Can Bayer Leverkusen do what Borussia Dortmund couldn’t last season?

This is the opinion of Ugbad Abdi.

As someone who does not really pay attention to the German soccer league, the Bundesliga this season is quite exciting to keep tabs on.

Current reigning champions of the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich, sit second in the standings with an eight-point gap from top of the league leaders, Bayer Leverkusen. Will this be the season to end Bayern Munich’s 11-year winning streak?

From the decorated and experienced Thomas Müller to the incredible and talented youngster Jamal Musiala, Bayern is filled with exceptional players. Along with the addition of goal-scoring machine Harry Kane last summer, Bayern were favorites to win this season yet again.

However, that’s what I love about soccer: It can be unpredictable, and anything can happen.

Of course, Bayer Leverkusen comes with talent as well.

You can’t be sitting at the top of the league based on luck alone.

However, a lot can be attributed to their new manager, Xabi Alonso. A legendary player himself, Alonso retired from soccer in 2017. His accolades alone can speak for himself.

He has won several major trophies including the UEFA Champions League—once with Liverpool in 2005 and then again in 2014 with Real Madrid.

Both crazy finals, might I add—the very definition of comebacks.

Along with league titles in Spain and Germany, Alonso was also part of the 2010 World Cup Spain squad that went on to win it that year. Since Alonso had played for some of the best teams in Europe, a lot of people wondered if he could make it as manager as well. I’d like to think he has surpassed any expectations.

Taking over as manager for Bayer Leverkusen in July 2023, Alonso has surprised us all. His team is the only team in Europe to be undefeated, most recently beating the longest run in German football history across all competition.

In all their 33 games, they had 29 wins and four draws—beating Bayern’s record of 32 unbeaten games in the 2019-20 season. Do we have another invincible season among us?

One of the most well-known seasons of the English Premier League (EPL) is when Arsenal Football Club went the entire 2003-04 season undefeated with 26 wins, 12 draws and no losses, giving them the nickname “The Invincibles.”

As someone who does not necessarily watch the Bundesliga, let alone have a favorite team, I was rooting for Borussia Dortmund last season, who tied with Bayern in number of points in the season. However, due to Bayern having a higher goal difference, Dortmund ended up losing the title at the very last game of the season.

I have always loved to root for the underdogs, but I was also just tired of Bayern winning. Like, come on, winning the league 11 times in a row?

I think that’s why I lean towards watching the English Premier League: There are more teams fighting for the league.

Maybe not so much these last few years as current reigning champions, Manchester City, have won for the third time in a row.

However, I like to think last season’s win was more so due to the fact that Arsenal choked towards the end of the season. (But let’s not talk about that.)

Hopefully the case is different this year and Bayer Leverkusen can take it all the way, especially considering they recently beat Bayern 3-0 three weeks ago.

However, there are 11 more games to be played, and, knowing the world of soccer, anything can change.

With a little bit of luck on their side, maintaining injury-free players and capitalizing on the mistakes of Bayern Munich recently, there is definitely a chance for Leverkusen to lift that trophy at the end of the season.

Ultimately, time will tell. It’s always exciting to see some underdog teams give those experienced teams a run for their money, but either way, this season should be an exciting title race.