Bundesliga action returns for the first time in 2018 on Friday as Bayern Munich make the journey north-west to take on Bayer Leverkusen.
The Bavarians will be aiming to kick off the the new year on a high note by extending their lead at the top of the table, a lead which currently stands at 11 points.
Leverkusen, on the other hand, are part of the chasing pack, but victory for them would catapult them from fourth into second place, temporarily at least.
| Game | Bayer Leverkusen vs Bayern Munich |
| Date | Friday, January 12 |
| Time | 19:30 GMT / 14:30 ET |
| Stream (US only) | fuboTV (7-day free trial) |
TV CHANNEL & LIVE STREAM
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In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial).
New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| FS1 / UniMas / Univision | fuboTV |
In the United Kingdom (UK) the game will be available to watch live on television on BT Sport 3 and will be available to stream live online using the BT Sport app.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| BT Sport 3 | BT Sport app |
SQUADS & TEAM NEWS
| Position | Bayer Leverkusen players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Leno, Ozcan, Lomb |
| Defenders | Retsos, Tah, S. Bender, Tedvaj, Wendell, Henrichs |
| Midfielders | L. Bender, Mehmedi, Baumgartlinger, Aranguiz, Kohr, Yurchenko, Havertz, Frey, Bellarabi |
| Forwards | Bailey, Brandt, Kiessling, Alario, Pohjanpalo, Volland |
Leverkusen have a clean bill of health for the game and Charles Aranguiz is also likely to be available for selection. There are no suspensions to worry about either.
Potential Leverkusen starting XI: Leno; Tah, S. Bender, Wendell, Retsos; Baumgartlinger, Havertz, Kohr; Bailey, Brandt, Volland.
| Position | Bayern Munich players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Starke, Ulreich, Fruchtl |
| Defenders | Sule, Rafinha, Bernat, Boateng, Gotze, Alaba, Kimmich, Friedl |
| Midfielders | Ribery, Martinez, Robben, James, Rudy, Vidal, Tolisso, Coman, Dorsch, Tillman, Benko |
| Forwards | Wagner, Muller, Wriedt, Wintzheimer, Pantovic |
Bayern will be without a number of key players for the clash with Robert Lewandowski, Thiago Alcantara, Mats Hummels and Manuel Neuer all injured.
New signing Sandro Wagner should replace Lewandowski in the starting line-up.
Potential Bayern starting XI: Ulreich; Boateng, Sule, Alaba, Kimmich; Martinez, Vidal, James; Muller, Ribery, Wagner.
BETTING & MATCH ODDS
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Bayern Munich are 10/11 favourites to win according to dabblebet, while home side Leverkusen are considered 14/5 bets. A draw is available at 11/4.
GAME PREVIEW
Bayern Munich managed to create a massive gap between themselves and their rivals in the first half of the season and, on Friday, they will attempt to pick up where they left off in 2017.
Jupp Heynkes' men put together a six-game winning streak at the end of 2017 and return to action in a good position after a successful training camp in Doha during the winter break.
The acquisition of Sandro Wagner from Hoffenheim means that they have a ready-made stand-in for the injured Lewandowski and he will have an immediate chance to show that he can shoulder the burden in attack.
The Bavarians have already beaten Leverkusen this season, triumphing 3-1 back in August, but they will have to be at their best to overcome Heiko Herrlich's team, who are on a 14-game unbeaten streak.
"They're a young, highly talented, hungry, fast-paced team that also has a lot of imagination," observed Heynkes. "It's a game with all the ingredients that make football so attractive, and both teams can play football very well. It's going to be difficult."
