Bundesliga Betting Preview: Bayern face tough test at Leverkusen

German Football / Razhan Miran / 29 November 2008 / Leave a Comment

Six wins out of seven have catapulted Jurgen Klinsmann's men up the table but their clash with Bayer Leverkusen is a tough one to call, says Razhan Miran.

A win over Koln took Hertha Berlin to second place on Friday night, displacing both Leverkusen and Bayern Munich. And with the two Bundesliga giants going head to head this Saturday at the Bay Arena, Hertha are set to remain in at least third, after a fantastic run of form which has seen them win the last four in a row.

Leverkusen will have been disappointed by last weekend's slip up at Bielefeld, and will be desperate for Bayern's scalp in a must win game for both sides. Bar Hertha, who fortuitously took all three points at the Bay Arena with a last minute strike from Andrei Voronin, all other fellow contenders have left Leverkusen empty handed.

It will certainly be a tough test for Bayern, who are brimming with confidence, after qualifying for the latter stages of the Champions League midweek, and a run of six wins out of seven which has catapulted them up the table.

History suggests this is a close one to call, with the last fifteen meetings at the Bay Arena seeing seven wins a piece and a single draw. Bayern have won the last three however, but they will be well aware this is the best side Leverkusen have had since the great 2002 team that got to the Champions League final.

As for team news, Bayer welcome back Gonzalo Castro, who was missed last weekend, but have lost Sascha Dum to suspension after he saw red against Bielefled. Bayern, however, have greater injury concerns, and will be without Martin Demichelis, Mark Van Bommel and Lukas Podolski.

At a glance, Leverkusen seem quite big, and at [2.96] are worth a back, simply because of the price, which will no doubt shorten by kick-off. However, this game could remain deadlocked after 90 minutes, so a clever bet would be to keep the draw on your side.
Leverkusen +0&+0.5 in the Asian Handicap seems a great bet at [1.8] which is where my money is going. The Correct Score [2-1] also seems a tasty back at [12.0].

Dortmund face Wolfsburg at the Westfalonstadion on Sunday, and with both sides playing well at the minute, it should be a fiercely contested affair. In contrast to their superb home form, Wolfsburg are without an away win in seven attempts, although their last ditch victory away at Sporting Braga in the UEFA Cup could single an end to their on the road woes.

Both Nelson Valdez and Sebastian Kehl are likely to make the squad for Dortmund after recent injuries, whilst Felix Magath has almost a full strength side to choose from.

Dortmund are too short in the Match Odds, and could be worth a lay at [2.26], although I don't suggest doing so on current form. The Dortmund -0%-0.5 in the Asian Handicap seems great value at [1.96], as it will also minimise your losses on the draw, which is what Wolfsburg will play for. Wolfsburg have been hopeless defensively on their travels, which is the reason behind their failure to secure many points away, and with the Dortmund frontline all trying to impress Jurgen Klopp and cement their place in the first team, the Over 2.5 Goals at [1.65], should come through without issue.

Other than that, Monchengladback are a nice price at [1.92] at home to struggling Cottbus. Hamburg's awful away form is likely to continue at Bochum, and at [2.36] are a value lay. The other big Sunday game, between Stuttgart and Schalke, is likely to be a cagey affair, so back the Under 2.5 Goals at [2.0].