Preview: Bayer Leverkusen vs. Borussia Dortmund – prediction, team news, lineups

Bayer Leverkusen will be aiming to win a sixth successive league match when they host Borussia Dortmund on Sunday.

The visitors, meanwhile, have won both of their games since returning to action after the World Cup.

Match preview

Having taken over Leverkusen when they were in a perilous position inside the relegation zone in early October, Xabi Alonso has performed miracles in recent matches to guide them away from safety and closer to the European places.

The former Real Madrid midfielder, who is embarking on his first senior managerial role after spending three years with Real Sociedad’s B team, won just one of his first seven matches in all competitions, but his side have since won five consecutive league games to move up to eighth in the table.

Die Werkself raced into a 3-0 lead away to Borussia Monchengladbach in their first match back last weekend before surviving a scare when Lars Stindl bagged himself a late brace, while they comfortably held off VfL Bochum to win 2-0 at BayArena on Wednesday evening.

With a two-legged tie against Monaco awaiting them in the last-32 of the Europa League in a few weeks’ time, Alonso will be keen to see his players continue their winning momentum as they aim to challenge on two fronts between now and May.

Sunday’s clash against Dortmund provides a perfect opportunity for Leverkusen to send out a statement that they have fully recovered from their early season blip, while potentially reeling in a potential top four rival.

However, Dortmund appear to have benefitted from the break having lost their final two matches prior to the World Cup beginning in November, with Edin Terzic‘s side narrowly defeating Augsburg and Mainz 05 within the past week.

BVB were involved in a seven-goal thriller against Augsburg at Signal Iduna Park last weekend, with Enrico Maassen‘s side pegging their opponents back on three occasions before Giovanni Reyna created headlines on the pitch by snatching all three points with his 78th-minute strike.

The 20-year-old has received plenty of public criticism in recent months after it was revealed that he was almost sent home from Qatar by his international manager Gregg Berhalter due to attitude issues, but Reyna appears to have a point to prove after bagging another late winner away to Mainz on Wednesday evening.

Those additional two points ensured that Dortmund remain sandwiched between Eintracht Frankfurt and Freiburg – who are all level on points – in fifth place ahead of the weekend’s action, but Terzic will be aware that his players surely must perform better if they are to claim a positive result in Leverkusen on Sunday.

With Freiburg arriving in Dortmund next weekend before Terzic’s side travel to Bochum for the last 16 of the DFB-Pokal, it is a pivotal point in the campaign for himself and his players, who will also be relishing facing Chelsea in a Champions League knockout tie next month.

Team News

Leverkusen are likely to remain without Charles Aranguiz and Patrik Schick due to calf and groin injuries respectively, but otherwise Alonso appears to have a fully fit squad at his disposal.

The 41-year-old could restore Mitchel Bakker and Exequiel Palacios to his starting XI in order to start with a 3-4-3 formation, which would almost certainly see Callum Hudson-Odoi drop to the substitutes’ bench as a result.

Dortmund, meanwhile, will travel without Thomas Meunier (calf), Abdoulaye Kamara and Mateu Morey (both knee), while Marco Reus is unlikely to be available having missed both matches since the restart due to illness.

Sebastien Haller has fully recovered from his testicular tumour and has appeared from the bench in both of Dortmund’s matches within the past week, but Youssoufa Moukoko will almost certainly lead the line once again as the Ivory Coast forward continues to be eased back into things.

Jude Bellingham missed his side’s trip to Mainz in midweek through suspension after receiving his fifth booking of the season against Augsburg, and he will almost certainly return to the engine room at the expense of Emre Can, while Reyna’s goalscoring impact form the bench should earn the USA international a start.

Bayer Leverkusen possible starting lineup:
Hradecky; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Palacios, Andrich, Bakker; Wirtz, Diaby; Hlozek

Borussia Dortmund possible starting lineup:
Kobel; Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Guerreiro; Bellingham, Ozcan; Malen, Brandt, Reyna; Moukoko