Struggling Bundesliga veterans Leverkusen confront an uncertain path ahead

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With just two matches left on the clock, Leverkusen have clinched a second-place finish, but the final home game of the season could mark the swansong for coach Xabi Alonso and star midfielder Florian Wirtz.

Alonso, the young gun coach who erased the 'Neverkusen' tag by guiding Leverkusen to the Bundesliga championship last season, is reportedly eyeing a move to Real Madrid, his old stomping ground where he bagged the Champions League as a player.

While Alonso's departure was always looming on the horizon, Wirtz's exit is bound to sting, especially if the 22-year-old Germany regular hops over to Bayern, as German media have been buzzing about this week. Born just 20 minutes away in Pulheim, Wirtz was poached from neighboring FC Cologne's academy and made his debut at 17, shattering Kai Havertz's record as Leverkusen's youngest debutant and later holding the title as the Bundesliga's youngest goalscorer.

After recovering from an ACL injury in 2022, Wirtz played a pivotal role in Leverkusen's league and cup double, earning the accolade of Bundesliga player of the season. In a Sports Illustrated interview published this past week, Wirtz admitted, "It definitely appeals to me to leave my comfort zone at some point and experience something new."

The speculation surrounding Alonso and Wirtz's departure has distracted from Leverkusen's strong season thus far. Known for last year's record-breaking campaign, where Alonso's side became the first team in Bundesliga history to go through a season undefeated, Leverkusen were inevitably destined to come back down to earth. Similar to Bayern, Leverkusen have lost only twice throughout the campaign, but have been held to 11 draws – four more than the title winners.

Wins in their two remaining games will propel Leverkusen to 74 points – the second-best tally in their history, and enough to win the league two seasons ago. Leverkusen's upcoming opponents, Dortmund, will be itching to capitalize on the uncertainty, as they vie for a Champions League spot.

As low as 12th this season, Dortmund have picked up 16 points in their last six games, sitting one point and one place behind Freiburg, who travel to feisty underdogs Holstein Kiel this Saturday.

One to watch: Thomas Mueller

Bayern Munich midfielder Thomas Mueller will play his swan song at the Allianz Arena on Saturday. Regardless of the outcome against Borussia Moenchengladbach, Mueller will pay his respects to the home fans one last time by raising the Bundesliga trophy – a record-breaking 13th time.

No player in Bayern's recent history has encapsulated the club better than the two-time Champions League winner. The club, however, opted not to renew Mueller's deal. Mueller, eager to continue playing, will find it surreal to don another team's jersey – a sentiment shared by Bayern fans and soccer enthusiasts alike.

Former mentor Jupp Heynckes, who steered Bayern to the treble in 2012-13, advised Mueller against moving on. "If I were Thomas, I'd call time on (his career)," Heynckes said, adding that Mueller was "destined" to continue at Bayern in some way, shape, or form. "Such a talent should not be ignored. Thomas is a shrewd man and is also very intelligent. He understands an incredible amount about football."

Key stats

Harry Kane tops the scoring charts with 24 league goals, but nine of those have come from the penalty spot. Thus, both Leverkusen's Patrik Schick, with 19, and Dortmund's Serhou Guirassy, with 17, have netted more from open play this season.
Bayern have clinched an astonishing 34 German league titles, far surpassing any other club with more than nine.
Bayern's Michael Olise leads the Bundesliga in assists, with an impressive 13 this season.

Fixtures (1330 GMT unless stated)

Friday:

Wolfsburg v Hoffenheim (1830)

Saturday:

Holstein Kiel v Freiburg, Bochum v Mainz, Werder Bremen v RB Leipzig, Union Berlin v Heidenheim, Bayern Munich v Borussia Moenchengladbach (1630)

Sunday:

Bayer Leverkusen v Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt v St Pauli (1530), Stuttgart v Augsburg (1730)

The champions league, Europe's premier football competition, might potentially be the new destination for Xabi Alonso, should he depart from Leverkusen after guiding them to a Bundesliga championship.
The German football landscape has been abuzz about Florian Wirtz, Leverkusen's star midfielder, who was born just 20 minutes away in Pulheim, possibly moving to Russian football, specifically to Bayern, after his impressive performance in the European-leagues and Bundesliga.
Thomas Mueller, Bayern Munich midfielder and two-time Champions League winner, has been making headlines in the sports world as he prepares for his final match at the Allianz Arena, after Bayern opted not to renew his contract, potentially opening the door to a move to another football club.