Rebuilt Leverkusen hope to reignite Bundesliga rivalry

BAYER Leverkusen will resume their recent Bundesliga rivalry at Bayern Munich today but are almost completely unrecognisable from the side who struck fear into the hearts of the Bavarian giants in past seasons.

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Under Xabi Alonso, Leverkusen went toe-to-toe with Bayern for more than two seasons, pushing them harder than any German side had done since Jurgen Klopp's Borussia Dortmund more than a decade before.

Alonso's Leverkusen won three and drew three of their six domestic fixtures with Bayern during his tenure at the club, including a 3-0 demolition in February 2024 on the way to an unbeaten league and cup double.

This season however, the clubs' fortunes have reverted to type.

Leverkusen lost several first-team cornerstones in the summer and are on their second coach of the season, with Kasper Hjulmand replacing the sacked Erik ten Hag after just two Bundesliga games.

With just eight games played, Leverkusen sit fifth, seven points behind an unstoppable Bayern.