Friday 12/09/2014, 20:30, Germany Bundesliga, Round 3, Leverkusen vs Werder Bremen
Leverkusen vs Werder Bremen Preview
Bayern Munchen is now the Bundesliga leader after two rounds, which is rather a surprise given the strength of the reigning champions. There are plenty of rounds left before the end of the regular season, but for the time being Leverkusen is at the top and has no intention to forsake its position. In order to consolidate their lead, the hosts will need to claim all three points against Werder Bremen, but the visitors have some plans of their own.
Leverkusen vs Werder Bremen Odds
Leverkusen 1.30, Draw 5.00, Werder Bremen 10.00
Leverkusen vs Werder Bremen Tips
Werder Bremen is not going to compete for the title this season, but that's beside point, because their priority is to finish in the first half. In order to do that, they simply need to accumulate as many points as possible away from home, while winning against subpar opponents in front of their fans.
At the time of writing, everything goes according to the plan, because Werder Bremen earned a point in both games so far and were the better team in both matches. Di Santo and Selke played together in the last round and the former providing the decisive pass, while scoring one week before. Both of them will feature in the starting formation, with Kroos being the likely replacement if Selke fails to score.
Leverkusen is enjoying a phenomenal run, with a single defeat in the last 20 games, but their winning streak recently ended. They found the time to play a friendly game against St. Pauli and had to settle for a draw at the end of the game that they dominated. Featuring two strikers didn't help one bit and that's why manager Schmidt will return to his standard formation, with only Kiesling in the offensive.
On paper, the squad looks like a strange 4-5-1, but the truth is that midfielders frequently join the striker and they will be a real threat for Werder Bremen. Youngster Brandt was given a chance to play in both games so far behind the striker and scored once, which suggests that he will play again this Friday.
Key Facts
- In the last 13 games, Werder Bremen lost just once, a narrow margin defeat to Leicester, in a friendly match that the English team won in overtime.
- Overall, Werder Bremen has the better head to head record with 26 victories as compared to 18 for Leverkusen
Leverkusen vs Werder Bremen Prediction
The hosts are credited with the first chance to win, but bookmakers are overconfident in their ability to prevail. The prospect of winning 10 times the investment is alluring, but risk-averse players should take the cover of a +1.5 goals handicap and bet on the visitors not to lose by two goals or more at even odds.
Bet: Werder Bremen +1.5 goals @ 2.05 with Pinnacle Sports
