With four wins in five games, Bayer Leverkusen are back in the Top 4 race and struggling Wolfsburg will need a miracle to stop their momentum. The three points could send Die Werkself as high as second in the Bundesliga table, while Wolfsburg may find themselves in the drop zone.
Last season’s struggles extended to the new campaign and Wolfsburg sit just a point clear of the relegation zone after 10 rounds. The Wolves managed to win only two of their matches and lost four of the last five.
More importantly, their last home win dates back to January, leaving them winless in their last 14 home matches. Their eight-point tally is the team’s worst ever after 10 rounds in a Bundesliga campaign, and their future is in the hands of interim manager Daniel Bauer.
Bayer Leverkusen have improved immensely under Kasper Hjulmand, winning six of his first eight Bundesliga games in charge. The only negative has been their defensive performance away from home, as Die Werkself conceded an average of 2.5 goals in their four games on the road.
How the bookies view it: Leverkusen to continue the good work
Bookmakers expect a tough clash but gave Bayer Leverkusen a considerable betting advantage. You can currently back Wolfsburg at 5/2, while Leverkusen are available at 1/1. Alternatively, you can also pick the draw at 14/5.
Recent head-to-head: Die Werkself have made the Volkswagen Arena their second home
Wolfsburg haven’t had a reason to celebrate after a Bayer Leverkusen H2H in years. Die Werkself are unbeaten in the last seven encounters, winning four times. Perhaps the more striking stat is the fact that the Wolves haven’t beaten Leverkusen at home in a decade.
Their last home win goes back to 2015, and they lost six of the nine home H2Hs since then (D3).
Players to watch: Schick to score his first against Wolfsburg
Patrik Schick finally showed his real potential in the final games before the break, scoring the winner against Benfica before his brace against Heidenheim. The striker had a slow start to the season and went through a muscle injury, so it is great that he is finding his form again.
He has actually never scored against Wolfsburg in his six seasons with Leverkusen, so what better time than now, when the Wolves are struggling defensively.
Probable line-ups
Wolfsburg: Grabara, Zehnter, Koulierakis, Vavro, Kumbedi, Arnold, Eriksen, Souza, Svanberg, Wind, Wimmer
Bayer Leverkusen: Flekken, apsoba, Bade, Quansah, Arthur, Maza, Andrich, Garcia, Poku, Tillman, Schick
Anything else catch the eye?
No team has given away more corners to opponents than Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga. They give away an average of 8.00 corners per match, so looking into the corner markets could be a profitable decision.
Other than that, we have to back Leverkusen to beat Wolfsburg again here, and we expect at least a couple of goals from the visitors. Die Werkself scored 2+ goals in six out of eight competitive away games this season and they are the 2nd highest-scoring team in the Bundesliga.
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