Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
The biggest game of the season so far in the Bundesliga and one of the most anticipated showdowns in Europe this weekend sees Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich host Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Saturday September 28th 2024: UK – 5:30pm / US ET – 12:30pm / US PT – 9:30am
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – Sky Sports / US – Some matches will be televised on ESPN channels so it is worth checking their schedules
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – Sky Go / US – ESPN+
BAYERN MUNICH PREVIEW: PERFECT RECORD FACES BIGGEST TEST
Bayern Munich have so far, won every match they’ve played in all competitions since Vincent Kompany took charge of the club and have done so with aplomb. Four victories and a whopping 16 goals scored in the Bundesliga was backed up by a 9-2 demolition of Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League.
However, the fixture list has been kind to the Rekordmeister and they are yet to really be tested, until now. They took just one point from Bayer Leverkusen last season and this match provides the ideal barometer as to where Bayern Munich are at right now. Can in-form players like Michael Olise and Harry Kane step up to the mark?
BAYER LEVERKUSEN PREVIEW: CHAMPION CREDENTIALS AT STAKE
Bayer Leverkusen remain as dangerous as ever going forward, but defensively this season has been somewhat of a struggle for them so far. They cannot afford for those fragilities within their backline to be exposed here, otherwise Bayern Munich will make them pay. Three points would see them draw level with their opponents in the table, so motivation is there for them to go out and take the game to Bayern away from home.
Their last match was a typical Leverkusen thriller. Trailing at two different stages, Xabi Alonso’s side bounced back on each occasion but as the match entered its final stages, what was coming became inevitable. Another second-half stoppage time Leverkusen winner, this time by Victor Boniface secured a dramatic 4-3 victory.
BAYERN MUNICH TEAM NEWS: STANSIC MISSES LEVERKUSEN REUNION
Due to a knee injury, defender Josip Stanisic will not feature against the club he helped win the Bundesliga last season whilst on loan from Bayern. He is joined on the sidelines by fellow defenders Sacha Boey and Hiroki Ito.
PREDICTED XI: (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Kimmich, Upamecano, Kim, Davies; Palhinha, Pavlovic; Olise, Musiala, Gnabry; Kane
UNAVAILABLE: Boey (Injured), Ito (Injured), Stanisic (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
BAYER LEVERKUSEN TEAM NEWS: NO INJURY WORRIES AT PRESENT
It is expected that the visitors will field the same starting line-up that took apart Feyenoord in the Champions League, which means the likes of Hincapie, Frimpong and Boniface all returning to the XI after starting on the bench against Wolfsburg.
PREDICTED XI: (3-4-3): Hradecky; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Andrich, Xhaka, Grimaldo; Terrier, Boniface, Wirtz
UNAVAILABLE:
QUESTIONABLE:
BAYERN MUNICH VS BAYER LEVERKUSEN PREDICTION
This fixture last season saw these two sides contest a thrilling 2-2 draw and it would be no surprise if we saw something similar here. The attacking verve shown by Bayern Munich since Kompany’s arrival cannot be understated, but Bayer Leverkusen have been notorious for their offensive potency throughout their ascent under Alonso. Neither are expected to go into their shells with so much at stake here and a thrilling encounter could be on the cards. Regardless of the final outcome, back both teams to score and over 2.5 goals across the contest.
BAYERN MUNICH VS BAYER LEVERKUSEN TIP: OVER 2.5 GOALS AND BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE