Champions League | Round of 16 | 1st Leg

Mar 5, 2025 at 8pm UK

Allianz Arena

Bayern Munich vs B. Leverkusen

Match preview

Vincent Kompany's Bayern are on course to win the Bundesliga this season, eight points clear of second-placed Bayer, after an impressive 3-1 win at Stuttgart on Friday.

It extended Bayern's unbeaten run to nine games in all competitions, although that includes a nervy draw at home to Celtic in the second leg of the play-off round.

Alphonso Davies' last-gasp winner sent Bayern through on aggregate thanks to a first-leg win in Glasgow, but they will know they must improve on that performance if they are to maintain their brilliant record in the last 16 of this competition.

Bayern have lost just one of their last 11 last-16 home games, scoring 41 goals in the process, including seven against Red Bull Salzburg and Shakhtar Donetsk and five against Arsenal and Besiktas.

Leverkusen will be a much tougher test, however, and after losing to Xabi Alonso's men in the Pokal earlier this season, the Champions League is Kompany's last chance of cup success.

Bayern have fond memories of their last meeting with their German counterparts in Europe, when Arjen Robben scored a late winner in the 2013 final against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.

Leverkusen also have a strong history against clubs from their own country in Europe, having knocked Werder Bremen and Hamburg out of the UEFA Cup in 1988 and 2008 respectively.

Alonso will be eager to make it three out of three in Leverkusen as he is yet to lose to Bayern in his time in charge, extending his unbeaten run to six games after limiting the Bavarians to just two shots in a 0-0 draw at the BayArena last month.

However, Leverkusen's form on the road in Europe has taken a turn for the worse as, despite going 29 games unbeaten on the road in the Bundesliga, they have lost their last two away games in this competition, at Liverpool and in that infamous clash with Atletico Madrid.

Alonso's men are unbeaten in eight, but missed the chance to close the gap on the Bavarians in the domestic competition with a goalless draw last month and will now turn their attention to the Champions League and the Pokal.

The knowledge that they will not face the likes of Real Madrid, Liverpool or in-form Paris Saint-Germain until the final should give them further hope, but there are still plenty of tough teams on Leverkusen's side of the draw, with Bayern leading the way, as well as Inter Milan and Barcelona.

Recent Performance

Bayern Munich Champions League form:WWLWWD

Bayern Munich form (all competitions):WWDDWW

Bayer Leverkusen Champions League form:DLWWLW

Bayer Leverkusen form (all competitions):WWDDWW

Team News

Bayern are hoping that Joshua Kimmich will be fit for this game after returning to light training over the weekend, and that he will commit to a new long-term contract, as has been rumoured in Germany in recent days.

Eric Dier and Aleksandar Pavlovic both missed Sunday's training session with minor knocks, while Jamal Musiala, Joao Palhinha and the Celtic saviour Davies all missed out with knocks, but all five should be in contention.

Harry Kane is fit and firing on all cylinders, and no player has contributed more to the 20 goals he has scored in the Champions League since the start of last season (15 goals, five assists).

Florian Wirtz is giving the England captain a run for his money in his first UCL campaign, though, with six goals and an assist in the league phase, just two shy of Michael Ballack's club record of nine in a European campaign, set in the 2001-02 final.

Piero Hincapie will be available after serving his suspension at the weekend, but fellow defender Jeanuel Belocian remains a long-term absentee for the visitors.

Martin Terrier is the only other injury concern at the moment, but with the bulk of his squad available, Alonso named a very strong XI at the weekend and did not take any chances with this game on the horizon.

Possible starting lineup

Bayern Munich possible starting lineup:

Neuer; Laimer, Kim, Upamecano, Davies; Palhinha, Goretzka; Olise, Musiala, Coman; Kane

Bayer Leverkusen possible starting lineup:

Hradecky; Mukiele, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Aleix Garcia, Xhaka, Grimaldo; Tella, Schick, Wirtz