Do Bochum also topple the Werkself?
We have three Bundesliga games to look forward to this coming Sunday. Bochum and Leverkusen kick off at 15:30. According to the odds, there are many indications that the guests from the Rhineland will leave the pitch as winners. For an away win, quotes in the range of a 1.80 are offered.
Nevertheless, there are other factors to consider before the clash between the two clubs from the west of the republic. Among other things, the home strength of VfL, who have already beaten FC Bayern in front of their own fans and also snatched a point from Borussia Dortmund. Against this backdrop, the task will not be a foregone conclusion from the visitors’ point of view. On the contrary, there is the potential for a surprise in the air.
Although the qualitative advantages are certainly on the side of coach Gerardo Seoane’s team, Leverkusen have already lost out this season, especially against teams against whom one would not necessarily have expected it. At first glance, the aspects that support a prediction of a double chance 1X in the Bochum vs. Leverkusen clash are therefore piling up. Will the Werkself even have to fear for a fixed place in the CL in the end?
Bochum – Statistics & current form
For the first time since the scandalous beer mug throwing around three weeks ago, VfL Bochum will play a home game again on Sunday afternoon. Once again, a team from the Rhineland is the guest. After the home defeat against Borussia Mönchengladbach (0:2), which has now been counted, the Ruhr team wants to get back on the road to success at home. The endeavour does not seem hopeless, after all, the VfL has never lost two games in a row in front of a home crowd in 2021/22.
The fact that coach Thomas Reis’ team came out of the international break well was also evident in the previous week, when they won 2-1 at Champions League aspirants Hoffenheim, which was primarily due to their very good switching game. Time and again, courageous Bochum players countered TSG’s very dominant performance and ultimately managed 21 shots on goal. Only once before had the Blue and Whites made so many attempts on the opponent’s goal – in the first leg in Leverkusen…
Bochum want to topple the next big one in the Ruhrstadion
Generally, from a playmaking point of view, we are convinced that the matchup should suit the promoted team well. Just like in the home win against Bayer (4:2) or the draw against Dortmund (1:1), the eleventh-placed team in the table, which is currently nine points ahead of the relegation places, can focus on defence and switching play against a Bayer eleven that is geared towards possession. Counter-attacking in their own stadium is one of the great strengths of the surprise team from the west.
Against this analytical backdrop and the fact that since 1979, VfL have only won more home games in the top flight against Eintracht Frankfurt (14) than against their upcoming opponents (eleven), we are therefore anything but averse to betting on the double chance 1X between Bochum and Leverkusen.
The Blue and Whites have only lost four of their 14 home games this season, boast one of the best home defences with only 14 goals conceded and are brimming with confidence after their recent performance. At least a draw is to be expected from the underdogs, especially as the coach can draw on a full complement of players. Even Simon Zoller, who has been injured for a long time, is becoming more and more of an option from the bench and can add an extra dimension to the already fast attack.
Predicted line-up of Bochum:
Riemann – Gamboa, Bella Kotchap, Leitsch, Danilo Soares – Losilla, Stafylidis – Asano, Rexhbecaj, Holtmann – Polter
Last matches played by Bochum:
Bundesliga
04/02 2022 – Hoffenheim 1 – 2 VfL Bochum
Club friendlies
03/25 2022 – VfL Bochum 2 – 0 Heracles Almelo
Bundesliga
03/18 2022 – VfL Bochum 0 – 2 Gladbach
03/13 2022 – Eintracht Frankfurt 2 – 1 VfL Bochum
03/05 2022 – VfL Bochum 2 – 1 Greuther Fürth
Leverkusen – Statistics & current form
Bayer Leverkusen had to deal with many setbacks during the season. In the DFB Pokal, the ambitious Rhinelanders already failed in the second main round against the second-division team from Karlsruhe. In the Europa League, Atalanta Bergamo was too big for Bayer in the round of 16, even though the team had marched through the group phase with great ease. Recently, it was the bad news in terms of injuries to Wirtz and Frimpong that set the young team back in its development.
In the remaining games of the season, the Bundesliga will be all about maintaining their place in the top four. They are currently six points ahead of fifth place. The Seoane team should not rest on its laurels. It was all the more important that the two most recent matches against Wolfsburg and Hertha were both victorious. However, the third-placed team was not entirely convincing in these matches.
How does the Werkself’s counter-attacking defence work?
Nevertheless, it is noticeable that Leverkusen have had difficulties time and again in getting their performances on the pitch against supposed outsiders. In the second half of the season alone, they suffered defeats at home to Cologne and Mainz. Three wins from the past seven away games in the Bundesliga also do not necessarily correspond to the yield that prohibits us from considering the odds on the host in Sunday afternoon’s clash between Bochum and Leverkusen.
We have already briefly discussed the personnel situation at Werkself. Now another offensive player has been added in the form of Adli, who will probably not play another game this season with a torn tendon in his thigh. The return of Patrik Schick gives hope. However, it is doubtful whether the Czech will be able to start from the beginning. Once again, the biggest responsibility in the forward play rests on the narrow shoulders of Moussa Diaby, who also set up both goals against Hertha.
Predicted Leverkusen line-up:
Hradecky – Kossounou, Tah, Tapsoba, Hincapie – Andrich, Demirbay – Diaby, Paulinho, Bellarabi – Alario
Last matches played by Leverkusen:
Bundesliga
04/02 2022 – Bayer Leverkusen 2 – 1 Hertha BSC
03/20 2022 – VfL Wolfsburg 0 – 2 Bayer Leverkusen
Europa League Final Stage
03/17 2022 – Bayer Leverkusen 0 – 1 Atalanta Bergamo
Bundesliga
03/13 2022 – Bayer Leverkusen 0 – 1 1. FC Köln
Europa League Final Stage
03/10 2022 – Atalanta Bergamo 3 – 2 Bayer Leverkusen
Bochum – Leverkusen Direct Comparison / H2H Balance
Although there have been over 50 meetings between these clubs in Germany’s top division, the head-to-head record is naturally skewed in that the only relevant clash in terms of time took place in the first leg of the current season. At home, Leverkusen were lucky to win 1:0. The Rhinelanders have thus remained unbeaten against VfL in the Bundesliga five times in a row. Nevertheless, there have already been eleven home victories against the upcoming opponents in Bochum’s first league history. No other team has scored more goals at home than Bochum.
Bochum – Leverkusen tip
On paper, the affair between VfL Bochum and Bayer Leverkusen reads quite clear. The betting odds also swing in the direction of the visitors, who are in third place and well on their way to qualifying for the Champions League group stage next autumn. However, the bookmakers’ assessment also includes slight residual doubts due to VfL’s home strength.
The Ruhrpottler have only lost four home games in the current season. In addition, some top clubs have not only been annoyed, but also defeated. FC Bayern in particular had a nasty experience at the Ruhr in a 4-2 defeat. The counterattacking strength combined with the enthusiastic supporters make the blue and white an extremely dangerous opponent.
The visitors continue to be hampered by the many injuries in the offensive area, which naturally results in a loss of individual quality. Because the third-placed team, with a lead of only six points, is under more pressure than the eleventh-placed team, we do not think it is out of the question that Seoane’s team will not win on Sunday afternoon.
