Another week, another clash between Bayer Leverkusen and Olympiacos, but for the first time in Germany, as the teams collide in the second leg of their UCL playoff.
Kasper Hjulmand clearly manages his team with the Champions League in mind, as he made five major changes against Union Berlin during the weekend, leading to Leverkusen’s defeat. It was the team’s first since mid-January (W6, D1).
However, after a confident 2-0 away last week, Die Werkself can feel confident ahead of the rematch. As for Olympiacos, they were unable to repeat the success from the League Phase, and now have to do it all in Germany.
History will be made if Olympiacos beat Leverkusen away, as it would be the first time they have won three away in a row in the UCL. Although unlikely, this result is in the cards, especially after the Red-Whites beat Ajax on the road.
But historically, Olympiacos have struggled when playing in Germany, despite boasting a positive record against Bayer Leverkusen in particular.
How the bookies view it: Leverkusen to move on
Bookmakers no longer believe in Olympiacos’ chances, and Die Werkself are in the position as favourites for the first time in three fixtures this season.
You can currently back Bayer Leverkusen at 3/4, while Olympiacos have been priced at 16/5. Alternatively, you can back the draw at 3/1, although it seems highly unlikely after the first two encounters.
Recent head-to-head: A win each this season
As you may know, Olympiacos hosted Bayer Leverkusen twice at home within the last month. In the first match, they won 2-0, but mainly due to the visitors' mistakes and their poor performance in the final third.
The second match last week was the complete opposite. Olympiacos had several chances but only one shot on target, while Bayer Leverkusen were well organized and patiently waited for their chances to score two goals.
Players to watch: Another Grimaldo-Schick link-up
Leave it to Alejandro Grimaldo and Patrik Schick to link up and watch how Bayer Leverkusen win. We’ve seen them produce wonders for years now, and it happened again in the reverse fixture last week.
Schick scored a brace, and Grimaldo assisted one of the goals. Both will be in action again, and both are good options for betting. Grimaldo is always a good option for both goals and assists, but Schick played only 30 minutes against Union Berlin and should be more fit to play at his maximum.
Backed a player to find the net? Check our Goalscorer Betting guide to see how the markets work and where to find value.
Probable line-ups
Bayer Leverkusen: Blaswich, Tapsoba, Quansah, Augusto, Vazquez, Garcia, Palacios, Grimaldo, Andrich, Poku, Schick
Olympiacos: Tzolakis, Retsos, Biancone, Ortega, Onyemaechi, Hezze, Chiquinho, Garcia, Mouzakitis, Taremi, Martins
Anything else catch the eye?
After last week’s clash and Leverkusen’s overall home form, we don’t expect them to leave any chances to the visitors. The loss to Union is not that significant because the team was completely changed.
If you watched the match, you probably know how much pressure they put on in the last 20 minutes and that the equalizer was just minutes away, but their time ran out. Bayer Leverkusen are absolutely in form, and especially at home, where they won four in a row without conceding a goal.
GambleAware