Bayer Leverkusen vs Borussia Dortmund Preview: Classic Encounter, Key Battle, Team News & More

Borussia Dortmund's crunch match with Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday could be the last time Dutch manager Peter Bosz is seen in the dugout this season. 

The 54-year-old's catastrophic collapse against Schalke last week as raised even more questions about his tenure, with a trip to the BayArena potential being Bosz's last chance at saving his job.

Here's everything you need to know about the game on Saturday:

Classic Encounter

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Although Borussia Dortmund can't always promise you a fantastic defensive performance, you are always guaranteed goals when watching die Schwarzgelben.

This was certainly the case when Bayer Leverkusen travelled to the Westfallenstadion last season, with Ousmane Dembélé putting the hosts in front inside six minutes. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang then got his name on the scoresheet to round off a fairly comfortable 45 minutes of football.

However, the floodgates opened after the restart and Kevin Volland halved Leverkusen's deficit after just three minutes. Aubameyang then nodded in his second of the game before Brazillian full-back Wendel, who assisted Volland for Leverkusen's first goal, scored a free-kick with 15 minutes still to play.

Despite the late scare, Dortmund would go on to hit the back of the net three more times before the game was over, with Christian Pulisic, André Schürrle and Raphaël Guerreiro giving the hosts a flattering 6-2 victory.

Key Battle

Lucas Alario vs Sokratis

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Argentine international Lucas Alario has hardly hit the ground running since making a £21m move to Bayer Leverkusen over the summer. The former River Plate frontman looked like he'd be in contention for signing of the season after an outstanding debut against Hamburg, scoring and assisting on his debut on the continent.

However, the 25-year-old has managed just one Bundesliga goal since, with his only other goal for Leverkusen coming in a DFB-Pokal victory over second-tier side Union Berlin in October.

Despite his mini goal drought, the Argentine striker has the chance to prove he was worth every penny on Saturday and help Leverkusen leapfrog Dortmund in the Bundesliga table on Saturday.

Tasked with marking Leverkusen's tall striker will be Greek defender Sokratis. The 29-year-old, who has been given the captain's armband frequently this season, has been one of the few Dortmund players whose individual performances have been above that of the team. 

Team News

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Mario Götze will be out until the new year for Borussia Dortmund after picking up ligament damage, in his upper and lower ankle, against Schalke last week. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will also be unavailable following his red card in the Revierderby.

On a positive note for the visitors, Roman Bürki could be back in contention for a place in the starting lineup after recovering from a concussion.

For Leverkusen, Sven Bender will be unavailable to face his old side, with Vladlen Yurchenko also missing through injury. Key midfielder Dominik Kohr is also absent for die Werkself after accumulating too many yellow cards in the first half of the season.

Potential Bayer Leverkusen Lineup: Leno, Bender, Restos, Tah, Havertz, Aránguiz, Baumgartlinger, Brandt, Bellarabi, Volland, Alario.

Potential Borussia Dortmund Lineup: Weidenfeller, Bartra, Schmelzer, Sokratis, Toljan, Weigl, Sahin, Guerreiro, Yarmolenko, Pulisic, Philipp.

Prediction

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Saving face should be at the top of Dortmund's priority list, while Peter Bosz can worry about his future after the final whistle. 

The travelling side are under pressure to turn things around sooner rather than later, however, they're coming up against a side who look like they'll challenge for one of the Bundesliga's Champions League spots.

If Dortmund can somehow pull a win out the bag now then it would be one of their most important victories this season, but with just two points from the last two months of Bundesliga football, it would be a risky bet.

Prediction: Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 Borussia Dortmund