Bayer Leverkusen vs. Bayern Munich: Bundesliga Preview, Odds & Prediction

Champions Bayer Leverkusen will meet league leaders Bayern Munich at BayArena on Saturday in a contest that might decide the Bundesliga championship.

Following their 3-0 win against Werder Bremen on February 7, the Bavarians moved eight points ahead of their hosts, Leverkusen, who are in second place with 46 points, after being kept scoreless by Wolfsburg on February 8.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

In the 22nd minute, the champions had a perfect chance to score, but Wolfsburg denied them. Nordi Mukiele missed the target despite being yards away from the goal following a corner delivery, even though there was no custodian to stop his shot.

Though it's hard to be too hard on Xabi Alonso's squad this season—they're in the DFB-Pokal semi-finals, they're in the round of 16 of the Champions League, and they're in second place in the league—they're still on pace to finish with 78 points, 12 less than in 2023–24.

Although they have only managed three clean sheets in their past twelve league games, Alonso's squad has scored seventeen goals in their last six Bundesliga matches.

On September 28, Die Schwarzroten and Bayern drew 1-1 in the league. On December 3, Die Schwarzroten defeated Bayern 1-0 in the DFB-Pokal, a result in which they greatly benefited from Manuel Neuer's red card in the 17th minute.

Leverkusen has won 14 of its past 17 games, and its unbeaten run grew to five matches with its tie against Wolfsburg. It has also won three times throughout that era.

The home team has won all ten of its matches played at BayArena and has not lost in 16 games overall. In three of its previous four games, it has scored three goals.

The Bavarians enter the match having cruised over Werder Bremen, allowing only 0.13 xG and two shots on goal while generating more than four xG on their own.

Vincent Kompany's squad scored 65 goals in the Bundesliga this season, putting them on pace to score 105 goals for the league, a mark they have only surpassed twice since 1905-06. This brings their total for the season to 19 goals scored or more.

Celtic looked particularly dangerous on counter-attacks, so the visitors may have been lucky to leave Celtic Park with a lead in Wednesday's 2-1 Champions League round of 16 playoff first leg.

With eleven goals allowed in their past seven matches, Bayern's defense has been a major issue recently. This is in contrast to their fifteen-game winning streak.

The Bavarians have been on fire recently, winning nine of their previous ten games across all competitions. Their winning streak extends to five games.

Kompany's squad has been less reliable while playing away from home. In their last seven road games, the team has won four, drawn one, and lost two.

Bayer Leverkusen vs. Bayern Munich Team News

Despite having a mostly healthy roster, Leverkusen will miss the remainder of the season without center defender Jeanuel Belocian.

Prior to goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky, Edmond Tapsoba, Jonathan Tah, and Piero Hincapie will likely start in defense.

With Martin Terrier out for the rest of the season, Nathan Tella may get the nod to start up front in place of Florian Wirtz and Victor Boniface.

Goalkeeper Daniel Peretz is second in line behind Manuel Neuer, while left defender Alphonso Davies is sidelined with an injury for the Bavarians heading into Saturday's match.

Along with Kim Min-jae, Dayot Upamecano, and Josip Stanisic, Raphael Guerreiro is the most likely starter for the left-back position.

Joao Palhinha, a defensive midfielder, is out with a sickness; if he isn't cleared to play, Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich might play as a double pivot.

Our predictions

Over 2.5 goals @ 1.70 on Sky247.ng

If they want to stay in the championship hunt, Leverkusen will need to win, and they risk exposing defensive weaknesses as they pursue a victor.

Even though Bayern will score again, the home team will be confident they can take advantage of the away team's weak defense and keep their faint chances of defending their Bundesliga title alive.

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