Saturday's trip to the Red Bull Arena feels less like a title race showdown and more like a coronation march for Bayern Munich. Vincent Kompany's men arrive in Leipzig having scored 66 goals in 17 Bundesliga matches, a stat that borders on the absurd.
Leipzig's home fortress meets Bayern's away dominance
Ole Werner's RB Leipzig have been formidable at the Red Bull Arena this season, winning seven of their eight home league matches. But here's the uncomfortable truth: they've beaten Bayern just once in their last 15 league meetings, and that solitary triumph came away from home back in 2023.
The reverse fixture in August? A 6-0 demolition in Munich. Kompany barely flinched when asked about potential records at his pre-match press conference. "I don't want to compare myself to Pep because that's impossible; it's a losing battle," he said, referencing his team's chance to surpass Guardiola's historic points tally.
What makes this Bayern side so devastating isn't just the goals. It's the relentless appetite even when matches are won. After thrashing Wolfsburg 8-1 last weekend, Kompany was clear-eyed about expectations. "What the lads showed on Sunday isn't normal, we mustn't forget that," he told reporters. "But the motivation is there, we want to see how far we can take this form."
The Belgian has confirmed Jamal Musiala will return to the matchday squad following his broken leg at the Club World Cup last summer. Joshua Kimmich remains doubtful with an ankle issue. For Leipzig, Johan Bakayoko and Lukas Klostermann are sidelined.
Serie A: Inter pull away as Napoli stumble again
While Germany's title race appears settled, Serie A remains deliciously unpredictable. Inter Milan ground out a 1-0 win over Lecce on Wednesday, with Sebastiano Esposito's goal extending their lead at the summit to six points.
The contrast with Napoli couldn't be starker. Antonio Conte's side were held to a frustrating draw at home by Parma, dropping valuable ground in the title race. It's their second consecutive failure to beat lesser opposition, following the intense 2-2 draw against Inter on January 11th where Scott McTominay twice equalised and Conte was sent off for protesting a penalty decision.
Cristian Chivu's Inter look increasingly like champions-in-waiting, though the Romanian is keeping expectations in check. AC Milan lurk three points behind with their 18-match unbeaten run finally snapped, but Inter's six-point cushion at the halfway mark represents genuine breathing room.
Madrid's chaos continues under Arbeloa
And then there's Real Madrid, who have somehow managed to make Bayern's dominance look boring by comparison. The Spanish giants are now in their second week under Álvaro Arbeloa following Xabi Alonso's dismissal after just 233 days.
Alonso's departure following the 3-2 Super Cup loss to Barcelona highlighted the dysfunction that had consumed the Bernabéu. Reports indicated fundamental clashes with star players, particularly Vinícius Júnior, whose substitution complaints and reported desire to leave the club damaged Alonso's relationship with president Florentino Pérez.
Arbeloa faces a monumental task: LaLiga leaders Barcelona sit four points ahead, and the Champions League knockout rounds loom. The 42-year-old has never managed a senior team outside Real Madrid's training complex. His response to the pressure? A reported shift back to Carlo Ancelotti's man-management approach rather than Alonso's tactical rigidity.
The bigger picture
Three leagues, three narratives. In Germany, the question isn't whether Bayern will win, but by how many. In Italy, Inter look the real deal, but Napoli and Milan won't surrender without a fight. And in Spain, Madrid's identity crisis could gift Barcelona another title while the Bernabéu sorts itself out.
Kompany's assessment of the situation feels apt for all three races: "If we lose, we'll have given something away. From the opponent's perspective, it feels like winning a title."
For Leipzig, Napoli, and everyone chasing leaders across Europe, that title-winning feeling remains frustratingly out of reach.
