Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayer Leverkusen: Bundesliga Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

On Friday, Liga champions Bayer Leverkusen will visit Signal Iduna Park to take on Borussia Dortmund in the league's first match after the winter break.

Leverkusen are in second place with 32 points, only four points behind leaders Bayern Munich. The Black and Yellows are in sixth place with 25 points from 15 games. Their last game before the break was a 3-1 victory against Wolfsburg on December 22.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

With just one victory in their past five matches—three draws and one loss—the winter break couldn't have come at a better time for Dortmund head Nuri Sahin.

Despite being down to ten men with thirty minutes remaining in the match, Sahin's squad held their own in the second half against Wolfsburg, dominating the first half with almost three xG and three goals scored between the 25th and 30th minutes.

After the win, attacker Julian Brandt addressed the team's impending maturity crisis by remarking, "It's not like everything is completely bad." The only thing is that we need to mature. It has to come someplace eventually, even if it's still developing.

Not only do Dortmund sit atop the Bundesliga scoring charts with 28 goals, but they are also on pace to score their fewest goals in the top division since 2014–15, when they tallied 47 and finished eighth.

With just three clean sheets in fifteen league games and 22 goals surrendered the Blacks and Yellows have a terrible defensive record.

Although Dortmund won their previous eleven matches at Signal Iduna Park, they have lost one and drew two of their most recent three home matches.

On December 21, the champions trounced Freiburg 5-1; Patrik Schick scored four goals in that encounter. They will be looking to continue their winning streak into Friday's fixture.

The triumph was hard-fought, according to manager Xabi Alonso, who added, "It was a very important victory for us today." He plans to use the victory as a springboard for 2025. We want to finish the series on a high note to go into the break feeling accomplished. That was accomplished.

In the new year, we will keep attacking. It makes everyone feel happy. We hope to accomplish much in 2025 and are determined to keep fighting for our objectives.

Because Alonso's squad had lost points in six league matches this season—the same number as in the 2023–24 campaign—some believed they had faded from the championship chase.

Nevertheless, Leverkusen has taken advantage of Bayern Munich's four-point slump in their previous four league games to win their last eight games overall and five in a row in the Bundesliga.

Die Schwarzroten have been in fine form offensively as of late, scoring 16 goals in their past five league games while allowing just one goal in that time.

Although Leverkusen have won their last three away games, they lost one and tied four of their previous five road games.

Borussia Dortmund x Bayer Leverkusen Team News

While Dortmund's injury woes have subsided to some extent, Pascal Gross (red-carded in their previous match) and Niklas Sule (ankle injury) will miss this match.

Emre Can and Felix Nmecha might bolster the defense, while goalkeeper Gregor Kobel could be defended by center-backs Waldemar Anton and Nico Schlotterbeck.

Attacking midfielder Brandt might start with striker Serhou Guirassy, while Jamie Bynoe-Gittens will start in the final third.

However, if Victor Boniface passes a late fitness test, he may return to play for Leverkusen, even though they will not have attacker Amine Adli available.

If Boniface is not cleared to start, Schick will keep his position at the front of the pack ahead of Florian Wirtz and Nathan Tella.

Regular center backs Edmond Tapsoba, Jonathan Tah, and Piero Hincapie might start on Friday instead of the outgoing defender Jeanuel Belocian, who isn't expected back until September.

The availability of Granit Xhaka, a former Arsenal player, is uncertain; nonetheless, Exequiel Palacios is expected to start alongside the Swiss midfielder should he start.

Our Predictions

Full-time draw @ 3.75 on Sky247.ng

Given their recent stellar play, Leverkusen should be able to get a draw, but they may have a tough time beating Dortmund at home due to their impressive record.

Even if the visitors have had trouble keeping clean sheets as of late, Sahin's squad may believe they have a better chance of scoring on Friday. However, it would not be shocking if the champions had chances in the final third.

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