BERLIN: Bayer Leverkusen coach Kasper Hjulmand has the 2023-24 double winners firing in what looked certain to be a rebuilding year after a turbulent summer and a brief, ill-fated spell with Erik ten Hag.
Leverkusen host Borussia Dortmund on Saturday and are staking a claim as the best of the rest in the Bundesliga behind runaway leaders Bayern Munich.
The latest example of Hjulmand’s influence was Tuesday’s 2-0 Champions League win at Manchester City.
While Guardiola made 10 changes, Leverkusen were hit hard by injuries and suspensions, with seven teenagers on the bench. Only four starters were at the club last season.
After an unbeaten league and cup double two seasons ago, Leverkusen’s 2025 summer of upheaval has been well documented.
Along with losing coach Xabi Alonso, the architect of the club’s first Bundesliga title in their 120-year history, Leverkusen said goodbye to several key players including Florian Wirtz, Granit Xhaka, Jonathan Tah, Jeremie Frimpong and Lukas Hradecky.
Alonso’s replacement, former Manchester United boss Ten Hag, was sacked after just two league matches, giving Hjulmand little time to prepare.
With a squad featuring a dozen newcomers, Hjulmand has won seven and drawn one of his nine league matches.
In 15 games in all competitions under Hjulmand, Leverkusen have lost twice — to European heavyweights Bayern and Paris Saint-Germain.
“We’re building a new team here. We have a vision and we’re on the right track,” Hjulmand said after Tuesday’s victory over City.
“We’ve got great potential. We can still get better. Wins like that one against City are fuel for our development.”
Normally the second force in German football, Dortmund have been overshadowed by Leverkusen in recent seasons.
Dortmund cruised to a 4-0 home win over Villarreal in midweek but have struggled against top opposition this season, losing to Bayern and City and drawing against Juventus, RB Leipzig and Stuttgart.
After Saturday’s match in Leverkusen, the sides face off again three days later in the German Cup last 16 in Dortmund.
One to watch: Lennart Karl
Bayern Munich starlet Lennart Karl may be just 17 but the attacking midfielder showed he does not look out of place at the top this week.
Karl scored in Saturday’s 6-2 win over Freiburg and did so again in Wednesday’s 3-1 Champions League defeat by Arsenal — Bayern’s first loss of the season.
Blessed with pace and an eye for goal, Karl received the backing of another Bayern academy product this week — veteran forward Thomas Mueller.
“Lennart is playing with a refreshing energy right now, he’s scoring goals and is involved in important actions,” Mueller told RTL.
“You can see he enjoys working hard to improve and is also having fun playing the game. Getting better is one thing, not being too dogged about it is another.
“I believe they’re finding a good balance.”
Key stats
8 — Eintracht Frankfurt forward Jonathan Burkardt has eight goals in 10 league games this season, including three braces. He was ruled out for the rest of the year with a calf injury on Thursday.
12 — Michael Olize has six goals and six assists in 11 league games.
Fixtures (1430 GMT unless stated)
Friday
Borussia Moenchengladbach v RB Leipzig (1930)
Saturday
Union Berlin v Heidenheim, Bayern Munich v St. Pauli, Werder Bremen v Cologne, Hoffenheim v Augsburg, Bayer Leverkusen v Borussia Dortmund (1730)
Sunday
Hamburg v Stuttgart (1430), Eintracht Frankfurt v Wolfsburg (1630), Freiburg v Mainz (1830)
