Bayern Munich vs RB Leipzig Preview: How to Watch, Live Stream, Kick Off Time & Team News

Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig face off on Wednesday night in an intriguing Bundesliga clash at the Allianz Arena, with both sides looking for a positive result to aid them in their chase of league leaders Borussia Dortmund.

Bayern Munich did not win a single Bundesliga game in the whole of November; December on the other hand, has seen nothing but victories for the Bavarians, which will fill manager Niko Kovac with the hope that they can start to piece back together their title defence. 

They still sit in third position, level on points with Borussia Monchengladbach. Nine points separate the Bavarians from Dortmund, who are looking comfortable at the summit of the league, having won their last six league games.

Boris Streubel/GettyImages

RB Leipzig will also be looking at keeping the pressure on BVB. A win for Leipzig on Wednesday night would see them leapfrog Bayern in the Bundesliga table. Leipzig however are currently experiencing a patchy run of form. 

In their last five games they have alternated between victories and defeats, therefore if you value form in predicting the result of this encounter, Leipzig's resounding 4-1 win against Mainz in their last match means that they will lose this game.

Here is 90min's preview for the clash between the two Bundesliga rivals.

How To Watch

When Is Kick Off?	19 December 2018
What Time Is Kick Off?	19:30 (BST)
Where Is It Played?	Allianz Arena
TV Channel/Live Stream?	BT Sport 3
Referee	TBC

Team News

Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery is a doubt ahead of the clash with RB Leipzig. The 35-year-old winger did not make the match-day squad for their victory against Hannover at the weekend, and there has also been no official statement from the club over what is causing the Frenchman to be sidelined and for how long he will be missing.

Bayern will definitely be without the services of veteran Dutch attacker Arjen Robben, as Kovac has revealed the 34-year-old will be out until 2019 with a hamstring injury. Other long term absentees Corentin Tolisso and James Rodriguez are also not expected to return until the new year.

RB Leipzig will be without Swedish midfielder Emil Forsberg for their visit to the Allianz Arena. Forsberg has been out since October with a groin strain, and it seems as though this top of the table clash has come too soon for Forsberg to feature.

They will also be missing Austrian midfielder Marcel Sabitzer, who is serving a suspension, after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season during his side's victory against Mainz.

Predicted Lineups

FC Bayern Munich	Neuer, Kimmich, Süle, Boateng, Alaba, Goretzka, Thiago, Gnabry, Müller, Ribery, Lewandowski
RB Leipzig	Gulacsi, Klostermann, Konate, Orban, Halstenberg, Demme, Ilsanker, Kampl, Sabitzer, Poulsen, Werner

Head To Head Record

The history books are rather sparse when looking back at previous meetings between these two sides. The teams have faced each other four times in Germany's top flight, with Bayern winning three and Leipzig winning once.

Leipzig's only victory against Bayern did come in the latest clash between the two. They won 2-1 in March, with goals from Naby Keita and Timo Werner enough to overturn an opener from Bayern's Sandro Wagner.

Despite the lack of fixtures, there is one that stands out above the rest. Bayern's breathless 5-4 win at Leipzig during the 2016/17 season, in which the Bavarian's scored two goals in injury-time, including a terrific solo effort from Arjen Robben to steal the points from the hosts.

Recent Form

Bayern Munich have started to return to their usual imperious form. They have recorded three wins from their last three league games and will look to push on in the hope that Dortmund eventually let them back into the title race. 

Bayern's last match saw them thump Hannover 4-0 at the HDI-Arena and the Bavarians will be hoping to take their momentum into this game. It is worth noting however Bayern's last two victories have come against Hannover and Fortuna Dusseldorf, who occupy the bottom two spots in the Bundesliga.

RB Leipzig are also coming into this game on a high, also scoring four goals to defeat Mainz 4-1. Leipzig however do not seem to be able to follow up a victory with another victory recently, but now would be a great place for them to start. 

It would send them above their hosts, and perhaps even bring their name into the Bundesliga title conversation. Leipzig's away form is of concern though. They have only gained eight points from seven games on their travels, scoring just seven goals.

FC Bayern Munich	RB Leipzig
Hannover 96 0-4 Bayern Munich (15/12)	RB Leipzig 4-1 Mainz (16/12)
Bayern Munich 3-0 1.FC Nuremberg (08/12)	SC Freiburg 3-0 RB Leipzig (08/12)
Werder Bremen 1-2 Bayern Munich (01/12)	RB Leipzig 2-0 Borussia Monchengladbach (02/12)
Bayern Munich 3-3 Fortuna Dusseldorf (24/11)	VFL Wolfsburg 1-0 RB Leipzig (24/11)
Borussia Dortmund 3-2 Bayern Munich (10/11)	RB Leipzig 3-0 Bayer Leverkusen (11/11)

Prediction

It is hard to know how much to read into Bayern's recent run of form, as they have defeated teams who are at the tail end of the table. RB Leipzig have recent history of beating teams above them in the table, defeating Borussia Monchengladbach at the beginning of December.

Leipzig's away record is not one of a side who could challenge for the title, and whilst Bayern have been faltering this season, even at the once-formidable fortress that is the Allianz Arena, they will extend their run to four straight Bundesliga wins.

Prediction: FC Bayern Munich 2-1 RB Leipzig