Preview: Bayern Munich vs. Bayer Leverkusen – Team news and prediction

The national break is over, and club football is back, and what a classic Bundesliga is returning with. Bayern Munich vs. Bayer Leverkusen, the only two teams with maximum points in the Bundesliga this year, setting up a battle for the top spot. Leverkusen currently has a better goal difference following their three wins over RB Leipzig (3-2), Gladbach (3-0), and most recently, Darmstadt, where they won convincingly 5-1. Bayern has also had a strong start, beginning with a 4-0 victory over Werder Bremen and a 3-1 win over Augsburg, before having to fight a bit more for a 2-1 away win against Gladbach.

Five last meetings between Bayern vs. Leverkusen: 
2-1: Leverkusen vs. Bayern
4-0: Bayern vs. Leverkusen
1-1: Bayern vs. Leverkusen
1-5: Leverkusen vs. Bayern
2-0: Bayern vs. Leverkusen 

These are two managers who were appointed mid-season last year, which gave them the opportunity to have even more influence on the squad and playing style during the pre-season. Tuchel didn't achieve the best results with Bayern after his appointment, but he managed to secure the German championship by the skin of his teeth once again when Dortmund stumbled in the last matchday. Alonso took over a team that was at the bottom of the table but managed to turn things around, securing European football and reaching the semi-finals of the Europa League.

Team news: 
Manuel Neuer is still sidelined with an injury, so Sven Ullreich is filling in as the goalkeeper. Jamal Musiala and Raphael Guerreiro are also injured and therefore not included in the squad. There is fierce competition in Bayern's central defense, with Kim Min-Jae and Matthijs De Ligt expected to start, while Upamecano takes a place on the bench. With Musiala out, it is most likely that Thomas Müller will start behind Harry Kane, with Leroy Sane and Kingsley Coman on the wings. Kane has had a strong start to his Bayern career and is likely the first name on the team sheet.

Patrik Schick and Piero Hincapie are still injured and not part of the matchday squad. Amine Adli is back from injury and vying for a place in the starting lineup, but the front three from the last match, Hofmann, Wirtz, and Boniface, appear likely to retain their spots after a strong start to the season. In the central midfield, Granit Xhaka and Exequiel Palacios will play a crucial role, as their hard work could be decisive in whether the team can secure points on the road.

Bayern expected lineup:
Ulreich; Mazraoui, Kim, De Ligt, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Sane, Muller, Coman; Kane

Leverkusen expected lineup: 
Hradecky; Kossounou, Tah, Tapsoba; Frimpong, Palacios, Xhaka, Grimaldo; Hofmann, Boniface, Wirtz

Prediction: 
Even though both teams' defenses have been strong at the start of the season, this is a game that promises plenty of goals. Both teams' offenses, featuring Harry Kane and Boniface up front, are in excellent goal-scoring form, and they both prefer to play attacking football. We can expect Bayern to dominate possession, while Leverkusen will likely rely on counterattacks, making it seem like a high-scoring match is on the cards. Therefore, we're predicting over 3.5 goals at odds of 1.80.

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