At 2:00 AM on August 24th, the Bundesliga season kicks off with the defending champions Bayer Leverkusen traveling to Borussia Park to face Mönchengladbach.
Leverkusen’s 2023/24 season was phenomenal. They went undefeated in the Bundesliga for all 34 rounds, securing the title, and also remained undefeated in the German Cup, winning it with ease. They achieved the double, the only imperfection being the Europa League final loss to Atalanta, which prevented a treble. However, Alonso’s coaching abilities are undeniably confirmed.
In this summer’s transfer window, Leverkusen were very efficient, selling Hložek, Azmoun, Pentz, and Iker Bravo for nearly 25 million euros, and bringing in Terier, Álex García, and Bellocian. They also successfully retained Jonathan Tah.
It’s worth noting that Wirtz, the super star, wasn’t poached by other big teams, so Leverkusen’s overall strength has actually increased. In the German Super Cup, Alonso even had most of the starters on the bench. Despite Terier’s red card for the new signing, they still managed to overturn Stuttgart and win. They won three titles in 2024, achieving a domestic clean sweep.
Mönchengladbach’s performance last season was quite ordinary, ultimately securing their survival by finishing in fourth from the bottom. This summer, Mönchengladbach continued their minor adjustments, acquiring striker Kleinheisterer from Heidenheim for 7 million euros, midfielder Sander from newly promoted Kiel for 1 million euros, and Kevin Stöger from Bochum on a free transfer. The total expenditure was only 8 million euros, and the team’s roster improvements are not particularly significant.
Both teams have played quite a few matches before the start of the Bundesliga. Leverkusen have 2 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss in 5 matches, their only defeat being a 1-4 away loss to Arsenal. They’ve scored 8 goals and conceded 9 in 5 matches, failing to keep a clean sheet in any, and their performance in attack and defense hasn’t been entirely satisfactory.
Mönchengladbach has played 6 friendly matches, with results of 2-0 against Weggberg Beck, 3-1 against Fortuna Sittard, 1-0 against Kiel, 3-1 against Ipswich U21, 1-0 against Strasbourg, and 3-1 against Aue. They’ve scored 13 goals and conceded 3, achieving 3 clean sheets, a decent performance in terms of data. However, considering that Mönchengladbach’s friendly opponents weren’t very strong, this performance shouldn’t be taken entirely as a true reflection.
Mönchengladbach’s home performance is good, with 6 wins, 3 draws, and 1 loss in their last 10 home games. Their last Bundesliga loss at home was in May this year, when they suffered a 0-4 defeat against Stuttgart. Leverkusen have recorded 5 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses in their last 10 away games, including the Europa League final and a friendly loss to Arsenal by 1-4, so they can be considered average.
These two teams are old rivals in the Bundesliga. In their last 10 meetings, Leverkusen has dominated with 7 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss. They haven’t lost to Mönchengladbach in their last 9 meetings, with the last defeat being a 1-2 home loss in November 2019. Last season, Leverkusen also achieved a 3-0 victory away and a 0-0 draw at home, giving them a clear psychological advantage.
Overall, Leverkusen is on paper stronger and is driven by the motivation to defend their Bundesliga title, so they’re clearly aiming for a winning start. We’ll have to wait and see if Mönchengladbach can maintain their good performance from their friendly matches and put pressure on the defending champions.
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