Borussia Monchengladbach take on the visitors Bayer Leverkusen in the round 1 match of German Bundesliga. The match will be played on Friday, August 23rd at Borussia-Park (Mönchengladbach).
Borussia Mönchengladbach have their ambitions, and not too long ago, under Marco Rose, they were playing in the Champions League knockout stages. However, the club's management hasn't been able to find a similarly successful coach since then, and the team's position has been declining steadily. Last season was no exception, with the team only managing to accumulate 34 points—an average of one per match—finishing in 14th place. Bochum, who were relegated to the 2nd division after the playoffs, had just one point less. Despite this, Seoane retained his position as head coach, likely because he took over after the season had already started. The squad, however, has seen significant changes, with more than half a dozen players leaving, including Doucouré, Jantschke, Siebatcheu, and Herrmann. They did manage to find €7 million to sign Kleindienst, and they also brought in Sander, Stöger, and a few others. The pre-season friendlies were promising, with consistent victories. In the DFB-Pokal, they confidently defeated Erzgebirge Aue 3-1.
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Bayer aims to stay at the top. The Werkself were the biggest surprise of last season. However, there was a bitter disappointment on the international stage, where their Europa League campaign ended with a crushing defeat in the final against Atalanta. But in domestic competitions, the former "Neverkusen" was unstoppable. Not only did they win the Bundesliga title for the first time in history, but they also went the entire season unbeaten. They then compensated for their European failure by winning the DFB-Pokal, a victory that was more than expected. Despite all the rumors, Xabi Alonso remained in Leverkusen. The core of the team is still intact, with the departure of Azmoun, Fosu-Mensah, Amiri, and Borja Iglesias considered as shedding dead weight. Only Stanisic might be missed. On the other hand, they have brought in Terrier, Aleix Garcia, and Beločan. The Supercup against Stuttgart was another highlight: they were losing but managed to equalize at the end, even with a man down, and won the trophy in a penalty shootout.
Gladbach hasn't won against Bayer since 2019. However, in January, they managed to hold the future champions to a goalless draw in Leverkusen. The Werkself are clear favorites. However, they are not flawless, and the hosts are finally showing good football. We recommend betting on "total goals over 3.0."
Prediction for the match: Over 3.0 scored goals.
