BERLIN (Reuters) – League leaders Bayer Leverkusen will look to extend their eight-game winning run in the Bundesliga when they host Borussia Dortmund on Sunday, eyeing a club record that will keep them in the title race’s driving seat.
Xabi Alonso’s unbeaten team have been impressive this season, having won 11 of their 12 league games so far and equalled the club record of eight consecutive league victories with an exciting brand of attacking football.
Last week’s 3-0 win at Werder Bremen also meant Leverkusen became the first club in Bundesliga history to score at least twice in each of their first 12 matches in a season.
Led by new transfers Alejandro Grimaldo and Victor Boniface, who have each seven goals in the league, Leverkusen have quickly emerged as title contenders.
A win over Dortmund would not only keep them in top spot for at least another week but would put a serious dent in the Ruhr valley club’s own title hopes, with the team currently in fourth place on 24 points, 10 behind Leverkusen.
Dortmund, however, are fresh from their 3-1 win at AC Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday that secured their spot in the knockout stage with a group match to spare.
But they have been shaky in the Bundesliga with just one win from their last four matches.
“Leverkusen will be the toughest task there is in Germany at the moment,” said Dortmund defender Mats Hummels. “We have to hold our own.”
Bayern Munich, in second place two points behind Leverkusen, have an equally tricky task against Union Berlin even though they are themselves also unbeaten so far in the Bundesliga.
The Berliners snapped a nine-game losing run in the league last week with a draw against Augsburg and have also kept their hopes of a Europa League spot alive with a 1-1 draw at Braga in the Champions League on Wednesday.
What is almost certain is that Bayern will score, having done so in their last 63 consecutive home matches in the league having matched the club record set 49 years ago. Victory would also put them provisionally into top spot.
Third-placed VfB Stuttgart, on 27 points, host Werder Bremen, while RB Leipzig, in fifth on 23, take on Heidenheim on Saturday.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
