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Epic in store as Bayern host Leverkusen

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Munich - There is a footballing feast in store on Saturday evening as FC Bayern München welcome fellow UEFA Champions League participants Bayer 04 Leverkusen to the Allianz Arena (kick-off 18:30 CEST / 16:30 GMT).

History

Both teams have six points from their first two league assignments this season, so this game is an opportunity to put a dent in a rival's confidence. And as both coaches are keen advocates of attacking football, it promises to be a thrilling evening in Munich. bundesliga.com has all the pre-match essentials...

Top facts

    Bayern have the chance to start a Bundesliga season with three successive victories for the 14th time. Should Leverkusen win, it would be the third time they have earned maximum points from their first three outings. Under Pep Guardiola, Bayern have won 31 of 36 matches in the first half of a Bundesliga season, drawing the other five. In those 36 outings they have scored 92 goals and conceded just 14.Last season Bayern did not fare too well against the other top four finishers (Leverkusen, Gladbach and Wolfsburg). The Bavarians won two, drew one and lost three.Last weekend Mario Götze won his 100th Bundesliga match in his 144th game. Only team-mate Arjen Robben needed fewer matches (126) to reach the same milestone.Hakan Calhanoglu has scored from a direct free-kick 11 times in 67 Bundesliga appearances. The last time these sides met he even put one past Manuel Neuer.This match will be Thomas Müller’s 200th in the Bundesliga. Since making his league debut, only Leverkusen’s Stefan Kießling has been directly involved in more goals (155 to 152).

Team news

Bayern

Possible line-up: Neuer - Rafinha, Dante, Alaba - Thiago, Lahm, Vidal - Robben, Müller, Costa - Lewandowski

Absentees: Badstuber (fitness), Benatia (thigh), Boateng (suspended), Javi Martinez (fitness), Kirchhoff (fitness), Ribery (ankle)

Leverkusen

Possible line-up: Leno - Hilbert, Papadopoulos, Tah, Wendell - Kramer, Bender - Bellarabi, Calhanoglu, Mehmedi - Kießling

Absentees: Jedvaj (fitness), Toprak, Aranguiz (achilles)