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IMO, Leverkusen's performance this season is not as impressive as last season. If we review their performance throughout the Bundesliga, they are a bit weak in defense. We can see that they conceded quite a lot of goals, but at the same time they were also productive in scoring goals. They had difficulty entering the top four of the Bundesliga table, but in the end Alonso was able to bring his team to 2nd place in the standings, 5 points ahead of Frankfurt and Leipzig who are below them, 4 points behind Bayern Munich at the top. At least, the points difference between the first and second places is not far apart, while the third and fourth are close to the second place. So, we can see that there will be tight competition before they return to compete in the Bundesliga. Well, the next match will not be easy for Leverkusen, they will travel to Signal Induna Park, the headquarters of Burussia Dortmund. If Bayer Leverkusen fails to get full points, then Munich has the opportunity to widen the points gap and secure their position at the top of the German League table.
It is true, Leverkusen failed to maintain their unbeaten record after they lost to Leipzig in week 2. Xabi Alonso squad has also drawn 5 times so far, where last season they only recorded 6 draws in one season. Leverkusen goal productivity has also decreased, and the number of goals they have conceded has increased, it makes sense to say that Xabi Alonso squad this season is not as strong as last season. However, being in second place in the standings is not bad, they continue to stick to Bayern Munich to compete for the trophy. The 4-point difference is still realistic to be reduced, although in the next match against Dortmund, Leverkusen has the potential to lose points. Both teams have a long time to prepare the best strategy, because the match will take place in mid-January.