How will Leverkusen Fare This Season

To begin with Leverkusen didn't have as great squad as Dortmund. They have already lost Schurrle and few more (Bender! Kiessling!!) might be on way out as well. While they have signed Son (Schurrle replacement!), Hilbert, Kruse & Donati; they have missed-out on Bruyne, someone who would have undoubtedly improve the squad. While Dortmund has made decisive signings within first week of July, there's hardly any evidence that Leverkusen squad will be improved even by the end of August. And they do need to improve the squad, right! I think there are 2-3 teams with same squad quality and it will be much tighter race for CL-qualification this year.

I don't think their squad is as good as Bayern, Dortmund, or Schalke's. Hyypia, however, has shown great ability in getting the best out of his players. I think Son will improve immensely and he'll be much more useful than Schurrle, who was a bit overrated if everything is said and done. Last season they were comfortably 3rd with almost this same squad but I feel Schalke will improve next season, so I expect a top 4 finish but nothing more.

They will battle Shalke for that third place position, its too early to tell who will finish there.

I hope they finish in the CL spots so that Hyypiä's managerial career continues to be on the rise.

Didn't they finish just a point behind Dortmund? It looks likely that that gap will widen with Dortmund spending big and Leverkusen not in such a position. Great if Leverkusen fight off Schalke's and the rests challenge for that final automatic CL spot, though.

Can you say that there's a "Big Four" in the Bundesliga?

Bayern, Dortmund, Schalke, Leverkusen.

AltoZ wrote:Can you say that there's a "Big Four" in the Bundesliga?

Bayern, Dortmund, Schalke, Leverkusen.

Not quite I'd say.

Last season, Freiburg almost pipped Schalke to 4th in the BL standings, and there are always other teams who might have another good BL run.

Check the top 4 in the last seasons:
2012/13 - Bayern / Dortmund / Leverkusen / Schalke 04
2011/12 - Dortmund / Bayern / Schalke 04 / Borussia M'gladbach
2010/11 - Dortmund / Leverkusen / Bayern / Hannover
2009/10 - Bayern / Schalke 04 / Werder Bremen / Leverkusen
2008/09 - VfL Wolfsburg / Bayern / Stuttgart / Hertha BSC
2007/08 - Bayern / Werder Bremen / Schalke 04 / HSV
2006/07 - Stuttgart / Schalke 04 / Werder Bremen / Bayern
2005/06 - Bayern / Werder Bremen / HSV / Schalke 04
2004/05 - Bayern / Schalke 04 / Werder Bremen / Hertha BSC
2003/04 - Werder Bremen / Bayern / Leverkusen / VfB Stuttgart
2002/03 - Bayern / VfB Stuttgart / Dortmund / HSV
2001/02 - Dortmund / Leverkusen / Bayern / Hertha BSC

I don't understand why Leverkusen is in such a tight squeez. Son aside (free), none of their signings are going to improve their squad.

This might be a (very) tough season for them. I think Bremen & Hamburg will also improve from last season. Then there will be that 'small' team hitting above their weight.

Well, Bayer don't feel like spending huge on their team. But normally they manage to make do pretty well with what they have.

As for Hamburg - I doubt very much they will have a good run this season. They are too much in dire straits financially atm.

HSV has to be the most underachieving club in Europa.

That club is the 2nd biggest in Germany. The city is the 2nd biggest in Germany. Big fanbase, perfect stadium etc. They should be contenders for the titles.

I know they don't spend huge (€15 million for them :-)). But looking at the signings, it looks mostly cover kind of player. Not someone to improve the starting XI.

AltoZ wrote:HSV has to be the most underachieving club in Europa.

That club is the 2nd biggest in Germany. The city is the 2nd biggest in Germany. Big fanbase, perfect stadium etc. They should be contenders for the titles.

Member-wise, Schalke is the 2nd biggest club in Germany (just behind Bayern). HSV has a totally inept management, and they are not in a region that draws sponsors as well as other regions.

HSV has won CL, never been relegated etc.

Hamburg > Gelsenkirchen.

HSV is the biggest after Bayern. They should be contending.

Well, the HSV has 71 557 members (as of 01.10.2012). Schalke 04 has  111 000 members as of 2012.

And even though Gelsenkirchen is smaller than Hamburg, Schalke's fans come from the whole Ruhr area, which has 5.1 million inhabitants. Moreover, the Ruhr area is much more football fanatic than about any other region of Germany. ^^

I don't think they'll make top 4 honestly. Lost Carvajal/Schürrle/Lewandowski and replaced them with nobody, Son and Hyypia respectively. Schalke are getting stronger and Gladbach might surprise again with Kruse and co...

My prediction is they'll finish in Europa League places but you never know in the Bundesliga, incredibly hard to predict.

5th-6th for me. I thiink as of now the top four is Bayern, Schalke, Dortmund and Gladbach.

They are weaker than last year but so are BVB.

So what's your take on their current squad and which bunch of players they should be (realistic) after!

Adit wrote:They are weaker than last year but so are BVB.

I wouldn't be so sure that the BVB is weaker this season. Leverkusen are, though, IMO.

4th, Schalke will be back, finishing 3rd at least, maybe even taking 2nd.

Bayern and Dortmund are the two other obvious top 3 choices.

Leverkusen will have to contend with 4th. They'll make it, though. Freiburg lost their big guns, Frankfurt still haven't found a striker, Wolfsburg are hit and miss, Hamburg are still run by idiots, and Stuttgart will implode in the 2nd half of the season anyway, while Bremen have just hit rock bottom and cannot be expected to be up there.

The only team I can see taking the 4th off Leverkusen without freak incidents is BMG.

When you look at Leverkusen squad, you got to wonder if it isn't a miracle that they were so comfortable third last season. True, other big-guns had problems and only Schalke found their feet in the second half and Sami had his contributions too. But they had 3-4 CL-quality players.

Well, this shows again that football is about the team and not about a handful of stars.

rwo power wrote:Well, this shows again that football is about the team and not about a handful of stars.

Very true. But it also shows the effect of handful of luck too.

Shows how awesome Hyypia is to be honest. We'll see how he does without Lewandowski this season.

By the way, today Sport1 will show the test match Bayer Leverkusen vs Udinese Calcio in Zell am See live on Free TV. Maybe there will be streams available, too.

The match starts on 20:10 GMT+2, that is, in about 5 minutes.

Did anyone watch the game! Anything to report! What's the line-up! Who shone! Who flopped!