
Bayern Munich vs. Bayer Leverkusen: Team News, Preview, Live Stream, TV Info
Two of the Bundesliga's three remaining sides with perfect records go head-to-head on Friday when Bayern Munich play host to Bayer Leverkusen. Both sides have won their previous two domestic league fixtures, but only one (or neither) will emerge with a flawless record intact.
Bayern hammered Hamburg in their Bundesliga opener before having a close call last week, as Hoffenheim failed to capitalize on a penalty with the score level and an extra man advantage in the latter stages of the game following Jerome Boateng's sending off. Robert Lewandowski came off the bench and scored a last-gasp winner to lift Pep Guardiola's side to victory. It was a big win for Bayern, who managed to take all three points despite having little go in their favor.
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Guardiola will have a decimated staff of center-backs available to him on Saturday, but that didn't stop Bayern last time out, and it may well not be enough to stop them against Leverkusen.
Leverkusen enter Saturday's match with a full head of steam following a 3-0 midweek win against Lazio in their Champions League playoff. They reversed their 1-0 first-leg defeat and in doing so, qualifying for the group stage of Europe's most elite club competition.
Qualifying for the Champions League is a big coup for Leverkusen financially and in sporting terms, although playing two extra games recently may have taken a toll on the fitness of their players heading into Saturday's match. And with Bayern their opponents, Leverkusen will need all the fitness they can muster in order to press high and force mistakes.
Roger Schmidt is a brilliant motivator, though, and Leverkusen's players will all be keen to put on their best performance against three-time defending Bundesliga champions Bayern. Last year, the two sides won a game a piece head-to-head—we'll soon see if Bayern can repeat their home triumph or if Schmidt's side can pull off an upset.
Date: Saturday, August 29
Time: 17:30 p.m. BST / 12:30 p.m. EST / 18:30 p.m. local time
Venue: Allianz Arena, Munich
TV Info: Fox Soccer 2 (U.S. only), BT Sport Europe (UK only, on time delay, starting 19:15)
Live Stream: Fox Soccer 2Go (U.S. only)
Form Guide
| Bayern | Leverkusen |
| Hoffenheim: Win | Lazio: Win |
| Hamburg: Win | Hannover: Win |
| Nottingen: Win | Lazio: Loss |
| Real Madrid: Win | Hoffenheim: Win |
| Milan: Win | Sportfreunde Lotte: Win |

Predicted Lineups
Bayern Munich
Guardiola has a bit of a crisis in defense heading into this clash, with Dante his only fit, eligible, natural center-back available. Jerome Boateng will miss the match through suspension, while Mehdi Benatia, Holger Badstuber, Javi Martinez and Jan Kirchhoff are all injured. In addition, Franck Ribery continues to be sidelined with a persistent ankle injury.
Possible Bayern Munich starting XI: Neuer; Rafinha, Dante, Alaba; Lahm, Vidal, Alonso, Muller; Robben, Lewandowski and Costa.
Bayer Leverkusen
Just like Bayern, Leverkusen will also be short of some defenders. Omer Toprak may miss the entire first half of the season, and Tin Jedvaj is also sidelined for Saturday's match. New signing Charles Aranguiz is also out for the next few months as he recovers from an Achilles tendon tear, while Son Heung-Min is also set to miss out ahead of his proposed transfer to Tottenham Hotspur.
Possible Leverkusen starting XI: Leno; Hilbert, Papadopoulos, Tah, Wendell; Bellarabi, Kramer, Bender, Calhanoglu; Kiessling and Mehmedi.
Players to Watch
It will be interesting to see how Bayern's makeshift back line fares, as well as who plays in it. Aside from the defense, wingers Douglas Costa and Arjen Robben are worth a close look; their partnership will be key.
And of course, Robert Lewandowski's sharpness may play a major role in deciding the outcome of Saturday's game, the Poland international being head and shoulders above every other striker in the Bundesliga.
Julian Brandt probably won't start for Leverkusen, but he's one to watch coming off the bench. Although he's still very young, the 19-year-old winger sets up and scores goals at an exceptional rate.
Also worth a watch among the visitors is Hakan Calhanoglu, who has scored some key goals lately and is arguably the Bundesliga's deadliest free-kick specialist.

Key Battles
Xabi Alonso vs. Christoph Kramer
Saturday's game may well be decided in the midfield, and if it is, the head-to-head matchup between Xabi Alonso and Christoph Kramer will be key.
Alonso is important to Bayern, delivering the ball over long distances, and he can break apart opposing defenses with his distribution. Kramer will be pressing high, taking particular notice of the Spaniard as he aims to close down space.
Arturo Vidal vs. Lars Bender
The other big midfield battle will be that between Arturo Vidal, facing a former club, and Lars Bender. The German is captain of his side and has a reputation for making life difficult for anyone trying to burst through the midfield.
Vidal, meanwhile, is one of the best-regarded midfielders in the world and is in the peak of his career. He'll have some freedom to either move into attack or stay deep and will likely be a real handful for Bender to cover.
Odds (courtesy of Odds Shark)
Bayern: 9/25
Draw: 101/25
Leverkusen: 177/25






