Julian Nagelsmann has announced his line-up for the game at Bayer Leverkusen. The coach of Bayern Munich has a starting place for Matthijs de Ligt, while Daley Blind, Ryan Gravenberch and Noussair Mazraoui have to settle for a place on the bench. On the side of Leverkusen, Jeremie Frimpong and Mitchel Bakker are in the base. The match starts at 5:30 p.m. and can be viewed on via play.
Yann Sommer is posted between the Bavarian posts. The Swiss sees three defenders in front of him: Benjamin Pavard, Dayot Upamecano and De Ligt. From right to left, Kingsley Coman, Leon Goretzka, Joshua Kimmich and Alphonso Davies form the midfield. Sadio Mane gets his second base place in a row. The Senegalese, together with Jamal Musiala and striker Thomas Müller, forms the vanguard.
Leverkusen is in excellent shape. The Werkself took seven points from his last three Bundesliga games and also managed to beat Ferencváros twice in the Europa League. Bakker and Frimpong have been in shape in recent weeks, but a call-up for the big the Dutch was not an option. Frimpong in particular is on a roll for coach Xabi Alonso’s team with two goals and two assists in his last two league games. The Spaniard awaits a special game, as he played for Bayern for three years. “After the game I will have time to greet my friends at Bayern,” he told BILD. “Until then, there is no room for emotions.” Alonso can again use the recovered Florian Wirtz against Bayern. Earlier this season, Leverkusen lost 4-0 at the Allianz Arena.
??? @J__Nagelsmann: “Our aim is to beat Leverkusen. We can’t relax. I will use our in-form players, regardless of a potential ban for five yellow cards.”#MiaSanMia #B04FCB pic.twitter.com/nEz5t8zsvZ
— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) March 17, 2023
Bayern will have to do without the injured Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting on Sunday. The Cameroonian is still suffering too much from his back injury. Mathys Tel was a doubtful case due to stiff muscles, but is fit enough for a reserve role. Nagelsmann was angry this week because a mole within the club leaked tactical sheets of the match against VfL Bochum to BILD. “The mole is a protected species, so the search is very, very complicated,” he sneered. From the Dutch at Bayern, De Ligt and Blind received a call from national coach Ronald Koeman, Gravenberch has to show it at the Dutch Juniors. Kimmich in turn received good news from the German national coach Hansi Flick. The versatile midfielder is the captain of his country during the upcoming international match period.
Lineup Bayer Leverkusen: Hradecky; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Palacios, Andrich, Bakker; Diaby, Azmoun, Wirtz.
Lineup Bayern Munich: Summer; Pavard, Upamecano, De Ligt; Coman, Goretzka, Kimmich, Davies; Mane, Musiala; Muller.
| No. | Team | m | W | G | v | +/- | Pnt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Borussia Dortmund | 25 | 17 | 2 | 6 | 24 | 53 |
| 2 | Bayern Munich | 24 | 15 | 7 | 2 | 46 | 52 |
| 3 | RB Leipzig | 25 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 19 | 45 |
| 4 | 1. FC Union Berlin | 24 | 13 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 45 |
| 5 | SC Freiburg | 24 | 13 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 45 |
| 6 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 24 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 12 | 40 |
| 7 | VfL Wolfsburg | 25 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 38 |
| 8 | FSV Mainz 05 | 24 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 36 |
| 9 | Bayer Leverkusen | 24 | 10 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 34 |
| 10 | Borussia Monchengladbach | 25 | 8 | 7 | 10 | -4 | 31 |
| 11 | Werder Bremen | 25 | 9 | 4 | 12 | -9 | 31 |
| 12 | FC Augsburg | 25 | 8 | 4 | 13 | -13 | 28 |
| 13 | 1. FC Cologne | 25 | 6 | 9 | 10 | -11 | 27 |
| 14 | VfL Bochum | 25 | 8 | 1 | 16 | -29 | 25 |
| 15 | TSG Hoffenheim | 25 | 6 | 4 | 15 | -12 | 22 |
| 16 | Hertha BSC | 25 | 5 | 6 | 14 | -18 | 21 |
| 17 | Schalke 04 | 25 | 4 | 9 | 12 | -24 | 21 |
| 18 | VfB Stuttgart | 25 | 4 | 8 | 13 | -13 | 20 |