With the Bundesliga title already back in Bayern Munich’s hands, Bayer Leverkusen now have only pride to play for — and the opportunity to bid a fitting farewell to outgoing manager Xabi Alonso. The Spaniard confirmed his departure at the end of the season, and with just two rounds remaining, Leverkusen can still cap the campaign on a high by completing their first league double over Borussia Dortmund since the 2006/07 season.
While already guaranteed a second-place finish and Champions League football next season, Leverkusen face a tricky task to break a long-standing hoodoo. In the 17 home league clashes with Dortmund since their last H2H double, they’ve come out on top just three times (D7, L7). Recent form hasn’t been entirely convincing either, with three draws from their last four Bundesliga outings (W1). Still, they remain unbeaten in their last seven league games (W4, D3) and boast a remarkable Sunday record — 27 matches without defeat since February 2023 (W18, D9).
In stark contrast, Dortmund’s season remains very much alive. Having clawed their way from the lower half of the table to within reach of a top-four finish, they trail the coveted fourth spot by just a point heading into the round. That makes victory at the BayArena essential if they’re to keep their Champions League hopes intact going into the final weekend.
However, Dortmund’s away form poses concerns. They’ve yet to string together back-to-back away wins in the league this season. Compounding the challenge is coach Niko Kovač’s dismal record against Leverkusen — just two wins in 11 meetings (D2, L7), including five losses from six visits, each time conceding two or more goals.
Key players could make the difference. For Leverkusen, Patrik Schick, who netted a first-half brace in the reverse fixture, continues to shine early in matches, with four of his last five goals coming before half-time. Dortmund will look to Serhou Guirassy, who has struck seven times in his last four appearances and is just one goal away from equalling the best debut Bundesliga season by a Dortmund player (20 goals).
One statistical quirk worth noting: only one of Leverkusen’s last six home games has seen both teams score. Whether that trend continues or is broken in a high-stakes encounter remains to be seen.
