Bayer Leverkusen open Bundesliga season vs Monchengladbach

German champions Bayer Leverkusen will kick off their Bundesliga title defence and proceed their unbeaten home streak away at native rivals Borussia Monchengladbach on Aug. 23, the league confirmed on Thursday because the fixture listing was introduced.

As normal in Germany, the champions play the primary sport of the brand new league season on a Friday evening.

Gladbach had been the one Bundesliga crew that managed to cease Leverkusen scoring final season, holding Xabi Alonso’s crew to a 0-0 draw of their final assembly in January.

Leverkusen turned the primary crew to win the Bundesliga title with out shedding a sport.

Fixtures launched by the league Thursday additionally embrace Bayern Munich beginning their league season at Wolfsburg as they give the impression of being to reclaim the Bundesliga title, and Champions League runners-up Borussia Dortmund taking part in Eintracht Frankfurt on the opening weekend.

These video games are set for both Aug. 24 or 25, with exact dates and instances to be confirmed.

Leverkusen tackle Bayern, Germany’s most profitable membership traditionally, on the fifth matchday of the season from Sept. 27-29 on the Allianz Area, and take them on at residence between Feb 14-16.

Dortmund face Bayern in Der Klassiker on the ultimate weekend of November at residence, with the return fixture in Munich between April 11-13.

The primary spherical of the German Cup begins the season Aug. 16 and there may be the Tremendous Cup between Leverkusen and Stuttgart the next day. Leverkusen gained the German Cup final 12 months as a part of their infallible home time period.

The one sport they misplaced all season got here within the Europa League last by the hands of Serie A’s Atalanta.

Info from the Related Press contributed to this report.