RB Leipzig managed to recover after a poor end to the year, but now face a match against the unbeatable Bayern Munich, who are determined to win the title as soon as possible.
The Red Bulls showed the motivated Freiburg that there are different levels to this game, and they are at the higher one, and are entering this round in third place.
However, the difference between them and sixth-placed Bayer Leverkusen is only three points, so even a single loss could completely change the positions of all those chasing a place in the Champions League.
Ole Werner's team has certainly impressed at home, winning seven of their eight Bundesliga matches so far. Only Bayern Munich have a more impressive home record.
Although Bayern Munich extended their winning streak and remain the only team in Europe's top leagues without a loss in their domestic league, the team's management said that the title race is not over yet.
Considering that Bayern have 15 wins and two draws in 17 games, and have scored 22 goals in their last five alone, it's hard to expect anything other than a win, even against a well-prepared team like RB Leipzig.
How the bookies view it: The Red Bulls to present a bigger challenge
We haven't seen Bayern Munich with such high odds to win in a long time, although the lines are still on the verge of being meaningless, and they don't offer particularly great value.
However, you can bet on a home win for RB Leipzig at 4/1, while Bayern Munich are available at 11/20. The draw is quite highly priced at 15/4.
Recent head-to-head: Best games every season
The last few direct clashes have been extreme, to say the least, with the last five averaging 5.0 goals.
The teams have met exactly 23 times since RB Leipzig joined the elite, with the Red Bulls winning only three times during that period, compared to 13 wins for the Bavarians.
Nevertheless, we can still note that Bayern have not won an away H2H since 2022 (D3).
Players to watch: Diaz is unstoppable this season
Luis Diaz truly is everywhere on the pitch, and no defence can find a way to stop him from scoring or assisting. It is fair to say that the Colombian has found his place and is having the best season of his illustrious career.
With nine goals and nine assists in 16 Bundesliga rounds, he was involved in eight goals in his last five appearances alone.
Probable line-ups
RB Leipzig: Gulacsi, Raum, Lukeba, Orban, Baku, Baumgartner, Seiwald, Schlager, Nusa, Romulo, Diomande
Bayern Munich: Neuer, Bischof, Upamecano, Tah, Ito, Pavlovic, Goretzka, Olise, Gnabry, Diaz, Kane
Anything else catch the eye?
Beating RB Leipzig at the Red Bull Arena is clearly a near-impossible task, but Bayern Munich specialises in the impossible. Their recent experience at this venue was not ideal, but their current form is quite special.
We definitely expect RB to punish any mistakes, too, but the Bavarians should claim the three points for the first time in years, once again proving that they are the best team in the world right now.
Think both sides will find the net? Our BTTS Masterclass explains how to spot the fixtures where goals are a given.
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