By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Bayer Leverkusen welcome Borussia Dortmund on Sunday with the hosts sitting clear atop the Bundesliga table, having dropped just two of a possible 36 points to start the season.
Although only two points ahead of a Harry Kane-powered Bayern Munich, Leverkusen are already a whopping ten points in front of Dortmund, with only 12 matches played.
Should any of the top two slip up, third-placed VfB Stuttgart would have a chance to close the gap a little. Stuttgart gained an impressive 2-1 win at Eintracht Frankfurt last weekend, with Deniz Undav scoring a brace. They host Werder Bremen on Saturday evening.
RB Leipzig’s 2-1 defeat to VfL Wolfsburg saw them slip out of the top four into fifth place behind Dortmund. A home encounter with 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 on Saturday presents a chance for a return to winning ways, but victory against the hard-working newly promoted outfit cannot be taken for granted. Heidenheim are in 12th after taking a 0-0 draw at home to VfL Bochum 1848 on Saturday.
While many have credited manager Xabi Alonso for giving Leverkusen’s long-suffering fans hope of adding to a sparse trophy cabinet, a shrewd summer recruitment drive has also set them up for success.
Bayern are looking formidable after taking their sixth consecutive win in the Bundesliga at FC Köln, with Kane netting the winning goal in Cologne. The English star striker now has 18 goals already this season as his phenomenal start to life in German football continues. Bayern will be expected to take another win on Saturday against FC Union Berlin, but the visitors are seeing a glimmer of hope that they may be able to end their own poor run.
A late goal secured a 1-1 draw for Union against FC Augsburg, marking the Berlin side’s first point in 10 Bundesliga matches and lifting them off the bottom of the table ahead of Cologne. Die Eisernen appointed a new coach after that tie, Nenad Bjelica, who will be eager to inspire his side to a strong showing at the champions on his Bundesliga debut.
Bochum host Wolfsburg on Saturday in another interesting fixture, with the Ruhr club on a four-match unbeaten streak and the Wolves eager to press on after taking their first win in six.
Matchday 13 starts on Friday evening with a key battle at the bottom end of the table. SV Darmstadt 98 in 15th host bottom side Köln, with the encounter offering an important chance for both teams to claim vital points. The hosts are without a win in six Bundesliga matches and the visitors winless in four.
FSV Mainz 05 are positioned behind Darmstadt in 16th but are showing signs of an upturn in form under interim coach Jan Siewert. They are unbeaten in the past four as they prepare to host SC Freiburg on Saturday. Freiburg are just inside the top half in ninth place but have not won in four matches for the first time in three years.
Augsburg remain unbeaten under new coach Jess Thorup and will host an Eintracht side on Sunday that suffered just their second defeat of the campaign last weekend against Stuttgart.
TSG Hoffenheim are in sixth place currently, meaning it remains a good start to the season under American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo, but they have not won in their past three matches and must go away to 11th-placed Mönchengladbach this Saturday.
Down in Bundesliga 2, the weekend kicks off with a huge derby as leaders FC St. Pauli welcome neighbours Hamburger SV, who are only one place and three points below them in the table. Which side of Hamburg will be celebrating before the eyes of the world once again turn to the city on Saturday for the UEFA Euro 2024 group draw?