At the start of the season, it would have been logical for both of these sides to be seen as Champions League contenders. Whilst Leverkusen have lived up to their end of the bargain, a poor 2018 has seen Gladbach drop points more often than not.

B04 News

For what feels like the first time in ages, Leverkusen are more or less injury free. The loss of Tin Jedvaj isn’t too much of an issue given the form of Panagiotis Restos. With Leon Bailey fit again and Kai Havertz back in full flow, alongside Karim Bellarabi waking up from what felt like a months-long slumber, we could see B04 at their best this weekend.

The return of Bailey, in particular, will play a major role in making sure there’s a star turn to look out for. With a rickety Gladbach side waiting, he’ll be licking his lips.

BMG News

Gladbach arrive here in what feels like an injury crisis. With as many as eight players out with various reasons, the squad is thin and there’s little to call upon at the moment. The loss of Raffael in particular has been hard to deal with. Raul Bobadilla will play up-top again, we’d imagine, with limited results so far.

Meanwhile, Reece Oxford and Jonas Hoffman will likely be back in contention for centre-back and the wide positions. Patrick Herrmann could play, too, if Hofmann misses out. With so many injuries, though, Dieter Hecking will need to call this just right.

Verdict

We think we’ll see a Leverkusen win. Gladach are in a poor run of form, throwing away a 2-0 lead at home to Werder Bremen. Their poor away form isn’t going to inspire much confidence, and we think that Leverkusen will put the misery on them without too much issue.