Can Bayer Leverkusen Win the Bundesliga in the 2011/12 Season?
Bayer Leverkusen have been one of the more successful teams in the Bundesliga. Now although they’ve not won too many titles, they have still managed to be the runners-up in the Bundesliga a total of 5 times, the DFB-Pokal winners on 1 occasion, the Europa League winners also on 1 occasion, and the Champions League runners-up on 1 occasion.
The present Champions League campaign sees Bayer Leverkusen sit in Group E in the group stages after a 2-0 loss to Premiership giants Chelsea on the 13th of September 2011. Their next game in the European Cup is against English outfit Chelsea for the second time this season on the 23rd of November 2011.
I anticipate a grueling battle, but I can see Chelsea having a little too much quality for the likes of Bayer Leverkusen. It will be up to their star player, and German international Stefan Keissling to make a valuable impact on the game to ensure a close matchup. Leverkusen’s current manager – Robin Dutt – has been relatively busy in the summer transfer window of 2011 acquiring the talents of 7 players, and spending a total of fees thought to be in and around the region of €11.3 million. People looking at the Bundesliga betting should remember this.
Dutt’s summer transfers included: Columbian midfielder Michael Ortega on loan from Atlas, goalkeeper Bernd Leno on loan from Stuttgart, American goalkeeper David Yelldell from Duisburg for a transfer sum of €0.3 million, striker and Leverkusen’s most expensive transfer so far Andre Schurrle from Mainz for a transfer fee of €8 million, centre forward Karim Bellarabi on a free from Eintracht Braunschweig, and defender Omer Toprak from Freiburg for a sum of €3 million. Fans of Man United football bowling will need to bear this in mind.
Leverkusen’s chances in the Bundesliga this season remain quite high. It’s quite probable that they will again qualify for Europe, but miss out on first place to Bundesliga rivals, and favourites to win the Bundesliga title, Bayern Munich.