Bayer Leverkusen vs. Borussia Dortmund: How do they stack up ahead of Bundesliga and DFB Cup double-header?
Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund both took proud UEFA Champions League wins in midweek as they prepare to lock horns in the Bundesliga and DFB Cup - with the first of those meetings in Leverkusen on Matchday 12 this Saturday evening (kick-off: 6.30pm CET).
It's Leverkusen's turn to host first in the league on Saturday evening (6.30pm CET), before Dortmund have the honours in the cup on Tuesday night (9pm).
Follow Leverkusen vs. Dortmund on Saturday!
Defences looking to dominate
While Leverkusen's heroic victory at Manchester City and Dortmund's commanding win over Villarreal on Tuesday were both statement successes, probably the most pleasing element to them for Kasper Hjulmand and Niko Kovač would have been the respective clean sheets.
Managing to shut out Erling Haaland & Co - even if the former Dortmund striker didn't appear until the second half - despite a suspension to stalwart Edmond Tapsoba was a massive achievement. Yet it was very much a logical consequence of the steeliness Leverkusen have gained under the Dane, who took charge in September.
Not only had Leverkusen shown their defensive grit by taking a shutout in their previous Champions League tie away at Benfica, they have clocked up three successive Bundesliga clean sheets at home.
Dortmund travel to Leverkusen with the second fewest goals conceded in the Bundesliga this season though (10), five fewer than Leverkusen's total. Dogged defending has been a hallmark of the Kovač era, and the clean sheet against Villarreal was no doubt the result of a renewed focus at the back following a topsy-turvy 3-3 draw against VfB Stuttgart last weekend.
Expect Kovač to emphasise defensive discipline to his charges ahead of the encounter.
Watch: Kovač's Dortmund flip tactical switch
Gloved wonders
The foundation to any strong defence is a sharp goalkeeper, and should the encounter become a tight battle, a super stop or two could well decide the outcome. Gregor Kobel has been a dependable presence between the sticks for Dortmund for years, and has already claimed six clean sheets in the league this season while also starring in a penalty shootout win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the last round of the DFB Cup.
Mark Flekken has meanwhile settled into his new side well since joining Leverkusen in the summer, and his 72.9% save percentage is a shade above Kobel's (72.7%). The Dutchman's seven saves in Manchester - many of which were quite stunning - earned him UEFA Player of the Match honours.
Watch: Flekken's best saves at Freiburg
Men in the middle
They may not attract as much hype as other members of their teams, but much of Leverkusen and Dortmund's strong form this season can be attributed to the tireless central midfield pair of Felix Nmecha and Aleix García.
García cut a supremely composed figure against his former club in Manchester, having stepped into the fore this season after the departure of Granit Xhaka and injury to Exequiel Palacios. The Spaniard has won a commanding 62% of his challenges so far in the Bundesliga and has hit more passes than anyone else in the division (1039) - while only Alejandro Grimaldo has provided more than his three assists in a Leverkusen jersey.
Now in his third season at Dortmund, Nmecha has shown signs of becoming the all-action midfield general he has long been considered to have the skillset for. He has won 53% of his duels this season, clocked an impressive top speed of 34.1 km/h and covered a good 11.6 km of ground per 90 minutes on average.
Curiously, like García, Nmecha also developed in the Manchester City youth ranks.
Glorious goalgetters
If the capable men behind them all do their job, the clash could just come down to a battle of the immense firepower of Patrik Schick and Serhou Guirassy.
Watch: Patrik Schick - the making of Leverkusen's super striker
The duo both look at their deadliest after Schick sealed the sensational win in Manchester and Guirassy bagged a brace to send Dortmund on their way to three points against Villarreal. The Czech striker's 21 goals for Leverkusen last season came at a greater frequency (every 80 minutes of play on average) than even Harry Kane.
Guirassy has matched Schick's five strikes in the Bundesliga in the current term. He has opened the scoring in four matches this season - more than any other player in the league.
If the defences can get a handle on the star frontmen, both sides also pack raw pace from the likes of Ernest Poku and Karim Adeyemi, along with the experienced attacking craftsmen of Jonas Hofmann and Julian Brandt.
Perhaps the best thing about anyone following the clash on Saturday is that the two promising outfits will get to do it all again three days later...
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