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Leverkusen will certainly look different this season than last season. They've lost their manager and four key players. So, with new coach Erik Ten Hag, Leverkusen hasn't made a significant impact, even losing their first match. A loss in their opening match will certainly have a significant impact on subsequent matches, lowering their confidence, and this will undoubtedly affect Ten Hag.
If we talk about Leverkusen competing with Muenchen, they certainly won't. Leverkusen's mere third- and second-place finish is already an extraordinary achievement for Ten Hag. Likewise, Dortmund hasn't shown any signs of being a team capable of competing with Muenchen this season. It could be said that this season's Bundesliga trophy is Muen again. Betting on teams like Leverkusen and Dortmund is more comfortable when betting on total goals.
The loss of coach Xabi Alonso and a number of key players such as Florian Wirtz, Granit Xhaka, Jeremie Frimpong, and former captain Jonathan Tah appears to have had a significant impact on Leverkusen performance. It's clear Ten Hag struggled in his first Bundesliga game as he had to establish a rapport with both his old and newly recruited players. He also immediately fielded three new recruits in the game from the first minute, Mark Flekken, Ibrahim Maza, and Jarell Quansah. So it's natural that his rhythm hasn't been established in the first match.
However, considering how they lost and who beat them, Leverkusen players are certainly very depressed by the defeat and it will have an impact on their mentality in the next match.
This season, Dortmund is the only team with the potential to compete with Bayern Munich, but the final result is certainly predictable, while Leverkusen third-place finish is their best achievement yet.