Hamburg vs Bayer Leverkusen Preview: Team News & Prediction
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After being caught cold by a rampant Stuttgart, Bayer Leverkusen are under pressure to respond immediately as they face a tough trip to Hamburg side who are strong at home.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV: UK – Not televised / US – ESPN
How to watch online: UK – Not televised / US – ESPN+
Hamburg preview: Ten men beaten
Hamburg’s Daniel Elfadli cost his side away at Freiburg after being sent off for a second bookable offence with the visitors a goal up. Inevitably, Julian Schuster’s side came back to win 2-1, a hugely frustrating outcome for Hamburg after such a promising first-half display with 11 men on the pitch.
Although they’ve picked up just a point from their last three Bundesliga fixtures, there’s still plenty of cause for optimism in the Hamburg camp. They have a nice cushion between them and the bottom three being in midtable, with four points currently the gap.
Bayer Leverkusen preview: First-half nightmare
If you told Bayer Leverkusen fans pre-game that they’d be going in at half-time four goals down at home Stuttgart, not many would’ve believed you. But that’s exactly what happened as the hosts were cut apart by Sebastian Hoeness’ men, killing the match as a contest before the second period had even commenced.
Leverkusen improved in the second half and captain Alejandro Grimaldo was on the scoresheet once again, this time from the penalty spot. However, that proved nothing more than scant consolation as Stuttgart played out the rest of contest without any further alarm.
Hamburg team news: Illness sweeps through camp
Hamburg could have up to four players out through illness, whilst a red card this weekend rules out Elfadli due to suspension. Both Glatzel and Poulsen remain out.
Predicted XI: (3-4-3): Heuer Fernandes; Capaldo, Vuskovic, Torunarigha; Gocholeishvili, Sambi Lokonga, Remberg, Muheim; Vieira, Konigsdorffer, Dompe
Unavailable: Elfadli (Suspended), Glatzel (Injured), Omari (Injured), Poulsen (Injured), Soumahoro (Injured)
Questionable: Balde (Illness), Philippe (Illness), Sahiti (Illness), Suhonen (Illness)
Bayer Leverkusen team news: International misses
Despite both Kofane and Maza returning from the Africa Cup of Nations, this match is expected to come too soon for both. Eliesse Ben Seghir’s Morocco remain in the competition.
Predicted XI: (3-4-3): Flekken; Andrich, Bade, Tapsoba; Vazquez, Fernandez, Garcia, Grimaldo; Poku, Schick, Tillman
Unavailable: Ben Seghir (International duty), Kofane (Fitness), Maza (Fitness), Palacios (Injured), Tape (Injured)
Questionable: Schick (Injured)
Hamburg vs Bayer Leverkusen prediction
Bayer Leverkusen may still be smarting after Saturday evening but need to be up for the fight here or they will come unstuck at the Volksparkstadion against a Hamburg side battling for every point. If the hosts come out of the traps firing like Stuttgart did, then Leverkusen could find themselves under serious pressure defensively.
The expectation is that the visitors will prove good enough going forward to find the net at least once. But when factoring Hamburg’s never-give-up attitude and that all-important home advantage, backing both teams to score may wind up being the shrewd move to make.
Hamburg vs Bayer Leverkusen tip: Both teams to score
