43.
18:13
Palacios moves from the second row. His shot goes a few meters over the right angle.
41.
18:12
Xhaka sends Frimpong to the baseline on the right in the penalty area. Leverkusen’s crosses have so far found no takers. This time Frimpong’s cross pass goes into the arms of Kobel.
38.
6:08 p.m
Next Leverkusen deal. Wirtz brings a good cross into the penalty area from the right half of the field. Boniface comes to the header at full speed. He puts the shot over the goal.
36.
6:07 p.m
Bynoe-Gittens goes centrally into the penalty area and shoots. Tah blocks the shot. Then there is a cross from Sabitzer from the right half of the field. Hrádecký catches the ball.
34.
6:06 p.m
Leverkusen has had 56 percent possession of the ball so far. At times it looked like even more. The Werkself also had a few dangerous shots, but overall the Dortmund bulwark is in good shape. Despite great pressure, the guests only allow a little.
31.
6:03 p.m
A small sensation: a Grimaldo free kick doesn’t go into the goal! The Spaniard shoots a free kick from 25 meters from the left-hand position directly onto the goal. Hummels runs onto the line. But the defender is not needed at all. Grimaldo’s shot is too misplaced. Kobel can defend the ball.
29.
5:59 p.m
Now Leverkusen is giving Dortmund the ball a bit. The black and yellow team are probably trying to be lured out at the back.
26.
5:57 p.m
Next good opportunity for Bayer! Hofmann brings a corner from the left to the second post. Tah finishes quite freely, but he misses the ball. That would almost certainly have been the equalizer.
24.
5:55 p.m
Good chance for Leverkusen! Dortmund loses a quick throw-in from the home team. This causes Wirtz to go into the penalty area on the right. Hofmann ran along. But Wirtz opts for the high cross, which Hofmann cannot reach with his head. This means the opportunity is lost. Hoffmann wants a penalty because Wolf lightly touched him while jumping, but that’s never enough for a whistle.
22.
17:53
Because Dortmund is so deep, there is room for Leverkusen in the backcourt. Xhaka likes that, as he likes to try long-range shots. The six has already shot on goal twice.
21.
17:52
Almost the equalizer! Frimpong keeps causing problems for Dortmund. Again the Dutchman goes to the baseline on the right and brings the ball into the middle. Wolf clears the cross, but the second ball lands at Xhaka, who volleys it from 20 meters. His shot goes just past the right post.
19.
5:50 p.m
After a cross from Frimpong, the ball lands in the backcourt at Hofmann, who shoots from the turn. His shot goes a few meters over.
17.
5:48 p.m
When Leverkusen is in Dortmund’s half, BVB almost plays with a six-man chain because Sabitzer and Can drop very deep and thus close the spaces between the central and full-backs.
14.
5:45 p.m
Good finish from the home team. Xhaka simply pulls away from the second row. The shot has a lot of pull. Kobel has the ball in his follow-up.
14.
5:44 p.m
Kossounou passes through to Frimpong on the right. The outside player brings the ball flat into the middle. His cross lands at Wolf, who is able to clear.
12.
5:42 p.m
Yellow card for Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen)
Frimpong brings down Bynoe-Gittens in midfield to stop a quick BVB counterattack. Yellow is awarded for the tactical foul.
11.
5:42 p.m
Leverkusen haven’t had a serious chance to score so far, but because Dortmund are so deep, the pressure from the Werkself is quite high. This will be tiring for BVB in the long run.
10.
5:40 p.m
Dortmund retreats very far when Leverkusen has the ball. Sometimes Füllkrug is the front player, 35 meters in front of his own goal. This has made things very difficult for Bayer so far.
7.
5:38 p.m
Leverkusen responds with an offensive action. Palacios shoots from the edge of the penalty area. His shot lands in Kobel’s arms.
5.
5:35 p.m
Great for Borussia Dortmund, 0-1 by Julian Ryerson
Dortmund takes the lead with the first chance! The guests play in a small space in the Leverkusen penalty area over several stations in front of the goal. Füllkrug captures the ball brilliantly and then deliberately passes it to Ryerson. The Norwegian goes half-left towards the goal. He shoots with his left from five meters. Hrádecký has no chance due to the short distance. The ball goes centrally into the goal.
4.
5:34 p.m
The home team gets behind the chain for the first time. A high pass from Wirtz lands at Hofmann on the left side of the penalty area. The national player goes to the baseline and then places it in the middle. Hummels cleared with a tackle, but Hofmann was offside anyway.
2.
5:32 p.m
Leverkusen comes forward for the first time. Frimpong passes Ryerson on the right and then crosses into the middle. The cross comes straight to Kobel.
1.
5:31 p.m
The kick-off was delayed by a few seconds because Füllkrug had to retie his shoelaces again. But now the ball is rolling.
1.
5:30 p.m
Game start
16:59
Dortmund had the best possible team on the field during the week. Compared to the 3-1 win against Milan, Edin Terzić made two changes. Brandt, who was still ailing in Milan, plays in attacking midfield instead of Malen. Wolf will also start in full defense for the ill Bensebaïni.
16:56
About the personnel: Xabi Alonso rotated heavily in the Europa League on Thursday because Leverkusen had already qualified for the next round. That’s why the changes are much more meaningful compared to last week’s 3-0 win in Bremen. The two Tah and Tapsoba, who were rested in Bremen, are back in the starting line-up today. Andrich and Hincapié move to the bench. So Alonso sends his favorite team onto the pitch.
16:52
The crucial question at Dortmund is whether the team will finally manage to get the fluctuations in performance under control. The black and yellow always follow very weak performances after very strong ones. And it seems as if no one knows exactly where this inconsistency comes from. On Tuesday, BVB won impressively confidently with 3-1 at Milan. If Edin Terzić’s team stays true to the season so far, there would have to be a drop in performance today. But Dortmund cannot afford that at all in the race for the championship.
16:46
Leverkusen had a highlight in the Europa League during the week: Patrik Schick, who was injured for almost a year, scored his first goal of the season. In the win against Häcken, the Czech made the final score 2-0. That also made those in charge of the Werkself happy: “He’s going to be a very, very important player this season,” said Simon Rolfes about Schick after the game.
16:41
The absolute top game of the 13th matchday will take place on Sunday evening. Will Leverkusen move away from the top of the table or will Dortmund get closer? With a win, the Werkself would extend their lead over BVB to 13 points. Then the championship for black and yellow would become a long way off. Leverkusen is clearly the favorite. Xabi Alonso’s team is the strongest in Europe’s top five leagues. In 19 games this season, Bayer won 18 times and drew once.
Hello and welcome to the 13th matchday in the Bundesliga. Today at 5:30 p.m. Bayer Leverkusen meets Borussia Dortmund.