Bayern vs Leverkusen: Can die Roten forge forward without Lewandowski?
After regaining their seven point advantage at the top of the table, Bayern will hope to continue marching towards their ninth league title as they welcome Leverkusen.
Die Roten fought to secure a 3-2 win over Wolfsburg last weekend. It was the perfect response after crashing out of the Champions League a few days prior as PSG got revenge for their finals loss last season, but the club are currently dealing with a crisis. Hansi Flick announced he’s leaving at the end of the season, and that hasn’t gone down well with Bayern’s board, who apparently would have preferred him to wait from making any announcement public.
With Bayern also out of the DFB-Pokal, the only title they can defend is their Bundesliga title. That shouldn’t be a problem, as RB Leipzig are seven points behind and no team have been able to overcome that kind of deficit. Leipzig blew a chance to apply pressure to Bayern after drawing with Hoffenheim and that’s allowed Bayern to escape, but that shouldn’t detract from Jamal Musiala’s amazing performance at the Volkswagen Arena.
The 18-year-old made history with his brace, which helped Bayern become the first away team to win at Wolfsburg’s home ground all season. Remember, Wolfsburg have been having an absolutely great season and are one of the most in-form teams in the league. They sit in third spot, despite losing two in a row and are in contention to finish in the Champions League, ahead of Borussia Dortmund.
Meanwhile, Leverkusen, who sacked Peter Bosz and hired Hannes Wolf in a bid to try to salvage their season, come into this match having secured a 3-0 win over Cologne. So far, Wolf has picked up two wins and a draw from his first three games. This has helped die Werkself move within six points of the Champions League spots, and currently, they sit in contention for a Europa League spot. Eintracht Frankfurt won’t give it up easily, as die Adler could potentially secure a spot in the competition for the first time in their history, but getting a place there would be the perfect comeback for Leverkusen and Wolf after a difficult season. Will they be able to cause Bayern some concerns in this upcoming midweek tie, or will Flick continue his march towards a second straight Bundesliga title?
