Bayer Leverkusen are aiming to bounce back from their first defeat of the season as they welcome Ferencvaros to the BayArena for their opening Group G fixture in the UEFA Europa League. The Germans are usually solid at home and with Patrik Schick impressing at the moment, they should have the upper hand here.
Bayer Leverkusen head into Thursday’s clash off the back of a 4-3 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in a Bundesliga fixture. A topsy-turvy game saw them take the lead three times through Florian Wirtz, Patrik Schick and Moussa Diaby but were still unable to hold on for the win.
Gerardo Seoane's men have generally been in good form this season and will consider the defeat to Dortmund as a minor bump on the road. Leverkusen are keen to leave their mark on the continent and will be targeting a positive start at home.
Bayer Leverkusen are one of the most attacking teams in the Bundesliga and Patrik Schick and Moussa Diaby are already on three goals already this season. However, they often struggle at the back as evidenced by their inability to see out the win against Dortmund last weekend.
Ferencvaros travel to Bayer Leverkusen following a 1-0 victory over Honved in the Hungarian League last weekend. Peter Stoger’s men struck early in the first half through Tokmac Nguen and were able to hold on for the win.
The Hungarians have been on the rise in European football in recent years and played in the group stage of the Champions League last season. They fell to the Europa League this year after losing home and away to Young Boys in the playoffs.
Despite making consistent appearances on the continent, Ferencvaros are still struggling to match up with the top clubs in Europe. They failed to win a single match in the group phase of last season’s Champions League while the defeat to Young Boys means they have now lost their last three continental matches.
How the bookies view it
Bayer Leverkusen are considered overwhelming favourites among the bookies and are priced at 4/17 by SBK to win. A victory for Ferencvaros is valued at 14/1 with William Hill while a draw is set at odds of 29/5 with SBK.
Head to head
This will be the first ever meeting between Bayer Leverkusen and Ferencvaros.
Players to watch
Strikers Patrik Schick and Moussa Diaby have been the standout players for Bayer Leverkusen this season with both men scoring three goals each. Vbet has Schick at 17/20 to score anytime while also offering 15/8 on Diaby in the same market.
Tokmac Nguen was on target for Ferencvaros in their last fixture and will be the one to watch on Thursday. The Norwegian striker is priced at 5/1 by Skybet in the anytime goalscorer market.
Anything else catch the eye?
Bayer Leverkusen have scored in both halves in their last three matches and could be tipped for a repeat at 4/5 with Paddy Power. The Germans are likely to earn a comfortable victory and could be considered in the -2 handicap market at 15/8 with betfair.
Leverkusen could also be tipped to win both halves at 7/5 with SBK.
This UEFA Europa League match between Bayer Leverkusen and Ferencvaros will be played on Sep 16, 2021 and kick off at 17:45. Check below for our tipsters best Bayer Leverkusen vs Ferencvaros prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
