Bundesliga: Die Werkself Smell Blood on the Ailing Wolves

Bayer Leverkusen vs VfL Wolfsburg

Bayer Leverkusen aim to secure their sixth league win of the 2021/22 season when they host VfL Wolfsburg this Saturday at the BayArena.

This Bundesliga fixture pits together two clubs who are looking to improve their forms especially with the matches coming in thick and fast.

Die Werkself are in a better situation as they are placed at the fourth spot with 17 points, and they can move up to the third spot.

Meanwhile, the Wolves have fallen to ninth at the table with 13 points. VfL Wolfsburg are losers of four straight matches and they’re desperate for a turnaround following the sudden firing of Mark van Bommel.

The pre-match SBOTOP betting odds favour Die Werkself since their recent form is better. However, the Wolves should still be considered a dangerous side and the hosts have no room for complacency.

Talking Points

Bayer Leverkusen bothered by inconsistency

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La Liga

For Bayer Leverkusen to become a fully-fledged title contender in the Bundesliga, they must handle their business and avoid setbacks as much as possible.

Since losing to Bayern Munich in humiliating fashion earlier this month, sadly, Bayer Leverkusen have yet to regain their rhythm.

They were held to a 1-1 draw against Real Betis in the Europa League group stage and they squandered a two-goal lead versus Koln in a game that was theirs to lose.

And just a while ago, Bayer Leverkusen were booted out of the DFB-Pokal by second-tier side Karlsruher, 2-1.

With key players rested from the previous fixture, Gerardo Seoane’s side is expected to go full force against the Wolves.

Top hitman Patrik Schick should regain his place in the starting XI while Karim Bellarabi, Moussa Diaby, Florian Wirtz, and Kerem Demirbay are there to support the Czech.

Robert Andrich, Exequiel Palacios, Amine Adli, Paulinho, and Nadiem Amiri should be the main options off the bench for Gerardo Seoane.

Tumultuous times for VfL Wolfsburg

Bundesliga: Wolfsburg have fired their head coach Mark van Bommel after an eight-game winless run — Mark van Bommel has been fired by Wolfsburg after 13 games

After positive Bundesliga 2021 results to kick their 2021/22 campaign, VfL Wolfsburg are now in danger of falling further.

The Wolves have cut ties with head coach Mark van Bommel after an eight-game winless run. His coaching tenure with the club lasted for only 13 games.

The former Bayern Munich player was hired in June to replace Oliver Glasner, who has led the club to a Champions League place but moved on due to internal differences with the top brass.

During his tenure with the Wolves, Mark van Bommel made several head-scratching mistakes – including their first round exit in the DFB-Pokal which was caused by him making a sixth and illegal substitution during added time.

It was followed up with a goalless draw against Ligue 1 champions Lille in the Champions League and his team didn’t win a single game since.

With van Bommel sacked, VfL Wolfsburg have yet to determine who will be their next head coach. Former BVB coach Lucien Favre and current PSV Eindhoven manager Roger Schmidt appear to be viable candidates.

What’s even worse is that Wolfsburg will have to proceed without one of their main threats as Wout Weghorst is COVID-19 positive. Lukas Nmecha and Ridle Baku are tasked to shoulder the scoring load for the meantime.

History

Bayer Leverkusen are hopeful to end their home struggles against VfL Wolfsburg. Die Werkself haven’t won in any of their last five Bundesliga home games against them – which is their longest active winless run against a single opponent at home (D2, L3).

Last season, the Wolves picked up four points in their two matches against Die Werkself. VfL Wolfsburg won in their previous matchup last January thanks to Ridle Baku’s 35^th-minute goal.

Moreover, Die Werkself’s defence need to tighten up since they’ve conceded nine goals already at home so far – a fact that was highlighted in their 5-1 defeat to Bayern Munich almost two weeks ago.

Gerardo Seoane’s side has been prolific this season as they’ve scored 23 goals so far, which is the second-most in club history after the first nine league fixtures.

Betting Tip

	Bayer Leverkusen vs VfL Wolfsburg	Bayer Leverkusen Asian Handicap -0.25 @ 1.75
	October 30, 21:30 (GMT+8)

Bayer Leverkusen are the favoured side in the Bundesliga 2021 odds but VfL Wolfsburg aren’t that far off.

Die Werkself are installed at 1.97 to win, while the Wolves are priced at 3.65 and a draw is at 3.45 in the 1×2 market.

With quality attackers from both lineups, this match has the potential to be a goalfest assuming both sides live up to their bargain.

Gerardo Seoane’s side is poised to do just that and they should be able to close out this game with ease compared to their previous game against Koln.