Bayer Leverkusen (14-5-6) at Werder Bremen (4-6-14)
Bundesliga Soccer: Monday May 18, 2020 at 2:30 PM (WeserStadion)
The Line: Werder Bremen +365 / Draw +290 / Bayer Leverkusen -140 -- O/U: 3 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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We have Bundesliga soccer action on Monday afternoon as Werder Bremen host Bayer Leverkusen from the Weserstadion.
Werder Bremen comes into this match in dire need of a lifeline, sitting in the relegation zone in 17th place with 18 points coming from a 4 win, 6 draw and 14 loss record. Werder snapped a five-game losing streak within the league with a 2-2 draw against Hertha Berlin in their last game prior to the halting of the Bundesliga due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. In the Hertha match, Bremen jumped out to a quick 2-0 away lead thanks to goals from Joshua Sargent in the 3rd minute and Davy Klaassen in the 6th minute. Hertha pulled one back four minutes before the break and tied the game at two at the hour mark of the match. Werder wouldn’t be able to regain the lead the rest of the way, pushing their winless run to six games in the league. Milot Rashica leads Werder Bremen with team-highs of 7 goals and 4 assists while Jiri Pavlenka starts in goal for Bremen with just one clean sheet and an average of 2.22 goals conceded per 90 minutes this season.
The break couldn’t have come at a worse time for Bayer Leverkusen, as Die Werkself were in the midst of a ten-game unbeaten run across all competitions. Leverkusen just pushed Porto out of the Europa League and took a 3-1 lead over Rangers away from home while advanging in the DFB Pokal Cup and riding a five-game unbeaten streak within the Bundesliga after a 4-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt to push their record to 14 wins, 5 draws and 6 losses this season. In the Frankfurt match. Kai Havertz opened the scoring just four minutes in before Karim Bellarabi doubled the lead just ten minutes later. Paulinho chipped in a brace within ten minutes of the second half restart with a pair of goals six minutes apart in the 49th and 55th minutes to seal the deal for Leverkusen. Kevin Volland leads Bayer Leverkusen with 9 goals and 7 assists while Lukas Hradecky is Bayer’s #1 goalkeeper with 8 clean sheets and just 1.16 goals conceded per 90 minutes this season.
I considered Bremen at home considering they need these points as bad as anyone in the Bundesliga, and catching Bayer after a two-month layoff could be a possibility. However, Leverkusen was rolling prior to the break and while common logic could suggest that the break would kill that momentum, I think the opposite. I think Bayer sees how close they are to the top 4 and potential Champions League play next year, and extremely winnable games like these don’t come around all too often. It may also be a good tune-up for Leverkusen down the stretch with Werder Bremen losing the home advantage with no fans in the stands. Give me Leverkusen here.
Chris’s Pick Bayer Leverkusen -140
AUTHOR: Chris Ruffolo
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