Arminia Bielefeld vs Bayer Leverkusen
, KO: 19:45 , Schüco Arena
It's been a real treat to watch Arminia Bielefeld in the DFB Pokal this season. After taking out three Bundesliga sides, the Blues will face the champions, who also happen to be the defending champions in this competition.
Arminia Bielefeld have had a couple of tough years, in which they dropped two whole tiers in German football and are currently in the third division. Yet, the team has finally found a way to more forward and is currently in the best form in the 3. Liga, and fighting for a return to the 2. Bundesliga.
Regardless of their league form, their performance in the cup competition has been their real achievement. The Blues knocked out three teams from the elite to reach the semi-finals. First, they beat Union Berlin 2-0, then they dominated Freiburg 3-1, and in the last round,d they beat Werder Bremen 2-1. The team conceded only one loss in its last eight games, scoring 2+ goals in six of them.
Bayer Leverkusen are unlikely to repeat the Bundesliga title, but they have a very real chance to defend their cup trophy, especially after knocking out Bayern Munich a long time ago. Their form is far from what they would like, but they showed that they are still one of the best teams in Germany in their last two games, beating Bochum 3-1 and Stuttgart 3-4.
How the bookies view it: Time for the Blues to head home
The bookmakers believe Arminia Bielefeld's road will end here and give the champions minimum odds to win. You can pick Bayer Leverkusen at 1/5, while the hosts are available at 11/1. The draw on the other hand is priced at 6/1.
Recent head to head: Arminia's fans would rather forget the recent H2Hs
We've already mentioned that Arminia Bielefeld were playing in the Bundesliga until two and a half years ago. Unfortunately, however, they didn't have much success in their games against Bayer Leverkusen. The visitors have won four of the last five H2Hs, with a goal difference of 12:3.
Players to watch: Schick to make it five in five
Patrik Schick played one of his weaker games against Bochum, failing to get on the scoresheet. That doesn't change the fact that he's the main threat in this Leverkusen lineup, as well as the team's top scorer in the DFB Pokal this season. He has played in each of the four games so far, scoring four goals. Victor Boniface is also a good choice, but in this case, we expect Schick to take advantage of a weaker opponent and show what he is capable of.
Probable line-ups
Arminia Bielefeld: Kersken, Lannert, Schneider, Felix, Oppie, Schreck, Russo, Kunze, Corboz, Worl, Kania
Bayer Leverkusen: Hradecky, Mukiele, Tah, Hincapie, Frimpong, Xhaka, Palacios, Grimaldo, Adli, Garcia, Schick
Anything else catch the eye?
Xabi Alonso certainly wants to win at least one more trophy with the team, and the DFB Pokal is certainly the easier option. We expect him to play with the most optimal squad and leave no chances to the hosts, who have exceeded all expectations so far.
However, it certainly won't be that easy a game and we expect goals from both teams. The defence is definitely the weakest side of Bayer Leverkusen and this was proven by the fact that they conceded at least two goals in four of their last five games. Even Bochum scored against them over the weekend.
Arminia Bielefeld are in great home form with four wins and a draw in their last five games, scoring at least twice in each of them. One of those games was against Werder Bremen. They will surely score at least once to Leverkusen, even if they lose after that.
This match between Arminia Bielefeld and Bayer Leverkusen will be played on and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Arminia Bielefeld vs Bayer Leverkusen prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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