Bayer Leverkusen hold a first leg advantage as they travel to Ferencvaros in the second leg of their Europa League round 16 clash. The Hungarians have been out of sorts lately and with Leverkusen impressing on their travels, they should complete the double over the hosts.
Ferencvaros have a major task on their hands after falling to a 2-0 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in the first meeting. They were no match for the Germans and could only manage one attempt on target throughout the contest.
The performance and result highlights Ferencvaros’ poor form in recent weeks as they have claimed just one win in their last five matches across all competitions. Stanislav Cherchesov’s men head into Thursday’s clash off the back of a 2-1 defeat to Puskas in a domestic fixture last Sunday.
The first leg result also means that Ferencvaros have now picked up just one win from their last five Europa League matches. However, they have a good record on home soil in the competition with four wins and a draw in the last five matches.
Bayer Leverkusen were full value for their 2-0 victory in the first meeting with Ferencvaros. They dominated the contest and should have won by more but in the end, efforts from Kerem Demirbay and Edmond Tapsoba proved to be the difference.
The German side followed up that victory with a 3-2 win at Werder Bremen in a Bundesliga fixture on Sunday. Xabi Alonso’s men are now unbeaten in their last five matches across all competitions and are currently on a three match winning run.
Bayer Leverkusen have also travelled well lately and are unbeaten in their last four away matches across all competitions. They have won three times in that run, including a 3-2 victory at Monaco in the previous round of the Europa League.
How the bookies view it
Bayer Leverkusen have the upper hand among the bookies and are priced at evens with William Hill to claim the win. A victory for Ferencvaros is valued at 27/10 by Coral while a draw is set at odds of 27/10 by Paddy Power.
Head to head
Bayer Leverkusen have a 2-1 advantage from three previous matches against Ferencvaros. However, both wins have been in Germany as they suffered a 1-0 defeat on their last visit to the Puskas Arena back in 2021.
Players to watch
Moussa Diaby often carries the attacking threat for Bayer Leverkusen and could be the one to watch on Thursday. The attacker was on target against Monaco in the previous round and is priced at 43/20 by Unibet to get on the score sheet.
Adama Traore has 14 goals across all competitions this season and will be the one to watch for Ferencvaros. The attacker has also found the net in two of the last three home matches and is priced at 23/10 by Unibet to score anytime.
Anything else catch the eye?
Bayer Leverkusen have seen over 3.5 goals in three of thier last four away matches and could be set for a repeat at 2/1 with bet365. Over 2.5 goals can also be considered at 4/5 with William Hill, who are also offering 7/10 on both teams to score.
Leverkusen have scored in both halves in three of their last four away matches and Thursday’s clash could be tipped to follow a similar pattern at 19/10 with BoyleSports.
This UEFA Europa League match between Ferencvaros and Bayer Leverkusen will be played on Mar 16, 2023 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Ferencvaros vs Bayer Leverkusen prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
