Can Leverkusen’s B-Elf extend their impressive run?

Bayer Leverkusen have played 22 competitive matches this season and have yet to suffer defeat. This incredibly brilliant run also serves as an incentive for the group game in the Europa League on Thursday evening, which is actually meaningless from their point of view. Although it would have no bearing on the standings for the group winners, who have already been decided, if they were to lose their final match at home to FK Molde, coach Xabi Alonso’s team have set themselves the goal of going into the winter break unbeaten!

Nevertheless, when it comes to the Leverkusen vs Molde betting tip, it is important not to be guided solely by emotions and outstanding impressions of the season so far. While the home side will almost certainly start the rotation machine, the visitors from Norway still have a winter in the Europa League at stake. To do so, the Blue & Whites will have to pick up more points than direct rivals Qarabag Agdam in their home game against bottom-placed BK Häcken on matchday six at the BayArena. The chances of progression for Erling Moe’s team are therefore anything but rosy

It should also be noted that the Werkself’s Spanish coach has shuffled his personnel around a number of times in the competition so far. However, even the supplementary players have made the most of their opportunities and ensured that Bayer are in fact the only team in the Europa League to have collected the maximum 15 points after five matches. We are therefore a long way from predicting the Scandinavians between Leverkusen and Molde

Leverkusen – Statistics & current form

Bayer Leverkusen have had their worst week of the season so far. However, there is no cause for concern. While the aforementioned statement would be synonymous with two or three crushing defeats for some clubs, Leverkusen had to settle for a 1:1 draw in the two top Bundesliga matches against Dortmund and VfB Stuttgart. In the DFB Cup against second-division side Paderborn, they also made it through to the quarter-finals. The standard at the Rhinelanders is different than ever before. Jonathan Tah, Granit Xhaka, Victor Boniface and co. only know bankruptcies from hearsay.

In the Bundesliga, coach Xabi Alonso’s team now have a four-point lead over Bayern, although the record champions still have a catch-up game up their sleeve. Following FCB’s defeat in Frankfurt, Leverkusen are the only unbeaten club in the Bundesliga. Meanwhile, there is no other club in Europe’s top five leagues that has not suffered a single defeat this season ten days before Christmas. The Werkself are setting completely new standards and will be keen to continue their 22-match unbeaten streak on Thursday evening

Leverkusen’s “B-Elf” also knows how to convince

The starting position is different this time, however, because after a perfect record of five wins in five games so far, the group win is no longer out of reach for the BL leaders. Bayer will therefore be playing for the golden pineapple on Thursday and, with a fourth English week in a row coming up, will no doubt be taking the strain off some of their key players.

For example, it seems rather unlikely that Florian Wirtz, who has been struggling recently, will be allowed to start. And this despite the fact that the mega-talent feels particularly at home in the Europa League. In his last twelve EL home games, the international and Bayern flirt has been directly involved in 15 (!) of his team’s goals (eight goals, seven assists). Boniface, Xhaka and the giants in the back three could also be given a break. Xabi Alonso certainly has no shortage of options on the bench. Schick, Andrich, Hincapie, Stanisic, Tella or Hlozek are potential candidates for a starting role. Matej Kovar will once again act as cup keeper.

The aforementioned players have already received plenty of playing time in the group so far, which is why a drop in quality or performance is not to be expected. The Rhinelanders’ automatisms are ingrained, self-confidence is at boiling point and the reserves in particular want to use their chance to recommend themselves for higher tasks in such matches. Everything points to the odds on the Xabi Alonso team going through between Leverkusen and Molde.

Predicted Leverkusen line-up:

Molde – Statistics & current form

FK Molde will travel to Germany during the week as the newly crowned cup winners. Coach Erling Moe’s side won the cup final against Bodö/Glimt 1-0 on Saturday afternoon to defend their title from the previous year. For the blue and whites, it was a conciliatory end to a rather disappointing national season, which ended the previous week in fifth place, 19 (!) points behind champions Bodö/Glimt.

At international level, the “Blå-hvit” were also unable to fully live up to their own expectations. First, the Norwegians were knocked out of the Champions League play-offs by Galatasaray, and now they face the threat of elimination in the Europa League group stage. The prospects are not really good, as Molde Futbollklubb, based in the west of the country, can no longer finish second in Group H under their own steam. Even if the high odds on a sensational away win for the underdogs in the match between Leverkusen and Molde were to come true, Qarabag Agdam would have to lose out in the parallel match against BK Häcken.

Molde with fond memories of guest appearances in Germany

In what will definitely be the last competitive game of the 2023 calendar year, the Blue & Whites will nevertheless do everything they can to at least do their homework. The fact that the five-time Norwegian champions obviously enjoy playing in Germany gives hope in this regard. They have won both previous EL matches in Germany. In Stuttgart in 2012 and at TSG Hoffenheim in 2021. The most recent match at BK Häcken was also won. For the first time since 2015, the “Blå-hvit” could therefore achieve two consecutive away wins in international competition.

However, the fact that coach Moe has only occasionally been able to rely on his own defense recently is less encouraging. In the Norwegian league, Molde conceded more than two goals on average in the final seven matches. The current third-placed team in Group H, who are at least certain to continue in the Conference League, were also unable to keep a clean sheet in the Europa League group stage. The eleven goals scored in five matches are impressive and prompt us to reconsider a combined prediction of 1X & both scoring between Leverkusen and Molde.

Predicted Molde lineup:

Leverkusen – Molde Direct comparison / H2H result

The first leg at the beginning of October was the first and so far only meeting between these two clubs at international level. Thanks to two early goals from Frimpong and Tella (14th & 18th minute), Leverkusen won 2-1 in Norway. Even then, Xabi Alonso started without Boniface, Wirtz, Grimaldo, Palacios or Kossounou. On Thursday, we expect a starting line-up that has also been revamped compared to the 1-1 draw in Stuttgart

Leverkusen – Molde betting tip

For the 23rd time this season, Bayer Leverkusen will be playing in a competitive match, and for the 23rd time, the Werkself will be looking to remain unbeaten. The chances of that are pretty good. The odds are clearly in the host’s favor in the clash between Leverkusen and Molde, which is of little importance to the home side, having already won the first leg 2-1 in Norway with a B-team. However, it should not be forgotten that the visitors are still in contention to progress to the intermediate round, although they will need a helping hand from Sweden’s BK Häcken, who have already been eliminated by Qarabag Agdam.

Although Xabi Alonso is likely to rotate his squad and once again send out numerous substitutes, the statics of the game will not change much. We expect a strong, dominant and convincing performance from the Rhinelanders and are therefore confident that the unbeaten streak mentioned at the beginning will be extended. Incidentally, the fact that the visitors only finished fifth in the recently concluded Norwegian league season and had problems away from home in particular also speaks in their favor.

We are ultimately predicting that the home side will score at least one goal in both halves of the match between Leverkusen and Molde. In three of the five victorious EL group games, this bet would have gone through. Against the Scandinavians playing for victory, there should once again be plenty of space and opportunities to score. The top odds are 1.85 and are worth a stake of seven units.