Duel of the top Bundesliga game: FC Bayern against the champions – again after a long time

FC Bayern Munich against Bayer Leverkusen: The top game in the Bundesliga is today.

FC Bayern Munich meets the German champions. This sentence hasn't been heard for more than a decade, at least not when it comes to football. Now it's that time again: Bayer Leverkusen comes to the arena in Fröttmaning as champions (live in the radio report and in the ticker at the sports show from 6.30 p.m.).

Already on the fifth matchday, the top game is one that lives up to its name in terms of the standings. Bayern lead the table with a maximum of twelve points, the champions have three points less because they lost at home to RB Leipzig, even though they had already led 2-0 there.

Away from home, Leverkusen have been undefeated in 30 games in all competitions. The Europa League final against Atalanta Bergamo, which was lost 3-0, was played on a neutral pitch in Dublin and was therefore not considered an away game for statisticians. Even FC Bayern have never achieved such a proud series, and that is a sentence that is rarely heard in German football.

Bayern Munich versus Bayer Leverkusen is a duel that can be broken down into many individual duels. All of it promises class and excitement.

The coach: Vincent Kompany versus Xabi Alonso

Vincent Kompany, only 38 years old, someone who Burnley FC no chance from the Premier League relegated? Is this the right one for FC Bayern, who in recent years have been almost desperately looking for the right person, like Pep Guardiola in a war?

There were doubts, and Kompany wasn't able to dispel them yet, because he hasn't had enough time with Munich for that. In addition, the old opponents were from the second or even lower category. But Kompany has mastered all the tasks so far with flying colors, including those that are beyond pure coaching.

The Belgian, who gained titles and experience as a player under Guardiola for years, has already brought his own touch. His players move around a lot to change positions. Nothing is rigid, everything flows.

This poses risks for the defense, which has been embarrassed from time to time. But the advantages of high and aggressive pressing still outweigh the disadvantages because they lead to ball wins, short routes to the goal and goals.

How does Kompany play against Leverkusen, the first opponent from the upper category? This is a question that should particularly concern Xabi Alonso. The Spaniard is known for being able to quickly give his team a different plan if the original one doesn't work.

That was also the fall last season, when Leverkusen scored a point in Munich in a fantastic football game with a 2-2 draw. But they could have been hopelessly behind in the first half.

The game at Bayern turned Xabi Alonso into the Xabi Alonso who would have been happy to be signed not only by Bayern, but also by other top European clubs. There were also initially doubts about the Basque as to whether he was the right one, given that he only had experience as coach of Real Sociedad B.

He is now beyond most of the doubts there are. One thing he hasn't been able to sort out yet is how he deals with things going badly for a championship contender for a long time.

The extraordinary talents: Jamal Musiala versus Florian Wirtz

There are countless parameters by which Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz could be measured. The number of goals and assists are obvious. Musiala has three goals and no assists for the season, while Wirtz has four goals and one assist. In total, the Munich player has 36 goals and 22 assists in 118 Bundesliga games, while Wirtz has 29 goals and 33 assists in 113 missions.

The statistics also show that Wirtz runs significantly more and plays significantly thermal passes into the attacking third, but Musiala dribbles more successfully. What makes the two 21-year-old national players so extraordinary is that the opponents can even know what Musiala and Wirtz are up to, but they still have no effective antidote.

The center forwards: Harry Kane versus Victor Boniface

Sometimes there is a game in which Harry Kane doesn't score a goal. Last season there were even two Bundesliga games in a row in which Kane didn't score a goal. But that was also the worst series that the Englishman had to personally endure so far.

Victor Boniface is currently playing his second season in Germany. He even went five games in a row without scoring in the league, but is still someone who is rightly described as a goalscorer. That's why the two opening games were noticeable when Leverkusen's center forward shot at goal a total of ten times but failed to score.

But he scored three goals in the two games that the champions won at TSG Hoffenheim and against VfL Wolfsburg. He has two fewer goals this season than Kane, who also provided four assists. In some statistics he is even listed with six assists because the penalties he took were evaluated, which the Englishman then – as a matter of course – converted.

Kane is a finishing striker that has rarely been seen in the world. Boniface is certainly ahead of the game. But the Leverkusen team – unlike Bayern – has another center forward in the squad in Patrik Schick who can play the classic position in the center of attack, even more so than Boniface.

The strategists: Aleksandar Pavlović versus Granit Xhaka

Granit Xhaka turns 32 the day before the big game, Aleksandar Pavlović is 20. So it's a duel between generations in the strategy center of the midfield – or it could be one.

Pavlović's performance recommended him for use, but the German international is more offensively oriented and less robust in duels than João Palhinha. The Portuguese has rarely had a chance so far, although Bayern paid more than 50 million euros to FC Fulham for him.

Pavlović or Palhinha alongside Joshua Kimmich? A similar question also arises on the other side, whereby there are two options besides Xhaka if the more attacking and strong Aleix García has to go to the bench first. Robert Andrich and Exequiel Palacios are ready to restore stability to Leverkusen's defense, which was somewhat out of balance in the first few games.

THE duel

The lineups will give a first indication of how the duel will play out on Saturday at 5:30 p.m., which is on the way to replacing the duel between FC Bayern and Borussia Dortmund and becoming THE duel.

Before BVB played in the Arena in Fröttmaning on December 1, 2012, it was said for the last time: FC Bayern will meet the champions. The game ended 1:1. The season ended with Bayern becoming champions with a 25-point lead.