German Bundesliga - Bayer Leverkusen vs. Wolfsburg - Preview & Prediction
Refusing to give up on their title hopes this season, 4th-placed Bayer Leverkusen will try to snatch all three points while hosting 6th-placed Wolfsburg, who just ended a seven-game point streak. Kick-off - at 14:30 PM ET on Tuesday, May 26.
Bayer Move To 4th Place
Bayer Leverkusen took the opportunity to overcome their top-four rivals Borussia Monchengladbach in the standings of the Bundesliga after beating Gladbach 3-1 at Borussia-Park on Saturday. Playing as a striker for the third consecutive game in the absence of injured Kevin Volland, playmaker Kai Havertz netted a double for the second consecutive game, improving to five markers in his last three league starts. Sven Bender also scored for Bayer, who has moved to the 4th place of the Bundesliga (W16 D5 L6), one point ahead of Borussia Monchengladbach, trailing RB Leipzig (3rd), Borussia Dortmund (2nd) and Bayern Munich (1st) by one, four and eight points respectively.
Havertz has now overtaken Volland, who banked nine snipes in 22 appearances this year before his injury, for the top-scorers spot, having netted 10 goals in 24 starts, amassing nine markers and six assists in his last 10 competitive games in all competitions. Goalie Lukas Hradecky, meanwhile, sits 6th in the Bundesliga with 80 saves, having also picked up eight clean sheets in 27 starts this year. Bayer Leverkusen are 5th in most goals scored (52), 3rd in most shots taken (15.4 per game), 2nd in ball possession (59.6%), and 3rd in passing accuracy (84.8%).
Wolfsburg Get Beat By Dortmund
A seven-game unbeaten run (W4 D3) came to an end for Wolfsburg, who lost in the Bundesliga for the first time since a 2-1 home defeat to Hertha Berlin on Jan. 25 after dropping a 2-0 decision against Borussia Dortmund at Volkswagen Arena on Saturday. The Wolves outshot the visitors 7-6 but managed just one shot on target courtesy of Renato Steffen, who also hit the crossbar at the start of the second half when BVB were already leading 1-0 through a 32nd-minute strike. Wolfsburg remain 6th in the league with a W10 D9 L8 record, just two points ahead of Freiburg and Schalke 04.
Dutch striker Wout Weghorst returned to Wolfsburg’s starting lineup on Saturday after sitting out one fixture due to suspension. He leads the team with 11 snipes despite having netted just one marker in his last four league outings since banking a hat trick in a 3-2 victory versus Hoffenheim on Feb. 15. Goalie Koen Casteels, meanwhile, occupies the 15th position in the Bundesliga with 57 shots saved, having recorded four clean sheets in 19 appearances. Wolfsburg are 10th in most goals netted (36), 6th in most shots registered (13.7 per game), 8th in ball possession (49.2%) and 14th in passing accuracy (75.9%).
Prediction
Currently riding a seven-game point run (W6 D1), Bayer Leverkusen is in the position of extending their ongoing winning streak to four fixtures. Especially on their own turf, where they have triumphed in their last four domestic league games, earning three clean sheets along the way. Wolfsburg have managed to garner just one triumph in their last eight encounters with Die Werkself (W1 D2 L5) and are just W2 D5 L7 on their previous 14 trips to Leverkusen, where the hosts have only lost on four occasions so far this season in all competitions (W12 D4 L4). The Wolves have, however, seen both teams on the scoresheet in seven of their past 10 Bundesliga outings, with 22 of the last 27 fixtures in this series also finishing with both sides scoring at least a goal.
Best bets:
Bayer Leverkusen to win (-135)
Both teams to score (-180)
Kai Havertz to score anytime (+120)
