Bayer Leverkusen to Begin Bundesliga Title Defense at Borussia Moenchengladbach on August 23

Bayer Leverkusen, the reigning German champion, will start their Bundesliga title defense with an away match against local rivals Borussia Moenchengladbach on August 23. The fixture follows the traditional German scheduling where the champion opens the new league season on a Friday night.

Last season, Borussia Moenchengladbach was the only Bundesliga team to hold Bayer Leverkusen scoreless, securing a 0-0 draw in their last encounter in January. Leverkusen notably became the first Bundesliga team to win the title without suffering a defeat.

The league released the full set of fixtures on Thursday, which also includes Bayern Munich kicking off their campaign against Wolfsburg and Borussia Dortmund, the Champions League runner-up, facing Eintracht Frankfurt. These matches are scheduled for either August 24 or 25, with exact dates and times to be confirmed.

The German Cup's first round will precede the league season on August 16, followed by the Super Cup clash between Leverkusen and Stuttgart on the subsequent day.