Bayer Leverkusen take on the visitors Köln in the round 14 match of German Bundesliga. The match will be played on Wednesday, December 13th at BayArena (Leverkusen).
Bayer are reclaiming their position after a shaky start. The Aspirin Makers have long been regarded as one of the leaders of German football. Only under Xabi Alonso did they finally capture their first-ever Bundesliga title. In that 2023/2025 campaign they also added the domestic cup, completing a historic unbeaten double. However, even with the Spaniard, a natural regression followed, and they slipped to second place in the following Bundesliga season. In the summer Ten Hag was appointed, but his spell turned into a failure. Realizing quickly that the Dutchman couldn’t cope with a squad that had also lost many key figures, the club replaced him in early autumn with Hjulmand. He managed to stabilise the situation, although setbacks still occur. They lost at home to Borussia Dortmund, then immediately took revenge in the cup by progressing away. But after that they fell to struggling Augsburg. In midweek Champions League action, they battled to a 2-2 draw with Newcastle. Recent results show that Bayer have improved their overall intensity, especially in matches against stronger opponents. At the same time, their home form has become more reliable, allowing them to maintain momentum despite occasional stumbles.
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Köln remain one of the most popular clubs in Germany, despite their modest achievements. They recently had a brief run in the Conference League, but it was far from successful, and in 2024 they ended up relegated to the second division. However, they did not stay there long, earning immediate promotion back. In the Bundesliga they look competitive enough, often losing but still staying above the relegation zone. Their exit from the cup was expected, as they faced Bayern and lost 1-4. In the latest league round they exchanged goals with St. Pauli, ending with yet another draw, this time 1-1. Their resilience has kept them afloat, especially in tight matches against teams of similar strength. But their limited ability to turn draws into wins continues to hold them back in the standings.
In the 2023/2024 season, the title-chasing Pharmacists won both league matches against the Billy Goats. And in February’s cup match in Leverkusen, after a 2-2 draw in regular time, the hosts eventually scored the decisive goal. Bayer remain inconsistent, but they are still playing at home against a newly promoted side. We back their victory with a -1.0 goal handicap.
Prediction for the match: Bayer Leverkusen to win with -1.0 handicap.
