Bayer Leverkusen’s Bundesliga history is closely linked to FC Bayern, and it all began when the Werkself made their top-flight bow on 11 August 1979 against FCB. Bernd Dürnberger, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Norbert Janzon struck on that day in a 3-1 win at the Olympiastadion. Today sees the sides meet for the 79th time in the Bundesliga, and fcbayern.com has a few facts and figures for you ahead of the match.
A might in Munich
The previous 78 meetings have seen clear dominance from the record champions, who have won a whopping 46 of the encounters and lost just 16 by an aggregate scoreline of 147-90. FCB are particularly impressive at home to Leverkusen having won the last five in a row at the Allianz Arena, and in fact losing just three of the 39 matches in the Bavarian capital.
Room for personal improvement
Niko Kovac’s personal record as a coach against Bayer, however, still has some room for improvement. The 46-year-old has lost four of his five league matches against his former club, including both encounters with Heiko Herrlich last season. On the other hand, Herrlich, who is a former FCB youth coach, has lost all of his games against his former employers, including suffering his worst defeats as a coach. In 2009 he lost 5-1 at home with Bochum, while last year he was beaten 6-2 at the BayArena in the semi-final of the DFB Cup.
Differing forms
Bayern have had a perfect start to the new season with two wins from two in the league. The exact opposite has been the case in Leverkusen, who have lost both their opening fixtures. Their form on the road is also a concern as they’ve failed to score in three away Bundesliga matches stretching back to last season.
Goals guaranteed
Bayern, however, have little problem scoring goals, and that includes against Leverkusen. Since 1989, FCB have scored in every home game against Bayer. It offers Robert Lewandowski the chance to improve on his return against the Werkself, with the Pole having “just” one goal in five league games against them for Bayern. His strike partner Sandro Wagner, though, has fond memories of Leverkusen with four goals in 10 Bundesliga matches against them – his best return against a top-flight club!
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