German Bundesliga - Freiburg vs. Bayer Leverkusen - Preview & Prediction
By Valdis Pans
After ending a seven-game point streak with a defeat versus Wolfsburg, 5th-placed Bayer Leverkusen are about to pay a visit to Freiburg, who sit just four points outside the top-six. Kick-off - at 14:30 PM ET on Friday, May 29.
Freiburg Draw With Frankfurt
Freiburg remained without a win in their last three fixtures (D2 L1) after earning a point during a six-goal thriller, playing out a 3-3 tie with Eintracht Frankfurt at Commerzbank Arena on Tuesday. Vincenzo Grifo, Nils Petersen, and Lucas Holer all found the back of the net for the Black Forest club, which led 1-0 and 3-1 before the hosts buried two snipes in the last 11 minutes of the game. Freiburg have won just one of their last seven contests (W1 D3 L3) and currently sit 8th in the league (W10 D8 L10), trailing the top-six by four points.
Having finally ended a nine-game goal drought with a strike on Tuesday, German forward Petersen has extended his team-leading snipe tally to nine markers. Left-back Christian Gunter (2 goals) tops his team in assists (6). Goalie Alexander Schwolow, meanwhile, is 13th in the league with 70 saves from 19 fixtures, having also recorded three clean sheets. He gives up a goal every 66 minutes on average. Freiburg are 12th in most goals netted so far this season (38), 9th in most shots taken (13.1 per game), and 8th in both ball possession (48.8%) and passing accuracy (78.3%).
Bayer Lose To Wolfsburg
The unbeaten run of seven straight contests (W6 D1) finally came to a halt for Bayer Leverkusen, who were beaten with a score of 4-1 by Wolfsburg at home at BayArena on Tuesday. Die Werkself controlled 70% of the ball, but were outshot 14-9, managing just a single shot on goal, with substitute Julian Baumgartlinger netting a consolation snipe for the hosts after the Wolves were already leading 4-0. Bayer has now dropped back to the 5th place in the Bundesliga (W16 D5 L7), being on level points with the 4th-placed Borussia Monchengladbach, but with an inferior goal difference.
20-year-old German playmaker Kai Havertz, currently playing as a striker in the absence of injured Kevin Volland, leads Die Werkself with 10 snipes. In his previous six meetings with Freiburg, though, he has failed to collect neither a goal nor an assist. Goalie Lukas Hradecky, meanwhile, sits 5th in the Bundesliga with 85 saves. He has picked up eight clean sheets in 28 starts, allowing a goal every 70 minutes on average. Bayer Leverkusen are 4th in most goals scored (53), 4th in most shots delivered (15.1 per game), 2nd in ball possession (59.8%) and 3rd in passing accuracy (84.8%).
Prediction
Bayer Leverkusen has failed to win just three of their last 12 Bundesliga contests (W9 D1 L2) and will be eager to bounce back following Tuesday’s painful 4-1 home defeat to Wolfsburg. Still, do consider Freiburg for at least a point here! The Black Forest side has lost just one of its past four Bundesliga contests (W1 D2 L1) and holds quite an impressive domestic record versus Leverkusen, currently standing unbeaten in six straight home fixtures against Die Werkself (W2 D4). In fact, the respective hosting team has gone unbeaten for 13 consecutive league games in this series since Freiburg snatched a 2-0 victory in Leverkusen back in March 2012.
Best bet:
Freiburg Double Chance (Win or Draw) (-110)