When FC Koln visits BayArena on Friday night, Bayer Leverkusen will aim to keep up its quest for a top-four Bundesliga standing.
Team Form
Bayer Leverkusen
Leverkusen is heading into this Friday’s game against Koln on the back of a goalless draw with Union Berlin in their previous match. Despite this, they remain unbeaten in their last nine matches in Germany’s top flight.
They have been in impressive form lately, winning six of their last nine league games, which has seen them rise to sixth place in the table, with just eight points behind fourth-placed Freiburg.
The team is currently in the running to qualify for the group stage of next season’s Champions League.
However, Leverkusen also has another route into Europe, as they have made it to the semi-finals of the Europa League. They will face Roma in the first leg set in Italy on May 11.
Leverkusen has picked up 26 points from their 15 league games so far this season when playing at home. Their next opponents, Koln, have struggled on the road, with only three away wins in the Bundesliga this season.
Bayern Leverkusen Bundesliga Form: W W D W D
FC Koln
On the other hand, Koln’s recent form could have been more impressive. They suffered a 1-0 home defeat to Freiburg in their last game.
With 35 points from 30 matches, Steffen Baumgart’s side currently sits in 11th position in the table, a considerable 13 points behind their opponents in Friday’s match.
Despite their current position in the table, Koln cannot afford to be complacent. They are only seven points ahead of 16th-placed Bochum, which puts them in a precarious position in the fight against relegation. Therefore, every match counts for them, and a victory against Leverkusen would greatly boost their survival hopes.
FC Koln Bundesliga Form: D W D W L
Squad Report
Bayer Leverkusen
Unfortunately for Leverkusen, they will miss some key players for their upcoming Bundesliga clash against Koln. Exequiel Palacios, Patrik Schick, Andrey Lunev, and Charles Aranguiz will all be unavailable due to injuries.
FC Koln
Koln will also have some injury concerns going into the match against Leverkusen. Due to injuries, Sebastian Andersson, Mark Uth, and Florian Dietz will all be unavailable for the game.
Furthermore, Eric Martel will also miss the game due to a suspension after receiving a yellow card in their previous match against Freiburg.
Bayer Leverkusen’s expected starting lineup:
Hradecky; Kossounou, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Andrich, Tapsoba, Bakker; Diaby, Hlozek, Wirtz
FC Koln’s expected starting lineup:
Schwabe; Schmitz, Hubers, Chabot, Hector; Skhiri, Huseinbasic; Ljubicic, Kainz, Maina; Selke
Head to Head
In the previous encounters between Leverkusen and Koln, Leverkusen has been the dominant team, winning 19 out of their last 32 matches.
On the other hand, Koln has only secured six victories against Leverkusen, while seven matches between the two sides have ended in draws.
Time, Date & Venue
Date: Friday, May 05
Time: 06:30 pm, UTC
Venue: BayArena Stadium, Leverkusen
Prediction
Although Koln will certainly be looking to cause an upset, Leverkusen’s strong form and home advantage make them the favourites for Friday’s match.
