Borussia Dortmund vs Bayer Leverkusen

Signal Iduna Park forms the backdrop for a mouth-watering Bundesliga showdown between Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen.

Borussia Dortmund’s fourth-place tussle with RB Leipzig continues as the two sides start this round level on points, with Die Borussen trailing their rivals on goal difference alone. Edin Terzic’s bolstered their top-four ambitions with a 2-1 win at Borussia Monchengladbach last weekend before pulling off a sensational second-leg comeback in midweek Champions League action, beating Atletico Madrid 4-2 at home to reach the semi-finals. Looking to become the first Bundesliga side to take three points against Leverkusen this season, Dortmund will draw confidence from winning seven of their last eight H2Hs at Signal Iduna Park. However, that narrative could change this weekend, with Dortmund losing all three home league encounters against sides starting the round above them in the standings while conceding eight times in the process.

In the meantime, Jeremie Frimpong’s last-gasp equalizer in a 1-1 draw at West Ham in midweek Europa League action preserved Bayer Leverkusen’s aura of invincibility, steering them into the competition’s semi-finals as 3-1 aggregate winners. As the only side in Europe’s traditional top-five leagues yet to lose a competitive game in 2023/24, Leverkusen became the first team other than Bayern Munich to lift the Bundesliga title last weekend with a comprehensive 5-0 home victory against TSG Hoffenheim. Buoyed by the club-record ten-game winning streak in Germany’s top-flight, Xabi Alonso’s men take this trip keen to avenge a three-game winless run against Dortmund (D1, L2). In order to achieve that feat, Leverkusen will probably have to pack a punch, considering they’ve conceded five goals in three away league games against top-five sides (W2, D1).