Prediction: Bochum vs Bayer Leverkusen

Verdict: Leverkusen wins & BTTS

 Best odds: 2.82

Bookmaker: ZetBet

Bayer Leverkusen continue their invincibility march with another ticky test at Bochum. While the visitors impressed this term breaking all the European and domestic records, the hosts are not yet out of the relegation danger. The game will be played at Vonovia Ruhrstadion in front of 25, 000 fans hopping for their favourites to secure Bundesliga football in the next term before the final whistle. 

Bochum

The hosts struggled this term with several unsuccessful managerial changes leaving the team in a hot spot with three games before the season’s end. A poor run of eight games without a win (D2L6) have the hosts in hot waters, following dread performances in which Bochum conceded 19 goals proving once more the high level of Bundesliga to which many teams failed to adapt.

However, appointing Heiko Butscher as the new coach was a wise move as the new boss knows the club and the players well having had a spell as the under-19 manager at the club. Despite having a slow start with a home stalemate against Heidenheim and a narrow defeat (1-0) at Wolfsburg, the defensive improvement was obvious for the hosts who conceded just a pair of goals in these games.

Also, Heiko Butscher tuned the attacking play in the following games by pulling off two shocking wins that propelled them out of the relegation area. Winning at home against Hoffenheim (3-2) was no coincidence as Bochum shocked Berlin in the next game with a masterclass performance against Union (3-4 final score). The two incredible achievements made Bochum’s fans dream of continuing their Bundesliga season for at least another year.

However, the hosts will be put to their most difficult test by facing one of the best European teams at the moment. With confidence at an all-time high in the host’s camp, Bochum aims to build on the last results and end Leverkusen’s invincibility.

Team News

Heiko Butscher will be without five players who are out for the remainder of the season. Despite this setback, the young manager coach has proved capable of shaping a competitive lineup regardless of the players he has available. Maximillian Wittek impressed at Union Berlin with a strong performance having his name written twice on the scoreboard, a feat he will try to replicate against Leverkusen.

Bayer Leverkusen

Xabi Alonso is making history with Bayer Leverkusen with top-class performances that led tohim breaking all domestic and European records. Winning the Bundesliga title with many games to spare, Leverkusen are on the course of achieving a historic treble after qualifying for the German Cup and Europa League finals.

Despite dodging two bullets in the Bundesliga where Dortmund and Stuttgart were very close to defeating the Black&Reds, Leverkusen miraculously maintained their invincibility record with stoppage time goals in both games. This scenario repeated Thursday in the Europa League when AS Roma once more tested Leverkusen’s invincibility.

Taking the lead just before halftime with a penalty scored by Paredes, AS Roma shocked BayArena by increasing their lead with Leandro Paredes scoring his second goal from the penalty mark. However, Xabi Alonso’s team’s fighting spirit resurfaced again with another miraculous 97th-minute comeback that kept Leverkusen’s invincibility (2-2 final score).

This result made history by breaking the 59-year-old Benfica’s record for the longest unbeaten run in European football a performance that can further be improved by Xabi Alonso’s side by the end of this term. Despite riding a high wave, the visitors should be aware of Bochum’s ability to score and the recent h2h record favouring the hosts (W2D1).

Team News

Bayer Leverkusen should be a case study for the medical staff of any other team. It is amazing how despite the long season with many difficult battles across multiple competitions Xabi Alonso has a full-fit squad at this stage with four games remaining by the end of this term. Although we can expect to see new players against Bochum, Bayer Leverkusen has proven capable of getting the job done regardless of the lineup.

Key factors to consider

• Bochum impressed in the last two games winning against Hoffenheim and away at Union Berlin
• The hosts scored seven goals in the last two Bundesliga fixtures
• Bayer Leverkusen is breaking all the records this term both domestically and in Europe
• The visitors are the new Bundesliga champions being also qualified in the German Cup final and Europa League last showdown against Atalanta

Conclusion

Bayer Leverkusen is expected to extend their invincibility with a win against Bochum. However, as the hosts proved capable of scoring goals against difficult opponents, a win for the visitors with both teams scoring is the most plausible outcome.

Verdict: Leverkusen wins & BTTS

 Best odds: 2.82

Bookmaker: ZetBet