Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany and his Bayer Leverkusen counterpart Xabi Alonso on Friday joined the growing chorus calling for action on player workload, amid talks of strikes.
Bayern Munich maintained their perfect start to the season and jumped to the top of the Bundesliga table after hammering newly-promoted Holstein Kiel 6-1. Jamal Musiala scored the third fastest goal in Bundesliga history, giving Bayern the lead after just 15 seconds.
Bayer Leverkusen's 35-game unbeaten Bundesliga run came to an end in their last game and manager Xabi Alonso hopes the short time he has had with his players will be sufficient to get back to winning ways.
Mueller, who played his first game for the club in 2008, moved past former goalkeeper Sepp Maier to outright first on the appearance list in all competitions.
In a volatile match which saw visiting coach Marco Rose sent to the stands in the first half, Leverkusen jumped out to a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Jeremie Frimpong and Alex Grimaldo.
Bayern Munich and England striker Harry Kane received the Golden Shoe award as the highest goalscorer in a European football league at a ceremony in the Bavarian capital on Tuesday.
Harry Kane helped drag Bayern Munich to a come-from-behind 3-2 win at Wolfsburg on Sunday in new manager Vincent Kompany's Bundesliga debut.
Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso said Thursday that Bayern Munich are the Bundesliga title favourites this season, despite his side's incredible league and cup double last campaign.
The 2024-25 Bundesliga season kicks off on Friday when champions Bayer Leverkusen visit local rivals Borussia Moenchengladbach.
The stage is set in Dortmund for the most dramatic Bundesliga finale in more than a decade with Borussia fans desperate to see the team win their first league title in 11 years on Saturday against visitors Mainz 05.
Two points clear atop the table, Dortmund can win their first title for 11 seasons by beating Mainz at home on Saturday, regardless of second-placed Bayern Munich's result at Cologne.
Bayern remain in top spot on 68 points but Dortmund, on 67, are in action at Augsburg on Sunday and a win would see the Ruhr valley club go into next week's season finale in the driving seat
Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman scored late to snare all three points for the Bavarians, who are now one point clear of Borussia Dortmund with four matches to go
Both the German FA (DFB) and the referee in question on Saturday admitted a mistake in not awarding a penalty to Borussia Dortmund as they dropped potentially crucial points in a 1-1 draw at Bochum.
With Bayern in control and leading 1-0 at half-time after Sadio Mane's first goal since October, the visitors conceded three goals in 14 minutes
Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham said winning the Bundesliga would "mean the world" after his side went top of the table thanks to a 4-0 home win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.
A double from Dutch forward Donyell Malen and goals by English teenager Jude Bellingham and veteran Mats Hummels claimed the three points for Dortmund, setting up a knife-edge title race with just five games remaining
Dortmund host Eintracht Frankfurt later in the day and can go one point clear with a win, with five league matches remaining this season.
Borussia Dortmund failed to take advantage of Bayern Munich's 1-1 home draw against Hoffenheim on Saturday, blowing a two-goal lead against 10-man Stuttgart before conceding a last-gasp equaliser.