Bayern Munich set for season-defining April in treble quest
As we approach the business end of the season, Bayern Munich remain on course for the treble. April, though, could define their season as they compete in the final stages of the Bundesliga, the DFB Cup and the UEFA Champions League.
Bayern’s season so far has been nothing short of stupendous. The Bavarians have lost just two games across all competitions, and are flying on all fronts. The Bundesliga is their bread and butter, and despite Borussia Dortmund’s best attempts, no one has been able to get close to them.
Heading into the final seven games of the season, the record champions have a nine-point buffer over second-placed Dortmund. They have taken that commanding lead in some style, too, scoring 97 goals across their opening 27 games to sit four strikes off the all-time season record of 101, which has stood since the 1971/72 term. Harry Kane has 31 of them alone, and could still surpass Robert Lewandowski's single-season record of 41 strikes.
Watch: It's happy days at Bayern right now
They have four league fixtures scheduled next month. First up is a trip to Freiburg, against whom they are unbeaten in six - winning five - before they also travel to St. Pauli. Bayern will have no fear of back-to-back road trips given they are the only team in the Bundesliga yet to lose on their travels this campaign.
VfB Stuttgart on Matchday 30 will be no pushovers, but Bayern have already beat them twice this term. They kicked with a narrow triumph in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup, while their first league meeting of the campaign ended in a 5-0 Bayern win.
Matchday 31 opponents Mainz, meanwhile, are one of just five teams to take points from Bayern this term thanks to their Matchday 14 draw, but the league leaders will still fancy their chances of picking up all three points. Should they prevail in all four fixtures, they will be champions if Dortmund do not match their pace.
A poor BVB run may even give Bayern the chance to clinch the Meisterschale before they face Bayer Leverkusen in the cup semi-final on 22 April. Despite their almost perennial Bundesliga dominance, Bayern have comparatively struggled in knockout competition. They have not progressed beyond the quarter-finals since 2019/20, including three second-round eliminations instead.
This term, they have had a couple of close shaves, requiring single-goal wins over Wehen Wiesbaden and Union Berlin. However, they have ultimately always found a way to get over the line and are now one win away from the final at the Olympiastadion.
Facing Leverkusen at the BayArena will be a tough challenge. The Werkself have lost just one of their past five matches against Bayern in front of their own supporters, including a 1-1 draw earlier in March.
Bayern, though, can use recent history as inspiration – the last time they reached the last four of the cup, they not only lifted the trophy, but also went on to complete a clean sweep of silverware.
Before that clash, though, Bayern must first navigate a Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid. Atalanta were put to the sword in the last 16, the latest step in Bayern’s serene passage to this point, but the 15-time European champions promise to be an entirely different proposition.
Like almost every team, Bayern have struggled to get the better of Los Blancos in recent years, winning just one of the last nine meetings. In the 2023/24 Champions League semi-final, though, they were moments away from the showpiece after leading 1-0, only to concede two late goals in the 88th and 91st minutes on their way to elimination.
Throughout this campaign, Real have not always been at their best. Former Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso was dismissed by the Spanish giants in January, and they eventually needed a play-off win against Benfica to reach the last 16 after failing to finish in the top eight of the Champions League league phase.
Nevertheless, they showed their quality against Manchester City, winning 5-1 on aggregate to set up a tie with Munich’s finest. It means the latter’s quest for revenge begins with a trip to the Santiago Bernabéu on Tuesday 7 April, having the advantage of playing the second leg at home eight days later.
That leaves Bayern with a game every three or four days across the three competitions between 4 April and the last weekend of the month. It promises to be a three-week period that could well decide how this potentially historic season is remembered when the dust settles.
In this current form, Bayern could set up an unforgettable May, too.
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