Leverkusen: 2021/22 preview

Last season

Following Matchday 12's 4-0 Rhine derby victory over Cologne, Leverkusen had romped into top spot thanks to an unbeaten run of eight wins and four draws that kicked off their 2020/21 campaign. It had Die Werkself dreaming of a first Bundesliga title, but, from there, the remainder of their season saw a gradual slide into sixth-place. Lucas Alario - who has signed a new contact until 2024 - was the club's Bundesliga top scorer last time out with 11 goals, while fellow striker Patrik Schick bagged nine and Florian Wirtz emerged as one of the most exciting young talents in a league brimming with them.

Watch: Florian Wirtz rewrote the history books last season

Peter Bosz started the year in charge but left his post in March after just three wins from 14 league games that followed December's win at Cologne, with Hannes Wolf temporarily taking over for the final eight matchdays. Swiss coach Gerardo Seoane has been appointed for the 2021/22 campaign, with Leverkusen hoping he can build on three successive league titles with Young Boys.

New arrivals

The departure of Jamaican winger Leon Bailey certainly made headlines, but Leverkusen had already been proactive in their recruitment prior to the exit of last year's nine-goal man. Seoane is a new face in the dugout and his immediate aim has been to further strengthen last season's third-best defence in the division, largely in response to the retirement of Bender twins Lars and Sven, as well as the exits of Aleksandar Dragovic and Tin Jedvaj.

Watch: Leverkusen twins Lars and Sven Bender retire

Netherlands U21 international Mitchel Bakker has arrived at left-back from Paris Saint-Germain, with the 21-year-old also capable of featuring in the centre if needed. Out-and-out centre-back Odilon Kossounou has the potential to form an exciting partnership alongside Jonathan Tah and Edmond Tapsoba, following the Ivory Coast international's move from Belgian side Club Brugge. Andrey Lunev provides competition for newly appointed club captain Lukas Hradecky in goal, while 16-year-old pair Iker Bravo and Zidan Sertdemir are ones to watch for the future.

How Leverkusen might line up

What to expect

Leverkusen are a notoriously difficult team to predict, but their ambition will be to compete as high in the table as possible. European football will certainly be the aim of the game and, in an ideal world, Leverkusen would finish in the top-four to secure a return to the UEFA Champions League.

In the meantime, the Europa League does present Leverkusen with a real opportunity to reach the latter stages of the competition. Their exit to Seoane's Swiss champions in the first knockout stage of last year's competition will still sting and they will be confident of at least going further this time around. DFB Cup runners-up in 2019/20, Leverkusen fans would also dearly love a repeat of their sole 1992/93 domestic triumph as they continue to try and shake the club's 'Neverkusen' tag.

Opening fixtures

DFB Cup: Lok Leipzig 0-3 Leverkusen
Union Berlin vs. Leverkusen (Saturday, 14 August)
Leverkusen vs. Borussia Mönchengladbach (Saturday, 21 August)
Augsburg vs. Leverkusen (Saturday, 28 August)
Leverkusen vs. Dortmund (Sunday, 12 September)
Europa League: First group game (Thursday, 16 September)
Stuttgart vs. Leverkusen (Sunday, 19 September)
Leverkusen vs. Mainz (Saturday, 25 September)

Click here to download all of Leverkusen's Bundesliga fixtures to your calendar