Vincent Kompany warned Bayern Munich they will need to be "aggressive" if they want to stand a chance of getting a positive result against Bayer Leverkusen.
Bayern are currently the runaway leaders in the Bundesliga, sitting 11 points clear of Borussia Dortmund at the summit with only nine games left to play.
And after a small wobble at the end of January, they have won each of their last five league games, scoring at least three goals in all of those victories, while Bayern come into this match having recorded a 6-1 win over Atalanta in the first leg of the Champions League last 16.
While Leverkusen have struggled for consistency this season, Kompany, who confirmed Harry Kane could feature after recovering from injury, remains wary of the 2023-24 champions, noting they are hard to beat.
"The result against Arsenal [1-1 draw] shows it'll be a tough game," Kompany said. "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 are sixth in the Bundesliga and are three points off fourth as they continue their bid to earn a Champions League spot again next season.
Kasper Hjulmand's side have lost just one of their last eight Bundesliga matches (W4 D3), but have drawn two of their last three, as well as the 1-1 draw against Arsenal.
Leverkusen had looked set to earn a slender advantage for the last-16 second leg until Kai Havertz's late penalty, and Hjulmand noted that Bayern pose as much of a threat as the Gunners.
"We played against one of the best sides in Europe," Hjulmand said.
"And I can now say the same thing about our next opponents: Bayern have a top team. And they're perhaps even more complete in the way they play than Arsenal.
"That's why we'll have to put in another top performance."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Bayer Leverkusen – Christian Kofane
Christian Kofane has racked up four direct goal involvements in his last three Bundesliga matches (two goals, two assists), as many as in his first 19 Bundesliga games combined.
Among all teenagers in the Bundesliga this season, only RB Leipzig's Yan Diomande (15) and Koln's Said El Mala (11) have more direct goal contributions than his total of eight (five goals, eight assists).
Bayern Munich – Luis Diaz
Luis Diaz scored his 14th goal in the Bundesliga this season, giving him one more goal than in his best Premier League season for Liverpool (13 goals in 2024-25).
He has 25 goal involvements in his first 24 Bundesliga matches (14 goals, 11 assists) – since detailed data collection began in 2004-05, only Erling Haaland (22 matches) and Harry Kane (14) needed fewer matches for their first 25 Bundesliga goal involvements.
MATCH PREDICTION: BAYERN MUNICH WIN
Bayern have won their last three competitive matches against Leverkusen, after a run of six matches without a win (D3 L3).
However, Bayern have not won any of their last three Bundesliga away matches at Leverkusen (D1 L2), and they have a longer current winless away run in the Bundesliga against no other side.
With 66 points after 25 matches, Bayern are having their joint-second-best Bundesliga season (like 2012-13); only in 2013-14 did they have more points at this stage (71). Bayern are unbeaten in 21 Bundesliga away matches across two seasons (W16 D5).
Leverkusen have collected just 15 points from their first 10 Bundesliga matches of 2026 (W4 D3 L3), their worst start to a calendar year in five years (nine points after 10 matches in 2021).
The Werkself have won only one of their last four Bundesliga matches (D2 L1), having won three of the four matches prior to that (D1).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Bayer Leverkusen – 20.6%
Draw – 21.7%
Bayern Munich – 57.8%