Bayer Leverkusen vs. Bayern Munich: Team News, Preview, Live Stream and TV Info

Bayern Munich take on Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday in the quarter-final of the DFB-Pokal. The two sides are separated by 19 points in the Bundesliga table and Pep Guardiola's side have a 10-points lead over Wolfsburg atop the league table, but will have to be sharp in Wednesday's one-off as they visit a very dangerous Leverkusen side.

Although overwhelming favorites to progress, Bayern will have to manage without key players like Arjen Robben and David Alaba. Their depleted squad nonetheless managed to overcome Dortmund on Saturday, however, grinding out a gritty 1-0 win that showed a different and surprising side of their game. Using a defensive lineup and the tireless Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski as forwards, they outhustled BVB and claimed victory thanks to the Pole being first to a rebound and nodding home the game's only goal.

Last month, Leverkusen were narrowly eliminated from the Champions League by 2014 finalists Atletico. Roger Schmidt's side won the home leg 1-0 but were utterly dominant in that match before being knocked out in penalty shootout. That tie proved they've come a long way since their hammerings by Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United in the previous season, but still lacked a little composure in finishing off the tie. They'll have another chance against top-tier opposition on Wednesday, but their opponents will be likely their biggest challenge of the season.

Date: Wednesday, April 8

Time: 19:30 p.m. GMT/2:30 p.m. ET

Venue: BayArena, Leverkusen

TV Info: Not available (UK only)

Live Stream: ESPN (via BT Sports client, UK only)

Form Guide 

Leverkusen	Bayern
Hamburg: win	Dortmund: win
Schalke: win	Monchengladbach: loss
Atletico: loss	Bremen: win
Stuttgart: win	Shakhtar: win
Paderborn: win	Hannover: win

B/R

Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

Predicted Line-up

Bayern enter Wednesday's clash quite short of fully fit staff. Long-term absentees David Alaba and Arjen Robben have been ruled out of contention, as has Franck Ribery, according to the club's official website, which also confirmed Bastian Schweinsteiger was a doubt due to an ankle knock suffered over the weekend.

Mehdi Benatia and Jerome Boateng were excellent against Dortmund, but the former especially will face competition from fit-again Holger Badstuber at center-back. Manuel Neuer can expect to start in goal with Juan Bernat and Rafinha as full-backs.

In midfield, Sebastian Rode is the most likely candidate to step in should Schweinsteiger drop out, with Xabi Alonso and Philipp Lahm as near-certain starters. Assuming Guardiola goes with a 4-3-3 formation, the front three should be Thomas Muller, Robert Lewandowski and Mario Gotze. If the trainer opts for 5-3-2 as he did in Dortmund, Gotze could make way for Badstuber as a third center-back.

Schmidt rested several key players for his side's 4-0 win against Hamburg on Saturday, and the magnitude of the result (it was 1-0 within seven minutes and 2-0 at half-time) meant that his best lineup should be quite fresh on Wednesday. He'll likely restore Son Heung-Min, Hakan Calhanoglu and Emir Spahic to his starting XI to face Bayern. If he goes with the same tactics as against Atleti, Josip Drmic will start in attack with Karim Bellarabi on the right wing. Defensive midfield will include Lars Bender and Gonzalo Castro, the latter of whom netted a brace against Hamburg.

At the back, Spahic will likely be paired with Omer Toprak ahead of Bernd Leno. Wendell appears to have locked down a permanent role on the left flank, while Tin Jedvaj appears to be the most likely option on the right.

Players to watch

For Bayern, the No. 1 man to watch is Robert Lewandowski. The Pole had a huge performance against his former club Dortmund on Saturday and may have turned the corner after a rough start to his Bayern career.

Elsewhere, Thiago Alcantara and Philipp Lahm are worth taking a close look at. The midfielders had both missed months or more before recently returning to action. Their class needs no introduction, although it may take a little time for them to hit peak form. Both played well on Saturday, and it will be interesting to see how they fare should they feature against Leverkusen.

For the hosts, Hakan Calhanoglu is certainly one to watch for his free-kicks in particular. Germany international Karim Bellarabi is a live-wire for the Leverkusen attack, while Son Heung-Min has shown he's capable of scoring big goals on many occasions. The Leverkusen attacking midfield is truly a force to be reckoned with.

Supporting Schmidt's attackers, Gonzalo Castro will enter the game full of confidence following his brace over the weekend. And Lars Bender has the leadership of a captain and the fighting spirit necessary to match Bayern's slick-passing midfield.

Key Battles

Hakan Calhanoglu v Philipp Lahm

There are several rising stars in the Leverkusen side, but the brightest by far is Hakan Calhanoglu. The 21-year-old was playing for Karlsruhe in the 3. Liga two seasons ago, but has developed rapidly and now is one of Europe's best free-kick specialists. In free play he also has proved dangerous, as evidenced by his goal that stunned Atleti in the Champions League.

Bayern have the perfect man to stop Calhanoglu in Philipp Lahm. The 31-year-old has only just returned from a lengthy absence due to an ankle injury but was fit to start against Dortmund and played a good game. A defender by nature, he'll likely start in midfield and will play the most defensive role. Guardiola could hardly ask for a better man to match up against Calhanoglu; Lahm is one of the cleanest tacklers in Europe and an exceptional man-marker.

Emir Spahic v Robert Lewandowski

Robert Lewandowski was the match-winner for Bayern on Saturday, his sheer work rate and determination making the difference for a Bayern side that played without a real midfield creator. It was a huge performance from the Polish striker, who took a big step towards achieving the level of play he enjoyed as a BVB player.

Leverkusen will hope their answer to Lewandowski will be Emir Spahic. The Bosnian center-back is an experienced veteran who has come up big for the Werkself many times this season. He'll face a big physical task in containing his counterpart, but has never been one to shy away from a challenge.

Odds (Via Bet365)

Leverkusen: 4.00

Draw: 3.75

Bayern: 1.83

@Mr_Bundesliga