German Bundesliga
2026-01-13 - Hamburger SV vs Bayer Leverkusen
A Sports Betting Pick by Niko
Football; Germany: Bundesliga
Volkspark Stadion – Hamburg
Tuesday, 13th January 2026 - kickoff 20:30 CET
Hamburger SV
Hamburger SV had a poor start to the new year with their 2-1 away defeat against SC Freiburg. That was their third winless game (two defeats) before two big home games against Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Monchengladbach coming up.
Despite losing to SC Freiburg, Hamburger SV is no stranger to achieving good results against heavy favourites. So far, they have taken points off VfB Stuttgart, Borussia Dortmund, and Eintracht Frankfurt, so they are no pushovers.
Hamburger SV sits four points above the relegation playoff spot, so they still have some slim cushion.
A positive thing about them is that all four of their wins to date came at home this season. They are also unbeaten in four straight home matches before this game, winning twice and drawing twice at Volksparkstadion.
The Hamburg team will be weakened in this match with the absence of their defender Daniel Elfadli, who got sent off last weekend. That red card was Hamburger SV’s sixth sending-off in 16 games this season, their negative club record.
Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen got dismantled by VfB Stuttgart last weekend, conceding four goals in the first half and losing 1-4 at home.
Perhaps one of the reasons for that heavy beating is the long injury list. Bayer Leverkusen had four players away at the Africa Cup of Nations and two injured. They are still sweating over the fitness of striker Patrik Schick, who is expected to be in the lineup but is still questionable.
Bayer Leverkusen is still fourth in the Bundesliga, but a handful of teams are very close behind them. This game should serve as a proper warm-up for the next round against TSG Hoffenheim, and they must respond well after the heavy loss.
Regarding recent away performances, Bayer Leverkusen won four of their last six road games, losing only to Bayern Munich and, oddly, to Augsburg.
The Betting Verdict
The pressure is on Bayer Leverkusen, who must now respond after last weekend's humiliation. They were simply terrible in that defeat to VfB Stuttgart, and are likely to be on another level in this game.
Hamburger SV will take their usual approach – counterattacks and cautious defending, but I expect quality to prevail and Bayer Leverkusen to win at solid odds.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Hamburger SV 1-2 Bayer Leverkusen
