Bayer Leverkusen has had an unimpressive start to the 2024/25 Bundesliga season, indicating they may face significant challenges this year.
Last season, under coach Xabi Alonso, Leverkusen impressed with their attractive and effective attacking style, winning the Bundesliga title unbeaten. The team was also unbeaten in other competitions until their 0-3 defeat to Atalanta in the Europa League final, a loss that seemed to signal their decline.
Despite successfully retaining Alonso and their key players, cracks have started to appear. In their pre-season tour, Leverkusen was defeated 1-4 by Arsenal and held to a 1-1 draw by Real Betis. These results have given other Bundesliga teams hope that Leverkusen can be beaten.
Stuttgart almost achieved this in the German Super Cup match, drawing 2-2 after regular time and losing only in the penalty shootout. Borussia Monchengladbach also lost narrowly to Leverkusen thanks to a 90+11th-minute goal by Florian Wirtz in their Bundesliga opener.
Ultimately, Leverkusen’s unbeaten run in the Bundesliga ended at 35 matches with a 2-3 defeat to RB Leipzig at home last weekend, causing significant disappointment among fans.
Although Leverkusen continues to control possession and take numerous shots, their effectiveness has notably declined. In the recent loss to Leipzig, Leverkusen had 63% possession and 26 shots but only managed 2 goals. Their defense, led by Jonathan Tah, is no longer as focused as before, allowing Leipzig to score 3 goals from just 8 shots. Opponents are starting to exploit the weaknesses of their attacking full-backs, Jeremie Frimpong and Alex Grimaldo, who are less effective defensively.
Leverkusen’s upcoming schedule will be extremely demanding, with crucial Champions League matches ahead. If they do not quickly regain their form and address their weaknesses, Leverkusen may struggle to retain their Bundesliga title against the resurgence of Bayern Munich.
