Bayer Leverkusen will face off against Borussia Monchengladbach at the BayArena on Saturday evening as they aim to solidify their position at the top of the Bundesliga table.
The Foals will be seeking revenge after suffering a 3-0 defeat at home to Leverkusen earlier in the season.
Match Preview
Bayer Leverkusen secured their 15th Bundesliga win of the campaign with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over RB Leipzig. They continue their unbeaten run and remain at the top of the table.
Leverkusen had to come from behind twice in the second half before Piero Hincapie scored a dramatic 91st-minute winner.
This followed their previous win against Augsburg, where Exequiel Palacios netted the winning goal in stoppage time.
Xabi Alonso’s team now holds a four-point lead at the top of the table, but they need to focus on their upcoming Bundesliga matches before facing reigning champions Bayern Munich.
Leverkusen is the only team in Europe’s top five leagues that has not suffered a single loss this season. With an impressive 48 points from 18 games, they are on track for a tremendous season.
In their recent encounters, Leverkusen has dominated Monchengladbach, winning seven out of their last eight Bundesliga meetings. However, they did settle for a 2-2 draw in their most recent home game against them.
After starting the year with a 3-1 victory over Stuttgart, Borussia Monchengladbach suffered a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Augsburg. They will look to bounce back in this important clash.
Monchengladbach currently sits at 12th place in the Bundesliga table, having won five, drawn five, and lost eight of their first 18 games. They are nine points clear of relegation and eight points behind the top six.
Although they have been scoring goals away from home, Monchengladbach has struggled on the road. They have only won one of their last 16 Bundesliga away matches and remain winless in their last five.
A loss on Saturday would see them suffer four consecutive away defeats for the first time since the 2017-18 season.
Bayer Leverkusen Bundesliga form:
- D
- D
- W
- W
- W
- W
Bayer Leverkusen form (all competitions):
- D
- W
- W
- W
- W
- W
Borussia Monchengladbach Bundesliga form:
- W
- L
- D
- L
- W
- L
Borussia Monchengladbach form (all competitions):
- W
- L
- D
- L
- W
- L
Team News
Bayer Leverkusen will be missing Palacios due to a groin injury, while Boniface and Arthur are also sidelined. Frimpong, who sustained a heavy blow to his thigh, is not seriously injured.
Edmond Tapsoba, Odilon Kossounou, Amine Adli, and Jonathan Tah are all unavailable for various reasons.
Borja Iglesias may make his debut for Leverkusen, but Schick is expected to lead the attacking line. Wirtz and Hofmann will provide support in the final third.
For Monchengladbach, Cvancara, Omlin, and Ullrich are ruled out due to injuries. Itakura is away on international duty, while Reitz and Wober are doubtful. Stefan Lainer could feature after recovering from lymphoma cancer treatment.
Alassane Plea and Siebatcheu will be looking to score goals for Monchengladbach.
Possible Starting Lineups
Bayer Leverkusen: (3-4-2-1)
Hradecky;
Stanisic, Andrich, Hincapie;
Frimpong, Xhaka, Puerta, Grimaldo;
Hofmann, Wirtz;
Schick
Borussia Monchengladbach: (4-4-2)
Nicolas;
Scally, Friedrich, Elvedi, Netz;
Honorat, Weigl, Kone, Hack;
Siebatcheu, Plea
Prediction: Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 Borussia Monchengladbach
Leverkusen enters the match as favorites, hoping to continue their positive momentum without relying on last-minute heroics.
Monchengladbach’s inconsistent form and poor record against Leverkusen make it likely that the hosts will secure a comfortable victory and complete a double over their Rhine rivals.