The bottom team welcomes the league leaders

There are no easy games in the Bundesliga, that much is certain. But if you have to call it a clear-cut affair, it’s certainly when the bottom team hosts the league leaders. So there’s no need to guess which way the betting tip between Darmstadt and Leverkusen will go. A surprise in this match seems almost impossible under the given circumstances

The Lilies are bottom of the table with just eleven points from their first 19 games. After 2016/17, this is Hesse’s most unsuccessful season in the top flight to date. At that time, they only managed nine points. In the end, Darmstadt were relegated with a twelve-point gap to the safety zone. They are currently just one point off the relegation places. So everything still seems to be possible for Torsten Lieberknecht’s team.

However, it is unlikely that the gap will be reduced on Saturday. Bayer Leverkusen, the top team of the season, will be coming to the Böllenfalltor. With 49 points, the Werkself have the fourth-best record in the entire history of the Bundesliga. Only Bayern had three times more points after 19 games. This means that even winning the title is very possible for Xabi Alonso’s team

In the recent past, when last place has met first place, it has usually been the cellar dwellers who have not fared well. In the last 14 duels with this constellation, there has only been one win for the bottom team. There has also been one draw. Everything points to a comfortable win for the visitors between Darmstadt and Leverkusen

Darmstadt – statistics & current form

The Lilies can’t be accused of not approaching every game with the greatest possible passion. However, they clearly do not have enough quality to have more than eleven points in their account after 19 games. After all, the Hessians are still in the relegation battle. Although they are six points away from the drop zone, relegation is a real possibility. Darmstadt will therefore continue to fight for every point

Darmstadt twelve Bundesliga games without a win

However, that has always been the case in recent games. However, the Lilies have now gone twelve games without a win in the top flight. There have been just four draws. If they also fail to win on Saturday, that would be the end of the club’s negative record. You don’t have to be a great prophet to predict exactly this scenario between Darmstadt and Leverkusen.

The core of all evil is probably the patchy defense. With 47 goals conceded, Darmstadt have by far the weakest defense in the Bundesliga. Keeper Marcel Schuhen has only kept a clean sheet in one Bundesliga match this season.

A groundbreaking match was on the agenda last weekend in the basement duel at Union Berlin. With a win of their own, the Lilies could have gained some real breathing space in the relegation battle. But they failed to do so again. After an hour, Marcel Schuhen conceded the goal for a 1-0 defeat. The Hessians missed out on this big point. Points against Leverkusen, on the other hand, would be a pure bonus.

Predicted Darmstadt line-up:

Leverkusen – Statistics & current form

Xabi Alonso is the man who has shown Bayer Leverkusen the right way. His transfer to Real Madrid has since fallen through. After Jürgen Klopp announced his departure from Anfield Road at the end of the season, the Spaniard is now seen as a legitimate successor on the Liverpool bench, especially as he also had a great time there as a player.

Leverkusen remain unbeaten this season

For the time being, however, the manager’s focus remains on the Werkself. In theory, the Rhinelanders can still dream of three titles. Bayer 04 is playing the best season in the club’s history. Leverkusen have remained unbeaten in all 28 competitive matches this season across the DFB Cup, Europa League and Bundesliga, making them the only club in Europe’s top leagues with this distinction.

Only Bayern Munich have scored more goals in the Bundesliga. But Lukas Hradecky is the keeper with the most clean sheets this season. Once again, we have a tip for a handicap win for the leaders between Darmstadt and Leverkusen. Betting on a one-nil win for Bayer Leverkusen also seems to make sense.

However, there has been a slight setback in the title race in recent weeks. Borussia Mönchengladbach visited the BayArena for the derby. The Werkself failed to score a goal of their own, meaning they had to be satisfied with a 0-0 draw in the end. Perhaps the gap left by Victor Boniface’s injury is too big at the moment. New signing Borja Iglesias could now help to close this gap at Böllenfalltor.

Predicted Leverkusen line-up:

Darmstadt – Leverkusen head-to-head comparison / H2H result

To date, Darmstadt 98 and Bayer Leverkusen have met eight times. They have met seven times in the Bundesliga and once in the DFB Cup. The direct comparison is a clear affair for the Werkself, who have won all six of their Bundesliga matches. The Lilies are still without points against Bayer 04 at Böllenfalltor.

The first leg was a great performance by Leverkusen, especially in the second half. The score was still 1:1 at the break after goals from Victor Boniface and Oscar Vilhelmsson, but the Werkself really turned up the heat after the changeover. Exequiel Palacios, Victor Boniface again, Jonas Hofmann and Adam Hlozek made the score 5:1, a result that was worthy of the title

Darmstadt – Leverkusen tip

It would be a sensation if Bayer 04 couldn’t take home all three points at the Böllenfalltor. The Werkself are the only team in Europe’s top leagues still unbeaten in 28 matches this season.

Darmstadt 98, on the other hand, are in an even deeper crisis than the promoted side might have imagined, or at least than they had hoped. The Lilies have now gone twelve games without a win in the top flight. Nevertheless, relegation is still realistic. On Saturday, however, we assume that the tip between Darmstadt and Leverkusen should be a clear win for the visitors

We are of the opinion that Marcel Schuhen will once again get the ball out of his own net several times in this match. In general, it will be difficult for the home side to score. We expect the Werkself to score all the more goals. That’s why we’ve decided to play the odds on the Alonso team scoring more than 2.5 goals between Darmstadt and Leverkusen