German Bundesliga
2025-02-15 - Bayer Leverkusen vs Bayern Munich
A Sports Betting Pick by Niko
Football; Germany: Bundesliga
Bay Arena – Leverkusen
Saturday, 15th February 2025 - kickoff 18:30 CET
Bayer Leverkusen
Despite being unbeaten in 19 straight Bundesliga games (!), Bayer Leverkusen complicated their title race by playing two draws in the last three games. 0-0 against Wolfsburg last week means that Bayer Leverkusen now trails Bayern Munich by eight points, which makes this game highly important for winning.
Bayer Leverkusen can draw inspiration from the fact that since Xabi Alonso took over as their head coach, they are unbeaten in five straight duels against the Bavarians, winning three and drawing twice. Bayer Leverkusen also won the first duel this season with 0-1, and they hope they could do it again.
Bayer Leverkusen has been excellent at home - six straight home wins leading up to this match. They also had more time to rest as they did not have midweek obligations in Europe like Bayern Munich.
Positive team news for Bayer Leverkusen is the return of their left wingback, Alejandro Grimaldo. He served his one-match suspension last week and is back in the starting line-up.
Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich is on a series of seven consecutive Bundesliga wins, having a comfortable cushion over Bayer Leverkusen in second. Even a draw would suit them in the title race, but I think they will go harder for a win.
Bayern Munich warmed up for this game by beating Celtic 1-2 in the UEFA Champions League last Wednesday. They have less time to prepare for this game, but their bench is strong enough for coach Vincent Kompany to rotate some.
The Bavarians are a stellar away team in Germany this season, although they recently played a draw against Borussia Dortmund and lost to Mainz before winning their last two away games against Borussia Monchengladbach and SC Freiburg.
The Betting Verdict
Bayer Leverkusen must go all-in in this game. No other result can help them in the title race. Eight-points deficit behind Bayern Munich is already a lot, and if they lose here – you can bet everything you have that Bayern Munich will be crowned champions in the end.
The German Bundesliga differs from many other leagues in that it has fewer rounds (34), so an advantage of over eight points is massive. Bayern Munich will definitely not slip more than three times in their remaining 12 games after Bayer Leverkusen, so they are more comfortable.
Backing Bayer Leverkusen is risky but can pay out well if it lands. However, I would instead go safer here. Goals are the main bet. Those seeking overs should know that all of the last nine duels played in Leverkusen ended in three or more scored.
I think we will see goals in both nets, which is my main recommendation to back at fair odds.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 Bayern Munich
