Bayern kick off Matchday 4 in the Bundesliga with a genuine top-of-the-table clash on Friday night as they host the only other team still with a perfect record this season, Bayer Leverkusen. While the record champions last managed to extend their winning start to a season to four games back in 2018, the Werkself have never before done better than three opening wins (previously only in 2003 and 2013). Thomas Tuchel and his team want to ensure that remains the case come the final whistle on Friday.
Bayern’s 2-1 victory in Mönchengladbach prior to the international break made it three wins from three in the Bundesliga this season.
Top-of-the-table clash with good omens
This the eighth time Bayern and Leverkusen will face off with the pair occupying the top two in the Bundesliga table. The visitors have only managed one win in those fixtures (in 1986), while the men from Munich have won each of the last seven such encounters. Coached by former Bayern midfielder Xabi Alonso (117 appearances, nine goals), Bayer are top of the table for the first time since Matchday 12 in 2020/21. On that occasion they were then beaten 2-1 at home by Bayern.
Bayern previously knocked Leverkusen off top spot with a 2-1 win at the BayArena in December 2020.
Scoring run against Leverkusen
Bayern have scored in every single one of their last 33 Bundesliga home meetings with Leverkusen. The record champions have only managed a longer scoring run at home to Hamburg in the top flight (39 games going back to 1979). The last time FCB drew a blank against the Werkself in Munich was the 1-0 loss in October 1989.
Defensive steel vs. attacking power
Bayern have conceded just twice over the first three matchdays of this season, which is the fewest in the division alongside Eintracht Frankfurt. At the other end, Leverkusen boast the Bundesliga’s most prolific attack alongside VfB Stuttgart with 11 goals scored each. That is a new club record for the Werkself at this stage of a top-flight campaign.
Find out about 11 players who represented both Bayern and Leverkusen:
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