Bayern Munich trail Bayer Leverkusen as the 2023/24 Bundesliga seaosn enters the home stretch, but only a fool would write them off at this point of the campaign. bundesliga.com outlines five reasons why the record German champions can still clinch the Meisterschale...

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1) Experience

Clearly, not everything is rosy in the Bayern garden with the announcement coach Thomas Tuchel will be stepping away from the job earlier than expected in the summer.

But he may still do so as a Bundesliga-winning boss, because while the likes of Harry Kane and Minjae Kim may be new to the German top flight, the vast majority of this Bayern squad have been there and done it, and have the silverware to prove as much. There are league-title winners wherever you look, and they will not give up on triumphing once more just yet.

Manuel Neuer and Thomas Müller have been present for each of Bayern's 11 consecutive titles since 2012, with Joshua Kimmich and Kingsley Coman winning eight apiece. They know exactly what it means to end the season at the summit and are well aware there are ups and downs along the way.

Thomas Müller (l.), Manuel Neuer (c.) and Joshua Kimmich (r.) have plenty of pedigree between them. - IMAGO/Ralf Treese, Ralf Treese

Thus far, Leverkusen have been incredibly consistent, drawing just four league games during their unbeaten start to the season. As such, a blip may well be around the corner and, if it does arrive, Bayern will be ready to pounce.

2) Gnabry and others to return

Bayern have struggled with injuries so far this season, losing several key players at different intervals. However, although Tuchel is still without a few star performers, he should have close to a full squad to choose from in the coming weeks.

Last season’s top goalscorer Serge Gnabry has made just six Bundesliga appearances this term after suffering a broken arm in the shock DFB Cup loss to third-tier Saarbrücken. After making his return to training, though, Gnabry was a late substitute in Bayern's 3-0 victory over Lazio which earned them a spot in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League, while he scored with an eye-catching back-heel against Mainz on Matchday 25.

Watch: Serge Gnabry's outrageous backheel goal

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Konrad Laimer and Alphonso Davies returned from injury problems on Matchday 23 and 24 respectively, while Coman is expected to feature from the beginning of April onwards. Add in Bryan Zaragoza, who only joined from Granada in January, and Der Rekordmeister should soon have a full arsenal at their disposal. If that doesn’t strike fear into the rest of the division, nothing will.

3)  Kane and a strong supporting cast

Kane was unable to find the back of the net on Matchday 24 as Bayern were held to a 2-2 draw in Freiburg. That, though, was just one of seven games in which he has failed to score in the German top flight since his summer transfer, and he was immediately at the double in the win over Lazio which overturned a 1-0 loss from the first-leg.

The Englishman also contributed another hat-trick on Matchday 25, and he not only leads Bayern’s goalscoring charts, but also the whole Bundesliga’s, and his 30 strikes have contributed to the Bavarian outfit’s overall league-high tally of 73. He is not the only danger, though - no fewer than 15 players have scored in the competition for the club, showing goals can come from anywhere.

Watch: Analysing goal machine Harry Kane

Jamal Musiala can decide games on his own, as he did in securing Bayern the title on the final day of last season, while Leroy Sané began the season in career-best form with eight goals and a league-leading 11 assists. If Bayern can get back to beating opposition defences as frequently as they already have, there is no reason why they can’t leapfrog Die Werkself before the end of May.

4) Leaders across the park

It is in difficult moments that leaders need to stand up and be counted. Fortunately for Bayern, there are several players in the first-team squad that others can look up to.

Neuer has been club captain since 2017 following the retirement of Philipp Lahm and has led the team to the Bundesliga title in each season since, as well as the 2019/20 UEFA Champions League – he also wore the armband at Schalke before his move to the Allianz Arena. In his absence, Kimmich and Müller have both stepped into the breach with fantastic results.

Others, such as Leon Goretzka and England national team captain Kane, may not officially be skipper, but their experience, performances and behaviour on the pitch all contribute to their outstanding leadership. There are few other players, either in Germany or elsewhere, with whom you would rather share the trenches.

5) History on their side

Of course, Bayern would rather be 10 points clear at the top than having to do the chasing. Leverkusen have been top since October and went into Christmas in first place, earning them the nominal Herbstmeister title.

In the previous 60 Bundesliga seasons, the Herbstmeister has failed to go on and lift the trophy on only 18 occasions. However, Bayern were the side to successfully hunt down their prey eight times, most recently in 2019/20 when they surpassed RB Leipzig down the home straight.

Bayern are primed to throw everything they have at Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen. - Simon Hofmann/Bundesliga

Leverkusen, meanwhile, have sat top of the pile going into the new year twice previously. On both occasions, they were unable to see the job through. A strong Bayern run until the end of the season could be enough to overturn the deficit and make it a hat-trick.

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