Darmstadt vs Bayer Leverkusen

Merck-Stadion am Bollenfalltor sets the stage for Darmstadt’s ominous-looking Bundesliga clash against Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

Darmstadt faced a worrying 19 shots in a narrow 1-0 loss at Union Berlin last weekend, stretching their dire Bundesliga form to 12 consecutive winless games (D4, L8). Nailed to the bottom of the table after managing just two wins across 19 top-flight matchdays (D5, L12), they face an uphill task to avoid a swift return to the second tier. Though it’s not all lost yet, a six-point deficit on safety underscores the importance of dodging another catastrophe here following a 5-1 humbling in the reverse fixture. While it’s a mere consolation, Darmstadt snapped a woeful run of three consecutive home league defeats ‘to nil’ with an action-packed 2-2 draw against European-bidding Eintracht Frankfurt in their last match at Merck-Stadion am Bollenfalltor.

In stark contrast to Darmstadt’s melancholic campaign, Bayer Leverkusen fans can dare to dream of the club’s first-ever Bundesliga crown as Xabi Alonso’s men begin this round two points clear of second-placed Bayern Munich. Leverkusen’s quest for glory suffered a blow last weekend, with Borussia Monchengladbach holding ‘Die Werkself’ to a scoreless draw at BayArena, knocking them down from a four-match winning league streak. But as the division’s best-traveling side with 23 points, the visitors remain in the driver’s seat to maintain their unbeaten away league run (W7, D2) and return to winning ways against a Darmstadt side they’ve defeated in both top-flight away H2Hs in the new millennium. Adding to this sentiment, Leverkusen are enjoying a 28-game unbeaten start to a new season for the first time since 1979.