(Football news) Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen have won all three of their initial games in Germany’s premier division, with the visitors now holding the top rank due to a little better goal differential.
Bayern Munich entered the new season hoping to capture a record-tying 12th straight Bundesliga championship and their 34th overall after their thrilling victory on the final day of the 2022–23 season, which saw them jump Borussia Dortmund to finish at the top of the German top division.
After losing to RB Leipzig 3-0 in the DFL-Supercup, Bayern Munich’s latest defence, in their first full season under Thomas Tuchel’s leadership, started away at Werder Bremen in mid-August. Despite only leading through Leroy Sane’s goal until the final 20 minutes of the game, the Bavarian team eventually came away with a 4-0 victory, as Harry Kane and Mathys Tel added goals to Sane’s first two, which he added in stoppage time.
The Roten’s next test was against Augsburg at home, where they took the lead through an own goal from Felix Uduokhai after 30 minutes. A Kane brace then all but sealed the second consecutive three-point haul, with Dion Drena Beljo’s late goal at the Allianz Arena serving as the only blemish on a commanding performance.
Though they trailed by a goal to nil away at Borussia Monchengladbach until the hour mark after Ko Itakura’s first-half goal, Tuchel’s team would undoubtedly have to battle harder in the final game of the first stretch of the season before the international break. However, they eventually came out on top thanks to Tel’s game-winning goal in the 87th minute, after trailing by a goal to nil until that point.
After taking a break after their successful start, Bayern Munich will look to win their first game back on Friday against the division’s current leaders to take the lead at the top for the first time this season.
While Bayer Leverkusen has performed well thus far in Xabi Alonso’s first full season as manager following his hiring last October, they will be eager to cap off their impressive start with a significant victory at the Allianz Arena to secure their own cushion.
Die Werkself ended the 2022-23 Bundesliga term in sixth spot, and following an 8-0 thrashing of Teutonia Ottensen in the DFB-Pokal first round, their new league campaign began with a tough test against RB Leipzig, who they eventually beat 3-2 courtesy of goals from Jeremie Frimpong, Jonathan Tah and Florian Wirtz, with Alonso’s men standing strong to protect their lead in the final 20 minutes after Lois Openda reduced the deficit to one.
Once again scoring three goals and recording their first clean sheet, they would next go to face Borussia Monchengladbach and win easily. Victor Boniface scored a brace, and another Tah goal, as they easily secured all three points.
With a 5-1 hammering of newly promoted Darmstadt at the beginning of September, Die Werkself would continue their flawless record into the international break in fine fashion. Boniface once again hit a double, and Exequiel Palacios, Jonas Hofmann, and Adam Hlozek all scored.
Alonso will want to get one over on the team he played for 117 times in order to make it four wins in a row and establish a lead at the top of the table for his team, who are desperate to build on their unblemished record and position themselves among the leading pack in this season’s Bundesliga.
Bayern Munich Bundesliga Form
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Bayer Leverkusen Bundesliga Form
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With captain and starting custodian Manuel Neuer, as well as new defender Raphael Guerreiro and forward Jamal Musiala, still out due to injuries, Bayern Munich may start the same lineup on Friday as they did in their win away at Borussia Monchengladbach before the break.
In Neuer’s absence, Sven Ulreich will continue to fill in at goalkeeper, while summer acquisition Kim Min-Jae could once more pair up with Matthijs De Ligt in the centre of a back four, with Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich certain to maintain their connection in the midfield.
There is still competition for supporting roles in Musiala’s absence, with Serge Gnabry, Thomas Muller, Kingsley Coman, and Leroy Sane all vying to feature. Mathys Tel has a claim to start after scoring the game-winning goal off the bench against Gladbach, but Harry Kane should again be preferred upfront having already scored three Bundesliga goals since his club-record arrival from Tottenham Hotspur over the summer.
However, winger Amine Adli is back in the mix after serving his suspension for receiving a red card on the final day of the previous campaign. Bayer Leverkusen is still without forward Patrik Schick owing to an injury, while defender Piero Hincapie is also limited to the treatment room.
Adli, along with players like Adam Hlozek and Nathan Tella, are vying to break into the front three from the start in Alonso’s 3-4-3 setup, but they will face stiff competition from flankers Jonas Hofmann and Florian Wirtz, who have both made strong starts to the season. Victor Boniface will once again lead the line, having already scored four goals and provided two assists in just three Bundesliga games since joining from Union SG in the summer.
With Hincapie still out, Odilon Kossounou, Jonathan Tah, and Edmond Tapsoba will likely line up in a back three. Jeremie Frimpong and Alejandro Grimaldo will be tasked with providing additional attacking support from wing-back positions. Granit Xhaka, a fellow summer arrival, will once again play a key role alongside Exequiel Palacios in the engine room.
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