chances of getting a positive result in Munich.

"We're going to try to catch them on the wrong foot," 29-year-old Nagelsmann said. "If we have a good day and Bayern perhaps don't have one of their very best, then anything is possible in any Bundesliga game, even in Munich."

Nagelsmann's performance has not gone unnoticed in Munich, where Carlo Ancelotti has tipped him to work in the future.

"I hope he can coach one of the best clubs in the world in the future," Ancelotti, 57, said at a press conference. "Maybe that can even be here - in 10 or 15 years.

"Every coach has his own ideas and for younger coaches, experience may be lacking, but that doesn't matter - they have other strengths: enthusiasm and passion.

"It's a bit strange for me to see such a young coach, but maybe that just means that I'm getting old.

"Hoffenheim, like Leipzig, deserve to be where they are in the table."

Ancelotti will be without the injured Franck Ribery and Javi Martinez while he may also consider rotating his team.

If he does that, he may be careful about whether Arjen Robben is affected.

The Dutchman did not take kindly to being substituted in the Champions League win over PSV Eindhoven in midweek, although Ancelotti says there is no real problem.

"He wasn't happy but that's normal," Ancelotti said. "I wasn't happy either when I was taken off when I was a player.

"I spoke with him afterwards. I just needed a fresher player like Kingsley (Coman) and I also wanted to change to a 4-4-2 system."

A switch of system may be possible also on Saturday, but Ancelotti was keeping his cards close to his chest at the pre-match press conference, saying only "it's possible" to a question over team rotation.