FC Bayern face Bayer Leverkusen on the Monday of Matchday 9 in the Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga. After recent wins away at Werder Bremen and Paris Saint-Germain, Alexander Straus and his team want to bring up their seventh victory of the league campaign and defend top spot when they take to the pitch at the FC Bayern Campus. Here’s the stats and facts ahead of facing on Leverkusen.
1. Both tough to beat
It’s been some time since either Bayern or Leverkusen were beaten in the Bundesliga. Whilst the leaders from Munich haven’t lost in 25 league outings (W22, D3), Robert de Pauw’s visitors are seven without defeat (W3, D4), which is the Werkself’s longest unbeaten run ever.
2. Pressing machines
Bayern have managed 141 high turnovers of possession in the Bundesliga this season – the most of any team. But Leverkusen are also a good pressing side and have scored four goals over the first eight matchdays after winning the ball in the final third. That’s the most in the division together with third-placed Hoffenheim.
3. Naschenweng in good form
Full-back Katharina Naschenweng has impressed at both ends of the pitch.
Katharina Naschenweng has proven her attacking qualities in the last two Bundesliga games, having a direct hand in three goals across the encounters with Duisburg and Werder. The Austrian followed an assist in the 2-0 win over the former with a goal of her own and another provision away at Bremen. It was the first time the 25-year-old has been involved in two goals in a single game for Bayern. She could well prove to be the lucky charm in this match too, having won all eight of her Bundesliga encounters with Leverkusen to date.
4. On-loan Vilhjálmsdóttir also on form
Bayern will come up against the Bundesliga’s top attacker so far this season in Karólína Lea Vilhjálmsdóttir. The 22-year-old Icelander has four goals and three assists this campaign and is on loan at Leverkusen from Bayern.
5. Two strong defences
Captain Glódís Viggósdóttir has helped Bayern keep the meanest defence in the Bundesliga.
Both teams have also impressed defensively this season. Bayern boast the Bundesliga’s meanest back line so far with only three goals conceded and six clean sheets for Mala Grohs. The Werkself have also been assured at the back, with goalkeeper Friederike Repohl conceding only eight times, the fourth-fewest across the division, and keeping four clean sheets.
A number of Bayern players have been on duty with their national teams the past two weeks:
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