BAYER LEVERKUSEN have picked up where they left off before the Bundesliga shutdown and will be ready to keep their foot on the accelerator when they host Wolfsburg.
Peter Bosz's men were one of Europe's form sides when the game went into lockdown and faced a tough test when action resumed, with road trips to Werder Bremen and high-flying Borussia Monchengladbach.
But they strolled through both games, winning 4-1 and 3-1 respectively, to keep their dream of a surprise push for the title alive by staying eight points off the summit.
With leaders Bayern Munich and second-placed Dortmund facing off as Leverkusen host Wolfsburg, Bosz's men will be out to take advantage of any points spilled by their rivals.
I tipped Leverkusen to win their first game back at struggling Bremen and they duly delivered but the subsequent victory over Monchengladbach was a bigger statement of intent.
After such an impressive display it's hard to see them slipping up against a Wolfsburg side who crashed 2-0 at home to Dortmund at the weekend.
I fancied Dortmund to win that match and cashed in by backing them to score in both halves. Wolfsburg weren't helped by a red card to Felix Klaus but that came late on when they were already 2-0 down.
Wolfsburg have plenty to play for as they bid to hold on to a Europa League slot, with Freiburg just two points behind them, but I can't see them beating this Leverkusen side.
How the bookies view it
It's no surprise to see Leverkusen as odds-on favourites but 3/4 is still a decent price at Betfred and I'll be having a nibble. A Leverkusen win with both teams scoring has come up in four of their last five games so try a bet on that to increase your odds to 21/10 with Bet365.
Wolfsburg are 10/3 outsiders with most firms while the draw is a best 16/5 with BetVictor.
Recent head to head
Leverkusen have won their last two matches against Wolfsburg without conceding but both of those came away from home. Their record in this fixture at the BayArena has been patchy of late, with two draws and a defeat in the last three years.
When these teams faced off in Wolfsburg earlier in the campaign it ended 2-0 to Bayer but the clinching goal from Paulinho didn't come until the last minute.
Wolfsburg came from behind to claim an impressive 3-1 win on their visit to Leverkusen last season. Armchair fans will be hoping for a repeat of their incredible 5-4 win at the BayArena in 2015 (below), with Bas Dost scoring four for Wolfsburg that day.
Players to watch
I flagged up Kai Havertz as the Leverkusen dangerman for their trip to Bremen and the wonderkid has been in fine form since the lockdown, netting four goals in two games.
He has been playing as a false nine and taking the penalties so I thought Havertz might be odds-on for a goal here. However, he's 23/20 with Ladbrokes and that looks a good bet while William Hill offer a boosted 5/1 on him breaking the deadlock.
With the quick turnaround in games, both bosses might make some changes. But I'd expect Wolfsburg to start with top gun Wout Weghorst after he returned from suspension against Dortmund. The Dutchman is 7/4 with Paddy Power for a goal and looks his side's best bet for a goal.
Anything else catch the eye?
Wolfsburg stuck the boot in at the weekend, copping four yellows and a red, so I'm drawn to the 10/11 William Hill offer on them having at least one card in each half.
The same firm offer 6/5 on a header being scored and I will also be having a flutter on that.
This German Bundesliga match between Bayer Leverkusen and Wolfsburg will be played on May 26, 2020 and kick off at 19:30. Check below for our tipsters best Bayer Leverkusen vs Wolfsburg prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
