After Bayern Munich, who won last season’s Bundesliga title by 13 points, drew 1-1 at Union Berlin on Saturday, Bayer Leverkusen swooped to claim top spot after 11 games with a 4-1 win over Hoffenheim.
Peter Bosz’s Leverkusen may have lost star man Kai Havertz in the off-season after their fifth-place finish last term, but they have excelled in 2020-21, to the point they seem like a genuine challenger to Bayern’s dominance.
The fact that they overtook Bayern on the weekend symbolises that and only makes next weekend’s top-of-the-table clash between the sides - which will come after a round of midweek league fixtures - all the more appetising.
When asked about going top, Leverkusen midfielder Julian Baumgartlinger said: “It’s definitely worth something.
“We all know how difficult it is in this league to be top with so many strong teams. It’s a positive snapshot you have to be able to value.”
Bosz was cooler on the excitement around sitting top, stating that there’s a long way to go.
“We’re top after 11 games. If we are top after 34 games then I will be delighted, but we’re not there yet,” Bosz said.
Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund have sacked Lucien Favre after their stuttering start to the campaign, with assistant Edin Terzic taking over in interim charge. BVB have lost three of their past five matches in the league and sit fifth.
There’s no such upheaval at Bayern despite slipping into second spot, with manager Hansi Flick optimistic they will get better amid a lengthy season with multiple competitions testing their depth and focus.
“We can definitely play better,” Flick said after their draw with Union Berlin. “Our idea is to put the opponents under pressure.
“Today we weren’t able to implement it as we had planned. It will be a difficult season, we knew that in advance. Now we have to take the positives from the situation and improve on the things that didn’t go so well.”
Bayern host fourth-placed Wolfsburg in midweek, while Leverkusen go to 15th-placed Koln and Dortmund make the trip to Werder Bremen.