Bayer Leverkusen, currently leading the Bundesliga standings, will host Hoffenheim, a European contender, at the BayArena on Saturday afternoon. Under the leadership of Xabi Alonso, Leverkusen aims to advance towards securing their inaugural Bundesliga championship. With only five victories remaining, the team seeks to shed the label of ‘Eternal Bridesmaids’ that has long been associated with their previous near misses.
Match preview
A 3-2 victory against a formidable Freiburg team ahead of the international hiatus further extended Bayer Leverkusen’s unprecedented unbeaten streak to 38 matches this season. The triumph also maintained Leverkusen’s 10-point lead over Bayern Munich, solidifying their position as frontrunners for the title, reflected in their odds of 1/33. Notably, no team has ever relinquished such a commanding lead at this juncture in a Bundesliga campaign.
This recent win propelled Leverkusen to a new club record of 22 victories for the season, surpassing Bayern’s tally from their title-winning campaign last year. Comparatively, Pep Guardiola’s Bayern side of the 2013-14 season remains the only team to have accrued more points (74) after 26 matches, in contrast to Leverkusen’s 70.
In Bundesliga history, only Bayern’s squads from the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons have reached the milestone of 90 points in a single top-flight campaign. Leverkusen, while within striking distance of this record, must secure seven wins and a draw in their remaining eight matches to surpass the 91-point benchmark set by Bayern in 2012-13.
Despite the prospect of setting a new points record, the primary focus for Leverkusen supporters remains on clinching the title. Addressing recent home form inconsistencies against Hoffenheim becomes imperative, given Hoffenheim’s past success at BayArena, including notable victories of 3-0 and 4-1 in recent encounters.
Hoffenheim, despite enduring two consecutive defeats prior to the break, remain competitive, positioned just two points shy of seventh place, which promises European qualification contingent upon Leverkusen’s DFB-Pokal victory.
While Hoffenheim traditionally emphasizes offensive prowess over defensive solidity, their recent struggles in conceding goals have hindered their ascent up the league standings. With 22 matches passed since their last clean sheet, Hoffenheim faces a significant defensive challenge that must be addressed to realize their aspirations in the league.
Team News
Exequiel Palacios will be absent from the upcoming match, having missed Argentina’s recent international duties, thereby joining Arthur on the list of unavailable players for Leverkusen. Additionally, the attacking pair of Victor Boniface and Jonas Hofmann are in a race against time to regain fitness for club duty, having been absent from the national squads of Nigeria and Germany, respectively.
On a positive note, Alex Grimaldo is expected to participate in the match. Grimaldo, who scored twice in the previous encounter in November, has now reached double figures in terms of goals for the season, operating as a left wing-back.
However, John Brooks’ expulsion shortly after scoring Hoffenheim’s opening goal in their loss to Eintracht Frankfurt will see him sidelined for another game due to suspension.
In midfield, Dennis Geiger and Grischa Promel are both anticipated to make their return, and Ozan Kabak is available again after serving a suspension. Unfortunately, Mergim Berisha and Marco John are both ruled out with serious knee injuries.
Bayer Leverkusen possible starting lineup:
Hradecky; Stanisic, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Andrich, Xhaka, Grimaldo; Adli, Schick, Wirtz
Hoffenheim possible starting lineup:
Baumann; Kabak, Akpoguma, Nsoki; Kaderabek, Stach, Tohumcu, Jurasek; Kramaric, Bebou, Beier