Defending champions Bayer Leverkusen host Bayern Munich on Saturday needing a “perfect day” to defeat the Bavarian giants and keep the Bundesliga title race alive. Bayern come to Leverkusen with an eight-point lead at the top of the table. Both sides have only lost once in the league this season but Leverkusen have been let down by their inability to win close games, with seven draws compared to Bayern’s three. Stung by failing to win a title last year, Vincent Kompany‘s Bayern are in ominous form, having won seven league games in a row.

A win, or even a draw on Saturday for Bayern, will deal a likely fatal blow to Leverkusen’s hopes of winning back-to-back titles.

However, Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso‘s record against Bayern will give the hosts hope.

Since taking over Leverkusen in October 2022, Alonso has won three and drawn two of five games against Bayern.

The most recent of those victories came in December, when Leverkusen eliminated Bayern from the German Cup in Munich after home captain Manuel Neuer saw red for the first time in his career.

In an interview with the Bundesliga website on Thursday, Leverkusen talisman Granit Xhaka backed his side.

“We can make it difficult for anyone, including Bayern Munich, we need a perfect day to beat this team, but I’m convinced we can do this,” he said.

“We won’t play for a draw, we want to win every game, whether that’s against Bayern on Saturday, or against any other team.

“Everything is still in our hands, we’ll keep going, keep believing, and try and win the next games.”

Unlike Bayern, who battled to a 2-1 victory at Celtic in the Champions League play-offs on Wednesday, Leverkusen could put their feet up in midweek, having finished in the top eight of the competition.

Both sides are benefiting from rich veins of form from their strikers.

Having struggled with a hamstring injury in December, Harry Kane has bounced back for Bayern and has nine goals in his past eight games in all competitions.

Leverkusen’s Patrik Schick is also among the goals. The Czech striker has 14 goals in his past 11 league outings.

Elsewhere, Borussia Dortmund can build on their midweek 3-0 Champions League win at Sporting Lisbon, their first win under new coach Niko Kovac, when they play at rock-bottom Bochum on Saturday.

Third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt, who have drawn their past three games, will also want to get their top-four bid back on track when they face Holstein Kiel.

One to watch: Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen)

Sitting behind Patrick Schick, Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz has pulled the strings all season.

So far this season, nine of Schick’s 20 goals have been assisted by Wirtz.

Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro, who oversaw Wirtz’s last contract extension with the club in 2022, told AFP in an interview on Thursday the 21-year-old “definitely makes it look easy — and that’s what makes him special.

“He has a view of the whole field. His technique, his first touch is amazing… Not that many are on his level.

Key stats

24 – St Pauli sit 14th but have conceded just 24 goals in 21 games. Only league leaders Bayern Munich have conceded fewer, with 19.

October 2021 – The date of Bayern’s last win in Leverkusen.

21 in 19 – Harry Kane has 21 goals in 19 league games this campaign, including nine penalties.

Bayern Munich had not lost a Champions League group game since 2017 until a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa on Wednesday that hinted at a new era of European glory for the English side. Villa relived the club’s greatest ever night, when they beat Bayern to lift the European Cup in 1982, in their first home match at the continent’s elite level for 41 years. The Birmingham club’s fortunes have been transformed in less than two years since Unai Emery took charge, catapulting Villa from battling relegation at the bottom of the Premier League to finishing in the top four last season.

Now two games into their first ever experience since the European Cup was rebranded to the Champions League, they are one of just seven sides with maximum points.

Bayern’s previous group stage defeat, 41 games ago, also came at the hands of Emery when in charge of Paris Saint-Germain.

The Spaniard’s time in France and as Arsene Wenger’s successor at Arsenal did not end well.

However, he has a track record of lifting up European football’s middleweights to trade blows with the continent’s giants.

Emery won three consecutive Europa Leagues at Sevilla and lifted the competition for a fourth time with Villarreal in 2021 to deliver the club’s first ever major trophy.

The next season Villarreal reached the Champions League semi-finals, knocking out Juventus and Bayern along the way.

Villa are now reaping the rewards of Emery’s shrewd tactical mind and ability to polish rough diamonds.

– ‘Moving forward’ –

Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham were among the sides with bigger budgets that were beaten into fourth place by Villa in the Premier League last season.

In doing so, Emery’s men beat both title contenders Manchester City and Arsenal 1-0 at Villa Park in December and repeated that trick against a Bayern team that arrived in England in free-scoring form.

Bayern were stifled by Villa’s organisation and hit with the sucker punch by super sub Jhon Duran.

The Colombian lobbed Manuel Neuer 11 minutes from time to score his fifth goal this season after coming off the bench.

Emi Martinez was then needed to make two huge saves in the dying moments as a Bayern side that had averaged over four goals a game since Vincent Kompany took charge were shut out.

“It’s a statement but there are still a lot of games to play. We want to qualify in the top eight,” said Argentina’s World Cup winner Martinez.

“This is the loudest Villa Park that I’ve heard since I joined the club, that’s for sure.

“It’s a club that is moving forward. I love playing here, I love the fans. This is a win for them.”

Emery’s gameplan even won the seal of royal approval. He was afforded an audience with Villa fan Prince William, who was among the more than 40,000 crowd celebrating a famous night.

