Bayer Leverkusen vs Borussia Monchengladbach
Bayer Leverkusen’s title charge is back on, as they’re the hottest team in the Bundesliga right now. Xabi Alonso’s side has won their last seven league matches, and they’re keen on extending their winning streak to eight games when they host Borussia Monchengladbach at the BayArena on Saturday evening. A win here will have Bayern Munich anxious since their lead might be down to a solitary point, especially if they somehow lose against VfL Wolfsburg tomorrow.
Die Werkself’s visitors, Borussia Monchengladbach, are nine notches below them with 24 points. After going undefeated to close the 2024 calendar year, the Foals dropped their last two matches against Bayern Munich (1-0) and VfL Wolfsburg (5-1), damaging their hopes of qualifying for a European football berth next term.
The pregame SBOTOP betting odds predict the hosts winning easily, but can the visitors put up a fight? Check out our preview by continuing to read below.
Talking Points
Wirtz is revving Bayer Leverkusen’s title charge
Bayer Leverkusen are back in the title mix because their offence is clicking, and their offence is clicking because of their wunderkind, Florian Wirtz. The 21-year-old midfielder was named Bundesliga Player of the Month for December 2024, beating the likes of Mainz’s Paul Nebel, Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala and Joshua Kimmich, VfB Stuttgart’s Nick Woltemade, and Werder Bremen’s Mitchell Weiser.
Wirtz won the recognition because he had six goal involvements last month. After scoring a goal against FC St. Pauli and Augsburg, he recorded one more goal and three assists against SC Freiburg. The German international is Die Werkself’s second-leading scorer, with seven league goals and seven assists this season.
Besides Wirtz, Borussia Monchengladbach’s backline will also worry about Patrik Schick. The Czech striker has 11 league goals already, including six in his last three appearances. With Schick creating Bundesliga 2025 highlights, Xabi Alonso can afford to take it slow with Victor Boniface’s recovery from a hamstring injury. Alejandro Grimaldo scored the matchwinner against Mainz last Wednesday, and he is also a huge problem for the Foals in the wings, with Jeremie Frimpong on the other side.
Borussia Monchengladbach need their top scorer back
Borussia Monchengladbach aren’t as loaded as Bayer Leverkusen, but they can be competitive against the defending champions if they have a healthier squad. During their 5-1 loss to VfL Wolfsburg earlier this week, Borussia Monchengladbach badly missed the services of Tim Kleindienst and Franck Honorat.
Kleindienst leads the Foals in scoring with nine league goals and four assists, and Honorat has two league goals and four assists. They were absent against the Wolves because Kleindienst had the stomach flu and Honorat was dealing with a foot injury. Manager Gerardo Seoane hopes to have them both back this weekend to give themselves a chance. If Kleindienst and Honorat remain on the sidelines, Seoane will continue to deploy Tomas Cvancara at the no. 9 and Julian Weigl and Rocco Reitz will stay in the middle of the park as a double pivot.
History
Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Monchengladbach have already squared off earlier this season. Last August, Die Werkself won 3-2 at Borussia-Park, as Florian Wirtz scored the stoppage-time winner after a second-half flurry from Nico Elvedi and Tim Kleindienst (Granit Xhaka scored the first goal).
Borussia Monchengladbach have not beaten Bayer Leverkusen in 10 Bundesliga matches (D2, L8), their longest winless run against any other club. The last time the Foals secured a point in this fixture was a 0-0 result in January 2024. Their recent 5-1 loss to VfL Wolfsburg is their worst defeat under head coach Gerardo Seoane.
Xabi Alonso’s side are on a 10-game winning streak across all competitions, and they’re four wins away from matching their longest winning streak at 14 straight games in November 2023.
Betting Tip
The Bundesliga 2025 odds are lopsided towards the hosts this weekend. Bayer Leverkusen are 1.25 favourites to win, while Borussia Monchengladbach are huge 7.80 underdogs, and a draw is pegged at 5.60 in the 1X2 market.
The gap between these two teams is evident, so rooting for Xabi Alonso’s side is easy. While you’re at it, why not also go for alternatives like Over 3.00 at 1.60, Over 3.25 at 1.84, Over 3.50 at 2.03, or even Total Goals 4-6 at 2.25, with Total Goals 2-3 at 2.34 being the more conservative option? Meanwhile, a Correct Score of 3-2 in favour of Bayer Leverkusen – the result of the reverse fixture – is priced at a tempting 23.00 your bet.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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