The top tier of German football kicked off with the current champions in action.
Germany / Bayer Leverkusen, the reigning champions of Germany, could only muster a goalless draw (0-0) at home against a well-organized Stuttgart side on Friday night, marking the opening match of the ninth round of the Bundesliga.
This marks the second consecutive draw for Xabi Alonso’s men, following a 2-2 stalemate against Werder Bremen last weekend.
Offensively, Bayer Leverkusen was significantly superior, creating more and better chances (18 shots, 5 on target, 10 corners) against a Stuttgart side that was entirely stifled and prioritized defensive stability.
The reigning champions looked particularly dangerous towards the end of the first half during two corners taken by Florian Wirtz. Edmond Tapsoba hit the crossbar in the 41st minute and just before the break, goalkeeper Alexander Nübel saved the visitors from a Victor Boniface attempt.
In the second half, Boniface himself struck the post in the 53rd minute and had another great opportunity in the 73rd, again thwarted by Nübel.
Despite the lack of victory, Xabi Alonso can take a positive from this match as it is the first time in this Bundesliga season that his team has finished a match without conceding a goal. It is also the first time this campaign that the team has failed to score.
Meanwhile, Stuttgart (7th), who finished second in last season’s Bundesliga but has only won three matches in the nine rounds played this season, temporarily equalized points with Borussia Dortmund (8th) in the standings.
Results from the matches of the 9th round of the German football championship, along with the league table:
Bayer Leverkusen, the defending champions, advanced to the round of 16 in the German Cup on Tuesday, defeating second division side Elversberg 3-0, while Borussia Dortmund fell 1-0 at Wolfsburg after extra time.
Dortmund, for their part, suffered a third consecutive defeat across all competitions, leaving their manager Nuri Sahin under pressure.
