A tough test for the reigning champions

By Ben Sully @SullyBen

Bayern Munich will have to negotiate a tricky home fixture against RB Leipzig on Saturday as they look to close in on the Bundesliga title.

Bayern Munich

Bayern will head into Saturday’s contest in a confident mood after they cruised to a 6-0 home victory over relegation-threatened Schalke 04 last weekend. A Thomas Müller strike and a Joshua Kimmich penalty gave the Bavarians a half-time lead. Serge Gnabry netted a brace after the break before Mathys Tel and Noussair Mazraoui grabbed a goal apiece to round off a dominant performance.

Having won their last three matches, Bayern boasts a slender one-point advantage over Dortmund ahead of the final two fixtures of the season. The Bavarians know that if they can claim maximum points against Leipzig and FC Köln then they will claim maximum points then they will clinch their 11th consecutive title.

Saturday’s hosts are unbeaten in 23 home league matches, and after winning six of their last seven Bundesliga games at the Allianz Arena, they will be confident about their chances of recording a victory against Leipzig.

Team News

Thomas Tuchel has confirmed that Yann Sommer has recovered from illness in time for Saturday’s contest. However, the hosts remain without the services of Manuel Neuer, Josip Stanisic, Lucas Hernandez, Alphonso Davies and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.

RB Leipzig

Leipzig travel to Bavaria in a buoyant mood after they beat Werder Bremen 2-1 last time out to clinch a fourth consecutive victory in all competitions. Die Roten Bullen looked to be heading towards defeat when Leanardo Bittencourt gave Bremen the lead in the 70th minute. With three minutes of regulation time remaining, Willi Orbán managed to restore parity, before Dominik Szoboszlai snatched all three points with a dramatic 96th-minute winner.

Ahead of their final two league games against Bayern and Schalke 04, Marco Rose’s side sit in third position with a one-point gap to fifth-placed Freiburg, who returned to winning ways against Wolfsburg on Friday evening.

Leipzig know that they can book their place in the Champions League with a win over the reigning champions. If they can claim all three points then it would represent their first competitive away win over Bayern after drawing two and losing four of their previous away games against Saturday’s opponents.

Team News

Rose has revealed that Timo Werner is a doubt for the trip to the Allianz Arena due to illness. Dani Olmo is also a fitness concern, while long-term absentee Peter Gulacsi remains sidelined.