Bayern Munich-Bayer Leverkusen is a match on the eighth day of the Bundesliga and is played on Friday at 20:30
A physiological slump or is there more to it than that? That is the question they have been asking themselves in recent days in Bavaria. The two-week break due to national team commitments has served to question the particular moment Julian Nagelsmann’s German champions are going like a train in the Champions League – having beaten both Inter Milan and Barcelona – but incredibly struggling in the Bundesliga.
Abituated as we have been for years now to seeing Bayern Munich dominate far and wide in what has become their ‘backyard’ for more than a decade, it is really strange to see that Muller and his teammates have been unable to win for four days now. After three consecutive draws against Borussia Monchengladbach, Union Berlin and Stuttgart, the Bavarians even gave up the entire stake in the derby against Augsburg before the break, losing 1-0 and going without a goal for the first time since the championship began. Bayern are currently mired in fifth place, five points behind the surprising Union Berlin, who lead the table with 17 points, two more than Borussia Dortmund. It had not been since the 2010-11 season that the Bavarians had started so poorly: in that tournament they had to settle for third place overall.
Bayern Munich are starting to feel the lack of a powerful striker like Robert Lewandowski, who was sold to Barcelona in the summer, but even without the implacable Pole Bayern Munich are still the best attackers in the Bundesliga. Nagelsmann therefore goes in search of answers and does so in the challenge against another disappointment, Bayer Leverkusen. Third strength in the last championship, the Aspirins have so far only had one success in seven matches and with five points they are currently one step above the relegation zone. They showed signs of recovery in the Champions League with a victory over Atletico Madrid (2-0), but a few days later they did not go beyond a draw with newly promoted Werder Bremen.
Hudson-Odoi
The Prediction
If they fail to beat even Bayer Leverkusen, it will be the longest winless streak for Bayern Munich since November 2001. The feeling is that this time the three points will come. On the other side, in fact, there is a team in enormous difficulty as the one coached by Gerardo Seoane, protagonist of a disappointing start. A match with at least three goals in total, in which even the guests should be able to find the way of the goal against a defence that has not been impenetrable so far.
Bayern Munich-Bayer Leverkusen matchday squad
- BAYERN MONACO (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Pavard, Upamecano, de Ligt, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Sané, Müller, Musiala; Mané.
- BAYER LEVERKUSEN (4-2-3-1): Hradecky; Kossounou, Tah, Tapsoba, Hincapie; Andrich, Demirbay; Frimpong, Hudson-Odoi, Diaby; Schick.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 2-1
