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The Bundesliga champions, Bayer Leverkusen, are hoping to return to winning ways after a disappointing draw against Werder Bremen. Their Round 9 opponent is Stuttgart, a team that has made remarkable progress over the past year.
Time & Venue
- Time: 19:30 GMT, November 1
- Venue: Bay Arena
Recent Form
Leverkusen
Leverkusen recently faced a frustrating 2-2 draw with Werder Bremen in Round 8, conceding a last-minute equalizer from Romano Schmid in the 90th minute, marking their third draw in the last four rounds.
Under coach Xabi Alonso, Leverkusen has dropped points four times this season (three draws, one loss), while last season, they dropped points only six times and remained unbeaten.
Leverkusen has maintained a strong offensive record with 16 goals in their last 8 games, though they have conceded 10 goals and kept only two clean sheets.
Stuttgart
Stuttgart, in contrast, is in impressive form with three consecutive victories, including a 2-1 win over Kaiserslautern in the DFB-Pokal Round of 16 on Tuesday. Coach Sebastian Hoeness’s team also recently beat Holstein Kiel 2-1 on October 26 despite being down to 10 men from the 66th minute. However, Stuttgart’s away form has been inconsistent, with three losses, two draws, and two wins in their last seven Bundesliga matches.
In the last 10 matches, Stuttgart has won 4, drawn 4, and lost 2, with a 20% Asian handicap win rate and a 40% over rate.
Team News
Leverkusen
Leverkusen will be without forward Amine Adli, who is out with a severe leg injury until March 2025. Defender Jeanuel Belocian is also sidelined until late November. Coach Alonso may opt for a back three featuring Edmond Tapsoba, Jonathan Tah, and Piero Hincapie, with Lukas Hradecky in goal. Up front, Victor Boniface is expected to start, supported by Martin Terrier and Florian Wirtz.
Stuttgart
For Stuttgart, center-back Dan-Axel Zagadou is out until February 2025, and Jeff Chabot is suspended due to a red card in the match against Holstein Kiel. Luca Raimund and Yannik Keitel are also unavailable, while Justin Diehl and Leonidas Stergiou remain doubtful. The lineup will likely feature a defensive quartet of Josha Vagnoman, Arnie Chase, Anthony Rouault, and Maximilian Mittelstadt, with forwards El Bilal Toure and Deniz Undav leading the attack.
Predicted Lineups
- Leverkusen: Hradecky; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Xhaka, Andrich, Grimaldo; Terrier, Wirtz; Boniface.
- Stuttgart: Nubel; Vagnoman, Chase, Rouault, Mittelstadt; Millot, Karazor, Stiller, Leweling; Toure, Undav.
Goal & Concession Rates
Match Preview
Leverkusen boasts a strong attack and solid home form, with 4 wins and 1 draw in their last 5 home games at Bay Arena. They have also lost just one of their past 32 home matches. In contrast, Stuttgart has shown inconsistent form on the road, which gives Leverkusen an edge in this upcoming clash.
Score Prediction (per Sportsmole): Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 Stuttgart