Bayer Leverkusen will put their unbeaten record on the line as they travel to Qarabag for their Europa League round of 16 first leg clash. Leverkusen have been imperious throughout the season and should have the upper hand over Qarabag.
Having dropped from the Champions League, Qarabag overcame Sporting Braga 6-5 on aggregate in the playoffs to secure a place in Thursday’s clash. They claimed a 4-2 victory in the first meeting before suffering a 3-2 home defeat in the second leg.
The Azerbaijanis have looked sharp since confirming their qualification and head into Thursday’s clash with three straight wins. They warmed up for the visit of Bayer Leverkusen with a 4-1 victory at Neftchi Baku in a domestic fixture last weekend.
One surprising aspect of Qarabag’s recent showings is that they have not been particularly convincing at home, as evidenced by the defeat to Braga. Qurban Qurbanov’s men have picked up just one win from their last four matches in front of their fans.
Bayer Leverkusen breezed through the Europa League group stage and qualified for the round of 16 as the only team with a 100% record. They met Qarabag during the group phase and did the double over the Azerbaijani side.
The Germans appear to be going from strength to strength as the season progresses and are yet to taste defeat across all competitions so far. Xabi Alonso’s men have won their last six matches across all competitions and travel to the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium off the back of a 2-0 victory at Cologne in a Bundesliga fixture.
The victory at Cologne also highlights a solid away record for Bayer Leverkusen, who have won their last five away matches. They are often solid at the back and have kept three clean sheets in that run.
How the bookies view it
The bookies have installed Bayer Leverkusen as overwhelming favourites with a win priced at 4/11 by bet365. Qarabaq are considered outsiders at 8/1 with Paddy Power while 10bet is offering odds of 17/4 for a draw.
Head to head
There have been only two previous matches between Qarabag and Bayer Leverkusen with the Germans doing the double during the group stage. Leverkusen claimed a 5-1 victory in the first meeting at home before earning a 1-0 win in the reverse fixture.
Players to watch
Alex Grimaldo scored twice against Qarabag during the group stage and with two goals in his last four matches, could be the one to watch for Leverkusen at 10/3 with bet365. Florian Wirtz is often involved in their attacking moves and could also be considered in the same market at 3/1 with bet365.
Bayer Leverkusen have also impressed at the back, earning shutouts in three of their last five away matches. Jonathan Tah and Piero Hincapie often feature in defence and can lead the team to another clean sheet at 20/21 with BoyleSports.
Anything else catch the eye?
Bayer Leverkusen earned a win to nil on their last visit to Qarabag and could be set for a repeat at 6/5 with BoyleSports. Given the number of one-sided results for Leverkusen this season, they could be backed in the -1 handicap market at evens with Betfred.
The Germans have scored in both halves and could be set for a similar pattern at 6/5 with William Hill.
This UEFA Europa League match between FK Qarabag and Bayer Leverkusen will be played on Mar 7, 2024 and kick off at 17:45. Check below for our tipsters best FK Qarabag vs Bayer Leverkusen prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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