Pre-Match Report
The facts on the opening game against Leverkusen
The scenario: Sixth versus second. Seven points separate the two teams before kick-off in the opening game of 2025. It is the penultimate match of the first half-season.
Home/away: The last two matches on home turf have ended in stalemate. Nonetheless, BVB top the home table with 20 points (six wins and two draws). Leverkusen are unbeaten in 24 away matches stretching back into last season, have picked up four victories and three draws on the road in the current campaign and occupy third place in the away table. Their last Bundesliga defeat on their travels was by a 3-0 scoreline in Bochum on 27 May 2023.
Statistics: The Black & Yellows are unbeaten in five Bundesliga matches and have scored the all-important opening goal in all five of those games – but have been held to draws on three occasions in that timeframe. BVB have only failed to find the net in one match this season – only Bayern Munich have scored in every match. The Werkself are unbeaten in 13 Bundesliga matches and have recently put together a five-match winning streak. Only Bayern have won more penalty kicks (five) than Bayer (four).
Head-to-head record: Borussia Dortmund have lost just one of their last seven meetings with Leverkusen, have won seven of their last 09 home games against Bayer and have lost only one home game against this opponent after taking the lead. Bayer have taken only two points in total from their last six Bundesliga games against Borussia and have historically only lost more matches (52) and conceded more goals (174) against Bayern than they have against BVB (36 defeats and 147 goals conceded). The Werkself do not have such a poor record against any other Bundesliga club since the start of last season.
Last season: Following an unspectacular 80 minutes, the 81,365 spectators at a sold-out SIGNAL IDUNA PARK were treated to a thrilling finish. Niclas Füllkrug fired the Black & Yellows in front (81), then there was a mass altercation (88) and a long stoppage time of eight minutes was added. Josip Stanisic rescued the visitors with the Werkself's latest goal of the season when he headed home from a corner to equalise at 1-1 (90+7).
Biggest home win: On 4 March 2017, BVB ran out 6-2 winners thanks to goals from Ousmane Dembélé (6), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (26/70), Christian Pulisic (77), André Schürrle (pen., 85.) and Raphael Guerreiro (90+2). Kevin Volland and Wendell scored for Bayer. The last time there was a four-goal difference was on 14 September 2019, when Marco Reus (50/90), Paco Alcácer (28) and Raphael Guerreiro (83) scored the goals in an emphatic 4-0 win.
Compiled by Boris Rupert