BERLIN (AP) — Indomitable this season, Bayern Munich has another chance to demonstrate its superiority when Bayer Leverkusen visits in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
Leverkusen ended Bayern’s record 11-year run as champion in 2024, but the Bavarian powerhouse wrested the title back last season and Leverkusen has undergone a summer transformation after losing key players.
While Bayern looks even stronger in Vincent Kompany’s second season in charge — 14 wins across all games including the German Supercup so far — Leverkusen is already on to its second coach after making a botched start under Erik ten Hag.
Kasper Hjulmand has steadied the team, which has won its last four Bundesliga games but was humbled 7-2 at home by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
Another Bundesliga challenge is not expected from Leverkusen this season.
Bayern warmed up by beating Cologne 4-1 in the German Cup, where Leverkusen was taken to extra time by 10-man second-division side Paderborn before eventually prevailing 4-2.
There’s a clash between second and third on Saturday when Leipzig hosts Stuttgart. Germany forward Deniz Undav is back for Stuttgart.
Augsburg coach Sandro Wagner must fear for his job before Borussia Dortmund’s visit on Friday after his team’s German Cup exit to second-division Bochum just days after a 6-0 hiding at home to Leipzig. Wagner’s team has lost five of its eight league games.
Wolfsburg coach Paul Simonis is also in trouble before Hoffenheim’s visit on Sunday after his team’s cup exit to second-division Holstein Kiel. Wolfsburg has lost five of its last six games.
Also on Sunday, Cologne hosts Hamburger SV in a duel between promoted teams.
Harry Kane remains central to Bayern’s brilliant start and took his goal tally to 22 against Cologne on Wednesday. The England forward has failed to score in only two games this season.
Nadiem Amiri was desolate after Mainz’s cup loss to Stuttgart on Wednesday. Mainz will need the Germany playmaker at his best against Werder Bremen on Saturday to stop its run of four straight league defeats.
The 16-year-old Wael Mohya made his debut for Borussia Mönchengladbach in the cup on Tuesday to become the club’s youngest player. He left to ovations from the fans, who’ll hope to see him again on Saturday at St. Pauli.
There are fears of trouble in Berlin on Saturday when Union Berlin and Hertha Berlin play home games around the same time. Usually the German soccer league makes sure the city rivals alternate home games, making security arrangements necessary for only one at a time. But a league official said a holiday in the west German state of North Rhine-Westphalia meant no games can be played there on Friday with knock-on effects for other teams.
Hertha hosts Dynamo Dresden for what would already be considered a high-risk game in the second division, then Union hosts Freiburg a couple of hours later in the Bundesliga. Fans from all four clubs will be in the German capital at the same time, with up to 35,000 expected from Dresden.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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