Bayer Leverkusen go head-to-head against Qarabag on Thursday. Read our Predictions and Betting Tips with Match Preview, Head-to-head stats (h2h) and Team Form Analysis.
This match will be played on 14/03/2024 at 17:00
Bayer Leverkusen will be aiming to seal their spot in the Europa League quarter-finals when they welcome Qarabag to their BayArena on Thursday evening. Thanks to a 2-0 win over ten-man Wolfsburg Bayer Leverkusen moved one step closer to winning their first Bundesliga trophy, but they have big ambitions for the Europa League playoffs as well. Even though Xabi Alonso’s men experienced all sorts of problems at the back in a 2-2 draw with Qarabag in Azerbaijan, home win should be considered as the Spanish tactician is going to field the best possible side this time out.
Unlike the first leg, all Frimpong, Wirtz, and Xhaka should start this time out, while Victor Boniface is a long-term absentee. Qarabag are not regarded as good travellers and we do not believe that they are capable of spoiling Leverkusen’s party at BayArena. Both Elvin Cafarquliyev and Julio Roma are back to contention after the duo missed the first leg through suspension.
How the bookies view it
Bayer Leverkusen are considered overwhelming favourites among the bookies with a home win priced at 1/6 by Fezbet. A victory for Qarabag is valued at 16/1 by Fezbet while wjcasino is offering odds of 16/2 for a draw.
Head to head
Bayer Leverkusen are unbeaten in three matches against Qarabag, claiming two wins and a draw. The Germans ran out 5-1 winners when both sides met at the BayArena during the group stage.
Players to watch
Florian Wirtz could be worth keeping an eye on having scored in his last two matches. The forward has also been on target in two of the three meetings with Qarabag and is priced at 19/5 by wjcasino to maintain his scoring run.
Juninho was on target for Qarabag in the first leg and could be the one to watch on Thursday. The Brazilian forward has four Europa League goals this season and is priced at 11/2 by yyslot to find the net on Thursday.
Recent Meetings
- Bayer Leverkusen picked up two wins over Qarabag in the group stage. They were especially impressive in the home match, beating the Azerbaijani outfit 5-1 in October last year.
- Qarabag held Die Werkself to a 2-2 draw seven days ago in Baku, although it is worth mentioning that Xabi Alonso rotated his starting lineup heavily on the occasion.
- We saw goals at both ends in two of the previous three head-to-head meetings between Bayer and Qarabag.
Bayer Leverkusen vs Qarabag Prediction
Bayer Leverkusen are one of the hottest teams in Europe this season. They are currently on a run of 13 wins and 2 draws in the last 15 outings across competitions. Xabi Alonso’s men have 21 wins and 4 draws in 25 Bundesliga matches this season. They also topped their Europa League group with six wins in six games and they have advanced to the DFB Pokal semi-finals.
With a place in the Europa League quarter-finals on the line, we don’t expect Xabi Alonso to rotate this time around. Bayer’s strongest XI should have too much for Azerbaijani champions on Thursday, much like they did in October last year when Die Werkself celebrated a 5-1 win over this opponent. The main bet is Bayer Leverkusen to win in -2.5 Asian Handicap at the 2.25 odds.
The gulf in quality between these rivals is enormous and Bayer Leverkusen should finish the job by the half-time break on Thursday night. Qarabag are by no means a defensive force. They shipped at least two goals in four of the last five Europa League matches, including both knockout stage playoffs ties against Sporting Braga. We will alternatively back the Over 1.5 goals in the first half pick at the 1.90 odds.