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Borussia Dortmund will be eyeing up a fifth straight Bundesliga victory when they welcome Bayer Leverkusen to Signal Iduna Park for a heavyweight encounter this Saturday afternoon.
The pressure is firmly on the visitors, who only have six games remaining to try and squeeze into the Champions League places – a tough task, considering they have a four-point gap to overcome.
Dortmund, on the other hand, are in no man’s land, boasting an 11-point advantage over third-placed RB Leipzig but trailing league leaders Bayern Munich by a whopping nine points.
Check out our prediction, preview and betting tips, including the latest odds. If you want more, make sure to visit our ‘Today’s Betting Tips’ page for more expert predictions.
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Borussia Dortmund vs Bayer Leverkusen key stats
- Only Bayern Munich (27) have conceded fewer goals than Borussia Dortmund (28) this season.
- Bayer Leverkusen dumped Dortmund out of the cup earlier this season.
- Dortmund have won eight of their last 10 games at home, only losing against Bayern and Inter Milan.
- Leverkusen have conceded eight goals across their last three away games.
Borussia Dortmund vs Bayer Leverkusen: Battle of the heavyweights
| Borussia Dortmund | vs | Bayer Leverkusen |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd | Position | 6th |
| 64 | Points | 49 |
| 60 | Goals For | 58 |
| 28 | Goals Against | 39 |
| 13 | Clean Sheets | 7 |
| 2nd | Home Rank | 5th |
| 2nd | Away Rank | 5th |
Whether you are a supporter or not, you cannot help but feel a little sorry for Borussia Dortmund this season.
Niko Kovac and his men have only lost two Bundesliga games this season, yet the team are miles behind in the title race and will end the campaign with nothing to show for their efforts.
Dortmund have been particularly strong in defensive areas this season, conceding just one goal more than the current league leaders, though ultimately it is their tally of seven draws that has let them down.
Kovac has been backed by the club’s hierarchy to continue his project into next season, and the players appear to be on board after winning four successive league matches.
Borussia Dortmund have the second-best home record in the Bundesliga, winning 11 of 14 games.
After getting the better of FC Koln, Augsburg and Hamburger SV, Dortmund returned from the international break and delivered yet another top performance in a 2-0 win over Stuttgart. They are now setting their sights on a fifth straight win.
In terms of team news, Die Borussen will be without the suspended Karim Adeyemi, while influential midfielder Emre Can misses out through injury.
When it comes to Bayer Leverkusen, the visitors could be without English defender Jarell Quansah due to a recent muscle problem.
There are further defensive worries, with Arthur and Lucas Vazquez remaining on the sidelines due to ankle and calf injuries.
Leverkusen could certainly do with all three men returning as manager Kasper Hjulmand attempts to find a solution to his team’s defensive woes.
Die Werkself have conceded six goals across their last two matches, and 13 across their last six. In fact, they have only kept one Bundesliga clean sheet since mid-February.
Bayer Leverkusen are looking to secure back-to-back Bundesliga successes for the first time since January.
Fixing defensive issues would undoubtedly boost Leverkusen’s hopes of a top-four finish, with the team desperately looking to close the four-point gap to those all-important Champions League spots.
Die Werkself have made some great strides forward in recent years, and missing out on a top four finish this season would represent a significant backwards step.
To add to the pressure, Leverkusen have got some huge games on the horizon, including a semi-final cup clash with Bayern Munich and the local derby against FC Koln.
Borussia Dortmund vs Bayer Leverkusen form guide & betting tips
| Borussia Dortmund | vs | Bayer Leverkusen |
|---|---|---|
| W-W-W-W-L | Form | W-D-D-D-W |
| 12 | Points | 9 |
| 3rd | Form Table | 6th |
| 11 | Goals For | 14 |
| 6 | Goals Against | 10 |
| W-W-W-W-L | Form (Bundesliga) | W-D-D-D-W |
Whispers predicts: Borussia Dortmund 2-2 Bayer Leverkusen
It appears that the bookmakers are somewhat perplexed by Saturday’s fixture.
Borussia Dortmund are available at almost even money with most operators, despite boasting tremendous recent form and facing a leaky Leverkusen side.
We expect the hosts to grab a couple of goals, and we can say the same for the visitors, who despite their problems at the back, have also impressed in attacking areas.
Leverkusen have scored nine goals across their last two games, and 13 across their last four Bundesliga matches. This is a team that knows how to find the back of the net, meaning the over 3.5 goals market deserves serious consideration.
Priced at around the 1/2 mark, the ‘both teams to score’ market might not offer great value, but it could be a nice addition to an accumulator.
In terms of the outcome, we like the look of a draw at around 3/1.
> Match result - Draw at 3/1 | Likelihood: Outsider
> Over 3.5 goals at 7/5 | Likelihood: Probable
> Both teams to score - yes at 1/2 | Likelihood: Probable