In the early morning of December 20, Beijing time, the 16th round of the Bundesliga was fiercely contested, in which the duel between Dortmund and Mainz and Leipzig and Bremen became the focus. Borussia Dortmund and Leipzig were two strong teams playing on the same day, but the final result cast a shadow over their title race.
Borussia Dortmund took the lead in the first half when Brandt's brilliant free-kick went straight into the opponent's goal. The attacks of Gitens and Sabitzer could not change the scoreline, but Van den Berg made a contribution to Mainz to equalise. Borussia Dortmund took the lead in the second half in the final minute of the game, but the referee ruled that the goal was invalid and ended in a 1-1 draw with Mainz. The draw left Borussia Dortmund fifth in the table, 12 points behind Bayer Leverkusen at the top of the table.
Leipzig travel to Bremen and are looking to maintain their winning streak in the Bundesliga. In the first half, Poulsen's goal was disallowed and the team missed a good chance to take the lead. In the second half, Opponda's brilliant performance gave Leipzig the lead again, and Nkinma's world-class save helped Bremen equalise to make it 1-1. The draw not only ended Leipzig's four-game winning streak, but also put their title hopes on dwindling by six points from Bayer Leverkusen in the race for the top spot.
While Borussia Dortmund and Leipzig are losing their chances of winning the title, Bayer Leverkusen has maintained a strong performance. Bayer Leverkusen, coached by 42-year-old Xavi Alonso, are the only unbeaten team in the top five leagues this season. After 16 rounds of Bundesliga, they lead the table with 21 wins and three draws, four points clear of second-placed Bayern.
Moreover, they won all six games in the group stage of the Europa League and advanced to the last eight of the German Cup. The Bayer Leverkusen team has been an impressive performer and has become the last serious competitor for Bayern to achieve 12 consecutive titles.
It has not been all smooth sailing for Bayern. In less than three months, they missed out on the German Super Cup and the German Cup. At the moment, they only have the Bundesliga and the Champions League to compete for, but compared to the difficulty of the Champions League, the Bundesliga has become the competition they have the best chance of winning the title. This has left England striker Harry Kane, who joined in the summer anxious, who has not tasted a title for many years at Tottenham and is eager to succeed at Bayern.
Bayer Leverkusen's strong form made Kane's road to the title even more difficult. With the team losing two titles in a short period of time, Bayern can only hope for the Bundesliga and the Champions League. In the Bundesliga, they face a headache for Bayer Leverkusen, while in the Champions League, the competition is even tougher. If Bayern fail to win in the Bundesliga, then Kane may continue to suffer the fate of not having a "champion life" and not being able to bring the glory of the title to himself.
This season's Bundesliga has presented fierce competition and unpredictable situations. Giants such as Borussia Dortmund, Leipzig and Bayern Munich have all struggled against the challenge of formidable opponents, while Bayer Leverkusen have risen to prominence with their outstanding performances. This season will be a time of trials and opportunities for the players as they fight to achieve their championship dreams.