First faces fourth as the runaway Bavarians take on Heiko Herrlich's energetic young Leverkusen side
Bundesliga action returns for the first time in 2018 on Friday as Bayern Munich make the journey north-west to take on Bayer Leverkusen.
The Bavarians will be aiming to kick off the the new year on a high note by extending their lead at the top of the table, a lead which currently stands at 11 points.
Leverkusen, on the other hand, are part of the chasing pack, but victory for them would catapult them from fourth into second place, temporarily at least.