Bayer Leverkusen vs VfB Stuttgart
, KO: 19:30 Aug 17, 2024, BayArena
Bayer Leverkusen will be targeting another piece of silverware as they battle VfB Stuttgart in the German Super Cup. Although pre-season has not been particularly smooth for Leverkusen, Saturday's clash is being played at BayArena where they’ll be confident of claiming victory.
It has been a hugely successful one year for Bayer Leverkusen, who dominated Germany and went on to win the domestic double. Manager Xabi Alonso will be looking to continue their fantastic run by adding the Super Cup to their silverware collection.
Preseason was not particularly smooth for Bayer Leverkusen, who picked up just one win from four matches, although they were only beaten once. A major positive is that they have managed to hold on to their stars in the transfer window and even rebuffed Bayern Munich's advances for defender Jonathan Tah.
While not as successful as Bayer Leverkusen, Stuttgart can still be pleased with their campaign last season as they finished second on the standings. They will feel their recent performances deserve some silverware and will be keen to claim the Super Cup.
Unlike Bayer Leverkusen, Stuttgart have been raided in the transfer window, losing top scorer Serhou Guirassy to Borussia Dortmund. However judging by their preseason, that has not seemed to affect them much as Sebastian Hoeness’ men claimed four wins from five warm-up matches, although they mostly played lower league sides.
How the bookies view it: Leverkusen still favoured
Bayer Leverkusen have the upper hand among the bookies and are priced at 4/5 by Betfred to claim the win. A victory for Stuttgart is valued at 11/4 while a draw is set at odds of 13/5 by Betfred.
Head to head: Leverkusen with the edge
Bayer Leverkusen have a 41-23 advantage with 23 draws from 81 previous matches against Stuttgart. Both teams drew their Bundesliga meetings last season but Leverkusen claimed a 3-2 victory in a DFB Pokal clash back in February.
Players to watch: Keep an eye on Boniface
Victor Boniface had a lengthy injury spell last season but still finished as Bayer Leverkusen’s top scorer. The Nigerian forward remains a major attacking threat for the Bundesliga champions and is priced at 11/8 by Betfred to find the net on Saturday.
Deniz Undav was among the standout players for Stuttgart last season, scoring 18 Bundesliga goals. The forward will be expected to step up in the absence of Guirassy and is priced at 7/4 by Betfred to get on the score sheet.
Probable line-ups
Having held on to most of their key players, Bayer Leverkusen could feature a similar team to what was available for much of last season. Victor Boniface should lead the line, with Florian Wirtz providing support while Granit Xhaka should start in midfield and Jonathan Tah in defence.
Summer signing Emerdin Demirovic caught the eye in preseason and could partner Deniz Undav in attack. Maximilian Mittelstadt is also expected to start at the back while Angelo Stiller should feature in midfield.
Bayer Leverkusen: Hradecky, Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie, Arthur, Xhaka, Andrich, Grimaldo, Wirtz, Hofmann, Boniface
VfB Stuttgart: Nubel, Stenzel, Roualt, Chabot, Mittelstadt, Silas, Leweling, Stiller, Fuhrich, Demirovic, Undav
Anything else catch the eye?
Bayer Leverkusen and Stuttgart have plenty of attacking quality and could be set to produce goals on Saturday. Over 4.5 is valued at 3/1 by Betfred, who is also offering odds of 5/4 for over 3.5 goals.
A fast start is expected on Saturday and both teams could be backed to score in the first half at 5/2 with Betfred.
This match between Bayer Leverkusen and VfB Stuttgart will be played on Aug 17, 2024 and kick off at 19:30. Check below for our tipsters best Bayer Leverkusen vs VfB Stuttgart prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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