Under new manager Reinier Robbemond, Willem II are playing a bit better than when Kevin Hofland was still in charge, but the defeat at the hands of Almere City on Sunday showed that not all their problems are in the past. Willem II still struggle to create chances and even at 1-0 down, they failed to really push Almere City back.

For FC Eindhoven, their last match was very different. They played the worst team in the league currently, FC Den Bosch, and cruised to an easy victory. Like so many times before, it was again Charles-Andreas Brym who was the Man of the Match. The Canadian international struggled a little bit with his form after just missing out on the World Cup squad for Canada, but that is behind him and he is playing even better than before. Evan Rottier showcases more depth in talent going forward and complemented by a solid back line, Eindhoven has climbed up to third and are a very strong contender for the play-offs.

Willem II also wants to be in those play-offs, but I doubt they’ll edge much closer to that goal in this game, as I suspect Eindhoven will prove difficult to beat and at least pick up a point here.

Like I mentioned before, FC Den Bosch are the worst side in the league. They have lost six on the bounce, scoring just once which came in a 4-1 defeat to FC Eindhoven last Monday. Their is little to suggest that the tide will turn anytime soon, as manager Jack de Gier comes under increasing pressure.

Den Bosch have managed to sign Scotland Under 21 youngster Ibane Bowat on loan from West Ham, a welcome boost. He may be available for this game but is unlikely to immediately make a difference on his professional debut.

Jong PSV are looking decent this season but their side depends on the first team. As the first team also play this Saturday, the likes of Bakayoko and Saibari could be missing on Friday night. However, Richard Ledezma and Fredrik Oppegard are two players who haven’t had game time since the World Cup and could drop down to Jong PSV for minutes. Even without those first team fringe players, Jong PSV have had decent results and I back them to win against the worst side in the Eerste Divisie.

It’s been 67 days since RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich were in league action but on Friday, the Bundesliga returns. The opening game of 2023 will be a spectacle as RB Leipzig (3rd) host Bayern Munich (1st) with just six points separating the two teams. Realistically come May, it will be these two teams that will be fighting it out for the 2022/23 Meisterschale.

RB Leipzig come into Friday’s game on a 13-game unbeaten run under Marco Rose across all competitions, which included an impressive win against Real Madrid. In the Bundesliga, they’ve won their last four but after a lengthy period since their last competitive fixture, it’s difficult to predict how either team will do. Like Leipzig, Bayern are also on a 13-game unbeaten run.

Bayern Munich will be without Manuel Neuer for the remainder of the season and with a replacement yet to be signed, expect Sven Ulreich to start in goal. Julian Nagelsmann will also be without long-term absentees Lucas Hernandez and Noussair Mazraoui but we can expect them to field a similar XI to the one that drew 4-4 with RB Salzburg last week. Like Bayern, Leipzig will also be without their No. 1 goalkeeper, Péter Gulácsi. A blow for Rose is the absence of Christopher Nkunku who has scored 12 in 15 Bundesliga games this season and is Leipzig’s top scorer by some distance.

Josko Gvardiol and Co. must keep a watchful eye on Jamal Musiala, who has 15 goal involvements in the Bundesliga this season. Even without Nkunku, Leipzig have quality in Dominik Szoboszlai, Timo Werner and Andre Silva to provide enough threat on Bayern’s goal.

Bayern Munich are clinical in front of goal, outperforming their xG by 9 (40/49) whilst Leipzig are the second highest scorers with 30 Bundesliga goals, on par in terms of xG. Only Bayern (12) average most chances created per 90 than Leipzig (8), and so we can expect to see plenty of action at both ends, more so with key defensive injuries. Both also have a high percentage of shots hitting the target: Bayern, 9 per 90 minutes and RB Leipzig, 5.7 per 90.

With both teams favouring direct football, and Bayern and Leipzig creating a high percentage of chances in the final third, we can expect this to be a high-intensity game, even after the extended break. This could be as exciting as the Supercup in July that saw Bayern beat Leipzig 5-3, and it’s unlikely to finish goalless. Bayern have only failed to score once in the Bundesliga this season, and RB Leipzig twice. Friday’s meeting should be an exhilarating affair with both teams scoring, but also expect a winner, which would see over 2.5 goals.