Ace Football previews the Bundesliga match between Leverkusen and Dortmund, and offers betting tips, odds, line-ups, and team news.
Third meets fourth as Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund lock horns at the BayArena for a Bundesliga clash on Tuesday.
Both sides are level on 29 points from 16 games in the league table, with Leverkusen ahead in third courtesy of a superior goal difference. And with table-toppers Bayern Munich already seven points above, neither one of them can afford to drop points.
Goals are usually never amiss in this fixture. The last time either side failed to score was in a goalless stalemate in January 2015 at the BayArena. There has since been an average of over four goals in the previous 10 meetings, with Dortmund coming out on top on seven occasions (D1 L2). That said, it was Leverkusen who won last time out in a 4-3 thriller.
And with both sides possessing an abundance of attacking talent, along with the need for all three points against a direct rival, another goal-laden affair could be on offer.
Bayer Leverkusen Form & Stats
Cedric Teuchert’s late winner for Union Berlin last week condemned Leverkusen to a third defeat in four league games (D1). They haven’t won since thrashing Cologne 4-0 on December 16, causing them to slip from first to third place. And with Bayern moving seven points ahead in the past month, hopes of a first Bundesliga crown are fading fast.
Peter Bosz’s men need a response now. Not only are their title hopes going up in smoke, but they’re also in danger of slipping out of the top-four in a similar fashion to last season. Only four points, in fact, stand between them and eighth-placed Borussia Monchengladbach.
Piling the pressure on is Leverkusen’s lackluster home record. The hosts have won just three of their seven games at the BayArena this season (D3 L1) and have only beaten Dortmund twice in their last 13 home meetings (D6 L5).
Sven Bender and Karim Bellarabi’s absences won’t help matters. The injured pair are back in training, but they aren’t expected to return for the Dortmund match. Florian Wirtz, meanwhile, is doubtful. However, Charles Aranguiz made his comeback from a muscle injury last week and will be in the squad.
Key Team Stats
- Winless in their last 4 league games (D1 3).
- Won just 3 of their 7 home league games (D3 L1).
- Won just 2 of their last 13 home league games against Borussia Dortmund (D6 L5).
- BTTS in 4 of their last 6 league games.
- Second-best defensive record in the league (16 goals conceded).
- Patrik Schick has scored 4 goals in his last 8 games in all competitions.
Borussia Dortmund Form & Stats
A 1-1 draw with 17th-placed Mainz at Signal Iduna Park last weekend ended Dortmund’s three-match winning run. It cost the club a chance to leapfrog Leverkusen into third in the standings and also saw them lose more ground to league leaders Bayern.
The Black and Yellows have an unfortunate habit of dropping points when it really counts. Inconsistency, especially compared to Bayern, has cost them dearly in recent seasons and was arguably a factor behind Lucien Favre’s dismissal.
Under interim coach Edin Terzic, however, Dortmund have been less conservative than before. They’ve prioritized going forward more, scoring an average of 1.83 goals and conceding just 0.83 goals. It’s still early days, of course. But four wins in only six matches (D1 L1) is a decent start for the Croatian.
Dortmund have also fared well on the road this season, having won five of their eight away games (D1 L2). That, along with an in-form Erling Haaland and Jadon Sancho, should leave them in good stead ahead of a potentially defining moment of their domestic campaign.
Key Team Stats
- Won 4 of their last 6 games in all competitions (D1 L1).
- Won 5 of their 8 away league games (D1 L2).
- Won 7 of their last 10 league games against Bayer Leverkusen (D1 L2).
- Over 2.5 goals scored in their last 3 away league games.
- Scored at least 3 goals in their last 5 league games against Bayer Leverkusen.
- BTTS in 9 of their last 10 league games.
- Erling Haaland has scored 12 goals in only 11 league games.
Team News
Bayer Leverkusen
Out: Exequiel Palacios, Paulinho, Santiago Arias, Mitchell Weiser, Timothy Fosu-Mensah.
Doubts: Karim Bellarabi, Sven Bender, Lucas Alario, Florian Wirtz.
Borussia Dortmund
Out: Thorgan Hazard, Axel Witsel, Dan-Axel Zagadou, Marcel Schmelzer, Emre Can.
Doubts: Giovanni Reyna.
Predicted Line-up
(Note: The image will change to the official XI once they’re both announced)
Top Goalscorers in the Bundesliga
Head-To-Head Record
Below are some head-to-head stats on each team’s recent form in the Bundesliga.
Match Facts
Betting Tips
More Odds
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