Bundesliga match preview: Bayer Leverkusen vs Bayern Munich

Genius Sports Report
December 18, 2020

The Playbook @genius_playbook

💫 Roger Schmidt’s #Benfica have been electric this season. Their form at the Estádio da Luz was the key:

🔴 45 goals
🔴 47.3 xG
🔴 6.7 shots on goal per game
🔴 34.5 touches in opp. box per game
🔴 33.9 line-breaking passes per game

#SLB38 | #EuAmoOBenfica twitter.com/slbenfica_en/s…

SL Benfica

@slbenfica_en

W FOR 𝑹𝑶𝑮𝑬𝑹 𝑩𝑨𝑳𝑳 🔥🔥🔥

The Playbook @genius_playbook

🔴 @SLBenfica: campeões 🏆

A 3-0 win over Santa Clara sealed the deal for #Benfica, who claimed their record-extending 38th league title. It’s their first #LigaPortugal championship victory in four years. 🔥

#SLB38 | #EuAmoOBenfica

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📊 The game that lost @FCNordsjaelland the title.

@FCKobenhavn were handed the title by #fcn‘s loss to rivals @BrondbyIF. Nordsjaelland had more shots, more corners, and OVER 300 MORE completed passes (397-700).

But #Brøndby won where it matters most. ⚽️

#fcklive | #sldk

Top two battle

The top two face off in the Bundesliga as in-form Bayer Leverkusen host Bayern Munich in the last game for the two sides before the winter break.

Bayer Leverkusen

Bayer Leverkusen are still unbeaten and head the table with eight wins and four draws from their 12 games.

Only 1️⃣ side left unbeaten this year and they’re sitting pretty at the top ☝️ pic.twitter.com/tta9lxmpYf

— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) December 16, 2020

Last match

Peter Bosz’s side battered local rivals FC Köln 4-0 in midweek to make a big statement ahead of the big match against Bayern. Mitchell Weiser, who was a late addition to the side after Sven Bender’s injury, scored after eight minutes with a thunderous volley.

Moussa Diaby added a second to make it 2-0 after 10 minutes, dribbling at pace and curling in a shot into the corner.

Patrik Schick and Florian Wirtz both scored in the second half to complete the rout.

Wirtz, who scored last weekend against Hoffenheim, became only the fifth player in Bundesliga history to have scored three goals before his 18th birthday. He is the youngest player to reach that mark.

Bayern Munich

Robert Lewandowski scored his 250th Bundesliga goal as Bayern went behind for the sixth consecutive Bundesliga game, but managed to fight back and win 2-1 against Wolfsburg.

The win for Bayern ended Wolfsburg’s unbeaten record in the Bundesliga this season.

Lewandowski record

Maximillian Philipp met Kevin Mbabu’s cross on the volley to give Wolfsburg the lead in the fifth minute but the Pole equalised on the stroke of half-time with a superb header from Kingsley Coman’s cross.

The goal was his 250th in the Bundesliga, becoming only the third player in Bundesliga history to achieve that feat.

It was 23rd goal against Wolfsburg in 20 Bundesliga appearances.

Robert Lewandowski of FC Bayern München scores the first team goal during the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern Muenchen and VfL Wolfsburg. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

Another brace for @lewy_official makes FIFTEEN from twelve games 🎯#BLMatchday pic.twitter.com/lKFegYq41z

— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) December 17, 2020

Stats

Leon Bailey will be looking to continue his good form against Bayern; he has scored or assisted in seven of Bayer Leverkusen’s last nine games. He has scored nine goals in his last nine games.

Leverkusen have won two of their last three meetings with Bayern, and have lost just three of their last 11 home games against them (three wins, five draws).

Featured image: Leverkusen’s German defender Mitchell Weiser celebrates scoring the first goal with teammates during the German first division Bundesliga football match between FC Cologne and Bayer Leverkusen. (Photo by WOLFGANG RATTAY / POOL / AFP) / DFL REGULATIONS PROHIBIT ANY USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS AS IMAGE SEQUENCES AND/OR QUASI-VIDEO (Photo by WOLFGANG RATTAY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)