Historic Werkself opportunity
After 23 match days, Bayer 04 Leverkusen leads the Bundesliga table with an eight point lead over defending champions Bayern Munich. “Now they are in a position where they can no longer win the Bundesliga, they can only lose it because everyone thinks it is already done. This is the hardest thing now. “It’s not over until it’s over,” confirmed Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola. But a look at the transfer market database shows that planning for the championship celebration around the Bayer Cross can begin with a clear conscience.
Leaders of the table after 23 match days, who lost the title
Season 1996/97 – League leaders after 23 match days: BVB
© IMAGO
In the 1996/97 season, Borussia Dortmund led the Bundesliga table after 23 match days due to the better goal difference ahead of FC Bayern Munich. In the end, however, it wasn’t enough for the Westphalians to defend their title – when they reached the finish line, the team led by European champions Matthias Sammer and Stefan Reuter were a full eight points behind the German champions…
Season 1996/97 – German champions: FC Bayern
© IMAGO
… who once again came from Munich. Bayern led by Ruggiero Rizzitelli and Jürgen Klinsmann led the table after 34 match days with 71 points, two points ahead of Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Dortmund only came third with 63.
Season 2006/07 – League leaders after 23 match days: FC Schalke 04
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In the 2006/07 season, FC Schalke 04’s lead over second-placed Stuttgart was already four points after 23 rounds of play. However, the team coached by Mirko Slomka and led by Fabian Ernst, Marcelo Bordon, Mesut Özil & Co. were not able to bring home what was historically the largest cushion until last season at this point in the season.
Season 2006/07 – German champions: VfB Stuttgart
© IMAGO
Because VfB intercepted the Gelsenkirchen team after 34 match days and in the end secured the fifth and, to date, last championship in the club’s history with a two-point lead.
Season 2008/09 – League leaders after 23 match days: Hertha BSC
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Hertha BSC also had a four-point cushion at the top of the Bundesliga in 2008/09 after 23 match days. However, with TSG Hoffenheim, VfL Wolfsburg, Bayern Munich and HSV, the team around Josip Simunic and Arne Friedrich were chasing level with four teams behind them…
Season 2008/09 – German champions: VfL Wolfsburg
© IMAGO
… and the German championship ultimately went to Lower Saxony. The Wolfsburg team, coached by Felix Magath, won the title two points ahead of FC Bayern and five points ahead of VfB, while Berlin ended up in fourth place, six points behind.
Season 2009/10 – League leaders after 23 match days: Bayer 04
© IMAGO
Although Bayer 04 Leverkusen’s eight-point lead in the 2023/24 season is historically unique at this point in time, the Werkself have not managed to lead the table after 23 match days: in 2009/10 they were only ahead on goal difference Persecutors from Munich…
Season 2009/10 – German champions: FC Bayern
© IMAGO
… the latter moved confidently past the rest of the season and celebrated the championship after 34 match days with eleven points ahead of Leverkusen – who finished fourth. Schalke came second, Werder Bremen third.
Season 2018/19 – League leaders after 23 match days: BVB
© IMAGO
The last time a table leader from matchday 23 lost the championship was in the 2018/19 season: Borussia Dortmund around Mario Götze & Co. were three points ahead of FC Bayern at the time.
Season 2018/19 – German champions: FC Bayern
© IMAGO
However, they turned the tide later in the season and were happy about winning the championship again with a two-point lead over BVB.
Since the introduction of the three-point rule in 1995/96, only five teams that were leaders on matchday 23 have given up the championship – and none of them had as big a lead as Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen team. The biggest gap at this point in a season was between FC Schalke 04 in 2006/07 and Hertha BSC in 2008/09, each with four points ahead of VfB Stuttgart and TSG Hoffenheim respectively. In the 2018/19 season, FC Bayern managed to overcome a three-point deficit to Borussia Dortmund after 23 rounds of play.
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