Borussia Dortmund vs Bayer Leverkusen
When fans and pundits talk about a must win game, coaches and players often play it down. But you won’t find anyone in Dortmund saying a draw with Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday would be okay.
No wins in five, including three consecutive Bundesliga draws, has caused the BVB bandwagon to skid if not grind to a halt. It isn’t yet the time to panic, but there are echoes of the top of the table tussle in England, where former BVB boss Jurgen Klopp is desperately trying to hold off a challenge from Manchester City, when recently his Liverpool side had a chance to go 10 points clear.
It’s often easier to be the hunter rather than the hunted in these situations as leads become eroded, and BVB’s lead could disappear this weekend. FC Bayern has a home match with Hertha Berlin and could draw level at the top on points. The Bundesliga 2019 betting odds can’t split the two pacesetters yet, but unless they both win their games, a clear favourite could emerge.
Talking Points
Can BVB climb out of the rut this weekend?
Lucien Favre’s team seems to have run out of steam on its five match winless streak, after beating all comers with dash and dynamism in the first half of the season. Now is the time to show their mettle and get the Yellow Wall rocking again.
Dortmund’s failure to beat Nuremburg last week sent shivers down the spine of the BVB fans as their usually confident front runners fluffed their lines against the bottom club. Jadon Sancho was denied what looked like a clear penalty and Mario Gotze came close several times, while 12 goal Paco Alcacer had a late effort flagged offside.
But hard luck stories don’t win you league titles.
Of equal concern are the holes which have begun to appear in BVB’s defence. They shipped three in three games before the goalless draw with Nuremberg and that will have attracted the attention of Leverkusen’s in form strike force.
Dortmund has badly missed Marco Reus over the last few games and they’ll be hoping against hope that he is fit to play on Sunday, though a start on the bench looks likely. That in itself is the type of Bundesliga 2019 news to lift fans at the Signal Iduna Park.
Bosz has a point to prove
Former Dortmund coach Peter Bosz would dearly love to put one over his former employers, having been sacked after less than six months in charge last season. A poor showing in the Champions League was his undoing, but it has to be said Lucien Favre doesn’t look like taking BVB past the round of 16 after losing 3-0 to Spurs in the first leg this season.
Bosz has really got Die Werkself motoring in recent weeks, with four wins taking them up to fifth, and leading the chasing pack for the last Champions League place. They are sharing the goals around with Kai Havertz on nine, Kevin Volland on eight, with Leon Bailey and Julian Brandt providing additional goal threat.
Bayer Leverkusen beat FC Bayern 3-1 at the beginning of February to do BVB a huge favour but there’s a risk they could take that favour back if they are as clinical as they were against the champions. Three of their four shots on target hit the net in that win, as Volland and Leon Bailey were on target.
History
There has been a battle royal going on between these two teams since 1992 and they can’t be separated in the head-to heads, with 19 wins each and 15 draws.
Leverkusen comes into the game in fine form, with 12 points from a possible 15, conceding just three times in those five games.
But BVB has had some success in this fixture recently, unbeaten at home in the last three, and winning three of the last four, drawing the other and scoring 15 goals. The game in Leverkusen in September finished 2-4 with Reus on target, how the Yellow Wall would love a repeat of that.
Betting Tip
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Borussia Dortmund vs Bayer Leverkusen | Borussia Dortmund 1×2 @1.87 |
| February 25, 01:00 (GMT+8) |
There should be nothing to worry about for BVB fans according to the latest SBOBET which pitch the draw at 3.50 and a win for Bayer Leverkusen at 4.10.
But there is a lot of pressure on Favre’s men to win this game. If Bayern beat Hertha then the likelihood is that BVB will sit at the top of the Bundesliga table on goal difference alone when they take the field against Bayer.
The passionate home fans will be hoping they haven’t lost their touch in making the big difference as a 12th man. Dortmund has won nine and drawn two of their league games at the Signal Iduna Park this season. I think that, and a possible appearance from Reus will be enough to push them over the line.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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 = €20 (Highly confident) |
= €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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