Hoffenheim vs Bayer Leverkusen – 11/02/2023
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Bayer Leverkusen are desperate to move back to the win column after a terrible run of form sees the club down in 10th with Hoffenheim set to play hosts to the club down in 14th at the Rhein Neckar Arena.
Since Xabi Alonso took the helm at the BayArena, it’s been a tough ride but with a sprinkle of hope at times from the Spaniard.
? @XabiAlonso : „Small details will be deciding tomorrow. We need to score goals and attack better. The first goal is important, coming back from a deficit is always harder.“
? #TSGB04 | #Bundesliga | #Bayer04 | #Werkself pic.twitter.com/xX6CsqQy3o
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) February 10, 2023
In reality, however, it looks as if another season without European football is on the cards with the club way adrift of the top six spots and with barely anybody able to break into the top six ahead of this game.
Alonso’s men now sit behind Freiburg in sixth by 10 points and even further behind the top four Champions League spots.
In fact, with the top six in the European spots seeing their men fight for the title too, the best Alonso can hope for this season is to be the best of the rest after finishing third last year with a sensational points tally of 64.
Leverkusen are also in the Europa League next week and have to deal with a fairly hectic schedule because of the visit from Monaco next Thursday. Last time out in the Bundesliga, Leverkusen lost 1-0 to Augsburg and also lost 2-0 to Borussia Dortmund just one week prior.
It does mean two wins and two losses since the resumption of action in Germany for Alonso’s side, as they narrowly beat Borussia Monchengladbach a few weeks ago, just prior to beating VfL Bochum 2-0.
Leverkusen are now three points behind Werder Bremen in the top half of the table and with nine losses on the board already, you never really know what you’re going to get from them. They have also let in 31 goals and scored just 30 of their own.
As for Hoffenheim, they have been pulled right into the thick of this chaotic relegation battle.
The club are a healthy five above Hertha Berlin in the automatic relegation zone but they are also above Stuttgart by just three points in the relegation playoff spots.
The form of the two ahead of this game could make it a tough one to predict. However, with Hoffenheim losing their past three games with a tally of 12 goals let in, there is little hope in them winning here.
The club were hammered 5-2 by Bochum last time out and Forebet now predicts a win for Leverkusen and for the game to see over 2.5 goals.
