The Albany Gazette - Leverkusen throw down gauntlet to Bayern in title tussle

Defending champions Leverkusen host 16th-placed Bochum on Friday and will draw to within three points of Bayern if they win.

A day later, Bayern host a St Pauli side who are one spot but five points above Bochum.

Normally reserved and circumspect, Alonso was bullish in his pre-match press conference on Thursday, saying the game was "super important... now the goal is clear, to fight until the end.

"We can reduce Bayern's lead to three points tomorrow. We want to put as much pressure on them as possible."

Leverkusen's 4-3 win over Stuttgart two weeks ago, in which they came from 3-1 down to win with a stoppage-time goal, was reminiscent of last season's incredible late-game heroics on their way to the Bundesliga title.

Alonso also revealed that injured midfielder Florian Wirtz, originally slated to return in April, would be back "sooner than expected", giving Leverkusen extra incentive to keep the race alive.

"He feels better. He's close. We don't want to be conservative with Flo -- we want to go full throttle, take risks. If he can play a little earlier, we'll take that risk."

While Bochum and St Pauli may be 16th and 15th respectively, the lowly table placings of Leverkusen and Bayern's opponents this weekend do not tell the full story.

Since Dieter Hecking took over as coach in November, Bochum have beaten Bayern and Borussia Dortmund, while fighting to draws against Leverkusen and RB Leipzig.

Bochum's hopes will be buoyed by Hecking announcing he has extended his deal by two seasons at the club until 2027 -- provided they beat the drop.

Bochum sit in the relegation play-off position with 20 points, 19 of them accrued since Hecking took over.

Promoted St Pauli's bid to stay in the top division is built on an outstanding defence.

St Pauli have conceded just 30 goals this season, better than every side in the top flight bar Bayern and surprise package Mainz.

In November, Bayern needed an incredible Jamal Musiala strike from outside the box to break down their stubborn opponents in a 1-0 win.

Bayern's task will be made harder by the long-term absences of Alphonso Davies and Dayot Upamecano, who both look set to be out for the season due to injuries picked up on international duty.

Player to watch: Nick Woltemade

In the off-season, Stuttgart spent a combined 48 million euros ($51 million) to sign strikers Deniz Undav and Ermedin Demirovic, but their shrewdest forward acquisition -- Nick Woltemade -- cost nothing at all.

The 1.98-metre tall Woltemade, who arrived on a free transfer from Werder Bremen, was expected to be a clear third in the forward pecking order, but has become Stuttgart's most reliable source of goals in recent months.

Woltemade has eight goals in his past 14 league games, but his showing on Tuesday, where he scored a hat-trick for Germany's Under-21 side against Spain, has German media asking if he is ready for a call-up to the senior team.

Asked if he would want to play in the European Under-21 Championship or for Julian Nagelsmann's side in June's Nations League, Woltemade said: "I don't think they overlap... I've got enough power for both."

Key stats

1 - Stuttgart have won just one of their past eight league games.

3 - Augsburg last conceded a league goal on February 1 and have only let in three in 2025 -- the lowest mark in Europe's top five leagues.

4 - Borussia Dortmund have not beaten Mainz in four games, including their infamous final-day 2-2 draw in May 2023 that handed Bayern the title.

Fixtures (1430 GMT unless stated)

Friday

Bayer Leverkusen v Bochum (1930)

Saturday

Bayern Munich v St Pauli, Holstein Kiel v Werder Bremen, Borussia Moenchengladbach v RB Leipzig, Wolfsburg v Heidenheim, Hoffenheim v Augsburg, Eintracht Frankfurt v Stuttgart (1730)

Sunday

Freiburg v Union Berlin, Borussia Dortmund v Mainz (1630)

(K.Lee--TAG)