On Saturday evening, Bayern Munich welcomed Bayer Leverkusen to the Allianz Arena in a heavyweight clash in the Bundesliga. Bayern went into the game three points ahead of their visitors.
For this particular task, Vincent Kompany opted for a line up of; Neuer - Guerreiro, Upamecano, Kim, Davies - Kimmich, Pavlovic - Olise, Musiala, Gnabry - Kane.
From the off, Bayern looked to control the ball and take the game to their opponents. Eight minutes in, and Upcamecano had a decent chance from a corner but his header dragged wide.
Olise had a couple of half chances, including one from a free-kick that hit the roof of the net after 19 minutes. Bayern's rest defence in the early stages was superb, not giving Leverkusen any way out when they did regain the ball.
Half an hour in, and a misplaced back pass from Aleksandar Pavlović gave Leverkusen a corner out of nowhere. From the resulting cross, the ball fell to Granit Xhaka on the edge of the box, who laid the ball off to his midfield partner Robert Andrich to fire home a low effort from 20 yards, typically with their only shot of the first-half.
Aleksandar Pavlović thunderbolt secures draw for Bayern Munich against Bayer Leverkusen
Pavlovic would more than make amends, however. Eight minutes later, a cross from Olise was headed away and on the half volley, the 20-year old put his foot through it, beyond the stretching Lukas Hradecky and into the top corner to score an absolute screamer. The sides would go into the break at 1-1.
The second-half was very much the same as the first, with Bayern continuing to assert their dominance. Three minutes after the break, a fantastic cross from Kane found Gnabry at the back post, who hit the post with a left-footed shot before smashing the crossbar with a right-footed shot on the rebound.
After 57 minutes, the ball fell to Olise at the far post but his shot was saved in a blocking motion by Hradecky who made himself big.
Throughout the second-half, Kompany first introduced Kingsley Coman for Gnabry, and then Leroy Sané with Konrad Laimer for Olise and Guerreiro. With around five minutes to go, Kane looked in pain after taking some heavy contact, and Thomas Müller replaced him. A minute or so later, the ball was played to Müller inside the box, looking like a great opportunity for the veteran, but his age showed and he was beaten to the ball.
That would be that, and Bayern would have to make do with a 1-1 draw despite their dominace. Kompany's side had 18 shots to their visitors three, an xG of 1.32 to their visitors 0.07, and 67% of the ball. A tough result to take, but it did feel slightly more "must not lose" than "must win". Bayern remain three points ahead of their counterparts, and with goal difference - that is essentially two results in front.