The German Bundesliga returns closer to winter weather with Borussia Dortmund at home against defending champion Bayer Leverkusen on Friday. Nuri Sahin’s men host Xabi Alonso’s team at Sign Iduna Landscape and BVB have won just one of their last five games before Christmas. Dortmund beat VfL Wolfsburg 3-1 to reach the division and lost one and drew two in their last three home games, but won all 11 before that.
Leverkusen defeated Freiburg 5-1 before the winter break with Patrik Schick scoring four and Die Werkself will look to continue their growth in early 2025. Alonso’s team seemed to have fallen a bit in the name race considering their 13 points drop in six games, but they are only four behind Bayern Munich in the governing position. B04 have won their last three away games, but were also unable to win their previous five away games.
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- Age: Friday, January 10 | Future: 2:30 pm Eastern Time
- Location: Sign landscape of Iduna — Dortmund, Germany
- Oversee: ESPN Sports | Wave: Fubo (sovereign attempt)
- Odd: Dortmund +180; Draw +250; Leverkusen +140
This season so far
Dortmund is sixth with 25 points out of a possible 45. Leverkusen is second with 32 points, which places them four off the top. With 28 goals scored, BVB are the sixth most offensive team in the Bundesliga, but the last event in which they scored just 47 goals in one word was in 2014-15. Sahin’s men have scored 22 goals, putting them in eighth place in the German top flight with just three clean sheets in 15 games. B04 have won eight competitive matches in all competitions, including five Bundesliga matches, which coincided with Bayern losing four points. Die Werkself have also scored 16 goals in their last five league games, but could simply rally their strugglers once.
Workforce information
Dortmund: Pascal Malo is suspended because Niklas Sule is injured, so Gregor Kobel will need to have Waldemar Anton and Nico Schlotterbeck in front of him with Emre Can and Felix Nmecha protecting them. Jamie Bynoe-Gittens will have to start with Serhou Guirassy and Julian Brandt further up.
Possible Dortmund XI: Kobel; Ryerson, Anton, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Nmecha, Can; Bynoe-Gittens, Brandt, Beier; Guirassy.
Leverkusen: Amine Adli is out even though Victor Boniface could return should Schick have to continue managing the form sponsored by Florian Wirtz and Nathan Tella. Jeanuel Belocian will be absent for a long time, so Edmond Tapsoba, Jonathan Tah and Piero Hincapie will have to start. Granit Xhaka is not sure of starting, but could marry Exequiel Palacios in the center if he proves his condition.
Conceivable Leverkusen XI: Hradecky; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Xhaka, Palacios, Grimaldo; Tella, Wirtz; Schick.
Prediction
This will be a decent game as aggressive action resumes, so don’t be surprised by a tie score, even if Leverkusen could simply play the game through a feature. Select: Dortmund 1, Leverkusen 2.
