This Thursday, the DFL will publish the fixtures for the 2024/25 Bundesliga season. The opening match is already official: champions Leverkusen kick off in Gladbach.
For the first time, Bayer 04 Leverkusen can open a Bundesliga season as reigning champions. On Friday, August 23, at 8:30 p.m., the Werkself will host Borussia Mönchengladbach at Borussia-Park. This was announced by the DFL on Thursday morning, around two hours before the full fixture list for Bundesliga 1 and 2 is announced at 12 noon.
The last time there was a Bundesliga opener without FC Bayern was twelve years ago. Back then, defending champions Borussia Dortmund defeated Werder Bremen 2-1. In 2023/24, Munich had had to concede defeat to unbeaten Leverkusen and had only finished the season in third place behind Bayer and VfB Stuttgart
“We are delighted that Borussia-Park will be the venue for the first Bundesliga match of the new season and that we will be challenging the German champions,” explained Roland Virkus, Borussia’s Managing Director of Sport, on the Foals’ website. The prestigious clash will be broadcast live on streaming provider DAZN, which will also be showing every Friday and Sunday game in the new season, as well as on free-to-air TV channel Sat.1.
Leverkusen attending an opening match for the second time
Leverkusen also played their first away game in Gladbach last season and – led by double-wrapper Victor Boniface – won 3:0 on the second matchday. In the second half of the season, Borussia had fought for a goalless draw at the BayArena despite the league leaders’ overwhelming superiority. They finished the season 14th in the table with just 34 points – 13 places and 56 points behind Bayer 04.
The Bundesliga has had official opening matches since 2002. While Leverkusen have only been involved once before, losing 3-1 at FC Bayern in 2017, Gladbach have been involved for the fourth time but have yet to win. In 2021, their last appearance to date, the Foals at least held champions Bayern to a 1-1 draw at home.
What speaks in Leverkusen’s favor in any case: a defending champion has never lost an opening match. There have been 17 wins and five draws
