Borussia Dortmund vs Bayer Leverkusen – Bundesliga 2025-26 Full Match Preview and Analysis

Borussia Dortmund will try to win their fifth Bundesliga match in a row when they host Bayer Leverkusen at Signal Iduna Park this Saturday afternoon. The pressure will be on the away side, as they are four points behind in the fight for Champions League qualification, with six games left to play.

Dortmund came back from the international break with a strong 2-0 win away against VfB Stuttgart, and now they will aim to beat another top-four side, Bayer Leverkusen. Niko Kovac’s team has already defeated Leverkusen once this season, and now BVB will look to complete a league double over the defending champions.

Dortmund can stay comfortably in second place for the rest of the season, while Leverkusen are under pressure as they fight to secure a Champions League spot. Going into the weekend, Kasper Hjulmand’s side are in sixth place, four points behind fourth-placed Stuttgart with six matches left.

Leverkusen had drawn three league games in a row before the break, but they ended that run with a high-scoring 6-3 win over Wolfsburg last weekend, who are battling relegation.

In this article, we will take a detailed look into the upcoming Bundesliga clash between Borussia Dortmund vs Bayer Leverkusen. It would be an interesting game, as both sides will be aiming for a strong victory. Let’s first take a look at the squads of both teams below.

Borussia Dortmund Squad for Bundesliga 2025-26

Goalkeepers: Gregor Kobel, Alexander Meyer, Patrick Drewes, Silas Ostrzinski.

Defenders: Waldemar Anton, Nico Schlotterbeck, Niklas Süle, Filippo Mane, Elias Benkara, Luca Reggiani, Yan Couto, Julian Ryerson, Daniel Svensson, Ramy Bensebaini, Almugera Kabar.

Midfielders: Emre Can, Mussa Kaba, Felix Nmecha, Carney Chukwuemeka, Jobe Bellingham, Danylo Krevsun, Julian Brandt, Marcel Sabitzer, Salih Özcan, Giovanni Reyna, Cole Campbell, Jobe Bellingham

Forwards: Serhou Guirassy, Karim Adeyemi, Maximilian Beier, Julien Duranville, Mathis Albert, Samuele Inacio, Fabio Silva

Bayer Leverkusen Squad for Bundesliga 2025-26

Goalkeepers: Jonas Omlin, Janis Blaswich, Niklas Lomb, Jesper Schlich.

Defenders: Jarell Quansah, Loïc Badé, Edmond Tapsoba, Arthur, Tim Oermann, Axel Tape, Alejandro Grimaldo, Lucas Vázquez, Ben Hawighorst, Ferdinand Pohl.

Midfielders: Equi Fernández, Jonas Hofmann, Robert Andrich, Malik Tillman, Aleix García, Exequiel Palacios, Jeremiah Mensah, Ibrahim Maza, Francesco Buono, Montrell Culbreath, Naba Mensah.

Forwards: Martin Terrier, Patrik Schick, Ernest Poku, Christian Kofane.

Borussia Dortmund vs Bayer Leverkusen Bundesliga 2025-26: Match Preview

If BVB win two more of their last six matches, they will secure second place in the Bundesliga 2025-26 season. With no major targets left, it is now about pride and finishing with as many points as possible for Niko Kovač’s side.

Dortmund may not have played eye-catching football throughout the season, but losing only two matches shows how much the team has improved under Kovač in his first full season as head coach.

This progress can help them next season and also support their plans in the summer transfer window. They can use it as a way to show new players what they achieved and how they aim to close the gap on Bayern.

Speaking about Bayer Leverkusen, this is certainly the biggest game for them in the season so far. With six matches left and being four points behind fourth place, they cannot afford any mistakes if they want to qualify for the Champions League.

A win against Dortmund on Saturday would not only lift the team’s confidence but could also take them within one point of fourth place if other results go in their favour. Even though Hoffenheim, Leipzig, and Stuttgart have easier games on paper, nothing is certain at this stage of the season.

In their last six Bundesliga matches, Leverkusen still have to face Leipzig at home and Stuttgart away. A win this weekend would set things up well for those key games, which will likely decide their season, especially with the financial rewards also at stake.

Venue Details of Borussia Dortmund vs Bayer Leverkusen Bundesliga Clash

Venue: Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany

Competition: Bundesliga 2025/26

Final Words

Bayer Leverkusen will be eager to reduce the gap to the top four, but their defence is a worry after conceding six goals in the last two matches. They will need to fix this issue before the next game, otherwise, Dortmund will get a clear edge over them.

Talking about the hosts, they have secured second place on the Bundesliga points table, and another strong display is expected from them. Considering that, this game could see plenty of goals, with Dortmund being considered as the favorites to win the tie.