Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen Preview: Probable Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News & Key Stats

Bayern Munich will seek to get back to winning ways when they take on Bayer Leverkusen at the Allianz Arena on Friday night.

Bayern Munich will hope that the international break will put an end to opposition goalkeepers putting in one world-class performance after another to frustrate them. Die Roten are currently winless in their last four Bundesliga games, drawing three and losing one.

This poor run of form has seen them drop from the summit to the fifth position, five points off early trendsetters Union Berlin. Julian Nagelsmann’s side have largely dominated games but have been unable to finish off their chances. While goalkeeping heroics have played their part, attention also has to be drawn to the lack of cutting edge Bayern have shown upfront since the departure of Robert Lewandowski.

International breaks often act as a reset button for clubs to get their act together, and the Bavarians will hope for the same. Bayer Leverkusen will also be in a similar boat, having won just one of their opening seven games in the Bundesliga this season.

Die Schwarzroten are currently not in the bottom three only thanks to goal difference (goals scored) and will be keen to get off to a winning start themselves. Leverkusen have the joint third-worst defence in the league, and Bayern will present them with a formidable challenge.

Gone are the days when Leverkusen pushed Bayern at the top end of the table. Gerardo Seoane’s side are well past their glory days and will be today keen to put some distance between them and the relegation dogfight. With both teams keen to get their season back on track, it promises to be an interesting affair at the Allianz Arena on Friday.

The Hard Tackle looks at how both sides could line up on the night and what tactics they might employ.

Team News & Tactics

Bayern Munich

Nagelsmann will be without Lucas Hernandez, Bouna Sarr and Kinnglsey Coman for the game. The injured trio reduce Die Roten’s options but they have enough in their ranks to put up a world-class starting XI.

Manuel Neuer and Leon Goretzka were both unavailable for Germany after testing positive for Coronavirus. The shot-stopper was pictured in training, and the duo should be available to play on the night. Nagelsmann is likely to persist with his 4-2-3-1 formation that has largely seen Bayern dominate possession and also control the pace of the game more often than not.

Neuer should return to the starting XI behind a back four of Benjamin Pavard, Matthijs De Ligt, Dayot Upamecano and Alphonso Davies. Upamecano, in particular, is a weak link in the Die Roten backline and could have his hands full against Patrick Schick.

Marcel Sabitzer and Joshua Kimmich have built a solid partnership this season and should reprise their role as the club’s double pivot. The dynamism the pair offers gives the players ahead of them the opportunity to push forward and wreak havoc against the Leverkusen defence.

Leroy Sane should start on the left with Jamal Musiala donning the playmaker’s role in the middle. Thomas Muller should start on the right with Sadio Mane leading the line. All eyes will be on the former Liverpool man to turn up and make the difference in the box. Given his track record and experience, it is time the Senegalese maverick showed why Bayern brought him in to replace Lewandowski.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Pavard, De Ligt, Upamecano, Davies; Sabitzer, Kimmich; Muller, Musiala, Sane; Mane

Bayer Leverkusen

Die Schwarzroten are in desperate need to turn their season around and could not have asked for a tougher fixture. Bayern will be in no mood for complacency and at home, will take the game to their opponents. The onus will be on the Leverkusen defence to hold firm and not concede early.

Seoane will be without several players on the night. Andrey Lunev, Exequiel Palacios, Florian Wirtz, Amide Adil and Karim Bellarbi are all ruled out, making the visitors’ job harder. Iranian international Sardar Azmoun became the first player from his country to endorse the nationwide protests against the government, and Seoane has confirmed that the attacker needs a distraction, potentially making him a shoo-in for the travelling squad.

Leverkusen are likely to deploy in a 3-4-2-1 formation that can drop back to a 5-4-1 when not in possession. Lukas Hradecky will start in goal behind the back three of Edmond Tapsoba, Jonathan Tah and Mitchel Bakker. Jeremie Frimpong and Callum Hudson-Odoi will start wide, functioning as wing-backs on the night. Given Bayern’s attacking options, the Leverkusen duo are likely to spend more time in their own half rather than push forward.

Paulinho and Robert Andrich will be entrusted with keeping the shape of the midfield and throwing a spanner in Kimmich and Sabitzer’s ability to control the pace of the game. Kerem Demirbay and Moussa Diaby will be tasked with acting as dual playmakers, creating opportunities for Patrick Schick upfront.

Leverkusen’s best chance of getting at Bayern will be to have Schick attack Upamecano, leaving space for Diaby to run into. Bayern’s French star has an error in him and could yield if put under pressure.

Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Hradecky; Tapsoba, Tah, Bakker; Frimpong, Paulinho, Andrich, Hudson-Odoi; Demirbay, Diaby; Schick

Key Stats

• Bayer Leverkusen have picked up four points from their last three trips to the Allianz Arena. Apart from them and Borussia Monchengladbach, no other team has picked up more points away from Bayern over their last three games.
• Bayern Munich have found the back of the net against Bayer Leverkusen in their previous 32 home games. The last time Die Roten drew blank was in 1989.
• A return of 12 points from seven games is Bayern Munich’s worst start to a Bundesliga season since the 2010-11 campaign under Louis van Gaal.
• The return of five points from seven games is Bayer Leverkusen’s second worst start to a Bundesliga campaign. Their worst was in 1981/82 when they accrued just three points.
• The four-game winless streak is Bayern’s worst run of matches without a win since the seven-game winless streak under Ottmar Hitzfeld in the 2001-02 campaign.
• The last time Bayern Munich failed to score in two consecutive Bundesliga games was in 2018 under Niko Kovac.

Player to Watch

Dayot Upamecano

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The Frenchman should start in the Bayern Munich backline alongside Matthijs De Ligt following Lucas Hernandez’s injury. Upamecano has struggled to showcase his best at Bayern and has often been found out by opposition defences.

He faces a difficult challenge against Schick and cannot afford to take the Czech Republic international for granted. Both on the pitch and in the air, Upamecano will need to be at his best and not make any mistakes. He is the weak link in Die Roten’s defence and could be targeted by Leverkusen on the night. This is a good opportunity for the Frenchman to rekindle his reputation as a top-level defender.

Prediction

Bayern Munich 3-0 Bayer Leverkusen

Both teams go into the game seeking a win, but Bayern are the better side on paper and also have home support to boot. Nagelsmann has already admitted to seeking a reaction on the night and will be keen to send his side out firing all cylinders from the first whistle.

Anything less than a win will be unfathomable for Bayern and will more or less leave them with a mountain to climb in the race for the Bundesliga title. As long as Bayern take the lead early on, it should prove to be a comfortable win for the defending champions.