RB Leipzig will look to make it three league wins in a row when they hit the road to square up against table toppers Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on Friday.
Bayern Munich will be looking to return to winning ways when they host fourth-placed RB Leipzig at the Allianz Arena on Friday. The visitors will be aiming to build on their recent run of good results, while the hosts will want to ensure they keep their four-point lead at the top of the table intact.
The home team have accumulated 33 points in their 14 league outings with 10 wins, three draws and a defeat. While Vincent Kompany’s team have done most things right, they suffered their first league defeat of the season last time out against Mainz.
Having lost two out of their last four games in all competitions, Bayern will be looking for a statement win against one of the title contenders in RB Leipzig. They are only four points clear of Bayer Leverkusen and can’t afford to drop any more points.
The visitors have accumulated 27 points in their 14 outings with eight wins, three draws and as many defeats. After a run of four games where they lost three and drew one, Leipzig have won their last two league outings and they will be looking to build on that.
While they are heading into this fixture on the back of a win over Eintracht Frankfurt, they have been inconsistent of late and will have to bring their A-game to the table to go past the league leaders. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Bayern Munich
The home team will be without the services of Manuel Neuer, Joao Palhinha, Kingsley Coman, Serge Gnabry, Sacha Boey, Hiroki Ito, and Josip Stanisic. Meanwhile, Konrad Laimer’s availability is a doubt after he pulled out of training this week. While Harry Kane is back fit, he is unlikely to be risked from the start.
Bayern Munich will stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation, with Daniel Peretz in goal. Raphael Guerreiro will fill in at right-back, while Alphonso Davies will take charge on the left. In the heart of the defence, Dayot Upamecano will pair up with Kim Min-jae.
As for the midfield unit, Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlovic will form the double pivot. They will look to shield the backline and control the tempo of the game. Jamal Musiala will be the attacking midfielder, while Leroy Sane and Michael Olise will be providing the width to their attacks. Thomas Muller will continue to lead the line for Bayern Munich against RB Leipzig.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Peretz; Guerreiro, Upamecano, Kim, Davies; Kimmich, Pavlovic; Olise, Musiala, Sane; Muller
RB Leipzig
Marco Rose will be without the services of Castello Lukeba, Amadou Haidara, Eljif Elmas, Assan Ouedraogo, Xavi Simons, and Yussuf Poulsen The visitors will line up in a 3-5-2 formation, where Peter Gulacsi is expected to be back in goal.
In the heart of the defence, Lutsharel Geertruida will start alongside Willi Orban and Nicolas Seiwald. The back three will be looking to keep things tight and they will receive significant support from Benjamin Henrichs and Antonio Nusa, who will be the wing-backs.
As for the midfield unit, Christoph Baumgartner will partner Xaver Schlager and Kevin Kampl in the middle of the park. They will look to ensure Bayern do not end up dominating the proceedings. They will look to create chances for their front two Lois Openda and Benjamin Sesko.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2): Gulacsi; Seiwald, Orban, Geertruida; Henrichs, Baumgartner, Schlager, Kampl, Nusa; Sesko, Openda
Key Stats
- Bayern Munich have won ten out of the last 20 matches against RB Leipzig who have only won three of those fixtures.
- Bayern Munich won the most recent outing between the two teams 2-1 but they have only won two out of the last six across competitions which is a concern.
- Bayern Munich have suffered eight league defeats in 2024, which is the most in a single calendar year since 2001.
- After a run of four games without a win in the league, RB Leipzig have won each of their last two outings.
- The Bavarian giants have been unbeaten in their last Bundesliga league game of a calendar year for the last 39 seasons. They last lost the final league game of a year back in 1984.
Player to Watch
Thomas Muller
At 35, Muller is still going strong as he has seven goal contributions in just over 800 minutes of first-team action. While the veteran attacker is not the player he once was, the former German international is still effective enough in the final third of the pitch, and he could have a big say on the end result of this fixture.
Prediction
Bayern Munich 2-2 RB Leipzig
RB Leipzig might have been a touch inconsistent this season, but they still have enough quality in their ranks to give Bayern a Munich run for their money. The German giants are heading into this fixture on the back of a disappointing loss and they will be eager to return to winning ways but the visitors won’t be going down without a fight. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 2-2 draw in this fixture.