“I told him the best moment we can pass is days like today,” said Emery of his meeting with Britain’s future king.

“I don’t know where (Villa can go) but we are going to try to enjoy the way. Today we (will) remember how we played, who we played and the Champions League final from 42 years ago. It was a special day.”

Forward Morgan Rogers was playing in the Championship earlier this year for Middlesbrough, but is another who Emery has moulded into a player now taking the Champions League in his stride.

“It’s a pinch me moment,” Rogers said of his meteoric rise. “We’re not here to just compete, we’re here to try and win games.”

In 1982 Bayern legends Paul Breitner and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge were among those stunned by Villa’s upstarts in Rotterdam.

Over four decades on, the German giants were left to lick their wounds again on a night that will be long remembered in the Midlands.

Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany on Saturday said he was not nervous ahead of his Bundesliga debut in the dugout for Sunday’s match at Wolfsburg. The 38-year-old Belgian was the surprise choice tasked with restoring Bayern Munich as the dominant force in German football, given he had just overseen Burnley being relegated from the Premier League last season. Bayern come into the season on the back of a first trophyless campaign in 11 years.

Their thunder had been stolen by Bayer Leverkusen, who were unbeaten as they sealed a domestic league and cup double.

Kompany, who cut his teeth prior to Burnley coaching Anderlecht and guiding them to the 2022 Belgian Cup final, said he was satisfied with the preparations ahead of Sunday’s match. 

“No, definitely not nervous, but that was always the way with me,” Kompany told reporters, adding “it’s a big challenge.” 

“We’ve prepared ourselves well with the team and the coaching staff, now it’s up to the players who will play tomorrow. I’m excited.”

Kompany, who as a player won four Premier League titles with Manchester City and was capped 89 times, said Leverkusen, who opened their campaign with victory on Friday, will be formidable rivals again.  

“Leverkusen were phenomenal last season,” said Kompany.

“I think you’ll need around 90 points for the title again, so we need the maximum performance from everyone.”

Kompany said Michael Olise and Joao Palhinha, who arrived from Crystal Palace and Fulham respectively in the close season, were in line to make their debuts against Wolfsburg. 

“There’s a good chance they’ll play a lot this season but I’ll keep my secrets until tomorrow.”

Wolfsburg have not beaten Bayern in 20 matches dating back to 2015.

File image of Xabi Alonso.© AFP

Bayern Munich’s long search to fill their vacant head coaching position is over with the German giants naming Vincent Kompany as manager in a shock move on Wednesday. The 38-year-old Belgian, a surprise choice with his Burnley side relegated from the Premier League this season, has penned a three-year deal at the Allianz Arena. Normally in contention for the biggest names in the business, Bayern have been searching for months but have been knocked back by several candidates after their first trophyless season for 12 years.

After failed attempts to lure Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso, Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann and Austria’s Ralf Rangnick, Bayern tried to hold onto Thomas Tuchel, who had agreed in February to leave in the summer. 

Tuchel however announced in May he “couldn’t agree on terms” to stay with the club and would “stick to the agreement we had in February”.

Instead, Bayern have decided for Kompany, taking a risk on an inexperienced yet promising candidate in one of the biggest jobs in football. 

“I’m looking forward to the challenge of FC Bayern. It’s a great honour to be able to work for this club – FC Bayern is an institution in international football,” said Kompany in a club statement.

“I’m now looking forward to the basics: working with the players, building a team. Once the basis is right, success will follow.”

Burnley will reportedly receive £10 million ($13 million) in compensation for allowing their manager to leave.

“We understand the allure and prestige of a club like Bayern Munich and respect Vincent’s ambition to explore new opportunities,” Burnley said in a statement.

Alonso 2.0?

After a successful playing career where he captained Manchester City and the Belgian national team, Kompany returned to his first club Anderlecht to begin his managerial career.

He moved to Burnley in 2022 and took them to the Premier League as second-division champions, before crashing back to earth over the past 12 months.

Yet, he crucially retained the support of his old coach at City Pep Guardiola, who advised his former club to go for Kompany due to his leadership qualities and determination to play an attacking brand of football.

“As a coach, you have to stand for what you are as a character,” added Kompany. “I love having the ball, being creative – but we also have to be aggressive and courageous on the pitch.”

Coaching instability has been a feature at Bayern over the past decade and a half, despite their consistent on-field success. 

Guardiola, whose three-year spell in Bavaria ended in 2016, was the last Bayern coach to complete at least two full seasons. 

Used to poaching the best talent from their Bundesliga rivals, Bayern were shunned by Alonso, as he decided to take Leverkusen into the Champions League next season.

However, recreating the Spaniard’s success in Germany looks to have been on the minds of the Bayern board.

Like Alonso, Kompany is a disciple of Guardiola and speaks German thanks to his spell at Hamburg as a player.

But his transition into coaching has not been as smooth as the Leverkusen boss.

He finished third and fourth in his two full seasons at Anderlecht before overseeing Burnley’s lowest ever points tally in the English top-flight to finish second bottom of the Premier League this season.

Kompany, who is the same age as Bayern captain Manuel Neuer, now has a mammoth task ahead of him in reviving Bayern’s on-field fortunes, not to mention navigating the club’s complex backroom politics, which have derailed more experienced coaches.