Bayer Leverkusen opens title defence at Borussia Mönchengladbach on Bundesliga Matchday 1
Bayer 04 Leverkusen kicks off the new Bundesliga season on Friday 23 August with an away fixture at Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Borussia-Park, kick-off at 19:30. The reigning champions — last year the first club in history to go through an entire Bundesliga season unbeaten — face a Gladbach side that finished fourteenth in the previous campaign, surviving the relegation play-offs by just a single point.
Gladbach under pressure: Seoane must prove things can improve
Borussia Mönchengladbach may have the honour of opening the new Bundesliga campaign, but the mood surrounding the club is anything but relaxed. A fourteenth-place finish with just one point of breathing room above the relegation play-offs — last season left deep marks on the Borussia-Park. Nevertheless, the club's hierarchy retained their faith in head coach Gerardo Seoane, who takes charge again this season. That stands in contrast to six other Bundesliga clubs that have already made managerial changes in the build-up to the new campaign. The Swiss coach knows that a repeat performance is not an option. To strengthen the squad, Gladbach was active in the transfer market. Forward Tim Kleindienst was signed from FC Heidenheim for seven million euros, midfielder Philipp Sander arrived from Holstein Kiel for one million euros, and Kevin Stöger bolstered the midfield on a free transfer from VfL Bochum. Several of these new arrivals featured last Saturday in the first round of the DFB-Pokal, when Gladbach came from behind to beat third-division side Erzgebirge Aue 3-1. An encouraging sign — though Friday's opposition is of an entirely different calibre. Recent history does little to favour the hosts. In their last nine competitive meetings with Leverkusen, Gladbach have not managed a single win: seven defeats and two draws. Their last home victory over Die Werkself dates back to the opening matchday of the 2018-19 season, and their last win over Leverkusen in any competition goes all the way back to November 2019. Yet Gladbach do carry one intriguing historical footnote: in 2001, they were the last side to beat the reigning Bundesliga champions on Matchday 1, defeating Bayern München 1-0 on that occasion. Seoane is expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 system, with new signing Kleindienst leading the attack.
Leverkusen unbeaten in 41 matches and hungry for more
Bayer 04 Leverkusen enters the new season carrying a momentum that is without precedent in Bundesliga history. Die Werkself became the first club ever to go through an entire Bundesliga season without defeat last year. That remarkable unbeaten run in domestic football has now stretched to 41 matches, after Leverkusen also claimed the DFL Supercup at the expense of VfB Stuttgart. That contest ended 2-2 after ninety minutes before a penalty shootout settled matters in favour of the Rhinelanders. Coach Xabi Alonso has largely kept his title-winning squad intact and added three targeted reinforcements. Jeanuël Belocian and Martin Terrier joined from Stade Rennes, while Aleix García arrived from Girona. With these additions, Leverkusen are aiming to hit the ground running from the very first weekend. A positive result on Matchday 1 would also extend a noteworthy statistic: in the last 22 instances, the reigning Bundesliga champions have gone unbeaten on the opening matchday, recording seventeen wins and five draws. Alonso is expected to stick with his trusted 3-4-2-1 system, with Victor Boniface leading the line up front.
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Source: Sportmonks
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