• Bayer Leverkusen Manager Xabi Alonso hosts FC Bayern’s Vincent Kompany – two of Europe’s best young minds in the sport

ESPN FC, with host Kay Murray and analyst Alejandro Moreno, will be at Leverkusen’s BayArena Stadium for live and onsite coverage of Bayer 04 Leverkusen-FC Bayern München, the match between the top two teams in the Bundesliga, exclusively on ESPN+ Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET. The match presentation will begin at 11:30 a.m. with a 60-minute show pitch side at the Arena.
On Friday, ESPN FC will feature segments from Cologne, Germany with post-match analysis of the FC Augsburg vs. RB Leipzig showdown.
Saturday’s match marks the first ESPN FC live remote presentation from the Bundesliga match site. ESPN FC’s coverage of the weekend in the Bundesliga starts on Friday at 5:30 p.m., after the conclusion of the FC Augsburg-RB Leipzig match on the day’s edition of the ESPN signature soccer program.

Commentators:

• ESPN Bundesliga reporters Archie Rhind-Tutt and pitch-side analyst Thomas Hitzlsperger, a former German National Team player, will join Murray and Moreno on the coverage
• Derek Rae (play-by-play) and Stewart Robson will call the match.

“These two clubs set the standard by which fans measure current teams in German football. Having Kay, Ale, and the ESPN FC team in Germany for the Leverkusen-FC Bayern match elevates the experience fans have with Bundesliga on ESPN,” said Manny de la Fe, Vice President of Production, ESPN.

The Matchup:

• Top Players: Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz, considered one of the best attacking midfielders in Europe, against FC Bayern’s Harry Kane, Bundesliga’s top goal scorer
• By winning the Bundesliga title last season, Bayer Leverkusen ended FC Bayern München’s championship streak at 11 straight titles
• The Masters: The teams are under a manager, each recognized among the best young minds in the sport – Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso and FC Bayern’s Vincent Kompany
• Saturday’s match will be Xabi Alonso’s sixth match as Leverkusen’s manager against FC Bayern, and he has yet to lose a match against his former club – his record in all competitions is three wins and two draws.
• In his first season at the helm, Kompany, 38, has returned FC Bayern to the top of the Bundesliga after finishing third in the 2023-24 season
• Xabi Alonso led Bayer Leverkusen to its first Bundesliga title last season in historic fashion, with an undefeated run in the league and German Cup seasons.

Commentators:

• ESPN Bundesliga reporters Archie Rhind-Tutt and pitch-side analyst Thomas Hitzlsperger, a former German National Team player, will join Murray and Moreno on the coverage
• Derek Rae (play-by-play) and Stewart Robson will call the match.

Murray and Moreno reflect on ESPN FC’s first show from a Bundesliga match:
“After covering Bundesliga for the last five years with ESPN, it’s so exciting that we are now getting the chance to go and be a part of it on the ground in Germany. What makes it even better is that we’ll get to see two of world football’s brightest young stars, Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz, up close,” said Kay Murray.
Alejandro Moreno adds: “We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to experience first-hand the passion and energy that make Bundesliga fans so unique while covering a match that could have a potentially decisive impact on this season’s title race.”

Surround coverage:
ESPN Social – Social Producer Alex del Valle will take fans inside BayArena with social-first Leverkusen-FC Bayern coverage from the sidelines across Instagram, Facebook, TikTock, and X. Pre-match coverage across the industry-leading collective of social platforms will include Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso’s and Sporting Director Simon Rolfes, exclusive behind the scenes tour of BayArena, and more.

Bundesliga Matchday 22 Schedule on ESPN+:

*Subject to change

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