Overview: Bayer Leverkusen will seek to put a tough Champions League loss against Liverpool aside as they head to the Vonovia Ruhrstadion on Saturday to face VfL Bochum in their 10th match of the Bundesliga season. Coming fourth in the Bundesliga with 16 points, Leverkusen is looking to better their away form while Bochum has remained at the bottom with just one point from nine games since the new change with their manager Dieter Hecking.
Match Preview
Bochum lost their most recent Bundesliga match 7-2 to Eintracht Frankfurt, with the visitors in that game going behind after five goals shipped inside the first 32 minutes. Interim boss Markus Feldhoff was finding it difficult to get a hold of his outfit. But the recent appointment of Dieter Hecking as head coach has brought fresh hope to the club that now has gone 11 games without a win, conceding 22 goals in their last five league games. Bochum’s home record is marginally better, with six points from their last ten, although they have lost four of their last five at Vonovia Ruhrstadion.
Meanwhile, Leverkusen had a tough outing against Liverpool in the Champions League; they ended up losing 4-0. The team managed to keep Liverpool off the board for just a hair over an hour but let in four goals in the final half hour of the match. That hasn’t stopped them in the Bundesliga, however, and head coach Xabi Alonso hailed their display in a 0-0 draw with Stuttgart on November 1 as the best of the season in terms of their press and creation of chances. Leverkusen has scored 20 goals and allowed 15 this season, positioning them as the third-best offensive side in the league. Their away form has also been good, for the defeat against Liverpool was their first on their travels since May.
Form Guide
VfL Bochum Bundesliga form: DLLLLL
Bayer Leverkusen Bundesliga form: WDDWDD
Bayer Leverkusen all competitions: WDDWDL
Team News
Bochum Without left-back Bernardo until late November, the probable defenders are Felix Passlack, Jakov Medic, Ivan Ordets and Maximilian Wittek. Patrick Drewes will start in goal as Manuel Riemann is still internally suspended. Up front, the probable attack will comprise Moritz Broschinski and Philipp Hofmann as Myron Boadu remains out with a hip injury.
For Leverkusen, Amine Adli remains out until March with a broken leg but frontmen Florian Wirtz and Victor Boniface should be joined by Martin Terrier in attack. Jeanuel Belocian and Nordi Mukiele are also unavailable so Alonso is expected to again employ a back three made up of Edmond Tapsoba, Jonathan Tah and Piero Hincapie.
Predicted Lineups
VfL Bochum: Drewes; Passlack, Medic, Ordets, Wittek; Miyoshi, Sissoko, Losilla, De Wit; Broschinski, Hofmann
Bayer Leverkusen: Hradecky; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Xhaka, Andrich, Grimaldo; Terrier, Wirtz; Boniface
Prediction
With Bochum looking to find their feet under a new manager, which has seen the team struggle for form in recent times, Bayer Leverkusen will enter this game as strong favourites. The offensive quality of Leverkusen should see them through, and they are expected to earn a comprehensive 4-1 victory on Saturday.
