The Bundesliga returns to action after the winter break, with Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen promising a thrilling clash to kick off the second half of the season in Germany.
The German league resumes in style today as Borussia Dortmund, Europa runners-up, host Bayer Leverkusen, the reigning German champions, in what promises to be an electrifying match to restart Bundesliga activities.
Dortmund Aiming to Improve
Dortmund needs to move past their inconsistent first half of the season, which left them in sixth place with 25 points, 11 points adrift of the title race. Far from being a contender to challenge Bayern Munich, the current league leaders, the “Bees” must focus on climbing the table.
While catching Bayern seems like a distant goal for Dortmund, their priority is to accumulate points to leave their current Europa Conference League spot and secure one of the Bundesliga’s Champions League places. A win today could propel them to third, pending results from Frankfurt, Leipzig, and Mainz in this round.
Leverkusen’s Direct Title Pursuit
On the other side, Bayer Leverkusen is Bayern’s closest challenger. Sitting second in the table with 32 points, just four behind Bayern, the “Aspirins” cannot afford to drop points in the title race. They are also fighting to defend their Bundesliga crown from last season.
This weekend, Bayern will face Borussia Mönchengladbach, who are eighth in the standings but in contention for European spots. While Munich are favorites, an upset could be possible. Given this, Leverkusen must secure a victory in their visit to Dortmund to avoid leaving anything to chance.
The match kicks off this afternoon at 1:30 p.m. CST.
