German champions Bayer Leverkusen will take on Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, 19 October in a match between third and fifth in the Bundesliga table.
The hosts have struggled to replicate the form that led them to the league and cup double last season, but this is the sort of fixture that could kickstart their season.
The visitors, meanwhile, are performing above expectations and are currently just one point behind league leader Bayern Munich.
How the bookies view it: The hosts start as favourites
As champions, Bayer Leverkusen are having to get accustomed to being favourites for every match they play and that is no different here. Betfred have priced a win for the hosts as short as 4/9 while a win for Eintracht Frankfurt has been priced at 11/2. The draw, which would be a good result for the visitors, has been priced at 18/5.
Recent head-to-head: Advantage Leverkusen
This fixture has been very kind to Bayer Leverkusen in recent times, with Die Werkself winning six of their last eight matches against Frankfurt. The visitors' recent record against Leverkusen could dent their confidence coming into this one, particularly as last season, they lost both matches by an aggregate score of 8-1.
A sidenote from the recent head-to-head record is the fact that there hasn't been a single draw in any of the last 20 clashes between these two clubs.
Players to watch: Two deadly hitmen to go blow for blow
This match puts together two of the most deadly strikers in German football on the same pitch at the same time, which could result in a classic for the neutrals.
Eintracht Frankfurt's Omar Marmoush has started the season in blistering form and is leading the Golden Boot race in Germany on eight goals from six appearances. The Egyptian forward has exploded into life this season and has also provided four assists to teammates, making him one of the most productive forwards in world football.
Bayer Leverkusen, as they always do, will simply look to fight fire with fire and will lean on Nigerian striker, Victor Boniface, to outscore Marmoush on Saturday. The 23-year-old was their top scorer last season with 21 goals in all competitions and has started this one in similar form, netting five in his last six club appearances.
Predicted line-ups
The biggest concern for Bayer Leverkusen coming into this one is the fitness of Florian Wirtz. The German playmaker is a doubt with an ankle injury and Xabi Alonso is still unsure if he will make it. Frankfurt will be without Oscar Hojlund, but the young Dane would have been unlikely to start anyway so they will be at full strength.
Bayer Leverkusen: Hradecky – Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie – Frimpong, Garcia, Xhaka, Grimaldo – Wirtz, Adli – Boniface
Eintracht Frankfurt: Trapp – Kristensen, Tuta, Koch, Theate – Knauff, Larsson, Shkiri, Nkounkou – Ekitike, Marmoush
Anything else catch the eye?
Goals, goals and more goals. That's what we should expect every time Bayer Leverkusen take to the field, at both ends of the pitch. A total of 28 goals have been scored in their six Bundesliga matches so far this season which works out at an average of around 4.5 goals per match. Over 3.5 goals to be scored on Saturday has been priced at 10/11 by Betfred.
This German Bundesliga match between Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt will be played on Oct 19, 2024 and kick off at 14:30. Check below for our tipsters best Bayer Leverkusen vs Eintracht Frankfurt prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
