The Bavarian giants aren’t unbeatable though, as Borussia Mönchengladbach showed by inflicting Bayern’s second home defeat of 2021/22 at the start of January.
Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich have stormed to first place and once more they’ve done it in record-breaking style. Four goals past Hertha in the last round put their goal tally to 65 after just 20 games, a new Bundesliga record. The 30-time champions not only look destined for yet another title, but they firmly have their eyes set on another record – the highest number of goals scored in a season (101), which was set by none other than Bayern back in 1971/72. The Bavarian giants aren’t unbeatable though, as Borussia Mönchengladbach showed by inflicting Bayern’s second home defeat of 2021/22 at the start of January.
Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann will be desperate to avoid that fate against former club RB Leipzig, although nerves may be limited as he masterminded a 4-1 victory over his former employers in the reverse fixture, one of 13 Bundesliga games this season where Bayern won after leading at half-time.
RB Leipzig
At this stage of 2020/21, this match would have been a first vs the second clash, but this time around Leipzig sit in sixth ahead of this round – albeit that’s a huge improvement on the 11th place they were in before boss Domenico Tedesco took over in December. The Italian manager has since guided Champions League-chasing Leipzig to four wins from four in 2022 – three after leading 1-0 at half-time – and causing Bayern issues here like they did in the last two H2Hs at the Allianz Arena now looks a possibility.
Their previous win – a 2-0 victory over Wolfsburg – also marked Leipzig’s 100th Bundesliga victory, helping to cement the reality that one of the most hated sides in Germany are now well and truly division mainstays. There’s still one rite of passage they’re yet to pass though – Leipzig have never beaten Bayern in an away H2H.
In-form Thomas Muller’s strike last time out was the 100th Bayern goal under Nagelsmann, but it’s his 16 assists this Bundesliga campaign that’s drawing attention. Just six more and he’ll break the all-time record of 21 for a single season in any of Europe’s top-five leagues, a record that’s jointly held by Müller. Meanwhile, no side has scored more Bundesliga penalties than Leipzig’s six – the last two were netted by Andre Silva before the 25th minute. Bayern have scored in a record-breaking 67 consecutive Bundesliga matches.