Defending Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen will face a significant challenge in their title defense as they host RB Leipzig on Saturday. Under the management of Xabi Alonso, Leverkusen remained unbeaten throughout the previous German league season and have continued their strong form with narrow victories in the German Supercup, German Cup, and their Bundesliga opener this season. This match against Leipzig represents their first encounter with a serious title rival in the current campaign.
Last season, the two league fixtures between Leverkusen and Leipzig were pivotal in Leverkusen's journey to the championship. In the first encounter, Leverkusen secured a 3-2 win against Marco Rose's Leipzig, which served as a warning to Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, who had finished the previous season at the top of the table. In the return match in January, Leverkusen again triumphed 3-2 in Leipzig, coming from behind twice and scoring a decisive injury-time goal.
Both clubs have managed to retain most of their key players during the off-season. Leverkusen, who achieved an unbeaten league and cup double last season, only lost defender Odilon Kossounou. Leipzig, known for losing players to Europe's top clubs, saw forward Dani Olmo depart but has seamlessly integrated Antonio Nusa, who has scored twice in two games. Despite this, Leverkusen's recent performances have been lackluster, including a 1-0 win over fourth-division Carl Zeiss Jena, which midfielder Robert Andrich described as their "weakest performance" of the year.
In other Bundesliga action, Union Berlin will host St. Pauli in Friday’s opener, marking the first top-division clash between these two teams. Bayern Munich, who rallied from behind to beat Wolfsburg 3-2, will face Freiburg on Sunday. Freiburg, under new manager Julian Schuster, made a strong start by defeating Stuttgart 3-1. Dortmund will travel to Werder Bremen, while Stuttgart will host Mainz. A key player to watch is Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane, who, despite not scoring, played a crucial role in their win over Wolfsburg and is motivated to secure his first team title following England's loss in the Euro 2024 final.
ADD A COMMENT :