One of the biggest matches in the Bundesliga will be staged this Friday, as the curtain draws down on the first half of the season before the winter break comes into effect.
There will be pressure on Vincent Kompany and his Bayern Munich side, as their unbeaten start to the campaign was ended last weekend at Mainz. However, the Bavarian giants remain four points clear at the summit.
RB Leipzig come into this heavyweight clash after winning their last two matches, and a win on Friday could see them go into the winter break sitting second in the Bundesliga standings.
Match Information
Location: Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany
Date & Time: Friday, December 20, 2024. 7:30 PM GMT
Latest Odds
- Bayern Munich: 7/20
- Draw: 51/10
- RB Leipzig: 7/1
- Over 2.5 Goals: 19/50
- Under 2.5 Goals: 71/31
Latest odds taken from BetXchange.
Head-to-Head Record
Bayern Munich hold a healthy advantage based on previous meetings between the sides. The Bavarian giants have won eleven of the last 19 competitive meetings against Leipzig, with the visitors winning on just three occasions over the same period.
Bayern recorded a 2-1 win in this exact fixture last season, ending a four-game winless run against Leipzig across all competitions. Leipzig last won at the Allianz Arena in May 2023.
Bayern Without Key Stars
Kompany’s excellent start to life at Bayern Munich has seen the Bavarian giants race clear at the summit. However, they were handed a stern reminder that there is still work to do last weekend after suffering a 2-1 defeat at Mainz.
Kompany will still be without a number of vitally important players this weekend, with Harry Kane, Manuel Neuer, and Alphonso Davies all unlikely to return until after the winter break.
Being without Kane was a massive blow to Bayern last weekend, as they looked short of quality in the final third, despite having 68.9% of the possession. Dealing without the England captain will once again be key to their chances on Friday.
Leipzig in Excellent League Form
It has been a strange season to this point for RB Leipzig. They have stuttered for form throughout their Champions League campaign, and have saved many of their best performances for domestic matches.
That was once again evident last weekend, as they beat second-placed Eintracht Frankfurt at Red Bull Arena. Not for the first time this season, the striking combination of Benjamin Sesko and Lois Openda was key to their win, with both forwards finding the net against their in-form opponents.
Openda is enjoying an excellent campaign in 2024-25, having already netted six goals and registered three assists in 14 league outings.
Bayern Munich vs. RB Leipzig Prediction
This is a fascinating showdown on Friday, and it is only made more engaging due to Bayern being without many of their main stars.
Leipzig have been excellent in the final third throughout the domestic season, and the fact that they have lost just once in their last four against Bayern can’t be overlooked. Therefore, a strong case could be made for Leipzig landing maximum points on Friday.
