Bayern Munich
The Bayern Munich begins this Friday (2:30 p.m. on ESPN), with a duel against Hamburg, which will be Pep Guardiola's last semester on the bench of the Bavarian club.
Bundesliga
In the best case scenario, it will be the first of 27 games, if the objectives of reaching the finals of the Champions League and the German Cup are fulfilled.
Path to Victory
The path to winning the Bundesliga again - it would be the fourth consecutive for Bayern Munich and the third for Guardiola - seems clear.
Comfortably Ahead
The advantage over second-placed Borussia Dortmund is eight points, which is relatively comfortable and could only be wasted with a significant drop in performance from the Bavarian team.
Form after Winter Break
The question that many are now asking is about the form in which Bayern Munich will return from the winter break, in which they only played a friendly, which they lost 2-1 against Karlsruher SC, from the German second division.
"I have confidence in my players but we have only played one friendly and I don't exactly know the situation of the team," Guardiola admitted today.
Injury Situation
The situation in the infirmary has relaxed a bit compared to before the winter break, but Franck Ribery, Mario Gotze, Mehdi Benatia, Juan Bernat, and Rafinha are still out with injuries.
Rafinha has joined the list of injured with a knee contusion suffered in the friendly against Karlsruher SC.
Tweet
"To give it our all" for the first 3 points! Here are the previous data for #HSVFCB: https://t.co/XyCddVKwih pic.twitter.com/kpgKlTilSV
- FC Bayern Español (@FCBayernES) January 21, 2016
Guardiola's Seasons
Guardiola's two seasons have been characterized by a great first half of the season, both domestically and in Europe, and a relaxation in the second half that in both cases had its lowest point in the elimination from the Champions League in the semifinals, first against Real Madrid and then against Barcelona.
In addition, last season the Bavarians were eliminated from the German Cup in the semifinals by Borussia Dortmund.
Objectives for the Season
However, Guardiola said today that he would sign for a second round like last year, with the Bundesliga title and qualification for the semifinals in the other two competitions.
"The only difference should be that the team is in better shape in the semifinals," he said.
First Match of the Second Round
Last season, Bayern started the second round poorly, losing 4-1 to Wolfsburg. This year, however, they have the advantage that Hamburg is a less formidable opponent than Wolfsburg, and anything other than a clear victory for Bayern would be a surprise.
Upcoming Challenges
In any case, tomorrow's match is only a taste of what's to come. The truly decisive test for Bayern will be on February 23, when they play the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Juventus, which will shed more light on whether Guardiola has a chance to leave Bayern with the title of the top European club competition.
Match of the Weekend
The bulk of the matchday will be played over the weekend, and the most attractive match will be on Saturday between Dortmund and Borussia Monchengladbach, currently in fourth place.