Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – Play Offs betting tips on match 2025-03-04 20:00.
[p]Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen are the two leading sides in Germany, and now the pair lock horns in a heavyweight UEFA Champions League (UCL) last 16 tie. Bayern ought to be confident on the back of a nine-game unbeaten run in all competitions (W7, D2) having come from 1-0 down to defeat Stuttgart 3-1 on Friday, making it back-to-back wins since scraping past Celtic in the knockout play-off of this competition with a last-gasp aggregate winner.[/p]
[p]This will be the third different competition in which Vincent Kompany’s men have hosted Leverkusen this season, scoring just once across the previous two such H2Hs (D1, L1). The Bayern faithful will hope experience on this stage inspires an improvement on that front, as the Bavarians have lost just one of their last 11 home matches in the last 16 of the UCL (W9, D1), scoring a whopping 41 goals in that run.[/p]
[p]Unlike Bayern, Leverkusen were strong enough to finish in the top eight of the league phase. Xabi Alonso’s side are also unbeaten in eight matches across all competitions (W5, D3), but have concerningly lost their last two UCL away matches against AtlĂ©tico Madrid and Liverpool – form that is in stark contrast to their 29-match run without defeat in Bundesliga away matches![/p]
[p]A statement 4-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt at the weekend highlights the kind of form Die Werkself are in heading into this clash, where confidence should be high as they are unbeaten in all six H2Hs against Bayern under Alonso’s leadership (W3, D3). Three clean sheets in the last four such meetings, including one in the most recent Bundesliga clash when they restricted Bayern to just two shots over 90 minutes, indicates they have what it takes to progress from this tie.[/p]
[p]Players to watch: Since joining Bayern, Harry Kane has directly contributed to more goals than anyone else in the UCL (G15, A5). The visitors’ Florian Wirtz has been involved in seven goals in the competition this term (G6, A1) – the most by a Leverkusen player in a single campaign since Michael Ballack’s nine in 2001/02. [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Leverkusen have conceded the opening goal just once in their last 19 matches. [/p]
[p][i]Written by Alex Bowmer[/i][/p]