Prediction: Borussia Dortmund win
Best Odds: 4/5
Bookmaker: bet365
The Bundesliga returns this weekend following the international break, with two of the top tier’s finest squaring off in a thrilling early season encounter. The teams in question are Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen, both of whom will have pretty high expectations for the campaign ahead. Dortmund pushed Bayern Munich all the way in the title race last season, whereas Leverkusen are hoping to improve on their fourth place finish as they set their sights on an unlikely title challenge.
Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund are known for their constant role as a bridesmaid to the bride that is Bayern Munich, but when you analyse the recent summer transfer window, it truly does feel like Dortmund are getting closer and closer to dethroning their rivals at the top of the mountain. They’ve got the individual talent and now they just need to piece it all together, but given how stretched they could be in terms of commitments to other competitions, they could struggle to find the right balance.
Team News
Schulz and Akanji will both be out of action courtesy of injuries sustained during the international break. Balerdi could make his debut for the club, whereas Witsel and Hazard are tipped to return despite missing the loss to Union Berlin.
Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen are no longer regarded as a club capable of challenging in the Bundesliga and Champions League, but given the gradual improvements they’ve made over the course of the last few years, it doesn’t seem as if they’re all too far away from reaching that point. They’ve got a handful of exciting stars that they need to mesh together with their established first teamers, and if they can find that kind of cohesion they’ve been looking for, the sky truly is the limit for what they could go on to accomplish.
Team News
Bender is set to be fit enough to feature despite having a break from training during the week, with Pohjanpalo still being a few weeks away from full fitness.
Factors to Consider
- In their last meeting back in February, Dortmund beat Leverkusen 3-2.
- Dortmund have won two and lost one of their Bundesliga games this season.
- Leverkusen have won two and drawn one of their Bundesliga games this season.
- Dortmund have scored nine goals and conceded five in Bundesliga this season.
- Leverkusen have scored six goals and conceded three in Bundesliga this season.
Conclusion
Dortmund just seem to possess the kind of fire power necessary to overcome Leverkusen and continue their pursuit of the Bundesliga title. We can’t imagine them coming close to causing any issues at the top of the table this season in regards to challenging Bayern Munich, but for this game, they should have enough to get over the finish line. Leverkusen, of course, will come at them with everything they’ve got, which could wind up leading to something of a goalfest between the two German giants.
Prediction: Borussia Dortmund win
Best Odds: 4/5
Bookmaker: bet365
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