On Sunday, Borussia Dortmund travels to Leverkusen, hoping to pick up three points, as the pursuit of the UCL is still alive. Dortmund currently sit in fifth place, after a big 4-nil win against Wolfsburg. The Black and Yellows need every point possible, and with a win on Sunday and a bit of luck with fixtures elsewhere, Dortmund could very well enter a spot for Champions League qualification.
With Maximillian Beier and Nico Schlotterbeck out, Borussia Dortmund should have virtually the same squad available as they did last weekend against Wolfsburg. There could be a possible change in the starting lineup, especially after Karim Adeyemi's outstanding performance last weekend. Adeyemi came off the bench to score a brace within six minutes after coming onto the pitch.
This fixture will be a tough one against last year's Bundesliga champions, but hopes should be high for Dortmund fans, even though Leverkusen have a 17-point lead over Dortmund, as they have won only two of their last five games in the Bundesliga. This game will still be a tough test for Dortmund, but I believe they can walk away with the three points. Below are some predictions for the game:
Player to Watch
Patrick Schick & Florian Wirtz: Schick has scored nineteen goals in twenty-nine matches this season for Leverkusen and is currently their top goalscorer. He is currently tied for second in the Bundesliga golden boot race (tied with Guirassy) and could be a real threat to the Dortmund backline on Sunday. Florian Wirtz is a world-class talent, and doesn't have the interest of the top clubs in Europe for nothing. He currently has twenty G/A in the Bundesliga, and is by far Leverkusen's most dangerous player.
Karim Adeyemi & Serhou Guirassy: Serhou Guirassy has by far been Borussia Dortmund's most dangerous player, scoring nineteen goals in the Bundesliga this season and thirteen goals in the Champions League. He will look to add more to his goal-scoring record this Sunday, and Dortmund will need him to show up in top form come gameday.
Karim Adeyemi, who hasn't had the greatest of seasons, has turned up recently, scoring two goals against Wolfsburg off the bench and showing what he can do when he is at the top of his game. Adeyemi will look to use his blistering pace to get behind the Leverkusen defense, and Dortmund will need him more now than ever in this game at the BayArena.
Match Predictions
Bayer Leverkusen have only won two of their last five games in the Bundesliga, but that doesn't mean they aren't a dangerous team. This is still a very good Leverkusen team that accumulated 68 points this season and currently sits 12 points ahead of Frankfurt in the league. At this point, Leverkusen know they will not be winning the league, and have qualified comfortably for Champions League football next season. However, since it's Xabi Alonso's farewell home game, the atmosphere will be dangerous for the Black and Yellows.
Borussia Dortmund did suffer a 2-3 defeat against Leverkusen early on in the season, but this looks to be a more established Dortmund side this time around. Having won four of their last five Bundesliga games and fighting for a place in the Champions League, this should be a different Dortmund side that has to win this game if they want to stay in contention for a Champions League place. I believe Dortmund will walk away from Leverkusen with the three points and a hard-fought 1-2 win.