Bayer Leverkusen vs Bayern Munich Match Preview and Predictions, 12 Jan 2017

The Match Is Over. Score: 1-3

Bayer Leverkusen vs Bayern Munich Predictions for Friday's night kick-off Bundesliga fixture. Bayern Munich have been able to beat Bayer Leverkusen only once on the last ten occasions on the road - a narrow 2-1 win in 2013 - a nine years spell since 2009.

Match status: 2017-18 Bundesliga - Matchweek 18
Kick-off: Friday 12 Jan 2018, 07:30pm GMT
Venue: BayArena (Leverkusen, Germany)

Bayer Leverkusen v Bayern Munich Team News

This will be the second round game between these sides this season when the BayArena outfit host league leaders Jupp Heynckes' Bayern Munich - who sit top in the table 11 points clear of second-place Schalke and two more of the Leverkusen club - after a short winter break in the Bundesliga.

The Bavarians kick-started the campaign with a 3-1 home victory over a strong manager Heiko Herrlich's side Bayer in the opening round, although Leverkusen were the better team on paper at Allianz Arena.

Overall, Leverkusen - currently in fourth - are returning to action in Germany on the back of a superb form in which they have been unbeaten since round 5, winning six as many as drawing.

As far as Bayern's domestic season goes, everything's been all but perfect as they have edged their last four fixtures after sinking 2-1 to Monchengladbach in what was their second defeat in a season where the Munich club have had not much competition from other contenders.

Despite not playing competitively for about three weeks due to the winter break, Leverkusen find themselves in a good position to move up and past Schalke in second, but what's required is to try and beat Bayern again, as they have done three times in the last seven games at BayArena.

Teams' Possible Starting Lineups:

Bayer Leverkusen (3-4-3): Leno; Retsos, Bender, Tah; Wendell, Aranguiz, Kohr, Bender; Bailey, Volland, Brandt.

Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Ulreich; Alaba, Sule, Boateng, Kimmich; Vidal, Martinez; Ribery, Muller, Robben; Wagner.

Missing Players of Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich:

Bayer Leverkusen: Vladlen Yurchenko.

Bayern Munich: Manuel Neuer, Thiago Alcantara, Mats Hummels, Robert Lewandowski.

Head-to-Head Record: Bayer Leverkusen v Bayern Munich

2017/18 Bundesliga
Bayern Munich 3-1 Bayer Leverkusen

2016/17 Bundesliga
Bayer Leverkusen 0-0 Bayern Munich

2016/17 Bundesliga
Bayern Munich 2-1 Bayer Leverkusen

2015/16 Bundesliga
Bayer Leverkusen 0-0 Bayern Munich

Bayer Leverkusen v Bayern Munich Match Odds:

Bayer Leverkusen 16/5
Draw 14/5
Bayern Munich 6/7
All odds are with Betfair and are subject to change.

Conclusion and Betting Prediction:

It seems to be a quite possible task for Leverkusen to accomplish given how well Die Werkself played last time out against a Bayern side under then Carlo Ancelotti and that they are without a host of key figures, including Neuer, Alcantara, Hummels and leading scorer Lewandowski.

Two successive goalless stalemates and Bayern never running out winners across last 10 at BayArena suggest we might witness a possibly tight game where the hosts will look to get anything to retain chances for a top-two finish. We believe it will end with goals at both ends and Leverkusen putting in a strong performance.

Match report: Leverkusen 1-2 Bayern Munich: Bavarians escape slip-up at dogged Bayer