Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt are playing their match for the 3rd round of the Bundesliga at the BayArena, home of Bayer Leverkusen.
Facts
- There were no draws in the last 22 matches. The most recent draw was a 1-1 in Leverkusen back in December 2014. Twenty out of 22 matches went over 2.5, with Bayer holding a 15-0-7 record (winning the last five matches).
- At home against Frankfurt in the Bundesliga, Leverkusen have gone 13-2-1 recently (10 straight wins). In their last 11 official home games against them, Bayer scored 37 goals.
Betting Tip: Bayer Leverkusen - Eintracht Frankfurt
The dismissal of Ten Hag changes the picture slightly, limiting some of the betting value of the visitors. Still, from what we’ve seen so far, Frankfurt have been far more convincing than Leverkusen. There’s always the chance the hosts look more united under Hjulmand, but based on form, the edge is with the Eagles.
- Prediction: Eintracht Frankfurt DNB
- Odds: 2.00 (at the time of writing)
Bayer Leverkusen
The Erik ten Hag era lasted just two months. His dismissal was announced after the 3-3 draw at Bremen, where Bayer blew a 3-1 lead against ten men.
Sporting director Simon Rolfes admitted it was the wrong appointment. Ten Hag countered that he was given no time and no trust, both valid points, and the reality is that Leverkusen were still reshaping their squad right up to deadline day. All the changes after the Bremen game should be noted.
They signed 20-year-old playmaker Ben Seghir from Monaco (€35m) and defensive midfielder Fernandez from Al Qadisiya (€30m), earmarked as the new Xhaka. Out went striker Alfa-Ruprecht (loan to Bochum), Boniface (loan to Bremen), Hincapié (loan with obligation to Arsenal), defender Natali (loan to Alkmaar), and midfielder Puerta (sold to Santander).
Behind the scenes, though, the board felt Ten Hag had already “lost” the dressing room. The man now tasked with winning it back is Kasper Hjulmand, former Denmark national coach. This will be his second spell in Germany after a brief stint at Mainz in 2014/15.
Eintracht Frankfurt
Who cares if the centre-forwards (Burkardt, Wahi) haven’t scored yet? The other attackers are flying. The trio of Bahoya, Uzun and Doan have fired Frankfurt to a perfect start (2/2 for the first time since 2012), seven goals scored, and convincing wins in different styles.
They dominated Werder Bremen 4-1 on opening day, then played a more controlled game in a 3-1 win at Hoffenheim.
Coach Dino Toppmöller has once again rebuilt his front line. The sale of Ekitike hasn’t been felt so far, but it may show against tougher defences later. Overall, the signs are very positive.
On deadline day, they trimmed the squad: Ebimbe (loan to Brest), Nkounkou (loan to Torino), and Smolcic (loan to Kocaelispor) all departed as they weren’t in the plans. They tried to bring in Newcastle striker Osula but couldn’t get it done.
The squad still looks solid, with good depth. Ideally, they would have added another striker and a more complete defensive midfielder, but even without those, the prospects for the season remain strong.
