In the 14th round of the 2023-24 Bundesliga, Stuttgart hosts Bayer Leverkusen. This game not only carries the layout change of the league standings, but also a wonderful matchup. So far, Bayer Leverkusen have maintained an unbeaten record of conquering multiple competitions, whether it is the Bundesliga, the German Cup, or the Europa League, their performance is undoubtedly remarkable, and they have become the team that is still invincible in the top five leagues so far. In the same round, Bayern Munich suffered a waterloo defeat away to Eintracht Frankfurt, which undoubtedly provided a great opportunity for Bayer Leverkusen to extend their lead.
Prior to this crucial matchup, Bayer Leverkusen had already won the table with 35 points, three points ahead of second-placed Bayern Munich. A win over Stuttgart on the outside of the league would extend Leverkusen's lead to six points. The 1-1 draw with Borussia Dortmund in the last game looked a bit passive, but it still showed Leverkusen's firm pace on the road to the title. On the other hand, Stuttgart, who were successfully relegated in the play-offs, have performed quite well this season, accumulating 30 points with 10 wins and 3 losses, occupying the third place in the standings. Bayer Leverkusen set up a 3-4-2-1 lineup in this game, and the team's offensive and defensive core was fully displayed.
Boniface is a central striker, with Adley and Wirtz playing together on the wings to provide ample support. The midfield line-up consisted of Grimaldo, Palacios, Xhaka and Frimpong, while Tapsoba, Jonatan Ta and Kosonu served as the defensive triumvirate. The market value of the entire team is as high as 3700 million euros, demonstrating its strength. Stuttgart, on the other hand, set up a 4-2-3-1 formation to feature the goalless scorer of the Bundesliga, Girassi, who has topped the Bundesliga scoring charts this season with 16 goals. As the whistle blew, Stuttgart showed an unusually sharp attack at home. Just two minutes into the game, he found a good chance to open the scoring, but fortunately it was cleared by Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Hradecki.
Then, in the seventh minute, a free-kick laid the door for Bayer Leverkusen in the box, although it was unsuccessful. And in the 10th minute, Adli's heavy artillery hit the post, and Bayer Leverkusen's counter-attack was unstoppable. Both teams then had a few attempts on goal, but neither team was able to make any real progress. It wasn't until the 40th minute that Stuttgart's attack from the right finally pierced the Bayer Leverkusen defence, and Frisch took the lead in the six-yard box to break the deadlock for Stuttgart. As the first half drew to a close, it was Boniface's clever cross combined with Wirtz's precise push that pulled Leverkusen back. In the second half, both sides actively sought a breakthrough, but neither was able to change the scoreline, and the two teams ended up in a 1-1 draw.
At the end of the game, Bayer Leverkusen took a slight lead at the top of the table with 36 points, a slight four points ahead of Bayern Munich. The burden of two consecutive draws allowed Bayer Leverkusen to miss a good opportunity to open up a gap with Bayern. Overall, Bayer Leverkusen are still overcoming obstacles in the fierce race for the title, and although it is full of uncertainties, the potential is limitless.