Bayern aim to 'close in on the title' against Leverkusen

"We've started the countdown. We still have five games to play and want to use every game to close in on the title." These were the words Hansi Flick chose to get FC Bayern geared up for Matchday 30 in Monday's press conference. On Tuesday evening (live text and webradio commentary from 20:30 CEST on fcbayern.com), the men from Munich host Bayer 04 Leverkusen at the Allianz Arena. Check out our preview for everything you need to know about the match.

The situation for FC Bayern

Thanks to the win against Wolfsburg, the Reds' lead at the top of the table has increased to seven points. "We took an important step at the weekend. Now we have to keep our focus on the next game," said Flick on the eve of the clash with the Werkself. A tough task awaits the Bavarians there. "Leverkusen are strong, they have extremely fast players and a lot of quality. The team will need to deliver a top performance," continued the boss, who is certain the turmoil of the last few days will have no effect: "The team has a very strong mentality and is very focused on the game and being successful."

Check out here when and where Leipzig are in action on Matchday 30:

The opponents: Bayer 04 Leverkusen

Leverkusen remained unbeaten for a long time in the first half of the season - until the clash with FCB on Matchday 13. Since then, the Werkself have not been able to build on their previous consistently good performances and parted company with head coach Peter Bosz at the end of March. His successor Hannes Wolf is still undefeated after three games (two wins, one draw) and has stabilised the defence in particular. Bayer kept clean sheets in their last two games, and Saturday's win against Köln was especially confidence-boosting: "Thanks to the derby win and the individual skills of our players, we're going into the game with plenty of momentum," Wolf said confidently. "We want to show the same mentality against Bayern as we did against Köln and play better football."

Team news for Bayern vs. Bayer

Leon Goretzka will return to the Bayern squad after missing the last few games with muscular problems. Robert Lewandowski, however, will probably have to be patient. "Robert is making an excellent impression, but the game against Leverkusen may well come too soon. We hope he'll be involved on Saturday," explained Flick. In addition, Niklas Süle (muscular problems), Corentin Tolisso (ruptured tendon), Douglas Costa (rehabilitative training after a hairline fracture in his metatarsal) as well as Marc Roca, who's not 100% fit and Serge Gnabry, who is self-isolating after testing positive for COVID-19, will all miss the game.

Enjoy the best images from Bayern's final training session before the Leverkusen clash in our gallery:

Leverkusen's coach will be without the long-term absentees Santiago Arias, Julian Baumgartlinger and Timothy Fosu-Mensah as well as Lars Bender and Paulinho. Youngster Florian Wirtz is set for a return to the squad.

Team news, tactics and more: You can watch Hansi Flick's pre-match press conference before the clash with Leverkusen (with English translation) here

What the coaches say

Hansi Flick: "Leverkusen have a very strong team and a huge amount of pace. We have to suppress that tomorrow. They mustn't be allowed to play their game and play at pace. That's exactly their great strength, transitioning quickly after winning possession."

Hannes Wolf: "There are only five games left and we still need points. We have to put everything we have into the game tomorrow night and give 100 per cent. A game against FC Bayern gives you an extra kick, you're ready to go beyond your limits. We need to have a top game across all areas. We have to defend very well and generate pace in the game."

If you want to know more about the game against Leverkusen, check out our facts and stats: