FC Koln vs Leverkusen Lines, Odds & Preview
Leverkusen Break Bundesliga Record
Koln in Precarious Position
With Friday’s 2-1 victory over Mainz, Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen broke the German top flight unbeaten record. Leverkusen have opened up the season unbeaten for an incredible 33 games, in all competitions. Now, they head on the road to a struggling Koln side, who occupy the relegation playoff position. Leverkusen have clearly not lost any motivation as the season has gone on, while Koln are eight points from complete safety. In a match both sides will be highly motivated to win, we’ll cover the Koln vs Leverkusen lines and odds.
Koln vs Bayer Leverkusen
Location: RheinEnergieStadion, Koln, Germany
Day/Time:
Koln vs Bayer Leverkusen H2H
Bayer Leverkusen have won five of their last eight matches vs. Koln on the Bundesliga schedule. In October, Leverkusen defeated Koln 3-0 at the BayArena. Leverkusen have lost two of their last three at home vs. Koln. However, they are unbeaten in their last four matches on the road at Koln. Three or more goals have been scored in seven of the last eight meetings.
Koln End Stuttgart’s Winning Streak
Koln went on the road to third-placed Stuttgart in the Bundesliga last Saturday and came away with a point. In fact, Koln managed to end Stuttgart’s four game winning streak in the process. Enzo Millot opened up the scoring for the hosts and defensive midfielder Eric Martel replied for Koln in the second half. Koln substitute Faride Alidou had a golden chance to grab a winner as he rounded Stuttgart keeper Fabian Bredlow but failed to finish. So, Koln will have to wait longer for their second win of 2024.
In seven Bundesliga fixtures this calendar year, Koln have played in four 1-1 draws. Shutouts have been hard to come by, with just one in their last nine games. Still, Koln haven’t conceded more than one goal in each of their last five and even defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 at the beginning of February. Still, the Billy Goats are just 2-3-6 at home this season and they’ve scored the fewest goals of any Bundesliga team. They’ve found the net just 16 times in 23 games.
Plus, leading scorer Davie Selke, who has scored five goals this season, has missed the last six matches. He’s reportedly returned to training, though, and may be an option on Sunday. Luca Waldschmidt is expected to miss this one for the hosts. At the moment, the Koln vs Leverkusen lines price the hosts as +740 underdogs. Koln have managed to avoid defeat in seven of their last 11 games, though.
Leverkusen Have More Records in Sights
If Bayer Leverkusen win 10 of their remaining 11 Bundesliga matches, they’ll match Bayern Munich’s record for most points in a single Bundesliga season. Leverkusen are sitting on 61 points through 23 games, with a stunning 19-4-0 record. Last Friday, Leverkusen reached the landmark 33 game unbeaten mark with a 2-1 win over Mainz. Leverkusen were by no means at their best and their goals came on long range strikes by Granit Xhaka and Robert Andrich.
With an eight point lead over Bayern Munich, the Bundesliga odds price Leverkusen as -700 favorites to win their first-ever title. With how dangerous Bayern are, Bayer Leverkusen can’t at all afford to rest on their laurels. Heading into Sunday’s match, Leverkusen have won 10 of their last 11 games, in all competitions.
Like Koln, Bayer Leverkusen’s leading scorer, Victor Boniface is out injured. The Nigerian international has scored 10 goals and dished out seven assists, but has been out since early January. Midfielder Exequiel Palacios is getting close to a return but it’s unclear whether he’ll suit up this weekend. Regardless, Leverkusen have been excellent on the road this season, with a 9-2-0 record.
Koln vs Bayer Leverkusen Odds
This season, Bayer Leverkusen have proven they can get results even when they’re not at their best. That’s the mark of an excellent team and they should be able to grab all three points at Koln on Sunday. Although Koln have improved on defense recently, Bayer Leverkusen have averaged 2.57 goals per game this season.
Here, the Koln vs Leverkusen lines list Leverkusen under 2.5 goals at -190 odds, though. Still, Leverkusen are -265 moneyline favorites for this match and could grab a fifth straight Bundesliga win. Meanwhile, the hosts are +740 underdogs and Koln +1, +1.5 sits at even odds here. Punters can also take Bayer Leverkusen -1, -1.5 at -120, which looks a decent prospect.
Instead of starting with more traditional strikers Patrik Schick and Adam Hlozek, Xabi Alonso opted to start Amine Adli up front last weekend. That makes Leverkusen more fluid but they also seem to lack a killer instinct in a false nine setup. It’s worth keeping updated on the latest team news for this one. Note that a draw sits at +400 odds and over 2.5, 3 goals are priced at -120.
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