Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen
The Allianz Arena is the place to be this weekend, as Bayern Munich host Bayer Leverkusen in an epic clash of the past two Bundesliga champions.
Bayer Leverkusen took the Meisterschale away from Bayern Munich last season by going undefeated, so the hosts are planning to get it back under their new manager Vincent Kompany.
Bayern Munich are on top of the standings with four consecutive wins (12 points), while Bayer Leverkusen are right behind them (nine points) after finally tasting defeat against RB Leipzig earlier this month.
With that said, this match has huge title ramifications. A win for the hosts would put them six points above second place, while a victory for the visitors would have them level at the top.
Talking Points
Kane makes history anew with Bayern Munich
Harry Kane is eager to finally win his first career trophy with Bayern Munich this season, and he is doing all he can in his power to get it. He is the frontrunner for this year’s Golden Boot award, as Kane now has five Bundesliga goals.
The English national team captain just scored his 41st league goal with Die Bayern during their 5-0 blowout win over Werder Bremen, making him the highest-scoring English player in the Bundesliga, surpassing Jadon Sancho. He also had two assists to Michael Olise and Serge Gnabry in the contest.
Before this, Harry Kane also became the highest-scoring English player in the Champions League (33 goals), surpassing Wayne Rooney, when he scored four goals in Bayern Munich’s 9-2 win over Dinamo Zagreb earlier last week.
Kane scored in this exact meeting at the Allianz Arena last season when he opened the scoring early on in the 2-2 draw versus Bayer Leverkusen. For sure, he’ll aim to repeat the same this time.
The 31-year-old striker will be supported up front by Michael Olise, Serge Gnabry, and Jamal Musiala in the final third.
In other Bundesliga 2024 news, Manuel Neuer was given the doubtful tag because of his thigh knock. If he is ruled out, Sven Ulreich should take the No. 1 role in the starting XI.
Wirtz is indispensable for Bayer Leverkusen
Florian Wirtz has started every game for Bayer Leverkusen this term because he is arguably the team’s most important player. The 21-year-old attacking midfielder is right behind Harry Kane in the Bundesliga Golden Boot race with four goals and one assist.
Besides his creativity, Wirtz is also praised for his outstanding work rate, as he has averaged a team-high 12.1 distance run per game. He has also averaged 39 sprints per 90 minutes with a top speed of 33.7 kph.
Wirtz is so good that he is reportedly being pursued by, you guessed it, Bayern Munich next year. However, Real Madrid are understood to be also interested in him.
Of course Wirtz is not the only one to look out for if you’re Bayern Munich, as Victor Boniface, Alejandro Grimaldo, and Jeremie Frimpong could give them a difficult time this weekend.
History
Bayer Leverkusen are undefeated against Bayern Munich in their last three league meetings. Last season, these two sides engaged in a 2-2 draw at the Allianz Arena before Die Werkself won 3-0 in the reverse fixture at the BayArena.
After failing to defend their Bundesliga title last season, Thomas Tuchel decided to leave Bavaria, and he was replaced by Vincent Kompany.
Die Werkself won their first-ever Meisterschale because they never lost a single Bundesliga match (W28, D6). Bayer Leverkusen also won the DFB Pokal but missed out on a treble after losing to Atalanta in the Europa League final.
Vincent Kompany and Xabi Alonso will face off as managers for the first time ever. Before this, they competed against each other as players seven times.
Betting Tip
Games between Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen never disappoint, and the Bundesliga 2024 odds predict we’re going to have another banger on Saturday.
Because they have better recent form, Bayern Munich are favoured at 1.72, whereas Bayer Leverkusen are 3.72 underdogs in the 1X2 market.
Bayer Leverkusen may have had the better of Bayern Munich in their last three meetings, but the new manager bounce is real for the Bavarians, so this game will be a close call.
Maybe a high-scoring draw is the right choice here. So, other than our recommended bet above, SBOTOP bettors may also go for options like Draw at 3.99, Over 3.25 at 1.70, Over 3.75 at 2.12, or even Total Goals 4-6 at 2.18.
The Correct Score of 2-2 – the result of this exact fixture last season – also has an attractive 12.00 offer.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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