Dethroned Bundesliga champions Leverkusen face uncertain future
After conceding the Bundesliga title to Bayern Munich last weekend, Bayer Leverkusen host Borussia Dortmund on Sunday with rumoured big-name exits clouding the club's immediate future.
With two games remaining, Leverkusen are guaranteed to finish second, but the final home match of the season could be a farewell for coach Xabi Alonso and star midfielder Florian Wirtz.
Advertisement
Alonso, the rookie coach who banished the 'Neverkusen' nickname by taking Leverkusen to the Bundesliga title last season, could be headed for Real Madrid, where he won the Champions League as a player.
While Alonso's departure was always on the horizon -- the Basque has often spoken of Leverkusen as the perfect place to develop -- Wirtz's exit will sting, particularly if the 22-year-old Germany regular moves to Bayern, as German media have reported this week.
Born 20 minutes away in Pulheim, Wirtz was plucked from neighbouring FC Cologne's academy and made his debut aged 17, taking Kai Havertz's record as Leverkusen's youngest debutant and later briefly becoming the Bundesliga's youngest goalscorer.
After recovering from an ACL injury in 2022, Wirtz was instrumental in Leverkusen's league and cup double and was named Bundesliga player of the season.
Advertisement
In an interview with Sports Illustrated published Thursday, Wirtz said "it definitely appeals to me to leave my comfort zone at some point and experience something new."
The chatter around the duo's exit has obscured what has still been an excellent season at the BayArena.
After last year's record-breaking campaign, where Alonso's side became the first team in Bundesliga history to go through a season unbeaten, Leverkusen were bound to come back to earth.
Like Bayern, Leverkusen have lost only twice all campaign, but have been held to 11 draws -- four more than the title winners.
Advertisement
Wins in their two remaining games will bring Leverkusen to 74 points: the second-best tally in their history and enough to win the league two seasons ago.
Leverkusen's upcoming opponents Dortmund will want to make to most of the uncertainty, as they push for a Champions League spot.
As low as 12th this season, Dortmund have picked up 16 points in their last six games. They sit one point and one place behind Freiburg, who travel to plucky battlers Holstein Kiel on Saturday.
One to watch: Thomas Mueller
Bayern Munich midfielder Thomas Mueller will play his final match at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.
Advertisement
Regardless of the result against Borussia Moenchengladbach, Mueller will bid farewell to the home fans by lifting the Bundesliga shield -- doing so for a record 13th time.
No player in Bayern's recent history has embodied the club better than the two-time Champions League winner; Bayern however declined to extend his deal.
Mueller wants to play on and it will be strange to see him wearing another club's kit, for Bayern fans and neutrals alike.
Former mentor Jupp Heynckes, who coached Bayern to the treble in 2012-13, told AFP subsidiary SID on Thursday the veteran should opt not to continue his career elsewhere.
Advertisement
"If I were Thomas, I'd call time on (his career)," Heynckes said, adding Mueller was "predestined" to continue at Bayern in some kind of leadership role in the future.
"Such a gem should not be ignored. Thomas is a witty man and is also very intelligent. He understands an incredible amount in football."
Key stats
9 - Harry Kane may sit atop the scoring charts with 24 league goals, but nine have come from the penalty spot, meaning both Leverkusen's Patrik Schick, with 19, and Dortmund's Serhou Guirassy, with 17, have scored more from open play this season.
Advertisement
34 - Bayern have won 34 German league titles. No other club has more than nine.
13 - Bayern's Michael Olise has 13 assists this season, the most in the Bundesliga.
Fixtures (1330 GMT unless stated)
Friday
Wolfsburg v Hoffenheim (1830)
Saturday
Holstein Kiel v Freiburg, Bochum v Mainz, Werder Bremen v RB Leipzig, Union Berlin v Heidenheim, Bayern Munich v Borussia Moenchengladbach (1630)
Sunday
Bayer Leverkusen v Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt v St Pauli (1530), Stuttgart v Augsburg (1730)
dwi/mw
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


USA Today
19 minutes ago
- USA Today
Jamal Musiala injury update: Bayern Munich star stretchered off vs. PSG
Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala suffered a seemingly major ankle injury during a FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinal between the German side and Paris Saint-Germain at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Musiala required significant treatment in the final seconds of the first half of Saturday's game after an awkward collision between him and Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma caused what looked on replay like a potentially severe injury. BAYERN VS. PSG: Highlights from Club World Cup showdown Donnarumma, upon seeing the nature of the injury, was one of several players to look distraught on the field, with referee Anthony Taylor calling the first half to a close as team trainers attended to Musiala. Serge Gnabry was brought on to replace Musiala during the halftime break. The 22-year-old, a major player for Bayern and the German national team, is among the world's premier attacking midfielders, and the Bundesliga powerhouse does not have a straightforward option to replace him. The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala badly injures his leg against PSG at the Club World Cup
ATLANTA (AP) — Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala badly injured his left leg and was forced to leave his team's match against Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday in the Club World Cup quarterfinals. Musiala was hurt late in the first half following a 50-50 challenge with PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. The replay of the gruesome injury was not shown on the big screens at Mercedes Benz Stadium. Advertisement The 22-year-old Musiala entered Saturday's match with three goals in the tournament, one behind golden boot leaders Ángel Di María and Marcos Leonardo. His Club World Cup goals brought his tally to 20 this season, including 12 in the Bundesliga and three in the Champions League. Musiala's injury came just before halftime. The referee whistled for the break as the midfielder received treatment on the field. ___ AP soccer: Allyn Tucker, The Associated Press


Washington Post
32 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala badly injures his leg against PSG at the Club World Cup
ATLANTA — Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala badly injured his left leg and was forced to leave his team's match against Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday in the Club World Cup quarterfinals. Musiala was hurt late in the first half following a 50-50 challenge with PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. The replay of the gruesome injury was not shown on the big screens at Mercedes Benz Stadium.