RB Leipzig vs Bayern Munich: Two teams with the best records go head to head

Topics: TV Listings, TV Schedules, Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, Bundesliga

The Bundesliga gets back underway with RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich kicking off proceedings on Friday, January 20th.

After a long wait, the last of Europe's "Big Five" leagues finally gets underway on Friday, as RB Leipzig prepare to welcome serial Bundesliga winners Bayern Munich to kick start matchday 16. As has been the case for well over a decade, Bayern Munich are currently on top of the league table, albeit with not as comfortable a margin many would have expected.

Julian Naglesmann's side have a four point lead over the chasing pack, which includes surprise package Freiburg. Nonetheless, die Roten are on a six game winning streak in the league, which is the longest such result of any of the 18 teams featuring in German football's top flight. The absence of skipper Manuel Neuer, as well as key striker Sadio Mane means that Naglesmann will have to modify his starting XI for this game, which could be much tricker than many expect due to Leipzig's strong home form.

Meanwhile, Leipzig, who will serve as hosts for Friday's much-anticipated clash, have been in brilliant form as of late. Since sacking Domenico Tedesco and hiring former Gladbach boss Marco Rose, die Roten Bullen have lost just one game. Along the way, they notably recorded a huge win over Real Madrid in the Champions League to help them secure a round of 16 spot, and overall, are unbeaten in their last 13 matches across all competitions.

Domestically, Leipzig's uptick in form has seen them rapidly rise up the table into third spot, where they have won four of their last five matches. However, the hosts have been dealt a huge blow with an injury to Christopher Nkunku, who had netted eight goals in his last eight appearances for his team before the end of 2022. Additionally, they will be missing striker Timo Werner, who is the club's all-time goal-scorer as the German international is highly unlikely to be involved due to an ankle injury.

Team news: RB Leipzig vs Bayern Munich

RB Leipzig: Both Christopher Nkunku and club captain Peter Gulacsi are out with knee injuries, while Timo Werner is a big doubt with an ankle injury.

Bayern Munich: First choice shot-stopper Manuel Neuer is out for the rest of the season after breaking his leg during a skiing accident, meaning that Sven Ulreich will take over in between the posts. Meanwhile, Sadio Mane remains out after unfortunately missing out on last year's World Cup, alongside Lucas Hernandez, who sustained a knee injury while featuring for France at the World Cup. Bouna Sarr is another who will miss this game as he continues to recover from a knee issue.

Match facts: RB Leipzig vs Bayern Munich

Leipzig have won just one of their last 15 meetings with Bayern across all comps...
...in the Bundesliga, die Roten Bullen have failed to win their last eight meetings (W4 D4) against Bayern
Leipzig have the most home points (19) while Bayern have the most away points (17)