As of 14 Mar 2026 02: 04 ET: bayern munich arrive at BayArena hampered by multiple absences while the match feed shows Bayer 04 Leverkusen leading 1-0 at half. Head coach Vincent Kompany confirmed a raft of unavailabilities and named Sven Ulreich as goalkeeper for the tie. The game has already seen a key sending-off and an injury-enforced substitution that will shape the second half.
Bayern Munich team news and absences
Vincent Kompany, head coach of FC Bayern, confirmed several players out for the match and gave a blunt fitness update on the squad. Manuel Neuer will not start, with Sven Ulreich chosen to begin in goal. Kompany described Ulreich as “a great personality and a reliable goalkeeper; he’s played many games in his career. We’re not putting any pressure on him; he’s not the center of attention. He has always done the right thing in training, and he should show that tomorrow. We have complete confidence in our guys. We want to win with him tomorrow. ”
Komppany also outlined the status of other absentees: Jonas Urbig, Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala are not available for this match. On Harry Kane he said: “(Kane) might play tomorrow. He had a full week of training. We didn’t take any risks with him. We can’t let up, even though we’re eleven points ahead. If Harry is fit, he’ll play. We’re gathering more information about his fitness today. ” Kompany added that Neuer’s return is likely to wait until after the international break and gave estimated windows for the other injured players’ returns.
Match events and turning points
Match action to this point has already produced decisive moments. The first half ended with Bayer 04 Leverkusen 1, FC Bayern München 0. During the interval the match saw a substitution forced by injury: Ibrahim Maza replaced Martin Terrier for Leverkusen. A Bayern moment of consequence came when Nicolas Jackson was shown a red card; the match feed notes VAR upgraded the initial decision. Play included a saved attempt by Malik Tillman, with Sven Ulreich making the save in goal. Fouls and set-piece incidents have punctuated the game and officials signalled four minutes of added time at the end of the first half.
Immediate reactions from the managers and tactical outlook
Komppany previewed Leverkusen’s shape and warned his players about the hosts’ structure: “Tactically they have a clear structure. They play in a 5-2-3 and Ernest Poku sometimes moves into midfield to add extra pressure. The result against Arsenal shows it’ll be a tough game. They were difficult to break down. Maybe they even deserved to get more from the game. That’s perfect for me, as the players know it won’t be easy. We’ll have to be aggressive if we’re going to get a result. Leverkusen have a lot of talent, they have a little less experience than in previous years. It’ll be a good game for the fans and hopefully for Bayern, too. ”
Leverkusen arrived at the fixture carrying momentum from recent European action; they held Arsenal to a 1-1 draw and have shown resilience at home. Bayern head into the weekend on an extended run of high-scoring results in other competitions and remain top of the domestic table, their season form contrasting with Leverkusen’s pursuit from midtable.
What happens next: expect immediate fitness checks and final team confirmations in the break, a continued focus on Ulreich’s performance in goal, and further scrutiny of the red-card decision as the match progresses. bayern munich face a test on the road with available personnel limited, and the second half will determine whether Kompany’s rotation and recovery plans can still deliver three points.
