Matchday 4 of the 2023/24 Bundesliga season will see the second-placed Bayern Munich host table-toppers Bayer Leverkusen.
It is still too early in the season, but it won’t be wrong to say that both Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen have been a level above the others. They have won each of their three league games and will now square up against each other at the Allianz Arena.
Bayern Munich might not have had the best of seasons last time out, but they have started the 2023/24 campaign in fine fashion with three wins in a row. They are currently second on the points table with a goal difference of +7.
Before heading into the international break, Bayern secured a 2-1 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach. They dominated the ball, took more shots on target and eventually ended up winning because of a late winner by Mathys Tel.
The team in red will be heading into this home fixture high on confidence. And, they will look to continue their winning streak. But, it won’t be easy because even Bayer Leverkusen are on a winning streak. They have won all three of their league games and are currently top of the table thanks to a goal difference of eight.
Their last Bundesliga outing was against Darmstadt before the international break. They ended up scoring five goals on the day and ended up winning with ease. The 5-1 win will surely give them the confidence to get a positive result away from home against the defending champions.
Xabi Alonso has been doing wonders for Bayer Leverkusen since arriving at the club. The Spanish manager has turned them into a winning machine, and a win over Bayern Munich will surely be a big boost to his managerial career.
The two teams have a quality squad and it will be a very closely fought encounter for sure. Meanwhile, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at this fixture and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Bayern Munich
Thomas Tuchel will be without the services of Manuel Neuer, Raphael Guerreiro and Jamal Musiala as the trio are out injured. Apart from them, every other first-team player is available.
🤩 @JamalMusiala has received his trophy after being named the 2022/23 #FCBayern Player of the Season! 🏆#MiaSanMia pic.twitter.com/IEfShVrPq3
— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) September 13, 2023
The former Chelsea boss is expected to stick to the majority of the players that started in their last game. He will stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation. In the absence of Neuer, Sven Ulreich will be in goal.
In the heart of the defence, summer signing Kim Min-jae will pair up with Matthijs de Ligt. Noussair Mazraoui and Alphonso Davies will start out wide as the full-backs. The duo will look to join the attack and put pressure on Xabi Alonso’s team.
As far as the double pivot in the centre of the park is concerned, Leon Goretzka will pair up with Joshua Kimmich. The German duo are amongst the best midfielders in the world and will look to dictate the pace of this game.
Kingsley Coman and Leroy Sane will start on either flank. They will look to stretch the opposition’s defence and link up with Thomas Muller who will start as the attacking midfielder. Leading the attack will be their record-signing Harry Kane.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ulreich; Mazraoui, Kim, De Ligt, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Sane, Muller, Coman; Kane
Bayer Leverkusen
Xabi Alonso has a few injuries to deal with. The likes of Patrik Schick and Piero Hincapie are both unavailable for this fixture. Meanwhile, they do have a boost as winger Amine Adli is back from suspension.
⏳ Der Topspiel-Countdown läuft, die Vorfreude steigt! 🔥
🔜 #FCBB04 | #Bundesliga pic.twitter.com/sna305xdNl
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04fussball) September 14, 2023
The Bayer Leverkusen manager is expected to stick to the 3-4-3 formation that has brought him a lot of success. Lukas Hradecky will be an automatic pick in goal. Odilon Kossounou, Jonathan Tah, and the in-demand Edmond Tapsoba will form the back three.
The trio will have a tough task of stopping a star-studded Bayern Munich attack. They will have the support of Jeremie Frimpong and Alejandro Grimaldo who start in the centre of the park as the wing backs. Former Arsenal star Granit Xhaka will pair up with Exequiel Palacios in a more central role.
The duo will have a tough day at work as they will come up against some of the best players in the league. Meanwhile, Florian Wirtz and Jonas Hofmann will start on either flank. They will look to link up with their striker Victor Boniface and create a lot of problems for the Bayern defence.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Hradecky; Kossounou, Tah, Tapsoba; Frimpong, Palacios, Xhaka, Grimaldo; Hofmann, Boniface, Wirtz
Key Stats
- Both Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich have won each of their first three league games this season.
- The two teams have squared up against each other on 97 occasions in all competitions since 1979. Bayern have come out on top on 60 occasions while the visitors have only won 20 times.
- Last season, the two teams shared a win each with the team at home winning on both occasions. Leverkusen’s 2-1 home win was their first over the hosts since 2019.
- Bayern Munich have scored in their last 33 home matches against Bayer Leverkusen.
- Xabi Alonso’s team have had their best goal-scoring start to a Bundesliga season thanks to 11 goals in three games. They are currently the joint-best attack in the league.
Player to Watch
Florian Wirtz
Wirtz has taken his game to another level over the past 12 months. The 20-year-old attacking midfielder is Xabi Alonso’s most dangerous weapon. He is capable enough to create chances for his teammates as well as score wonder goals all by himself.
The German international has featured in four matches so far this season and has four goal contributions. He has found the back of the net twice and has also bagged two assists. The German sensation will look to carry on the good work when his team faces the biggest challenge of playing away from home against Bayern Munich.
Prediction
Bayern Munich 1-2 Bayer Leverkusen
Both teams have been sensational so far this season. Bayern Munich are the defending champions; they have been the best team in the Bundesliga for years now, and it is no surprise that they have kick-started things with three wins in a row. In normal circumstances, everyone would expect them to carry on their dream run.
But, their opponents Bayer Leverkusen have also won three in a row. They might not be the favourites for the title but they have had some start to the season. The visitors have been scoring goals for fun and they look like a more complete team than last season. They will surely give Bayern a run for their money. While Bayern have a stronger squad, Leverkusen might come out on top at the end. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the visitors.
