Both Bayer Leverkusen and PSV Eindhoven had to deal with negative blows in the opening round, making their first clash in 31 years even more exciting. Which side will bounce back on Wednesday?
This is no longer the Bayer Leverkusen that won the German double a year ago, but Kasper Hjulmand’s positive start as the new coach has lifted the confidence and improved the calmness in the squad. There is much work to be done and Die Werkself have serious defensive problems, but their performances have only been improving since early September, and the recent 2-1 away win at St Pauli was much needed. But that doesn’t change the fact that Leverkusen have not kept a clean sheet in the Bundesliga this season or in the last six games.
PSV are in a similar situation, although their performances have generally been better. On a good day, they are unstoppable, but on a bad day, you can never know what’s possible. Their back-to-back home defeats to Telstar and Royal Union SG exposed some serious issues in the back. But we can also name some positives – the Peasants travel to Germany with a remarkable away streak of eight consecutive wins across all competitions.
How the bookies view it: A German triumph
Bookmakers feel confident that Die Werkself can extend their streak against Dutch sides and give them 17/20 to win on Wednesday. Meanwhile PSV’s odds mirror those for the draw, as both options are available at 29/10.
Recent head-to-head: They meet again after 31 years
This will not be the first clash between Bayer Leverkusen and PSV, but it will be the first one in 30+ years. While playing in the German elite is prestigious, Die Werkself can also boast a six-game unbeaten streak with Dutch opponents.
Players to watch: Grimaldo was born to be a striker
Alejandro Grimaldo reminded us of himself once more during the weekend when he assisted for the winner against St Pauli. Ever since the championship season, the Spaniard has been one of Leverkusen’s secret weapons, hiding all the way back in defence, but always getting involved in the final third. Since the start of the season, the defender has scored four goals and assisted another two, primarily due to his trademark free-kicks.
Probable line-ups
Bayer Leverkusen: Flekken, Quansah, Bade, Tapsoba, Tape-Kobrissa, Garcia, Fernandez, Grimaldo, Tilman, Ben Seghir, Kofane
PSV Eindhoven: Kovar, Junior, Flamingo, Gasiorowski, Obispo, Schouten, Saibari, Veerman, Wanner, Til, Perisic
Anything else catch the eye?
We’ve seen fewer clean sheets for either side than wins, which means we can expect guaranteed action on both ends on Wednesday. Both sides have conceded at least once in each of their last six matches, while they also had Over 2.5 goals in 5/6 each.
Leverkusen’s transition has not been easy or consistently positive, but the last few matches saw multiple new signings take part in the action, and we liked what we saw against St Pauli. The odds are a bit low but we have to agree and back the hosts to win on Wednesday, but not without PSV scoring at least once.
GambleAware