On Wednesday, Bayern Munich will host Bayer Leverkusen in an all-German Champions League match in Munich. Bayern, who are currently leading the Bundesliga, will be looking to secure a crucial first-leg win against a Leverkusen side that snatched the domestic title from them last season.
Bayer Leverkusen, also known as Die Werkself, has only suffered one defeat this year, making them a formidable opponent for Bayern. In comparison, Bayern had a narrow victory over Celtic in their previous Champions League play-off match.
Team news
Harry Kane and Dayot Upamecano have recovered from minor injuries and made the squad for the weekend match against Stuttgart. However, Joshua Kimmich's availability remains uncertain for the upcoming clash, with goalkeeper Daniel Peretz also sidelined.
Piero Hincapie will be back in the defense for Bayer Leverkusen after serving a suspension in their last game. On the other hand, Jeanuel Belocian and Martin Terrier are out for the season due to anterior cruciate ligament injuries.
The stats
Bayer Leverkusen has been unbeaten in their last eight matches across all competitions.
Bayern Munich has drawn two out of their last four games.
Bayern has won one and drawn two of their previous three visits to the Allianz Arena.
Patrik Schick has netted five goals in his last four starts for Bayer Leverkusen.
Prediction
Bayern Munich's recent struggle to reach their usual performance levels in the Champions League sets up a challenging round-of-16 encounter against Bayer Leverkusen. The Leverkusen team might put up a strong fight in the first leg before heading back to the BayArena next week.
Bayer Leverkusen, the team that dethroned Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga last season, currently sits eight points behind the league leaders. Nevertheless, Leverkusen has a solid track record against Bayern, remaining undefeated in their last six encounters and three recent visits to the Allianz Arena.
Xabi Alonso's side has not suffered an away defeat against German opponents since their loss to Bochum back in the 2022/23 season. This history suggests that they could secure at least a draw against their formidable opponents, Bayern Munich, who narrowly defeated Celtic in the play-off match last month.