Prediction: Bayer Leverkusen vs Wolfsburg

Verdict: Home win

Best odds: 8/11

Bookmaker: William Hill

Bayer Leverkusen will welcome Wolfsburg to the BayArena on Tuesday evening fir what will be the 28th game of the 2019/20 Bundesliga season for both teams.

Bayer Leverkusen

Peter Bosz’s team have shown a very good form since the restart of the German top flight after a two-month break due the Covid-19 pandemic, having recorded away victories over Werder Bremen and Borussia Monchengladbach in which they scored no less than seven times. Those results will certainly have them looking forward to this game in high spirits. Overall, they’ve won five of their last six league matches.

The triumph at the Borussia-Park on Saturday has seen them overtake the hosts in that game in the top-four race, taking them a step closer to a place in the next season’s Champions League. They are now in fourth place with 53 points to their name, but their work is still far from being done. Gladbach trail by a single point, while RB Leipzig in third are ahead by as much. Further up, it’s Borussia Dortmund with 57, the only team with a reasonable chance of snatching the title from Bayern Munich, who have 61. The two top teams take each other on at the Signal Iduna Park only a few hours before this game, and that contest could settle much, especially if the Bavarians walk away with a win.

Team News

In-demand attacker Kai Havertz was the star of the show in Leverkusen’s previous two matches, and Bosz is likely to keep the 20-year-old leading the line upfront. However, some changes to the line-up are to be expected, given that this match comes only three days after the Gladbach trip.

Midfielder Lars Bender and forward Kevin Volland are out with injuries, and it remains to be seen if defender Jonathan Tah returns to action after a back problem.

Wolfsburg

On a slightly lower scale, Wolfsburg are in a similar situation. They will be doing whatever they can to keep hold of their current position in the table (sixth, 39 points), which leads to the Europa League next season. Their predicament is, perhaps a bit more difficult given that there are a number of teams looking to snatch it from them. Freiburg and Schalke 04 are just behind with 37 points, Hoffenheim are on 36, while FC Koln and Hertha Berlin have 34, and there are still seven rounds to be played. Anything can happen.

Wolfsburg’s form hasn’t been too bad either, though they lost their game on Saturday at home against Dortmund. Before that they beat Augsburg away. Their last six results comprise of three wins, two draws, and the Dortmund defeat.

Team News

Head coach Oliver Glasner will have to find a way to deal with a number of players missing from his team. Midfielder Felix Klaus earned a red card against Dortmund and is therefore suspended. Forward Mamoudou Karamoko, and midfielders Yannick Gerhardt and Joshua Guilavogui are all unavailable through injury.

Wout Weghorst, the team’s top scorer with 15 strikes in all competitions this season, should be Wolfsburg’s main attacking threat again.

Conclusion

Given what we’ve seen from these teams since top-flight football has been back in Germany, it stands to reason to assume a home victory will take place at the BayArena. They will probably look to score early as they did at the Borussia-Park, and then they would be comfortable in defending smartly and likely lethal on the counterattack. It would be a setting that suits Havertz the most, and another masterclass from the youngster is highly probable.

Verdict: Home win

Best odds: 8/11

Bookmaker: William Hill