Borussia Dortmund, sitting in sixth place, closed out 2024 with a 3-1 triumph over Wolfsburg, marking their first away win in the league during an otherwise disappointing Bundesliga season for the Black and Yellows. Prior to this victory, they had been held to three consecutive 1-1 draws, each time conceding an equaliser in the final 20 minutes, a pattern that also occurred in both matches against their next opponents, Bayer Leverkusen, last season (D2).
Despite the challenges, Dortmund was one of only two Bundesliga teams to avoid defeat against the reigning champions last season. They remain undefeated at home this season (W6, D2), and although their last loss to Leverkusen occurred on home soil, Dortmund boasts a strong recent record against them at Signal Iduna Park over the past nine meetings (W7, D1, L1).
Leverkusen are currently enjoying an impressive streak of eight consecutive victories, with their most recent five triumphs occurring in the Bundesliga. This success has propelled them to second place, just four points behind the league leaders, Bayern Munich, and firmly in the race to defend their championship title. To narrow this margin further, they will need to become the first Bundesliga team this season to clinch six consecutive league wins in the 2024/25 season!
The current titleholders certainly have the capability to accomplish this goal, as they remain the only team in the league yet to suffer a defeat on the road this season (W4, D3). They have not been beaten in their last 24 away league matches. Moreover, their previous away loss was on the final day of the 2022/23 season (a 3-0 defeat at Bochum), marking the last time they failed to score in an away top-tier match.
Players to keep an eye on: In Dortmund’s recent head-to-head victory, Julian Brandt contributed an assist and has been a key player in all 12 of their wins this season. On the other hand, Nuri Şahin’s team struggled in the four matches where the creative midfielder was absent due to injury (D3, L1). However, upon his return against Wolfsburg, Şahin made an impact by scoring a goal and providing an assist. Leverkusen’s Patrick Schick has been in superb form, scoring all nine of his Bundesliga goals in his last five games, including four in the previous matchday.
Noteworthy statistic: Since 2005, Dortmund has not lost their first league game of the year (W15, D5). Interestingly, three of those matches were against Leverkusen (W1, D2).
