Bayernvs.B. Leverkusen

Bayern will welcome the cup holders to Bavaria with a nine-point gap between them in the league table.

Match preview

Ahead of a high-profile cup contest with their conquerors of last season, Bayern Munich played out the 136th instalment of Der Klassiker at the weekend, when Jamal Musiala's late strike salvaged a draw against old foes Borussia Dortmund.

His intervention preserved Bayern's unbeaten away record in the Bundesliga, but they did finally see the end of a seven-match winning run across all competitions, in which they scored 18 goals and kept seven clean sheets.

Vincent Kompany's men had previously beaten 10-man Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League thanks to a first-half header from Kim Min-jae, and they are just a point behind the top eight with three games remaining - in addition to being six points clear in the Bundesliga.

Following 4-0 wins over Ulm and then Mainz in previous rounds, Die Roten now turn their attention back to the DFB-Pokal, which they have lifted no fewer than 20 times before.

However, almost unthinkably for Germany's most successful club, their last triumph came back in 2020, so they will be doubly keen to progress from the last 16 this time around.

Having recently gone undefeated against Bayern Munich in four consecutive games for the very first time, Bayer Leverkusen can head down to Bavaria with any inferiority complex well and truly behind them.

After beating Bayern to the title last season, Die Werkself then went on to claim the DFB-Pokal by beating underdogs Kaiserslautern in the final; completing their domestic campaign unbeaten. However, Leverkusen have only eliminated FCB once in seven previous cup contests - winning 4-2 at home in the 2009 quarter-finals.

This term, Xabi Alonso's side began their campaign with victory over Carl Zeiss Jena in August, before beating Elversberg 3-0 in round two.

Not only have Leverkusen scored in each of their last 34 DFB-Pokal away matches - an overall record in the competition's history - but the last time they failed to find the net in any German cup tie was way back in 2015, when they drew 0-0 with Bayern before being knocked out on penalties.

Alonso and co come into this clash between the teams having thumped Red Bull Salzburg 5-0 in the Champions League - keeping them above Tuesday's hosts in the table - and then edged past Union Berlin in the Bundesliga.

Patrik Schick's second-half winner secured a 2-1 success for the reigning champions, but they trail Bayern by nine points and three places with 11 games gone.

Bayern Munich DFB-Pokal form:

W

W

Bayern Munich form (all competitions):

W

W

W

W

W

D

Bayer Leverkusen DFB-Pokal form:

W

W

Bayer Leverkusen form (all competitions):

D

L

D

W

W

W

Team News

Having been withdrawn after receiving treatment during the first half of Der Klassiker, a subsequent scan found that Harry Kane had picked up a minor strain of his hamstring, so Bayern Munich will be without their star striker on Tuesday.

Kane, who became the fastest player in Bundesliga history to reach 50 goals last month, could be replaced by Thomas Muller or Mathys Tel, providing a very different type of focal point for the Bayern attack.

Joao Palhinha, Hiroki Ito, Josip Stanisic and Sven Ulreich are also unavailable, while midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic has returned to training after recovering from a shoulder operation.

Meanwhile, Leverkusen cannot count on Victor Boniface, Jonas Hofmann, Amine Adli, Jeanuel Belocian and Martin Terrier due to injury.

In the absence of Boniface, Patrick Schick started up front in Berlin, and Ukrainian teenager Artem Stepanov - who recently made his senior debut in the Champions League - is a wildcard option on the bench.

Florian Wirtz should return to the starting XI at Allianz Arena, while Robert Andrich, Aleix Garcia and captain Granit Xhaka are set to join forces in midfield.

Bayern Munich possible starting lineup:

Neuer; Boey, Upamecano, Kim, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Olise, Musiala, Coman; Muller

Bayer Leverkusen possible starting lineup:

Kovar; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Xhaka, Andrich, Garcia, Grimaldo; Wirtz; Schick

We say: Bayern Munich 2-1 Bayer Leverkusen

Although they were forced to settle for a draw when the sides met in September, it seems that Bayern Munich are bound to knock Leverkusen off their perch this season.

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