Werder Bremen are set to take on Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday, 26 October with the visitors looking to keep pace with the early leaders.
Xabi Alonso's men are the defending champions in Germany but are yet to hit the heights they reached last season when they ran away with the title race.
Werder Bremen will provide a stern test for the champions with the hosts looking to join Bayer Leverkusen on 14 points with a win.
How the bookies view it: Leverkusen go in as favourites
Bayer Leverkusen are expected to come out of this match with three points and Betfred have priced them at 1/2 to get the job done. Werder Bremen, who recorded an impressive 4-2 win away at Wolfsburg last week, have been priced at 9/1 to come away with the three points with the draw priced at 4/1.
Recent head-to-head: Advantage Leverkusen
This is a fixture that has been kind to Bayer Leverkusen in recent years so they will be looking forward to the trip to the Weserstadion on Saturday. They have won their last three matches against Werder Bremen and are unbeaten across the last eight. Werder Bremen's last triumph over Bayer Leverkusen came in 2019 when they won 3-1 at the Bay Arena.
Players to watch: Difference makers all over the pitch
This is a match littered with attacking talent but the man who will stand above the rest on Saturday will be Florian Wirtz, the young Bayer Leverkusen playmaker. Wirtz had a stunning campaign last season, scoring 18 goals and providing 19 assists across all competitions.
The 21-year-old has started the new season in the same kind of form, proving that he is more than just a flash in the pan and that he is here to stay. Wirtz was Leverkusen's sole goalscorer in their midweek draw with Brest in the Champions League – his eighth of the campaign already.
For Bremen, they will be hoping that experienced striker, Marvin Ducksch can come up with the good this weekend. The 30-year-old has hit double digits for league goals in each of his previous three seasons for the club but is currently only on two for the season. Can he get his third this weekend?
Predicted line-ups
Werder Bremen come into this one with a battered squad with several players unavailable due to injury. Their extensive lists includes Marco Grull, Anthony Jung and Niklas Stark. Victor Boniface is a slight doubt for Bayer Leverkusen but should be cleared but Amine Adli is certain to miss out. Xabi Alonso could rotate a few players after their European exploits.
Werder Bremen: Zetterer – Malatini, Friedl, Pieper – Agu, Lynen, Bittencourt, Kohn – Weiser, Schmid, Ducksch
Bayer Leverkusen: Hradecky – Tapsoba, Tah, Hincape – Frimpong, Xhaka, Andrich, Grimaldo – Terrier, Wirtz – Boniface
Anything else catch the eye?
Bayer Leverkusen are among the most high-scoring teams in the whole of Europe so don't expect a quiet game on Saturday. A total fo 16 goals have been scored across their last four Bundesliga fixtures and over 3.5 goals to be scored on Saturday has been priced at 1/1 by Betfred.
This German Bundesliga match between Werder Bremen and Bayer Leverkusen will be played on Oct 26, 2024 and kick off at 17:30. Check below for our tipsters best Werder Bremen vs Bayer Leverkusen prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
