Newly promoted SV Elversberg will kick-start their Bundesliga campaign with a home game against Bayer Leverkusen.
While all other top European leagues are already underway, the Bundesliga will get underway this weekend, and Bayer Leverkusen will start their season with a trip to Spiesen-Elversberg as they prepare to face newly promoted SV Elversberg.
The home team are gearing up for their first-ever season in the Bundesliga after securing promotion as runners-up of the second division. A 3-0 win on the final matchday and a better goal difference than Paderborn were key to their qualification.
After having failed to make the jump by the smallest of margins in the 2024/25 campaign, they showed character last time out. Now they are preparing for a very tough test against one of the most consistent teams in the top flight and will be hoping to start the campaign with a historic upset.
However, Bayer Leverkusen won’t be easy to take down; they will certainly be favourites to win. They could only manage a sixth-place finish last season; as a result, Leverkusen only have Europa League football this time around.
While they will obviously love to push for the title, their priority will be to get into a Champions League spot. The visitors have had quite a few positive results in pre-season and will be hoping to build on it in matchday one against Elversberg. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
SV Elversberg
Elversberg will be without the services of Tom Zimmerschied, who is out with a back injury. Apart from him, everyone else is fit and available.
They are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Nicolas Kristof starting between the sticks. Lasse Gunther and Jan Gyamerah should feature as the full-backs, while Maximilian Rohr is likely to partner Lukas Pinckert in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Lukasz Poreba and Felix Keidel should form the double pivot, with the duo tasked with protecting the backline.
Further forward, Cole Campbell and Lukas Petkov are expected to operate on the flanks, providing width and creativity, while Francis Onyeka could take up the number ten role behind the striker. Luca Schnellbacher is expected to lead the line for Elversberg.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kristof; Gyamerah, Pinckert, Rohr, Gunther; Keidel, Poreba; Petkov, Onyeka, Campbell; Schnellbacher
Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen will be without the services of Martin Terrier (unspecified), Kennet Eichhorn (illness), Robert Andrich (muscle), Eliesse Ben Seghir (thigh), and Montrell Culbreath (foot) because of injury.
The visitors are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Mark Flekken starting between the sticks. Miguel Gutierrez and Lucas Vazquez should feature as the full-backs, while Edmond Tapsoba is likely to pair up with Loic Bade in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Aleix Garcia and Equi Fernandez should form the double pivot. The duo will look to ensure they dominate the ball and control the tempo of the game.
Afonso Moreira and Nathan Tella will feature on the flank, providing width to their attacks. Ibrahim Maza could take up the number ten role behind Patrik Schick, who will be leading the line against Elversberg.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Flekken; Vazquez, Bade, Tapsoba, Gutierrez; Fernandez, Garcia; Tella, Maza, Moreira; Schick
Key Stats
- This will be the first-ever league meeting between the two teams.
- The two teams have only played one game at the Ursapharm-Arena, with Elversberg coming out on top with a scoreline of 4-3.
- SV Elversberg and Bayer Leverkusen have a win each in the two meetings between the two.
- The last time the two teams faced each other was back in 2024 in the DFB Pokal, where Leverkusen registered a 3-0 win.
- Both teams have won three out of their last four games heading into this fixture.
Player to Watch
Patrik Schick
While Bayer Leverkusen did not have the best of seasons last time out, Schick stood out with his performances in front of goal. The 30-year-old striker finished with 22 goals and four assists in his 42 outings across competitions.
He has already bagged a goal in his first outing (in the DFB-Pokal) of the season and will hope to get on the scoresheet in their first league game as well. Elversberg defenders might find it very difficult to deal with the Czechia forward, who has a strong physical presence and is very clinical in front of goal.
Prediction
SV Elversberg 1-3 Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen will be the clear favourites heading into this fixture, and their superior quality should eventually prove decisive. Elversberg can make things difficult with their energy and home advantage, but containing Patrik Schick and Bayer Leverkusen’s attacking threat over 90 minutes will be a major challenge.
The newly promoted side could find a way onto the scoresheet, but Bayer Leverkusen should have enough control and quality to secure all three points. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the away team.
