The hosts finished 14th last season and will hope to do so in their final campaigns, while the visitors come into the match fresh from their German Super Cup victory over Stuttgart last Saturday.
The hosts kicked off their 2024-25 season with a 3-1 win over Erzgebirge Aue in the DFB-Pokal on 17 August. They had to sweat after conceding the first in the 8th minute.
The fact that Die Fohlen have struggled against a team from the third division of German football is an unpleasant prospect for coach Gerardo Seoane, who hopes to arrest his team’s slide towards the relegation zone in a few seasons.
Borussia Mönchengladbach ended their 2023-24 crusade with 34 points, one more than Bochum, who are in 16th place and found themselves in the league’s relegation playoffs.
However, their poor performance last season is just one of many disappointing seasons since finishing fourth in 2019-20, as the club has not finished higher than eighth in any of the last four seasons.
Seoane’s side picked up just 14 points from 17 games in the second phase of their 2023-24 Bundesliga campaign and have won any of their last six league games.
They have also failed to win any of their last six games at Borussia-Park in the Bundesliga, taking into account their six pre-season friendlies, they have won their last seven games in total.
Bayer Leverkusen’s rivals had to face the consequences in the Super Cup final against Stuttgart last weekend after a 2-2 draw, but Xabi Alonso’s team won 4-3 in shots on goal.
Leverkusen were no strangers to late returns last season, and that experience proved important against Stuttgart when Patrik Schick equalized in the 88th minute to make the score 2-2.
Alonso’s victory in the final means he has won each and every one of the domestic trophies the club holds, but his victory is all the more remarkable given that his team was forced to play with 10 players after Martin Terrier’s sending off in the 37th minute.
His triumph also means Alonso has won three of Die Schwarzroten’s top five trophies, and is the coach in Bundesliga history to help a team to an unbeaten league title.
The Invincibles, scored 89 goals and conceded 24 goals last season, making them the second-best offensive and defensive team in the division.
Including their 4 pre-season games, Leverkusen have only won once in their last five games and have won in 14 of their last 17 Bundesliga away games.
The hosts will be able to choose central defender Nico Elvedi and winger Robin Hack, the club’s top scorer last season.
However, Borussia Mönchengladbach will be without midfielder Borges Sanches and goalkeeper Jan Olschowsky due to knee injuries.
On the visitors’ side, Martin Terrier will not serve a league suspension after his red card and will be available for the national team.
On the other hand, Exequiel Palacios will be absent, so Granit Xhaka is expected to partner in midfield through Aleix García.
Bayer Leverkusen may also remember regulars such as Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Alejandro Grimaldo, all of whom were on the bench against Stuttgart.
Possible Borussia Mönchengladbach XI: Omlin; Scally, Itakura, Elvedi, Netz; Reitz, Weigl; Honorat, Stoger, Hack; Kleindienst
Bayer Leverkusen’s imaginable starting eleven: Hradecky; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Xhaka, García, Grimaldo; Wirtz, Adli; Bonifacio
Although Leverkusen have not been in form since the end of the 2023-24 season, they have shown that they still have what it takes to win when it matters most.
Furthermore, taking into account Borussia Mönchengladbach’s poor performance last season, it would be unexpected if they managed to defeat. For information on the maximum probable results, scores and more for this match, click here.