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

In the archetypal Bundesliga crippled since the extremity of the league's wintertime break, Borussia Dortmund volition invited champions Bayer Leverkusen to Signal Iduna Park connected Friday.

The Black and Yellows are sixth successful the array with 25 points from 15 games and beat Wolfsburg 3-1 connected December 22 successful their past crippled earlier the break, portion Leverkusen are successful 2nd spot with 32 points and are conscionable 4 points down leaders Bayern Munich.

Match preview

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The wintertime interruption came astatine a bully clip for Dortmund brag Nuri Sahin considering his broadside person lone won 1 of their past 5 matches, drafting 3 and losing 1 successful that period.

Sahin's broadside were utterly ascendant successful the archetypal fractional against Wolfsburg, creating astir 3 xG and scoring 3 times betwixt the 25th and 30th minutes, and they managed to clasp retired successful the 2nd fractional contempt being reduced to 10 men with fractional an hr to go.

Attacker Julian Brandt spoke successful the aftermath of the triumph astir the team's request to mature quickly, saying: "It's not similar everything is wholly bad. It's conscionable that we person to larn to turn up. It's inactive a development, but it has to get determination astatine immoderate point."

Having scored 28 goals successful the Bundesliga, Dortmund not lone fertile arsenic the league's associated sixth champion violative side, but are besides connected way to people their fewest goals successful the apical formation since they netted 47 times and finished seventh successful 2014-15.

The Black and Yellows' antiaircraft grounds is mediocre fixed they person conceded connected 22 occasions – the eighth champion antiaircraft instrumentality – and person lone kept 3 cleansheets successful 15 league outings.

Dortmund person mislaid 1 and drawn 2 of their past 3 location fixtures, though they did triumph successful their anterior 11 astatine Signal Iduna Park.

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As for the champions, they travel into Friday's clash having defeated Freiburg 5-1 connected December 21, a lucifer successful which Patrik Schick recovered the backmost of the nett 4 times.

Manager Xabi Alonso argued that the triumph was hard fought and said that helium wanted to usage the triumph arsenic a level to physique connected successful 2025, saying: "It was a precise important triumph for america today. We wanted to proceed our bid and spell into the interruption with a bully feeling. We managed that.

"We volition proceed to onslaught successful the caller year. That gives everyone a bully feeling. We person large ambitions to proceed warring for our goals successful 2025 and privation to execute a batch together."

Some thought that Alonso's broadside had fallen distant successful the rubric contention considering they had already dropped points successful six league matches this term, arsenic galore arsenic they had successful the entirety of their 2023-24 campaign.

However, Leverkusen person won their 8 astir caller games successful each competitions, and their past 5 Bundesliga matches, capitalising connected the information Bayern Munich person dropped 4 points successful their past 4 league outings.

Die Schwarzroten's signifier successful beforehand of extremity has been beardown successful caller weeks fixed they person scored 16 goals successful their past 5 top-flight games, though they lone prevented their opponents from scoring erstwhile successful that period.

Leverkusen person achieved triumph successful their 3 astir caller distant fixtures, but it should beryllium noted that they failed to triumph their erstwhile 5 connected the road, losing 1 and drafting four.

Borussia Dortmund Bundesliga form:

Borussia Dortmund signifier (all competitions):

Bayer Leverkusen Bundesliga form:

Bayer Leverkusen signifier (all competitions):

Team News

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Dortmund's wounded situation has somewhat eased, though they volition inactive beryllium without Pascal Gross due to the fact that helium received a reddish paper past clip out, arsenic good arsenic Niklas Sule owed to his ankle injury.

Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel is apt to beryllium shielded by centre-backs Waldemar Anton and Nico Schlotterbeck, and the defence whitethorn beryllium protected by midfielders Emre Can and Felix Nmecha.

Jamie Bynoe-Gittens is definite to commencement successful attack, portion striker Serhou Guirassy whitethorn beryllium supported by attacking midfielder Brandt.

Meanwhile, Leverkusen volition not beryllium capable to prime attacker Amine Adli, though Victor Boniface could marque a instrumentality to enactment should helium walk a precocious fittingness test.

Expect Schick to proceed to pb the enactment successful beforehand of Florian Wirtz and Nathan Tella if Boniface is not deemed acceptable to start.

Defender Jeanuel Belocian is not scheduled to instrumentality until September, truthful regular centre-backs Edmond Tapsoba, Jonathan Tah and Piero Hincapie could diagnostic successful the backline connected Friday.

Midfielder Granit Xhaka is simply a doubt, but should the erstwhile Arsenal antheral play, helium volition apt beryllium partnered by Exequiel Palacios.

Borussia Dortmund imaginable starting lineup:
Kobel; Ryerson, Anton, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Nmecha, Can; Bynoe-Gittens, Brandt, Beier; Guirassy

We say: Borussia Dortmund 2-2 Bayer Leverkusen

Leverkusen should consciousness assured of astatine slightest avoiding decision fixed their outstanding signifier of late, though they whitethorn find it hard to flooded Dortmund fixed their beardown grounds astatine home.

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