Bayern aims for another big Bundesliga win to sign off 2025
To see how dominant Bayern Munich has been this Bundesliga season, just look at the goal difference.With 51 goals scored — more than 3.6 per game — and only 11 conceded, Bayern’s goal difference is a whopping +40. Best of the rest is second-place Leipzig’s +13 and no team below sixth has a positive goal difference, in part because of the bruising, high-scoring losses many of them have suffered at the hands of Bayern and Harry Kane. Bayern’s last game of 2025 promises another big win. Sunday’s opponent is Heidenheim, the team with the worst defensive record in the league.
Key matchups
After a rare slip-up in a 2-2 draw with Mainz last week, facing relegation-threatened Heidenheim offers Bayern a chance to get back to business as usual. But it will have to do without injured goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. Bayern leads Leipzig by nine points and Heidenheim is 17th but won two of its last three games.
The Africa Cup of Nations leaves Bayer Leverkusen in an awkward spot ahead of its game against second-place Leipzig on Saturday. Leverkusen has four players at the tournament, the most of any Bundesliga team, including defensive
stalwart Edmond Tapsoba and talented young midfielder Ibrahim Maza. Leipzig misses one of its top youngsters, winger Yan Diomande. Sixth-place Stuttgart and fifth-place Hoffenheim meet Saturday in a local rivalry in southwest Germany which could leave the winner in the Champions League places over the winter break.
Players to watch
More scoring landmarks loom for Kane. One goal against Heidenheim would take him to 35 for club and country in all competitions this season. Scoring twice Sunday would see Kane hit 20 Bundesliga goals, just six fewer than the tally which made him Bundesliga top scorer last season. US Attacking midfi-elder Gio Reyna faces his old team as Borussia Moenchengladbach hosts Borussia Dortmund on Friday.
Who’s out?
As well as missing the injured Neuer, Bayern is without Kane’s main backup. Nicolas Jackson is with Senegal at the Africa Cup. A rocky season for Eintracht Frankfurt gets trickier against Hamburger SV on Saturday since Frankfurt will have to do without midfielders Ellyes Skhiri and Fares Chaibi, both of Africa Cup duty.
