Face to face on Friday evening: Dortmund’s Julian Brandt (left) and Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz.
IMAGO/Sven Simon

The Bundesliga returns from the short winter break with a cracking duel. On Friday evening, Borussia Dortmund opens the 16th matchday at Signal-Iduna-Park against champions and cup winners Bayer 04 Leverkusen (8.30 p.m., LIVE! on kicker). A duel between two German heavyweights, also international, but it is only the meeting of the second in the table against the second.

Borussia is stumbling this Bundesliga season, especially away from Dortmund. In the away table, BVB is in a disappointing 13th place with just five points from seven games (1/2/4). However, this is concealed by an extremely strong record in front of their own audience, where BVB is still unbeaten and has collected 20 points in eight games (6/2/0) – 1st place.

Dortmund don’t have to be afraid if Xabi Alonso’s men line up in front of the Yellow Wall on Friday evening. Especially since the home strength doesn’t just refer to this season – and looking at the past, BVB is coming out of the winter break particularly strong. In the previous 20 years, Dortmund never lost the first party of a calendar year, picking up 15 wins and five draws. No other club has such a series. In the last six seasons, Borussia even started the new year with a three-pointer.

Ebbe Sand (Schalke, left) overcomes goalkeeper Guillaume Warmuz, who is lying on the ground.
Imago images

At the same time, Black and Yellow particularly enjoy playing at home, especially on Friday evenings. Dortmund had not lost in their own stadium on this day for more than 20 years – or 39 games. This is the longest Friday night unbeaten streak in Bundesliga history. BVB was able to continue that run this season, winning 2-1 at home against newly promoted St. Pauli on matchday 7. Nuri Sahin’s team also won twice on Friday evening: on matchday 3 with 4:2 against Heidenheim and on matchday 5 with 4:2 against Bochum.

The starting signal for both series is calculated after a derby defeat. In 2004, BVB lost 1-0 to their big rivals Schalke 04 at the start of the year on Friday evening. After two missed Dortmund penalties and a yellow-red card for Tomas Rosicky, Ebbe Sand scored the royal blue winning goal in the 89th minute and caused Dortmund’s last defeat to date on a Friday evening in their own stadium – and at the start of the year.