VfL Bochum will host Bayer Leverkusen at Vonovia Ruhrstadion on Sunday, looking to finish the season strongly.
VfL Bochum are coming into this game on the back of two consecutive victories, and they will be looking to pull off a positive result against newly-crowned Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen.
Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen have already won the league title, and they have nothing to play for. However, they will look to preserve their unbeaten run with a strong performance here. Die Werkself are yet to lose in any competition across the campaign, and they will look to keep their spotless record intact.
The last time these two sides met, Bayer Leverkusen picked up a 4-0 win at home and it remains to be seen whether Bochum can avenge that defeat here. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
VfL Bochum
Mohammed Tolba misses out with ACL injury, Michael Esser has a knee injury, Danilo Soares has a muscle injury, and Moritz Kwarteng has a knee injury. The home side are likely to shape up in a 4-1-4-1 formation, with Manuel Riemann in goal.
Felix Passlack and Bernardo will start as the full-backs. They will look to protect the central defenders and help out during counter-attacking opportunities. Kevin Schlotterbeck will start alongside Ivan Ordets at the heart of the defence.
In the defensive midfield role, Anthony Losilla will look to break up opposition attacks and win the ball back for his side. Takuma Asano and Matus Bero will add pace and flair from the flanks. In the middle of the park, Kevin Stoger will start alongside Patrick Osterhage. They will look to control the game in the middle of the park and add creativity to the side. Philipp Hofmann will lead the line for Bochum.
Probable Lineup (4-1-4-1): Riemann; Passlack, Schlotterbeck, Ordets, Bernardo; Losilla; Asano, Stoger, Osterhage, Bero; Hofmann
Bayer Leverkusen
Florian Wirtz misses out with a thigh problem. Lukas Hradecky will start in goal for the visitors, who will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation against Bochum. In the back three, Odilon Kossounou will start alongside Jonathan Tah and Piero Hincapie.
Jeremie Frimpong and Alejandro Grimaldo will start as the wing-backs. They will look to add creativity and goals to the side from the wide areas. Exequiel Palacios will add defensive cover in the midfield and look to break up opposition attacks. Granit Xhaka will add control and composure alongside him.
Adam Hlozek and Amine Adli will start as the attacking midfielders, and they will look to create goalscoring opportunities in the final third. Patrik Schick will lead the line for Bayer Leverkusen here.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Hradecky; Kossounou, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Palacios, Xhaka, Grimaldo; Hlozek, Adli; Schick
Key Stats
- Bayer Leverkusen are undefeated in their last 32 matches in the Bundesliga.
- Bayer Leverkusen have scored at least two goals in 11 of their last 13 matches in the Bundesliga.
- Bochum have conceded at least two goals in nine of their last 11 matches in the Bundesliga.
- 17 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two teams.
Player to Watch
Patrik Schick
The Czech attacker is our key player to watch out for, and he will look to get on the scoresheet here. Schick has 12 goals in 15 starts this season, and he is one of the best attackers in the Bundesliga right now.
He will look to influence the game with his creativity and goalscoring ability in the final third. In the absence of Florian Wirtz, he will have to lead the line for Bayer Leverkusen and get the job done in the final third.
Prediction
VfL Bochum 1-1 Bayer Leverkusen
The home side are in impressive form right now and they have gathered some momentum and confidence with their recent results. They will look to finish the season strongly and grind out a positive result here.
Leverkusen might be lacking in motivation after winning the league title and it remains to be seen whether they can put on their best performance here.
This is likely to be a close contest and the two teams could end up cancelling each other out.
