Bayer Leverkusen will be seeking a solid first leg advantage as they host Ferencvaros in a Europa League round of 16 clash on Thursday.
Having dropped from the Champions League, Bayer Leverkusen came through the knockout playoffs to book their place in Thursday’s clash. They overcame French side Monaco on penalties after losing 3-2 at home and then claimed a similar victory in the second leg.
The win at Monaco is part of a recent run of good results for Bayer Leverkusen, who have now claimed two wins and a draw from their last three matches. One of the wins came last Sunday in the Bundesliga as they eased to a 4-1 victory over Hertha Berlin.
While Bayer Leverkusen will be keen to build on the win over Hertha Berlin, they will need to be wary of their defensive frailties. Xabi Alonso’s men are without a clean sheet in their last eight matches across all competitions and conceded five goals in the two meetings with Monaco.
Ferencvaros finished top of Group H during the first round of the competition and drew a bye into this round. However, it was not the smoothest campaign for the Hungarians as they only claimed three wins from their six matches.
One of the things that has hampered Ferencvaros in the Europa League is a poor record away from home that stretches all the way back to the earlier rounds. Stanislav Cherchesov's men have suffered three defeats in their last four away matches in the competition and were beaten 1-0 at Trabzonspor in their final group stage fixture.
Ferencvaros have looked decent in the build-up to Thursday’s clash as they are unbeaten in their last nine matches across all competitions. However, three of the last four meetings in that run have ended in draws, including a 1-1 scoreline with Mezokovesd Zsory in a domestic fixture last Friday.
How the bookies view it
Bayer Leverkusen have been installed as overwhelming favourites with a home win priced at 1/3 by William Hill. A victory for Ferencvaros is valued at 9/1 by Unibet while a draw is set at odds of 4/1 by Paddy Power.
Head to head
Bayer Leverkusen and Ferencvaros met during the group stage of the 2021-22 Europa League with each team winning the home leg. The Germans claimed a 2-1 victory at home before suffering a 1-0 defeat in Hungary.
Players to watch
Moussa Diaby often carries the attacking threat for Bayer Leverkusen and was on target in the home leg against Monaco. The forward has also found the net three times in the last five matches across all competitions and is priced at 29/20 by Unibet to get on the score sheet on Thursday.
Adama Traore has been the man in form for Ferencvaros, scoring in two of their last three matches across all competitions. The attacker could be worth keeping an eye on to score anytime at 9/2 with Unibet.
Anything else catch the eye?
Bayer Leverkusen have seen over 3.5 goals in five of their last six matches across all competitions and could be set for a repeat at 13/8 with BetVictor. Over 2.5 goals is valued at 4/6 with bet365 while both teams could be backed to score at evens with William Hill.
Given the minimal odds for a straight Bayer Leverkusen victory, a win and over 3.5 goals can be considered at 21/10 at 10bet.
This UEFA Europa League match between Bayer Leverkusen and Ferencvaros will be played on Mar 9, 2023 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.
