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OFI Crete will hope to vanquish yet another Bundesliga outfit when they entertain Bayer Leverkusen at Pankritio Stadium on Thursday, October 22, in the Europa League.
The home side are participating in the main draw of either of Europe's top two premier club competitions for the first time in their history, and after making a positive start, will want to continue in that vein on matchday three.
The Germans head to Crete with a 100% record in this competition this term, and with momentum from their domestic campaign, but they will hope to maintain their excellent start to the Europa League on Thursday.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
OFI Crete vs Bayer Leverkusen key stats
- Leverkusen attempted 39 shots across their two Europa League matches, 17 of which were on target.
- Each of the visitors' last five UEL matches finished with a win or loss margin of at least two goals.
- Only one of Crete's last seven European matches finished with both teams scoring.
OFI Crete vs Bayer Leverkusen preview: Visitors aiming to maintain 100% record
OFI Crete vs Bayer Leverkusen — Tale of the Tape
| OFI Crete | vs | Bayer Leverkusen |
|---|---|---|
| 18th | Position | 2nd |
| 3 | Points | 6 |
| 3 | Goals For | 6 |
| 2 | Goals Against | 0 |
| 1 | Clean Sheets | 2 |
| 8th (H) | Home / Away Rank | 1st (A) |
For a debutant team in the main draw of the Europa League, OFI Crete can be proud of their achievements after two matchdays, the first of which saw them secure a 2-0 win over German side Hoffenheim.
O Omilos could not follow that opening day win with a similar result last week, as they succumbed to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Rennes, but not before giving the Ligue 1 side a scare by taking the lead.
Christos Kontis's men have been performing poorly on the domestic front, winning just three of their seven league matches so far, but they are still on course for European qualification next season.
The hosts need some serious inspiration to put another German side to the sword, especially since they are on a run of three defeats on the bounce, with none of their recent four outings producing a victory.
Leverkusen have been incredible in the Europa League so far, storming to consecutive victories, while scoring six unanswered goals across both fixtures.
Die Werkself fell short in this competition in the 2024 final, but it appears that they are firm favourites to go deep into this edition, judging by their performances.
Carles Martinez Novell has done a marvellous job since replacing Kasper Hjulmand in the Leverkusen dugout, as they have now put together a seven-game unbeaten run across all competitions.
The visitors boast an incredible record in this competition particularly, losing just one of their last 16 such matches at any venue, with 11 of those ending in victory.
Leverkusen also won the only-ever head-to-head in the 1995 Intertoto Cup, and despite that being a while ago, the German side are expected to maintain their 100% record beyond Thursday.
OFI Crete vs Bayer Leverkusen form guide & betting tips
| OFI Crete | vs | Bayer Leverkusen |
|---|---|---|
WDLLL |
Form | WWWWW |
| 3 | Goals For | 6 |
| 2 | Goals Against | 0 |
WL |
UEFA Europa League | WW |
Whispers predicts: OFI Crete 0-3 Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen are overwhelming favourites to walk away from Crete with all three points, but value needs to be found elsewhere, perhaps in backing the German side to win-to-nil at 2.22 odds.
The visitors are likely to continue their excellent run of form at the back, meaning they could shut out their hosts and getting behind a BTTS – No at 1.94 odds makes sense.
A combination of the two would also offer enough value to be attractive, with a Bayer Leverkusen win and BTTS – No coming in at 2.09 odds.
Die Werkself are averaging three goals per 90 in this competition so far, making backing their totals over 2.5 goals at 1.69 odds a reasonable selection.
In terms of goalscorers, Patrik Schick scored twice last week to end a four-game Europa League drought, but after scoring 10 goals in 24 appearances in this competition proper, it is worth considering backing him to score anytime at 1.60 odds.
> Both teams to score – No at 1.94 | Likelihood: High
> Bayer Leverkusen Totals – Over 2.5 goals at 1.69 | Likelihood: High
> 1×2 & BTTS – Bayer Leverkusen & No at 2.09 | Likelihood: High
> Bayer Leverkusen win to nil – Yes at 2.22 | Likelihood: High
> Anytime goalscorer – Patrik Schick at 1.60 | Likelihood: Medium