Dortmund present Leverkusen with next major test
Newly-crowned Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen’s trip to Borussia Dortmund on Sunday is arguably their biggest hurdle in achieving a perfect league season.
Despite Leverkusen’s breakthrough title win, sealed on Sunday with a 5-0 home demolition of Werder Bremen, Xabi Alonso’s side have several records in their sights.
They are still in the hunt for a remarkable treble, having qualified for the German Cup final and the Europa League semi-finals.
Bayern Munich are the only German club to have won the treble, doing so with Champions League rather than Europa League wins in 2013 and 2020.
In the league, Leverkusen are still unbeaten with 25 wins and four draws in 29 games. In all competitions, they are on a 44-match undefeated streak this season.
Not even Bayern Munich have gone through a league season without a loss, meaning Alonso’s men are five matches away from a unique achievement.
Currently on 79 points, Leverkusen could also break the all-time Bundesliga points tally of 91, set by Bayern in 2012-13.
Of Leverkusen’s remaining league fixtures, facing Dortmund away therefore represents the biggest hurdle to breaking these records.
Leverkusen also host third-placed Stuttgart the following week but Dortmund are a different proposition at home, particularly after they beat Atletico Madrid on Tuesday to reach the Champions League semi-finals.
Leverkusen were held to a 1-1 draw by Dortmund in December.
While most clubs would expect a bit of a lull after breaking a 120-year title drought, Alonso’s Leverkusen are not most clubs.
Despite parties going well into the night, Alonso said Wednesday he had no fears his side would fall back to earth.
We had “a few beers, but not too many” the coach said Wednesday, telling reporters “the players have not given me any reason to doubt them.”
“We have the hunger and the desire to keep going non-stop.”
Dortmund sit in fifth, behind RB Leipzig who sit in the final guaranteed spot to play Champions League football next season.
