Bayer Leverkusen vs Borussia Dortmund

BayArena is the venue as in-form Bayer Leverkusen and resurgent Borussia Dortmund go head-to-head in a blockbuster Bundesliga showdown.

Not even the extended mid-season break was enough to knock high-flying Bayer Leverkusen off their perch, with Xabi Alonso’s men following up a pre-World Cup three-game winning league streak with back-to-back victories in 2023. The last time ‘Die Werkself’ enjoyed a longer winning run in the Bundesliga was in 2020, highlighting the Spaniard’s excellent work since replacing Gerardo Seoane at the helm in October. Indeed, only three teams can boast a better point tally than Leverkusen (19) since Alonso’s arrival. Moreover, they’ve kept a telling four clean sheets in five home league outings under the former Liverpool midfielder. Another defensively resilient display is required if ‘Die Werkself’ are to avoid suffering their first Bundesliga double against Dortmund since 2018/19.

On the other hand, the World Cup halt seems to have helped Borussia Dortmund rally their troops following an underwhelming two-match losing league run in November. Edin Terzic’s men have won consecutive league outings since the Bundesliga resumption in 2023 and could open a new calendar year with three straight wins for only the fourth time in their top-flight history. There’s another piece of history up for grabs as after claiming an action-packed 4-3 triumph in this corresponding fixture in 2021/22, ‘Die Borussen’ could win back-to-back Bundesliga away meetings with Leverkusen for the first time since 1991. However, the visitors have blown hot and cold on the road this season, registering a partial success on their nine league travels (W4, L5) while conceding a worrying average of 1.88 goals per game.