Bayer Leverkusen vs Bayern Munich Preview
Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich will face off at Bay Arena this weekend in arguably the biggest Bundesliga game of the 2023/24 season. Don’t miss out on getting your tickets for the game.
Both teams are embroiled in an exciting title race this season, having won the same number of games (W16). However, Leverkusen are leading the pack by two points, having not lost a game this season–the only team in Europe’s top five leagues yet to lose a game this campaign. By contrast, Bayern have lost twice this season, while drawing four times.
As such, it is quite remarkable that the Bavarians are two points behind Leverkusen at this stage.
Things haven't always been like this for Leverkusen nor Bayern, who are used to being top of the league table. For context, over the last seven seasons, Die Werkself have never been ahead of Bayern Munich after 20 games. Their average position in the league table since the 2016/17 season after 20 games is 6th position, while they have averaged 31 points after 20 rounds of games.
In contrast, Bayern’s average league placement after 20 games since 2016 is first position, and they have taken an average of 45 points after 20 rounds of matches. The only time in the last six seasons a team other than Bayern has been first in the Bundesliga after Round 20 was in the 2018/19 season when Borussia Dortmund was top of the table and Bayern was sitting in third position. The Bavarians went on to win the title that season though, proving that the league position after 20 games often could matter little in the grand scheme of things.
Yet, the result of this tie will likely have huge implications on which team will be league champions by May. A win for Xabi Alonso’s side will send them five points clear at the top, also boosting their morale, while a win for Thomas Tuchel’s side will blow the title race open, sending them one point ahead of Leverkusen.
Indeed, this battle is a one-of-a-kind as this is the first time in Bundesliga history that the top two each have had at least 50 points on the board after 20 matches.
So whatever becomes the result on Saturday, Bundesliga lovers and ticket holders can expect a tasty game when Bayern, who are chasing their eleventh league crown in a row, and 34th in history travel to Bay Arena to face an unbeaten Leverkusen side, looking to win their first-ever Bundesliga title.
Bayer Leverkusen vs Bayern Munich Stats and Head-to-Head Record
Bayer Leverkusen have won just ten out of the 55 games between both sides. Bayern have 34 wins while eleven ended in a draw.
But the hosts have won only twice in the last ten games between both sides in all competitions (D2, L6).
Bayern have scored 2+ goals in seven of the last ten head-to-head meetings between both sides.
The Bavarians have scored before half-time in each of the last 13 Bundesliga H2Hs.
Bayer Leverkusen have the best defence in the German top-flight having conceded just 14 times. They have also kept the most clean sheets in the league this season (10).
Bayern have the best attack in the Bundesliga, scoring 59 times. They have failed to score only once in the league this season.
Bayern Munich have taken 386 shots across 20 matches to rank first in the Bundesliga. Bayer Leverkusen have taken 353 shots in 20 league games.
Meanwhile, only Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich class of 2013/14 and 2015/16 had more points at this stage in a Bundesliga season than Alonso's current crop (52).
Match Preview
After their mid-week exertions in the DFB Pokal, Bayer Leverkusen will look to continue their quest for an unlikely treble on Saturday when they meet Bayern Munich at Bay Arena.
The hosts needed an impressive second-half showing and a 90th-minute goal from Jonathan Tah last Tuesday to overcome Stuttgart 3-2 at Bay Arena. Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso described their opponents on Tuesday night as the best opponent his side has faced at home this season, but that might change when his side welcomes Bayern Munich for this title-deciding showdown.
That said, Die Werkself are a strong force to reckon with nowadays, and their win over Stuttgart extended their astounding unbeaten record this term to 30 matches (W26, D4) in all competitions. That unbeaten run is just two shy of the all-time record in German football held by Bayern. So winning here will not only give them the chance to better Bayern’s unbeaten record, but it will also send them five points clear at the summit and pile the pressure on the reigning champions, who come into this tie desperate to retake the initiative of the title race for the first time since Matchday Five.
The reigning champions are in title-winning form, having accumulated 50 points from their first 20 games, which is more than they have gathered at this stage in their last six league campaigns. Yet, Leverkusen’s form has meant that there is pressure on Thomas Tuchel, who is in danger of going trophyless this season, having crashed out of the DFB Pokal and losing the German Super Cup earlier this season.
So winning here and leapfrogging Leverkusen will be the sole aim of the Rekordmeister, who could not overpower their opponents in the reverse fixture at the Allianz Arena. Tuchel’s side conceded a 94th-minute penalty in that game (a 2-2 draw), making it just one win from the last four H2H meetings (D2, L1).
However, prior to their defeat on this ground last season, Bayern had won three consecutive league trips to the BayArena, scoring 11 goals in the process. So they will fancy their chances of returning to winning ways here especially as they possess Europe’s best attacking duo in Harry Kane and Leroy Sane.
Deadly Duo and Key Players
Kane and Sane are currently the most deadly double act in Europe this season, with the Englishman and his German counterpart combining for 32 goals this season, more than any other duo. Kane leads the scoring charts in Germany and Europe, having netted an incredible 24 goals and five assists this season. Meanwhile, Sane is leading the assist chart in the Bundesliga with eleven assists, while he has also scored eight times for Thomas Tuchel’s side.
And so it is no secret that Tuchel will be hoping that his double act, as well as the duo of Jamal Musiala and the ever-green Thomas Muller, who have a combined nine assists and six goals between them, will be fired up on Saturday.
Meanwhile, in the absence of the injured Victor Boniface who has ten goals and seven assists in the Bundesliga, Xabi Alonso’s side has other magicians like Florian Wirtz, Alex Grimaldo and the wing-back duo of Jonas Hofmann and Jerome Frimpong. The quartet have combined for 22 goals and 29 assists and will play a huge role in how this game pans out. But Wirtz remains the star of the team, having directly contributed to 23 goals from 28 appearances in all competitions this term (G8, A15).
Injury and unavailable players
Away from the available stars and those who can influence the game, both sides are missing key members due to injury and national team cup competitions.
Leverkusen are without the aforementioned striker and top-scorer Victor Bonfica. The Nigerian powerhouse is out with a groin injury but was already billed to be missing in action this period, due to Nigeria’s participation in the ongoing AFCON tournament.
Another member missing for Die Werkself is Exequiel Palacios, who netted the equaliser four minutes into added time of Matchday Four's 2-2 draw at the Allianz Arena. Other injury absentees are Arthur and Odilon Kossounou, who is currently participating in AFCON with Ivory Coast.
Bayern Munich have a lengthier absentee list, with Serge Gnabry leading the registry of big names that will miss this tie. Kingsley Coman, Bouna Sarr, Konrad Laimer and Alphonso Davies are other names on that list. Manuel Nuer could also miss this action after failing to train recently due to a knee problem.
Key battles
Considering that Leverkusen have the best defence in the league while Bayern have the best attack, we expect to see a battle between the Bundesliga’s best defence and attack.
So we envision tasty battles between
Harry Kane vs Josip Stanisic and Jonathan Tah
Jamal Musiala vs Granit Xhaka
Florian Wirtz vs Matthijs de Ligt
Xabi Alonso vs Thomas Tuchel on the sidelines.
