After Bayern Munich's DFB-Pokal semifinal draw against Bayer Leverkusen, is the fixture becoming stale?

"Bayern Munich's encounters against Bayer Leverkusen in the 2024/25 season were dramatic and told an entire tale. At first it was a tale of frustration for Bayern. Desperate to win back the Bundesliga crown following Leverkusen's shock 2023/24 Bundesliga title win, Bayern were annoyed to draw the first encounter 1-1. That frustration grew and grew as the Bavarians were knocked out of the DFB-Pokal 3rd round by Die Werkself, extending their misery in the competition,"

"Bayern had the better of this match, too, despite the red card and there was a feeling of what could have been. That feeling did not continue into the next fixture, as Leverkusen dominated their home match against Bayern and Die Rekordmeister got away with a point. This all set up the Champions League Round of 16 tie against the same opponent, where Bayern finally got the better of Leverkusen and cemented their place on the top of German football."

"After the DFB-Pokal semifinal draw yet again pitted Bayern against Leverkusen, it marks the eighth time Bayern will play Leverkusen in the past two seasons. If the Leverkusen win their Champions League tie against Olympiacos, there is a 50% chance they will be drawn against Bayern again in the Round of 16. The two legged nature of these ties would ensure Leverkusen will have played Bayern 10 times in two seasons."

Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen met repeatedly across the 2024/25 season, producing draws, a DFB-Pokal upset, and a Champions League Round of 16 tie. Bayern drew the first league match and exited the DFB-Pokal after Manuel Neuer received a red card despite Bayern having the better performance. Leverkusen later dominated a home fixture but conceded a point. Bayern prevailed in the Champions League tie to reassert domestic superiority. Continued draws in cup and European draws could lead to ten meetings in two seasons. The frequent fixtures have generated excitement but risk making each encounter feel less meaningful.

Read at Bavarian Football Works