Leverkusen's Italian forward Lucas Alario celebrates scoring the 2-0 during the UEFA Europa League Group C football match Bayer 04 Leverkusen v Nice at the BayArena stadium in Leverkusen, western Germany, on October 22, 2020. (Photo by WOLFGANG RATTAY / POOL / AFP)
The star attraction in the Bundesliga this weekend is Saturday’s clash between unbeaten Bayer 04 Leverkusen and the champions, Bayern Munich at the BayArena.
Leverkusen have been peerless this term and completely picked apart FC Köln 4-0 at RheinEnergieSTADION on Wednesday.
The club’s top scorer Lucas Alario, Leon Bailey and seventeen-year-old Florian Wirtz goal – largely seen as Kai Havertz’s successor – have flourished this term as Peter Bosz’s men continue to set the pace.
Bayern, on the other hand, have not been at their sparkling best in recent games.
Hansi Flick’s charges came from a goal down to beat VfL Wolfsburg 2-1 at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday with Robert Lewandowski netting his 250th and 251st League goals in the process.
Levandowski is currently riding the crest of a wave after been named recipient of the Fifa Best award in Zurich on Thursday.
Lewandowski’s goals will be extremely crucial if Bayern are to record a victory which will see them leapfrog Leverkusen and take top spot of the Bundesliga.
If Saturday’s game at the BayArena ends in a stalemate, the biggest benefactors could be RB Leipzig who will go top in any case with a win at home to FC Köln in one of the day’s early kickoffs.
Julian Nagelsmann’s men will then wait with bated breath for the result of the day’s late game between Leverkusen and Bayern with the hope that the spoils are shared.
Fourth-placed Borussia Dortmund could move to within three points of the leaders, Leverkusen of the win at Union Berlin in the opening game of the match day on Friday.
Winning at Union may however be more complicated in reality than it appears on paper.
The plucky Berlin club have punched above their weight this season.
They currently sit in sixth place but know that a win over Dortmund on Friday at Alte Foersterei will see them leapfrog Wolfsburg and move into the European qualification places.
Borussia Moenchengladbach and Hoffenheim clash at Borussia Park with the hosts set to aim for a win which will put their European ambitions back on track.
At the foot of the standings, Schalke are still looking for their first win of the table and will be hoping it’s 13th time lucky when they face Arminia Bielefeld at the VELTINS-Arena on Saturday.
Fixtures FridayUnion Berlin vs Borussia Dortmund
Saturday Mainz vs Werder BremenBorussia Mgladbach vs HoffenheimAugsburg vs Eintracht FrankfurtSchalke vs Arminia BielefeldRB Leipzig vs KölnBayer Leverkusen vs Bayern Munich
SundayFreiburg vs Hertha BerlinWolfsburg vs Stuttgart
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