The last home game of the year against Leipzig will be an atmospheric final for FC Bayern. There’s a lot at stake here.

Until last weekend, everything was going according to plan for FC Bayern, at least in the Bundesliga. As the undefeated league leaders, the record champions are heading into the winter break with a comfortable lead. After the surprising and anything but planned 1:2 defeat in Mainz on Saturday, a new situation has now arisen. Suddenly the Bavarians feel the breath of their pursuers behind them again.

The annual final in the last home game on Friday evening (from 8.30 p.m. in the live ticker on t-online) against Leipzig suddenly becomes a real atmospheric final for Bayern immediately before Christmas.

The Munich team also declared this themselves. “The last game is important, we want to end the year properly, i.e. beat Leipzig,” said board boss Jan-Christian Dreesen to the “Münchner Merkur/tz” and emphasized: “It is an important moment because we obviously want to defend our lead at the top. This includes making it clear to the competition that they cannot catch up with us.”

Joshua Kimmich sounded the alarm immediately after the defeat in Mainz. “It is a dangerous but also a crucial moment that we now stand together as a team and continue to work hard,” said Kimmich. All players must now internalize “that we absolutely have to win the last game on Friday against Leipzig.” Otherwise, the Christmas days could still be quite uncomfortable for the people of Munich.

“We have had three defeats so far and have always responded well to them, that is what we want now,” said sports director Max Eberl, who took part in the final press conference on Thursday alongside head coach Vincent Kompany. “The fact is that we are definitely the first to go into the winter break. In the Champions League and the Bundesliga we have put ourselves in positions where we have it in our own hands. It was a bitter end in the cup (0-1 against Leverkusen ; editor’s note),” said Eberl.

However, it is doubtful whether Bayern will actually be happy about the top of the table at Christmas that Eberl mentioned if they lose more points or even the game against Leipzig.

With a win in the Bavarian capital, Leipzig could move back to within three points of Bayern, while Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt could even move within one point if Bayern were to lose again.

What those in charge also liked: Kompany’s record of 33 points after 14 match days is already worse than that of his predecessor Thomas Tuchel last year. His team was not in first place at the same time. With 35 points, Tuchel still had two points more, after 15 match days it was 38 points.