3.
18:40
It’s definitely getting off to a very intense start. Both teams are in the game immediately.
1.
18:39
FCB’s first attack, but the long ball to Sacha Boey is far too imprecise.
1.
18:38
Game start
18:38
The Leverkusen team started very briskly. Manuel Neuer has to rush into his penalty area and hit a ball away.
18:37
Now everyone seems to be ready.
18:36
Now the Bayern fans are throwing.
18:35
Referee Felix Zwayer is still consulting with his team.
18:34
It still goes on. The Leverkusen fan curve is active again.
18:33
The situation slowly seems to be calming down again.
18:31
The Bayern fans are also protesting.
18:29
Before it starts, there are again fan protests against the DFL. Objects are flying onto the grass again from the Leverkusen curve.
18:27
Enough of the preliminary banter. Facts are now being created.
18:25
By the way, there was no winner in the first half of the fourth matchday (2:2). In the last meeting under the Bayer Cross, the Werkself retained the upper hand 2-1 in March 2023.
18:23
The teams will emerge from the catacombs at any moment.
18:21
Bayer 04 are still unbeaten this season. FC Bayern has already lost four competitive games this season. Will the fifth game be added today?
18:16
The Leverkusen club anthem is now playing. So it’s about to start.
18:13
It is a meeting of superlatives: Bayer Leverkusen has the best record in club history with 52 points and the third best in Bundesliga history; only Pep Guardiola’s Bayern in the 2013/14 and 2015/16 seasons were even better at this point in the season ( 56 and 53 points). FC Bayern is not much worse, has the sixth-best record in history – only four times have Munich themselves been even more successful (most recently in 2015/16) and the Werkself this season.
18:11
And of course that’s exactly what the people of Munich want to prevent. With a win they would move ahead of the Rhinelanders in the table.
18:03
The tension increases noticeably. Even if, of course, no decision will be made in the championship fight today. But should Leverkusen win, the Werkself’s lead over the record champions would already be five points. The Alonso team could also allow themselves a slip-up.
18:02
At Bayern, Harry Kane is the only attacker, the central point. Behind him he is supported by Leroy Sané and Jamal Musiala.
17:56
Bayer 04 coach Xabi Alonso seems to want to be more compact at first. Amine Adli plays as the only leader. New arrivals Iglesias and Patrik Schick have to watch from the reserve bench for now.
17:56
Now Leverkusen are also coming onto the field. The Werkself are greeted exceptionally loudly by the fans.
17:49
Bayern came out to warm up.
17:43
The lawn looks like a children’s playground at the moment. There are quite a few cones laid out on both sides. Football can be a pretty complicated thing.
17:39
The lineups are already there. At Bayer 04, defender Josip Stanisic moves into the starting line-up. Manuel Neuer plays in goal for Bayern, but Joshua Kimmich initially sits on the bench.
17:26
Both teams have now arrived at the Leverkusen Arena. Everyone involved looks pretty focused.
17:22
Another hour and a half before the most exciting Bundesliga summit in a long time will take place between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and FC Bayern Munich. The stadium is slowly filling up. Carnival music is played. What else in the Rhineland at this time of year?