Reigning Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen will aim to kick-start the defence of their crown when they take on Borussia Monchengladbach at Borussia-Park on Friday.
The 2024/25 Bundesliga season begins this week, with the reigning champions taking the field to kick things off. Bayer Leverkusen will aim to continue the unprecedented unbeaten league run when they lock horns with Borussia Monchengladbach at Borussia-Park on Friday night.
Borussia Monchengladbach endured a forgettable 2023/24 season, finishing 14th on the table, only a point clear of 16th-placed VfL Bochum. Gladbach showed positive signs during the pre-season campaign, winning all five games before starting the new campaign with a 3-1 win over Erzgebirge Aue in the DFB Pokal.
As for Bayer Leverkusen, they enjoyed a nearly perfect 2023/24 campaign, only losing one game, as Atalanta beat them in the UEFA Europa League final. However, they remained unbeaten in domestic competition, winning the Bundesliga title and the DFB Pokal.
Xabi Alonso’s men endured a mixed bag of a pre-season campaign, winning and losing a game while playing out two stalemates. Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen’s first match of the 2024/25 season went down the wire as they played out a 2-2 draw with VfB Stuttgart before triumphing on penalties to win the DFL Supercup.
The corresponding fixture last term saw Bayer Leverkusen cruise to a 3-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the first game of the 2024/25 Bundesliga season.
Team News & Tactics
Borussia Monchengladbach
Gerardo Seoane does not have many pressing concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s first Bundesliga game of the 2024/25 season. Against Bayer Leverkusen on Friday, the Borussia Monchengladbach manager will be bereft of the services of two first-team players.
Jan Olschowsky and Yvandro Borges Sanches are the only absentees for Gladbach, with the duo recovering from their knee injuries. Meanwhile, the Foals have seen a few changes to their squad this summer, losing Patrick Hermann and Tony Jantschke to retirement while signing four players and offloading two.
Jonas Omlin is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Borussia Monchengladbach lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him against Bayer Leverkusen. The backline should feature Joe Scally, Ko Itakura, Nico Elvedi, and Luca Netz.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Rocco Reitz and Julian Weigl in the double pivot, with the duo looking to keep things tight in the middle of the park. Kevin Stoger should reprise the no. 10 role, with Franck Honorat and Alassane Plea being the two wide attackers. Finally, Tim Kleindiest should lead the line for Gladbach against Bayer Leverkusen.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Omlin; Scally, Itakura, Elvedi, Netz; Reitz, Weigl; Honorat, Stoger, Plea; Kleindienst
Bayer Leverkusen
Like his counterpart in the Borussia Monchengladbach dugout, Xabi Alonso does not have many issues to deal with ahead of the trip to Borussia-Park. The Bayer Leverkusen manager will be without one first-team player on Friday, with Exequiel Palacios recovering from a knee injury.
Like Gladbach, the reigning Bundesliga champions have been active in the market, signing three players, with Aleix Garcia the most notable arrival. Meanwhile, Josip Stanisic and Borja Iglesias have returned to their clubs after their loan spells, while five players have departed.
Lukas Hradecky will take his usual spot between the sticks, with Bayer Leverkusen lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of him against Borussia Monchengladbach. The central defensive unit should feature the exit-linked trio of Edmond Tapsoba, Jonathan Tah, and Piero Hincapie.
The wing-backs have also garnered interest in the market, with Jeremie Frimpong and Alejandro Grimaldo highly sought-after by top clubs. Granit Xhaka and Robert Andrich should pair up in the middle of the park, with Florian Wirtz and Amine Adli taking creative charge. Finally, Victor Osimhen will likely spearhead the Bayer Leverkusen attack against Gladbach.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Hradecky; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Andrich, Xhaka, Grimaldo; Wirtz, Adli; Boniface
Key Stats
- Borussia Monchengladbach were the only team to stop Bayer Leverkusen from scoring in the Bundesliga last term, holding the eventual champions to a goalless draw on 27 January.
- Bayer Leverkusen have not lost a Bundesliga match since the final day of the 2022/23 season (3-0 vs VfL Bochum).
- Bayer Leverkusen scored a league-high 21 goals from set pieces last season. That was four more than Borussia Monchengladbach, who produced a league-best 10 from corners.
- Kevin Stoger was involved in more shots on goal than any player in the Bundesliga last season (195).
- Former Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Granit Xhaka topped the 2023/24 individual charts for most touches (3,588) and ranked second for completed passes (92.72 per cent), behind only teammate Jonathan Tah (96.47 per cent).
Player to Watch
Florian Wirtz
While Bayer Leverkusen will aim to continue from where they left off at the end of the 2023/24 season, Florian Wirtz will have a similar frame of mind. The youngster won the Bundesliga Player of the Year award last term after an exceptional campaign with Die Werkself.
Wirtz’s exploits have helped him garner interest from several high-profile clubs across Europe, and a big-money move in 2025 might be on the cards. The German international will look to continue building his stock and ensure Bayer Leverkusen’s spot at the summit of German football.
Prediction
Borussia Monchengladbach 1-2 Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen enjoyed a comprehensive win over Borussia Monchengladbach in the corresponding fixture last season. However, nearly 12 months later, they have a target on their back, and teams are starting to figure them out. That was evident during their pre-season campaign, while Gladbach had a perfect run in five outings.
The defending Bundesliga champions were wobbly in the DFL Supercup against VfB Stuttgart, and the hosts might feel they have a chance on Friday. However, Xabi Alonso’s men have made a name for themselves for being dogged customers, especially as the minutes wear on in a match. That should be visible again this week, with Bayer Leverkusen coming from a goal down to clinch a 2-1 win.