After a scoreless draw against Wolfsburg on Saturday, Bayer Leverkusen fell eight points behind league leaders Bayern Munich, resulting in a matchup between the top two that may decide the season the following weekend. The pressure mounted on Xabi Alonso's reigning champions, who will visit the leaders next Saturday, heightened when Bayern defeated Werder Bremen 3-0 on Friday, their seventh consecutive league victory. Without Florian Wirtz, Patrik Schick, and Jeremie Frimpong, Leverkusen lacked fluency on the field. After twenty-two minutes, Nordi Mukiele had a fantastic opportunity to put Leverkusen ahead, but he missed the target from point-blank range.

After sixty minutes, Wirtz and Frimpong entered the game, but despite controlling the ball, the visitors had limited opportunities. Leverkusen's attempt to defend their first title is in jeopardy after they have lost four of their last three league games.