The upcoming clash between Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig on Friday is particularly significant, especially with Bayern Munich currently faltering. As the two teams most likely to challenge Bayern for the Bundesliga title, this match comes at a crucial juncture in the season. While Union Berlin has enjoyed a remarkable run and teams like Eintracht Frankfurt and Freiburg have posed strong challenges, Dortmund and RB Leipzig remain the frontrunners in the race to halt Bayern’s pursuit of an 11th consecutive title.
In the six seasons since RB Leipzig’s promotion in the 2016-17 campaign, the two clubs have consistently competed for the runners-up position. Dortmund has finished second three times, while Leipzig has done so twice, with Schalke taking the spot once in the 2017-18 season. Dortmund’s season initially seemed bleak after consecutive losses left them nine points adrift of Bayern before the winter break. However, a remarkable turnaround featuring seven consecutive league victories, along with wins in the Champions League and the German Cup, has revitalized their campaign. Bayern’s struggles in 2023, marked by only three wins in seven league matches, have allowed Dortmund to close the gap, placing them level with Bayern at the top of the table.
Meanwhile, Leipzig has been quietly plotting their title challenge amid the spotlight on Dortmund and Bayern. Since Marco Rose took over as manager in early September, Leipzig has accumulated 37 points in 17 games, the highest of any team in the Bundesliga during that period. Rose’s tenure began with an impressive 3-0 home victory over Dortmund, which marked Dortmund’s largest defeat across all competitions this season. Currently, Leipzig sits in fourth place, just four points behind both Bayern and Dortmund, with 12 matches remaining in the season. Notably, Leipzig has won their last three encounters with Dortmund, including a decisive 4-1 victory away in the 2021-22 season. Prior to this streak, Dortmund had gone unbeaten in eight matches against Leipzig, securing six victories, including a 4-1 win in the 2020-21 German Cup final.
Leipzig midfielder Benjamin Henrichs expressed the excitement surrounding this match, stating, “You start playing football for games like this,” and warned Dortmund, “We want to play as well as we did last year.” Dortmund manager Edin Terzic, who took over after Rose’s departure last summer, emphasized the need for focus as his team pursues a record-equalling eighth consecutive league victory. “We don’t want to rest on our laurels; neither I nor the team get paid for dreaming, only for hard and diligent work,” he remarked.
Both teams are expected to be nearly at full strength for this encounter. Despite the long-term absence of Spanish midfielder Dani Olmo, Leipzig will have top scorer Christopher Nkunku available, along with Josko Gvardiol and Emil Forsberg, who recently missed a training session. Dortmund, on the other hand, will be without Karim Adeyemi but will welcome back wing-back Julian Ryerson, who missed the win over Hoffenheim due to an eye complaint.
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