Why the fans so often make the difference | OneFootball

Especially in the really big football matches, like Saturday evening's clash between reigning champions Bayer 04 Leverkusen and FC Bayern Munich, it's often nuances that make the difference between victory and defeat. But the support, the fans in the Allianz Arena are more than just a nuance - they're often the deciding factor, as the statistics show.

The tingling doesn't just start on the day of the match. No, the anticipation, the excitement, the nervousness - it builds up among all FC Bayern fans weeks before kick-off, when big European evenings or absolute Bundesliga top-of-the-table clashes are coming up. Like this Saturday evening at 18.30 CEST against Bayer Leverkusen. The anticipation is so huge the demand for tickets for the match between the record champions and reigning champions would have been enough to fill the Allianz Arena three times over even before the season got underway: That's how many fans wanted to watch the clash between Bayern and Bayer live at the stadium in Fröttmaning.

A figure that symbolises the excitement surrounding FC Bayern and shows just how much support there will be for the home team on matchday - on TV, via our media channels, in the sports bars and, of course, at the Allianz Arena itself. It'll be vital for the fans in the ground in particular to use their passion to channel additional energy from the stands onto the pitch. "I know some fans from the Südkurve personally and know what they have to put up with all year," revealed Thomas Müller after the Bundesliga opener against SC Freiburg. "I've told them to work hard this year. They'll need to take more than a few days off, because we've got big plans this year." That goes particularly for Saturday evening.

"I told them to work hard this year. They'll need to take more than a few days off, because we've got big plans this year,’ said Thomas Müller in the Südkurve after the Freiburg match.

Home stats as the 13th man behind them

Thanks to their fans in the Allianz Arena, FC Bayern's dominance not only in the Bundesliga but also in comparison with Europe's top five leagues is also demonstrated by their exceptional win rate in home games. If the supporters are the 12th man, the home stats are the 13th: since the move to the Allianz Arena, the men from Munich's average win rate in home games in the Bundesliga stands at 77.5 per cent (324 games, 251 wins, 48 draws, 25 defeats). In the Champions League, there have been no more than ten home defeats and 72 wins in 95 games in almost 20 years, which corresponds to a win rate of 76.8 per cent. In comparison: FC Bayern had a win rate of 73.5 per cent across all competitions in the Olympiastadion (751 games, 552 wins) - at the Allianz Arena, the figure is currently 76.8 per cent (462 games, 355 wins).

Their support is an important factor: The fans of the Südkurve in the Allianz Arena.

Even last season, when FC Bayern finished third in the league, they won 14 of 17 matches at the Allianz Arena. The 2020/21 campaign didn't see a single Bundesliga defeat in Munich, with an impressive 15 wins in 2015/16. Incidentally, Bayer Leverkusen have won just two of 19 games played at the Arena. Of all Bundesliga clubs, FC Bayern have by far the best win percentage in their own stadium: the second-best stat is just 63.4 per cent. Saturday's opponents Leverkusen, for example, have managed just 52.9 per cent (325 games, 172 wins).

European football nights, like here against Lazio last season, and top-of-the-table clashes in the Bundesliga regularly create a very special atmosphere.

Three games, zero points, 3:11 goals

But the Werkself aren't alone: clubs such as Barcelona, who despite Lionel Messi were sent packing after a 4-0 defeat in 2013, have also struggled at the Allianz Arena. Arsenal twice suffered painful 5-1 defeats in 2015 and 2017. 11-time Spanish champions and 1974 Club World Cup winners Atlético Madrid didn't even manage to pick up a point in Munich and lost 4-0 in 2020. And Benfica will travel to the Arena in Fröttmaning at the beginning of November with a real sinking feeling, as the Portuguese side's record there is three games, zero points and 3-11 goals. Manchester United have also lost all of their matches against FC Bayern at the Allianz Arena.

Support from the first minute until deep into stoppage time: The Bayern fans will be called upon on Saturday.

Better win rate than Real Madrid

FC Bayern also lead the way in comparison with the top European leagues: only Barcelona have an even higher home win rate in league matches at 80.2 per cent, while Real Madrid are just behind the Reds at 77.3 per cent. Bayern's outstanding strength at home coupled with the unbridled support of the fans ought to lead the team to victory again on Saturday in the top-of-the-table clash with Leverkusen.

Check out these special crunch encounters between Bayern and Bayer:

Bayern vs. Leverkusen: 7 explosive Bundesliga showdowns