It will be a chance for redemption atop the Bundesliga for Bayern Munich as they travel to face Bayer Leverkusen at the BayArena on Saturday. Bayern currently lead the league by eight points, so an away victory here could be enough to put the league out of reach for Vincent Kompany’s men. After seeing their run of 11 Bundesliga titles come to an end last season at the hands of Bayer Leverkusen, this is a good way to put that firmly behind them as these clubs battle for supremacy not only in Germany but in Europe too.
Kompany has quickly turned around Bayern’s attacking fortunes with the help of Harry Kane’s 29 goals and 10 assists in 29 games in all competitions this season. Araound Kane other strong attackers like Leroy Sane, Michael Olise and Jamal Musiala bring balance to the attack, so it’s no surprise that this group has been so hard to stop. Meanwhile, for Leverkusen, Xabi Alonso has molded a flexible team that is just as comfortable defending as they are going on the break to attack.
Even with Victor Boniface taking a bit of a step back in the scoring department this season, and flirting with a move to Saudi Arabia, Patrik Schick has stepped up to lead the line with 14 Bundesliga goals and Florian Wirtz continues to prove why he’s one of the best young players in the world with nine goals and nine assists in league play. Leverkusen also has the additional benefit of not needing to play Champions League soccer after this match due to finishing in the top eight of the league phase, unlike Bayern who are coming off a 2-1 win over Celtic during the week.
But while this match is about who will win the Bundesliga this season, in a way it’s also about the strength of the league as a whole. It may be tough to keep Bayern Munich at bay for too long considering the club’s talent and resources, but under Alonso Leverkusen has proven that multiple Bundesliga teams can compete on the domestic and European front season after season. Borussia Dortmund is less than a year removed from playing in the Champions League final and while their Bundesliga form has left much to be desired, if Dortmund can take care of their three goal lead in the playoff phase, there could be three German teams in the last 16 of Champions League.
If that ends up being the case, the only league that would have a chance at putting more teams into the last 16 is the Premier League where Manchester City could get knocked out by Real Madrid. Having a worthy advisory atop the league has only pushed Bayern to up their own game and in turn, it has been better for the league overall. There’s still plenty to do in order for Germany to have its first UCL champions since Bayern Munich in 2019-20 but this is a time when it feels like a possibility as this battle between Bayern and Leverkusen is not only for domestic success but to pave the way for continental triumphs too.
How to watch and odds
- Date: Saturday, Feb. 15 | Time: 12:30 p.m.
- Location: BayArena — Leverkusen, Germany
- Live stream: ESPN+
- Odds: Bayer Leverkusen +200; Draw +260; Bayern Munich +125
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