Bundesliga 2023-24: Bayern Munich Vs Bayern Leverkusen Preview, Team News and Prediction

Bayern Munich vs Bayern Leverksuen Match Preview

February 10, 2024
Ankit Chakraborty
Sports
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This weekend, the Bundesliga will showcase a battle between two of its strongest teams, with Bayern Munich facing on Xabi Alonso’s high-flying Bayer Leverkusen in a crucial showdown at the Bay Arena.

Bayer Leverkusen defeated Stuttgart 3-2 on Tuesday to advance to the DFB-Pokal semi-finals, becoming the second German team to go 30 games undefeated in all competitions. Stuttgart led 1-0 and 2-1 at the BayArena, but Xabi Alonso’s side rallied to win with Amine Adli’s 66th-minute equaliser and Jonathan Tah’s 90th-minute winner, Leverkusen’s third stoppage-time goal since the new year.

Only Bayern Munich has had a longer Bundesliga unbeaten streak than Leverkusen, who have 25 more points than last season and have conceded a league-low 14 goals. In their last top-flight match, Leverkusen won 2-0 away against basement club SV Darmstadt 98. They have only dropped points in four of their 20 league games this season, including a 2-2 draw at the Allianz Arena against Bayern, in which Exequiel Palacios scored a 94th-minute equaliser.

Alonso led his Leverkusen side to a 2-1 home win over Bayern in March of last year, and the Spaniard, who spent three years as a player with the Bavarian giants, will be looking to gain a psychological advantage in the title race with a win on Saturday that would put them five points clear at the top. Bayern Munich‘s hopes of capturing a 12th consecutive Bundesliga title have been tested so far this season by a tough Leverkusen team, but Thomas Tuchel’s squad has had another great season.

If there is one team in German football capable of stopping the juggernaut that is Bayer Leverkusen, it is perennial champions Bayern Munich, who have had a week off and will be as motivated as ever to undermine the hosts’ title aspirations while bolstering their defence of their crown. The pressure is on Bayern to win their potentially pivotal title match against Leverkusen, and despite losing their last visit to the BayArena, they have won their previous four away games against Die Werkself in all competitions.

Bayer Leverkusen Team News

Victor Boniface and Arthur of Bayer Leverkusen are still out with groyne and thigh ailments, respectively, while Odilon Kossounou is still representing Ivory Coast in the Africa Cup of Nations. Palacios, who has missed the last three games due to a thigh injury, is doubtful on Saturday.

So, there is a probability that Robert Andrich and Granit Xhaka may team up again in centre-midfield. Nathan Tella will be looking to start after scoring twice against Darmstadt last weekend, while Patrik Schick might be replaced up front by Real Betis loanee Borja Iglesias.

Bayern Munich Team News

Bayern Munich‘s Alphonso Davies suffered a knee injury last weekend and is now joining Kingsley Coman (knee), Serge Gnabry (thigh), Daniel Peretz (knee), Tarek Buchmann (thigh), and Bouna Sarr (ACL) in the treatment room.

Bayern players in training ahead of their clash against Leverkusen — Image Source: FC Bayern Munich via X

Konrad Laimer (calf) and January signing Bryan Zaragoza (illness) will all be assessed before kickoff, but Joshua Kimmich (shoulder) and Dayot Upamecano (hamstring) returned to full training on Wednesday and could be ready to play this weekend, while Kim Min-jae has returned to Germany and is available for selection now that his time with South Korea at the Asian Cup has ended.

Head-to-head

Their recent record versus Bayern has been better, though. They are unbeaten in their last two encounters with the record champions, winning 2-1 at home last season and drawing 2-2 in Munich earlier this season. The last time they went three league games unbeaten against Bayern Munich was in 2009 and 2010.