Leverkusen is now ten points clear of Borussia Dortmund, only two points ahead of a Harry Kane-led Bayern Munich.
After dropping just two possible 36 points to begin the season, Bayer Leverkusen leads the Bundesliga table and will face Borussia Dortmund on Sunday. With only 12 games played, Leverkusen leads Dortmund by a massive ten points but only two points clear of a Harry Kane-led Bayern Munich. Leverkusen’s long-suffering supporters now hope to add to an already meagre trophy cabinet, largely thanks to manager Xabi Alonso’s strategic summer recruitment effort.
Leverkusen signed midfielder Granit Xhaka, winger Jonas Hofmann, striker Victor Boniface, and free agent Alex Grimaldo from Benfica with money from the sale of Moussa Diaby to Aston Villa.
In an interview with AFP and other media, Alonso praised the summer acquisitions’ “football intelligence,” saying, “We knew they were going to have an almost instant influence on our game.”
“We have added some extremely strategic players to help us become more stable and to improve our consistency and efficiency. That allows you the opportunity to play in the Bundesliga more frequently.”
Except for Hofmann, who had two prior stays at Signal Iduna Park, all four players were reportedly rejected by Dortmund in the summer, according to reports from German media since the transfer season closed.
The criticism has increased, especially after Jude Bellingham, Dortmund’s upcoming superstar, left a void that Ramy Bensebaini, Marcel Sabitzer, or Felix Nmecha haven’t filled.
In recognition of the former player’s achievements, sports director Simon Rolfes, who oversaw Leverkusen’s summer transfer window, extended his contract to 2028 on Tuesday.
The 377-time Leverkusen player Rolfes stated that his team had “gained enormous quality” and that he was happy to have been a part of “a demanding, modern club hungry for success.”
Due to Sunday’s significance to the league leaders, Florian Wirtz, the outstanding player for Leverkusen and Germany’s midfield maestro, was rested for the team’s Europa League trip to BK Hacken in Sweden on Thursday.
Dortmund’s concerns extend beyond simply falling behind the league leaders.
Dortmund is the team most likely to challenge the champions’ domination, along with RB Leipzig, who have won the last two German Cups. This makes Leverkusen’s unexpected rise to prominence as “Bayern hunters” much more concerning for the visitors on Sunday.
Regarding the trip to Leverkusen, Dortmund defender Mats Hummels said on Tuesday, “This is the most difficult task in Germany at the moment.”
“We need to stand our ground.”
Serhou Guirassy (Stuttgart) is someone to watch.
After recovering from a hamstring injury, Stuttgart attacker Serhou Guirassy is expected to start his first game since October on Saturday at home against Werder Bremen.
This season, the 27-year-old has scored 15 goals in 10 games, giving him an amazing strike rate of one goal per 46 minutes.
The Guinea forward, born in France, continued his incredible form despite the injury, as he scored the game-winning penalty against Dortmund earlier in November after coming off the bench.
Deniz Undav, a Brighton loanee, has filled in admirably in his absence, tallying six goals in his last six games.
On Thursday, Stuttgart’s manager Sebastian Hoeness declared, “They’ll both start for Stuttgart against Bremen. I’m excited about the two-pronged assault.
Important statistics
Union Berlin has never defeated Bayern, but they have drawn three of the eight meetings, ending in a 1-1 draw.
18: After 12 league games this season, Harry Kane has scored 18 goals.
Nine of 17: Jonas Wind, a striker from Denmark, has scored nine, or more than half, of Wolfsburg’s goals thus far this season.
Fixtures (unless otherwise noted, 1430 GMT)
Friday
Cologne v. Darmstadt (1930)
On Saturday
Borussia Moenchengladbach v. Hoffenheim, Stuttgart v. Werder Bremen, RB Leipzig v. Heidenheim, Bayern Munich v. Union Berlin (1730)
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Sunday
Mainz versus Freiburg, Augsburg versus Eintracht Frankfurt (1830), and Bayer Leverkusen versus Borussia Dortmund (1630).