Dream11 Fantasy Soccer: Bayer Leverkusen v. Bayern Munich Preview

Game Preview

Bayern Munich know they are quite close to winning another Bundesliga title and enter Saturday with a seven-point lead over second-place Borussia Dortmund. Considering there are just five games left in the schedule, Bayern shouldn't have to wait long before lifting the trophy once again. Die Roten have also won each of their last 10 games in all competitions, so the two-month hiatus has not affected them at all. Leverkusen, on the other hand, are vying for a UEFA Champions League berth ahead of the 2020-21 season and have looked good of late, winning three of their four matches following the restart of the season. Leverkusen are in a tight battle to finish in the top four, and an upset win over Bayern would put them on the right track to accomplish that once again.

Recent Form

Bayer Leverkusen: W4, L1

Bayern Munich: W5

Team News

Bayer Leverkusen

OUT: Lars Bender (foot)

Doubtful: Kai Havertz (knee)

Bayern Munich

OUT: Philippe Coutinho (ankle), Niklas Sule (knee), Corentin Tolisso (ankle)

Doubtful: Lucas Hernandez (thigh), Thiago Alcantara (strain)

Expected Lineups

Bayer Leverkusen: Lukas Hradecky; Mitchell Weiser, Edmond Tapsoba, Sven Bender, Daley Sinkgraven; Charles Aranguiz, Kerem Demirbay; Karim Bellarabi, Nadiem Amiri, Moussa Diaby; Kai Havertz

Bayern Munich: Manuel Neuer; Benjamin Pavard, David Alaba, Jerome Boateng, Alphonso Davies; Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka; Kingsley Coman, Thomas Muller, Serge Gnabry; Robert Lewandowski

Top Picks

Robert Lewandowski: Lewandowski is a sure-fire bet to create havoc on a weekly basis, but the Polish striker tends to struggle against Leverkusen – he has netted just five goals in 18 games against them. Nevertheless, has 29 goals during the current Bundesliga campaign and, barring a miracle, he will end the season as the top scorer once again.

Benjamin Pavard: The Frenchman might play as a right-back, but that doesn't stop him from being a two-way asset week. Pavard is a constant threat on set-piece situations and, as if that wasn't enough, he can also assist on a regular basis due to his constant attacking runs.

Lineup Strategies

Don't buy the hype on Kai Havertz: Havertz is undoubtedly one of the top players in the Bundesliga. The Leverkusen star has been bagging goals for fun and could be an intriguing alternative to create havoc on Bayern's defensive line. However, it would be wrong to make him captain. Bayern own the best defense in the Bundesliga with only 28 goals conceded and have kept four clean sheets in their last five league contests. Havertz would have to work extremely hard just to create chances, let alone score goals.

It's not wise to stack too much on just one team: Bayern are favorites here, but they are unlikely to be as dominant as they have been in past matches. Leverkusen can give them a run for their money and, truth be told, the hosts have enough talent to stand out on their own. Names such as Mitchell Weiser (8.5 credits), Kerem Demirbay (9.0 credits) and Daley Sinkgraven (8.5 credits) could be decent alternatives to fetch points.

Captain and Vice-Captain Options

1. Robert Lewandowski
2. Benjamin Pavard
3. Joshua Kimmich
4. Kai Havertz

Dream11 Team

GK: Manuel Neuer

DF: Benjamin Pavard

DF: Alphonso Davies

DF: David Alaba

DF: Daley Sinkgraven

MF: Karim Bellarabi

MF: Serge Gnabry

MF: Joshua Kimmich

MF: Kerem Demirbay

FW: Robert Lewandowski

FW: Kai Havertz

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are of the author and is not a reflection of the actual points you might earn.