Unbeaten Leverkusen faces stern test against Dortmund on Sunday
Borussia Dortmund will look to concentrate following a thrilling midweek victory when they welcome unbeaten Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen to Signal Iduna Park on Sunday.
Borussia Dortmund advanced to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2012/13 following a rip-roaring 5-4 aggregate triumph over Atletico Madrid, and they will look to continue the momentum against newly-crowned Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen.
However, the Black and Yellows are not guaranteed to compete in next year’s competition, and they are hoping for a statement win against the unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen juggernaut at home on Sunday afternoon.
While Dortmund’s Champions League exploits have been admirable, last season’s Bundesliga runners-up have failed to maintain consistency in the league, having lost their grip on fourth spot to RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga on goal difference.
There remains a good chance that both teams will get a Champions League ticket via the expanded tournament, handing out the best two performing leagues an extra spot based on their coefficient rating from the previous campaign, with as many as four English teams now out of the three European competitions.
Following Thursday’s 1-1 draw with West Ham United, Xabi Alonso’s men have gone undefeated in 44 games in the 2023/24 season, the longest stretch by any European team, surpassing Juventus’s 43 from May 2011 to May 2012.
Their 5-0 victory over Werder Bremen not only equaled the Old Lady’s accomplishment, but also secured the club’s first-ever Bundesliga honour, and they intend to avoid complacency in this amazing, unblemished season. Die Werkself may have won the Bundesliga. But the club’s quest to win a treble this season and become the first-ever invincible side in Germany remains high on the agenda.
Xabi Alonso will continue to opt for the 3-4-2-1 formation and could make a few changes to his starting XI for this game. Lukas Hradecky will feature in the goal. Edmond Tapsoba will play along with Jonathan Tah and Odinol Kossounou at the centre of Bayer Leverkusen’s backline.
Wing-backs Alejandro Grimaldo and Jeremie Frimpong have been in excellent form this season and will look to cause problems for the BVB defence on Sunday. Granit Xhaka will be partnered by Robert Andrich in the midfield double-pivot.
Florian Wirtz is coming off a stunning hat-trick against Werder Bremen, while Victor Boniface has picked up where he left off since returning from injury and could replace Patrik Schick up front here.
