Bayern lift the curtain on Bundesliga football in 2024 when hosting Hoffenheim; a win would take them within a point of leaders Leverkusen, who head to Augsburg looking to extend an already record-breaking start; watch Bayern vs Hoffenheim live on Sky Sports Mix on Friday
Friday 12 January 2024 11:26, UK
A fair bit has happened since the last time a Bundesliga ball was kicked in mid-December. We've lost one of German football's greats, surprise player moves have materialised in both directions, while transfer quandary and quibbling has kept the back pages busy.
Starting with the former, Franz Beckenbauer, one of the greatest football players of all time, sadly passed away on Sunday aged 78.
Beckenbauer was considered to be Germany's first truly global sports star. He led his nation to the World Cup title as player and coach in 1974 and 1990 respectively, and helped establish Bayern Munich as one of Europe's heavyweights.
Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel spoke about the loss of Beckenbauer in a recent press conference: "It's a big thing to come to terms with," he said. "He had an incredible life. I'm too young to remember him as a player.
"The enormity of it is hard to get your head around. It will be very emotional in the stadium over the next few weeks."
The Allianz Arena will pay tribute to Beckenbauer's extraordinary achievements when Bayern host Hoffenheim on Friday night, live on Sky Sports, where a memorial service will be held before kick-off.
The champions are chasing a record twelfth straight league crown but have not been entirely consistent this term, despite the glorious scoring glut of summer addition Harry Kane, whose arrival was greeted triumphantly by expectant Bayern fans in August - the long-awaited like-for-like replacement for Robert Lewandowski. Not wrong.
It was an electric first half of the season for Kane: an exhibition of goals (21 in total). Perhaps that was to be expected from one of the Premier League's most prolific frontmen, but no one predicted quite how quickly Kane would convert to Bavarian type.
He even wears a lederhosen well.
The England captain has outscored his xG tally by more than six goals (6.06), making him the most efficient striker in the Bundesliga - for context, his nearest peers are Stuttgart's Serhou Guirassy (5.10) and Heidenheim's Eren Dinkci (4.39).
Hoffenheim coach Pellegrino Matarazzo is mindful of the threat ahead of Friday's Bundesliga resumption, telling reporters: "There is not much that needs to be said. Harry Kane is a world-class striker with a lot of experience at the highest level.
"He moves in such a clever way and his finish is outstanding. Defensively we will need a super day."
Hoffenheim are not short of attacking impetus themselves, however, having averaged two goals in each of their 16 league games this season. Prepare for a festival of Friday night goals!
Elsewhere, Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen travel to Augsburg on Saturday without injured talisman, Victor Boniface, adding to a string of notable absences.
The Nigerian, who has scored 10 goals and assisted a further seven in his first Bundesliga campaign, underwent surgery for an adductor muscle injury and will be out of action until April.
Leverkusen are also missing Odilon Kossounou, Edmond Tapsoba and Amine Adli - all on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Alonso's side made German football history in December by becoming the first side to go unbeaten in the first 25 games of a season - but can they hold form as title talk surfaces and pressure inevitably builds?
Behind the front two, Stuttgart will have to manage without striker Guirassy, who is representing Guinea at AFCON; they head to Borussia Monchengladbach on Sunday.
Fourth-placed RB Leipzig, inspired by 20-year-old PSG loanee Xavi Simons, kickstart the new year by entertaining Eintracht Frankfurt, while Borussia Dortmund need to ensure the six-point gap separating them from Leipzig does not grow wider when they travel to Darmstadt.
Watch Bayern Munich vs Hoffenheim, live on Sky Sports Mix, on Friday from 7pm; kick-off 7.30pm
