The Matchday 20 Bundesliga clash between Bayer Leverkusen and Hoffenheim will take place on February 2 at the BayArena in Leverkusen. Bayer Leverkusen vs. Hoffenheim: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Bayer Leverkusen
Leverkusen's winning streak of eight matches in the Bundesliga was halted last round when they drew 2-2 with RB Leipzig. Notably, Xabi Alonso's team has dropped points after taking the lead in six matches this season (5 draws, 1 loss). In the standings, they remain the closest challengers to league leaders Bayern Munich, but the gap has widened to six points.
Midfielder Robert Andrich will miss the match due to suspension.
- Both teams have scored in 8 of Bayer Leverkusen's last 10 Bundesliga matches.
- The club is unbeaten in their last nine home games in this tournament (7 wins, 2 draws).
- Leverkusen has scored at least two goals in 15 of their last 17 home league matches.
Predicted lineup for Bayer Leverkusen (4-4-2)
Lukáš Hrádecký – Piero Hincapié, Edmond Tapsoba, Nordi Mukiele, Jonathan Tah – Arthur, Granit Xhaka, Robert Andrich, Aleix Garcia – Florian Wirtz, Patrik Schick.
Hoffenheim
In the last round, Hoffenheim managed to salvage a draw against Eintracht Frankfurt with a last-minute equalizer (2-2). Christian Ilzer's side has only one win in their last eight league games (3 draws, 4 losses), and they have failed to keep a clean sheet during this period. In the standings, Hoffenheim remains in 15th place, but they have increased their lead over the relegation zone to four points.
- Hoffenheim has scored in 5 of their last 7 Bundesliga matches.
- No more than two goals have been scored in 5 of their last 7 away league games.
- The number "1" has appeared in the final scoreline in 5 of Hoffenheim's last 7 matches in this tournament.
Predicted lineup for Hoffenheim (4-5-1)
Luca Philipp – David Jurásek, Arthur Chaves, Kevin Akpoguma, Valentin Gendrey – Andrej Kramarić, Adam Hložek, Anton Stach, Tom Bischof, Finn Ole Becker – Max Möhrstedt.
Referee
Robin Braun (Germany)
Matches – 10 (First and Second Bundesliga, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 49;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.9;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 23;
Penalties – 40%.
Match Prediction: Bayer Leverkusen vs. Hoffenheim
Leverkusen missed out on victory in the last round, but their opponent was a tough one. Against less formidable teams, Bayer usually performs well. At home, they have won their last five league matches, with only one of those games featuring fewer than three goals. Leverkusen's attack is in excellent form: they are the second-highest scorers in the league and rank third in xG.
Hoffenheim continues to struggle with squad issues. Christian Ilzer mentioned at a pre-match press conference for the Europa League that 13 players are injured. With such personnel challenges, it will be difficult to put up a strong fight against the champions. Even in better circumstances, Hoffenheim has lost their last four Bundesliga encounters with Leverkusen, each featuring at least three goals. The upcoming match is likely to be high-scoring, as neither team's defense is particularly reliable.
My prediction: Home Win and Total Over 2.5 goals
