Bayern Munich will bid to extend its unbeaten run against RB Leipzig to nine games when the teams meet at the Allianz Arena on Saturday. Can Julian Nagelsmann’s men secure victory for our soccer picks?
Bayern Munich vs. RB Leipzig
Saturday, February 5, 2022 – 12:30 PM EST at Allianz Arena
Bayern Munich maintained its six-point lead over Borussia Dortmund at the top of the Bundesliga table by thrashing Hertha Berlin 4-1 last time out. Nagelsmann went for an attacking 3-2-4-1 line-up in light of injuries to key defensive players, and Bayern’s forwards proved far too strong for Hertha to handle.
For once, superstar striker Robert Lewandowski did not find the back of the net, but goals from Corentin Tolisso, Thomas Müller, Leroy Sané, and Serge Gnabry earned Bayern a comfortable victory before Jurgen Ekkelenkamp grabbed a late consolation.
Bayern now has 16 wins, one draw, and three defeats from 20 games this season. The defeats were all shock results, including a recent loss when it was missing most of its first-team players due to a Covid-19 crisis. It has a strong record against Leipzig, and it should prevail in this game.
Leipzig Climbs the Table
Leipzig is up to sixth in the standings after winning its last three games. It fired manager Jesse Marsch last year following a poor run of results, but things seem to be improving under new boss Domenico Tedesco. He is just 36 years of age, but he is now in his fifth year as a manager.
Nagelsmann is even younger, aged 34. He was just 28 when he became manager of Hoffenheim in 2016, making him the youngest manager in Bundesliga history, and he went on to manage Leipzig for two years before leaving for Bayern last summer.
Tedesco has led Leipzig to victories over Mainz, Stuttgart, and Wolfsburg since returning from the winter break. Leipzig also beat Hansa in the DFB-Pokal, so it is on a four-game winning streak in all competitions.
Bayern Bosses the Head-to-Heads
However, its record against Bayern is underwhelming. It beat Bayern for the first time in its history back in March 2018, but since then, Bayern has had four wins and five draws from their subsequent nine meetings.
Nagelsmann returned to Leipzig for the first time in September, and his Bayern team thrashed Leipzig 4-1. Lewandowski, Jamal Musiala, Sané, and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting were all on target for Bayern in that game.
Leipzig’s home record is strong, but it has really struggled on the road. It has just one win, four draws, and four defeats from nine away games so far this season. Leipzig has scored just seven times and conceded 10 in its away matches.
Meanwhile, Bayern has won eight out of 10 home games, scoring 30 and conceding just eight in the process. It beat RB Leipzig 1-0 when the teams last met at the Allianz Arena.
Team News
Bayern should be close to full strength for this game. The main absentees are midfielder Leon Goretzka, who has a knee injury, and Canadian full-back Alphonso Davies, who has heart problems. Back-up defender Josip Stanisic has a thigh injury, while Choupo-Moting – Lewandowski’s understudy – is at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Leipzig could be missing just one player, as Swedish forward Emil Forsberg has a thigh injury, although he may be able to play some part in this game. Forwards André Silva and Christopher Nkunku have the quality to cause problems for Bayern’s leaky defense, but Bayern’s attack should blow Leipzig away in this game.
Bundesliga Pick: Bayern Munich -1.25 (-110) with DraftKings
Bundesliga Pick: Robert Lewandowski to score first (+240) with Unibet
Bundesliga Pick: Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals (-139) with Bet365
