Kaiserslautern vs Bayer Leverkusen
, KO: 19:00 May 25, 2024, Olympiastadion Berlin
FOLLOWING the disappointment in the Europa League final, Bayer Leverkusen will be looking to bounce back as they battle Kaiserslautern in the DFB Pokal final. Leverkusen have too much quality for the second tier side and should take out all their Europa League frustration on their rivals.
Kaiserslautern did not have a good season in the 2 Bundesliga as they finished in the bottom half of the standings. However, the DFB Pokal served as a welcome distraction and they claimed a 2-0 victory over Saarbrucken I’m the semi-final.
Despite not doing too much giant killing on their way to the final, Kaiserslautern will still be feeling confident ahead of Saturday’s clash. Freidhelm Funkel’s men are unbeaten in four of their last five matches and ended their season with a 5-0 victory over Eintracht Braunschweiger.
Bayer Leverkusen picked the wrong time to suffer their first defeat of the season as they were beaten 3-0 by Atalanta in the Europa League final. Having built a reputation as the comeback kings this season, the clash in Dublin proved to be a bridge too far.
The task for Bayer Leverkusen now will be to rouse themselves up to complete the domestic double on Saturday. Xabi Alonso’s men have been comfortable throughout the DFB Pokal and claimed a 4-0 victory over Fortuna Dusseldorf in the semi-final.
How the bookies view it: Leverkusen all the way
Bayer Leverkusen have been installed as overwhelming favourites and are priced at 1/7 by bet365 to claim the win. A victory for Kaiserslautern is valued at 16/1 while a draw is set at odds of 13/2.
Recent head to head: Leverkusen with the advantage
Bayer Leverkusen have claimed five wins and one draw from seven previous matches against Kaiserslautern. The most recent meeting between both teams was a DFB Pokal clash in 2015 which ended 2-0 after extra-time in favour of Leverkusen.
Players to watch: Boniface gets some joy
Victor Boniface ended the Bundesliga season on a positive note, scoring in the final three fixtures. The striker will be the one to watch and is priced at 8/15 by bet365 to score anytime on Saturday.
Marlon Ritter was one of the standout players for Kaiserslautern this season and has been in particularly good form in recent weeks. The forward has five goals in his last five matches and is priced at 9/1 by bet365 to find the net.
Probable line-ups
Kaiserslautern do not have any new injuries and may stick to the team that featured in their final fixture of the season.
Victor Boniface could return to the starting line-up for Bayer Leverkusen having come off the bench in the Europa League final.
Kaiserslautern: Krahl, Kraus, Toure, Tomiak, Puchasz, Raschl, Kaloč, Ronstadt, Redondo, Hanslik, Ritter
Bayer Leverkusen: Kovar, Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie, Stanisic, Xhaka, Palacios, Grimaldo, Frimpong, Wirtz, Boniface
Anything else catch the eye?
Kaiserslautern and Bayer Leverkusen have been unconvincing at the back lately and given the quality in attack, both teams could be backed to score at 21/20 by bet365. Leverkusen are likely to be comfortable and could be backed in the -2 handicap market at 11/10 with bet365.
Bayer Leverkusen are priced at minimal odds for a straight victory, so a win and both teams to score could be considered at 7/4 with bet365. Leverkusen have won both halves in three of their five DFB Pokal matches and could be set for a similar pattern at evens with bet365.
This match between Kaiserslautern and Bayer Leverkusen will be played on May 25, 2024 and kick off at 19:00. Check below for our tipsters best Kaiserslautern vs Bayer Leverkusen prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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