The Bundesliga resumes this weekend with Matchday 16, featuring a must-watch clash between Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen. Dortmund closed the year with a 3-1 away win over Wolfsburg but may face difficulty asserting control against Xabi Alonso’s formidable side.
Leverkusen, meanwhile, thrashed Freiburg 5-1, highlighted by Patrik Schick’s four-goal heroics. Unbeaten in their last 10 games across all competitions, Leverkusen enters the match in great form. Who will come out on top? Here’s our detailed analysis and match prediction.
Dortmund – Leverkusen Head-to-Head Analysis
| General Details | Dortmund Lineup (Predicted) | Leverkusen Lineup (Predicted) |
|---|---|---|
| Date: 10/1/2025 Time: 20:30 Stadium: Signal Iduna Park Where to watch: StarTimes App | Alexander Meyer Julian Ryerson Niklas Süle Nico Schlotterbeck Ian Maatsen Marcel Sabitzer Emre Can Donyell Malen Julian Brandt Jamie Bynoe-Gittens Niclas Füllkrug | Lukas Hradecky Edmond Tapsoba Jonathan Tah Piero Hincapié Arthur Melo Exequiel Palacios Robert Andrich Granit Xhaka Alejandro Grimaldo Nathan Tella Florian Wirtz |
Historic Performances
To set the stage for our analysis, let’s first examine their past encounters. This will provide crucial context for predicting the outcome of their upcoming clash.
Recent Encounters
The last five meetings between Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen reveal a balanced rivalry. Dortmund has two wins, Leverkusen one, and two matches have ended in draws. Their most recent clash resulted in a 1-1 stalemate, highlighting the closely contested nature of their encounters. Therefore, we expect another potential draw in the upcoming match, which emphasizes the competitive intensity of this matchup.
Key Factors Influencing the Match
Subsequently, let’s analyze both teams’ current form and highlight the key players who could be the difference-makers. This will help us predict the outcome of this crucial encounter.
Previous Match
Borussia Dortmund starts the year far from their desired position. They currently sit sixth in the Bundesliga with 25 points, 11 behind league leaders Bayern Munich. Despite being unbeaten in their last five games, they’ve only managed two wins in that stretch, underlining inconsistency.
Much of their struggle lies in away performances, where they’ve earned just five points out of a possible 21. However, their recent 3-1 victory at Wolfsburg demonstrated their ability to deliver results on the road, providing a confidence boost. So far, Dortmund has secured 7 wins, 4 draws, and 4 losses in the league, leaving them with ground to cover.
Bayer Leverkusen, on the other hand, is firmly in the title race. With 32 points, they sit second, trailing Bayern by just four points. After a rocky spell of five draws in six matches, they’ve found their stride with five consecutive wins.
Their latest victory, a 5-1 thrashing of Freiburg, underscores their attacking prowess and extends their unbeaten streak to 13 matches across all competitions. Leverkusen enters this fixture in brilliant form, looking to maintain momentum against a Dortmund side seeking stability.
Players
Serhou Guirassy has been a standout player for Borussia Dortmund since his summer move from VfB Stuttgart, scoring 12 goals in 19 appearances. His impact could be crucial in this game. However, Nuri Sahin faces significant challenges with a depleted squad. Niklas Süle is injured, while Waldemar Anton and Almugera Kabar are sidelined due to illness.
Marcel Sabitzer and Pascal Gross are also unavailable, with the latter suspended for two matches. Additionally, Donyell Malen’s imminent transfer to Aston Villa likely rules him out of this clash, leaving Dortmund reliant on inexperienced players.
For Bayer Leverkusen, Patrik Schick has been exceptional, scoring nine goals in 12 Bundesliga matches. This includes a brilliant four strike against Freiburg before the break.
However, Xabi Alonso must contend with the absence of Victor Boniface, who has faced setbacks in his recovery. Jonas Hofmann has resumed training, while Amine Adli is expected to return later this month, offering some hope for squad reinforcement.
Home Advantage
Borussia Dortmund boasts an unbeaten home record this season, with six wins and two draws. However, their last two home matches include 1-1 draws against Bayern Munich and Hoffenheim. Both matches saw Dortmund concede late goals in the 85th and 90+1 minutes. This highlights lapses in closing out games for the Yellow Submarines.
Leverkusen, meanwhile, remains unbeaten on the road, recording four wins and three draws while scoring in every match. Despite their attacking consistency, they’ve managed just one clean sheet during this run.
With both teams demonstrating solid form and vulnerabilities, this clash promises to be an electrifying contest likely to end in a closely fought draw.
Betting Tips
After a clear picture of both team’s performance recently, here are our suitable betting tips for Nigerian Bettors to wager on the Dortmund vs. Leverkusen match:
Betting Odds
The following presents the latest betting odds, outlining the probability of each team securing a victory, suffering a defeat, or achieving a draw:
Dortmund to Win – 2.70 | Draw – 3.75 | Leverkusen to Win – 2.40
Bookies’ odds see the home side as the heavy underdog, while Leverkusen is slightly seen as favorites . The chance for that match to result in a deadlock is at 27% probability. History of this fixture and current form of both teams suggest this match will likely result in a deadlock.
Final Thoughts on the Match
The last two meetings between Dortmund and Leverkusen ended in 1-1 draws, including a dramatic 90+7th-minute equalizer by Josip Stanisic in their most recent clash. Dortmund is unbeaten in their last four encounters, while Leverkusen has only one win in their last seven. With Dortmund’s flawless home record and Leverkusen’s unbeaten away form, another closely contested stalemate is likely.
Samuel Okunsolawo is an iGaming expert with over six years of experience in content writing. His passion for simplifying complex concepts makes his articles accessible and useful for beginners and experts alike. With a focus on sports betting trends and reliable betting sites, Samuel’s articles are an excellent resource for those seeking guidance and staying up to date in the world of iGaming.