We may only be a few weeks into the season but there is already an exciting top-of-the-table clash taking place in the Bundesliga on Friday night as Bayern Munich entertain Bayer Leverkusen at the Allianz Arena. There are some enticing markets in this contest which could offer great value to punters.
Match Odds:
The Friday night game from the Bundesliga on Sky Sports Mix sees Bayern Munich a pretty hefty betting favourite, available to back at 4/7 for the win. Bayer Leverkusen are a 4/1 shot with the draw available to back at 18/5. BTTS fans will see that we expect both goalkeepers to have to pick the ball out of the back of the net, with 2/5 for Yes and 7/4 for No. This also passes over to the over/under 2.5 market, where 1/3 are the odds for over with 9/4 for the unders. It should also be no surprise that Harry Kane is the favourite to score anytime at 3/5.
Team news:
Bayern Munich’s biggest absentee remains to be goalkeeper Manuel Neuer as he recovers from his fractured leg. It remains to be seen if full-back Raphael Guerreiro will be match fit in time for the visit of Leverkusen.
As for Bayer Leverkusen, manager Xabi Alonso is still without forward Patrik Schick and is likely to be without defender Arthur.
Harry Kane to score first at 16/5
England striker Harry Kane has been enjoying a positive start in his new life in Germany. The 30-year-old has three goals in three Bundesliga appearances and he already looks settled in Bayern Munich’s front line.
Thomas Tuchel fought hard to get the striker on board knowing that his impact would be immeasurable. Kane is already repaying the faith to his manager with goals and strong performances as he looks to help Bayern claim another league title and help them win the Champions League again.
Kane’s incredible goalscoring record in the Premier League and on the international stage proves that he is one of the greatest finishers of his generation and those attributes will likely see him have another profitable campaign in Germany.
One thing that is yet to happen for him in the Bundesliga is to open the scoring. In a crunch clash of this magnitude, it is designed for big players to step up and deliver big moments, and this feels like a game that is built for Kane to open proceedings.
Bayern Munich and both teams to score (Yes) at 11/8
Bayern Munich have monopolised the Bundesliga for 11 years now and while Borussia Dortmund have pushed them on a couple of occasions, they’ve still been able to keep on winning. Bayer Leverkusen are a club that is growing on the field under an exciting young coach in Alonso, but still no one is able to match Bayern’s firepower just yet.
Both teams head into this one with three wins from three. Leverkusen’s rise under Alonso is one of the stories to keep an eye on this year, both in the Bundesliga and the Europa League. They will certainly add to the excitement of the top-four race this year even if it might be too soon for them to rival Bayern for the crown.
As the home side, Bayern will be favoured in this battle. The atmosphere from the fans inside the Allianz Arena will hand Alonso and his players their toughest test of the campaign so far, and it will be difficult.
This fixture looks set to be difficult for the hosts, too. Leverkusen have looked sharp in their fixtures so far and there is a lot of excitement surrounding the club at the moment as to the direction they are heading in under Alonso. And of course there is always the expectancy from supporters on Bayern to deliver the league title, especially when you’ve won the past 11 in a row.
Bayern will experience a tough test in this one but the home advantage should get them through. We might end up having a bit of a goal-fest on our hands in this one. It is also worth noting that both these teams have been involved in two matches so far in which both teams have scored.
