Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen – Match preview and team news

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·1 November 2025

Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen – Match preview and team news

Bayern Munich welcome Bayer Leverkusen to the Allianz Arena on Saturday as the defending Bundesliga champions look to maintain their perfect start to the season.

The Bavarians have won all 14 competitive matches and are five points clear at the top of the league, whilst the visitors are building momentum under new manager Kasper Hjulmand.

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Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen – Match Preview and Team News

Date: Saturday, 1st November.
Kick-off: 5:30pm BST.
Venue: Allianz Arena, Munich.

Bayern Munich Team News

Bayern Munich continue to look formidable despite being without influential playmaker Jamal Musiala. The 22-year-old has taken a significant step in his recovery from a fractured fibula sustained at the summer’s Club World Cup, recently training on grass for the first time in over three months. However, Musiala remains unavailable for this weekend’s fixture, with no set timeline for his return.

Serge Gnabry is back in the squad as well and will look to find the same rhythm as before. Other than that, Hiroki Ito and Alphonso Davies are still sidelined.

Nicolas Jackson, the Chelsea loanee, continues to compete for minutes alongside Harry Kane. Manager Vincent Kompany has publicly backed Jackson, stating he holds “a different opinion of Nicolas Jackson than the public” and believes the striker has already contributed significantly to the team’s campaign despite failing to score in the Bundesliga.

Bayer Leverkusen Team News

Kasper Hjulmand’s squad continue to benefit from the summer recruitment drive. Young talents Ernest Poku and Christian Kofane have emerged as key attacking threats following the departures of the club’s previous frontline stars over the summer months. Poku, the 21-year-old winger signed from AZ Alkmaar for €12m, has made an impressive start to life at the BayArena.

After three substitute appearances without registering, he has started the last three Bundesliga games, scoring two out of his three goals and recording one assist during this run. His shot conversion rate stands at an elite level, having required just eight attempts to score his three goals.

Christian Kofane, the 19-year-old Cameroonian striker, has equally impressed, netting twice in eight appearances this season. The teenager scored his maiden Bundesliga goal against Union Berlin and has quickly integrated into Hjulmand’s system. Both players have been nominated for October’s Bundesliga Rookie of the Month award.

Alejandro Grimaldo continues to lead Leverkusen’s attacking play despite being a defender, scoring four goals and providing three assists across eight appearances, thereby maintaining his status as one of the Bundesliga’s most creative forces.

Form

Bayern Munich

Vincent Kompany’s side have been excellent, winning all eight Bundesliga matches this season and scoring 30 goals in the process – a record goal tally for any club after eight games of a Bundesliga campaign.

Their recent victories include impressive performances against rivals like Borussia Dortmund (2-1), Eintracht Frankfurt (3-0 away), and Werder Bremen (4-0). Bayern have particularly dominated at the Allianz Arena, with their three victories at home featuring scorelines of 4-0 or better.

Bayer Leverkusen

Kasper Hjulmand’s transformative impact has been remarkable. Since taking charge in early September, Leverkusen have remained unbeaten in the Bundesliga, collecting 10 points from their first four league matches – a feat only surpassed by Klaus Augenthaler’s opening five games in 2003.

Their recent victories include a dominant 2-0 win over Freiburg, a thrilling 4-3 success at Mainz, and a 2-0 triumph against Union Berlin.