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Bayer Leverkusen Put Invincible Title On Line For Bundesliga Matchday 1
12 hours ago
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Bayer Leverkusen will have more than three points on the line when they open the new Bundesliga campaign this Friday, 23 August, away to rivals Borussia Mönchengladbach. Xavi Alonso’s men are currently riding an undefeated streak of 50 domestic matches stretching back to the spring of ’23.
Alonso’s squad earned the moniker, ‘invincible’ last season for good reason. The club registered 28 wins, six draws, and no losses. They walked away with the league with more than five matches in hand. Stuttgart and Bayern were their nearest contenders. Yet each was nearly 20 points behind at the end of the season. It was not even close. To boot, Bayer Leverkusen completed the domestic double for last season. That meant winning the DFB-Pokal Cup in May. Their six-match undefeated run through that competition netted a +19 goal differential in the process. And it encompassed three clean sheets including the final win over Bundesliga 2 winners, Kaiserslautern.
Gladbach was a nearly complete mirror image of Bayer 04 last season. The team barely escaped relegation to Bundesliga 2. And they kept it very late as well. It was the next to last match day before their return to the German top flight for this year was assured. And even then, it was a matter of only a single point to avoid a ‘losers-go-down’ playoff. The one bright spot might’ve been their -11 goal differential over the season. Not positive news on the face of it. But that figure was at least 30 goals to the good better than most of the clubs at the bottom of last year’s table.
That’s an indication that Gladbach, though not a winner much, was involved in some close matches. They were competitive last season. The team’s summer acquisitions, Tim Kleindienst, Kevin Stöger, and Philipp Sander, look to bring more goal-scoring threats to their new club. Of those Sander is the most uncertain. He is stepping up directly from local club soccer to the German top-flight.
Notably for Gladbach, the club was one of the few that last year gave Bayer Leverkusen as good as they got. They held the eventual league-winning ‘Invincibles’ to a 0-0 draw this past January. And that as visitors. It was one of only a handful of hiccups for the home side in 2024.
What To Watch For
The match this Friday could be a big one, for Gladbach in particular. If they can demonstrate that they can at least give the league holders a competitive game it would be the best start possible. They are the home side which bodes in their favor. The two clubs are also natural rivals and it is the start of a new season. That ensures a very interested supporter presence and atmosphere. Midfielder Robin Hack, the home side’s leading scorer from last year, will be returning from a summer injury as well.
The odds, however, are very much against any sort of upset. When Bayer Leverkusen won the Super Cup earlier in August, the side was not at full strength. And the most featured players, such as Granit Xhaka, had been worn thin by the several international summer competitions. Yet win the match they did. And in characteristic ‘last minute’ style.
TotalApexSports predicts the streak will continue: The home side will need more time to organize itself given the new blood. And the visitors are just too well-organized already. Their confidence to come through even in the dying moments of big matches is too much to overcome. Gladbach 0-3 Bayer 04.
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