Last Updated on January 16, 2024 8:30 pm by Erwin Noguera
The Bundesliga puts on its best suit on Matchday 18 and will enjoy one of the greatest games in German soccer, as RB Leipzig will host leaders Bayer Leverkusen.
The Red Bulls are coming off a painful and surprising 1-0 loss to Frankfurt at home last weekend.
On the other hand, the Aspirines got a crucial 1-0 win as visitors over Augsburg, with a last-minute goal from Exequiel Palacios.
When and Where?
Saturday, January 20th, 12:30 pm ET at the Red Bull Arena
Moneyline odds:
Draw Offs:
Where Can I Watch?
Why Bet on Leipzig?
Leipzig is a team that usually fights for the most important places in the Bundesliga but always lacks something to be a real contender for the German title. That is demonstrated by what happened on the last matchday, when they lost 1-0 at home to Eintracht Frankfurt, with a goal by Ansgar Knauff.
This setback left the team in fourth place with 33 points from 10 wins, three draws, and four defeats. They have 38 goals scored and 18 conceded.
Before the loss to Frankfurt, Leipzig had a five-game unbeaten streak, largely due to the team’s attacking power. They have the third-best attack in German soccer, and their top scorer is Belgian Lois Opena, with 11 goals and four assists.
However, the driving force behind the team’s play is the excellent Dutch midfielder Xavi Simons, who has four goals and seven assists.
In this transfer window, they lost great players who were not regulars, such as Timo Werner (Tottenham,) Ilaix Moriba (Getafe,) and Fabio Carvalho (Hull City.) The only addition they had was the Macedonian Eljif Elmas from Napoli. Leipzig has lost only once at home and has injured defender and captain Willi Orban, but has Amadou Haidara (Mali) playing in the African Cup of Nations.
Why Bet on Leverkusen?
Bayer Leverkusen wants to do what other teams have not been able to do in all these years: end Bayern Munich’s era of back-to-back titles, and so far it is succeeding. A goal by Argentine midfielder Exequiel Palacios in stoppage time gave them a 1-0 away win over Augsburg on the last matchday, maintaining its lead in German soccer and a four-point advantage over the Munich team, which has a game in hand.
Leverkusen has 45 points, the result of 14 wins and three draws. Within the most important leagues in Europe, Xabi Alonso’s team is the only one undefeated. They boast the second-best forward line in the competition with 47 goals and have conceded just 12, making it the best-performing defense so far.
After draws with Dortmund and Stuttgart, Bayer has three wins in a row to maintain their four-point lead over Bayern.
Nigerian Victor Boniface is their top scorer with ten goals and seven assists. However, the striker is injured, so the goals will have to come from elsewhere. Besides him, the other player on the injury list is Brazilian defender Arthur, while Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso) and Odilon Kossounou (Ivory Coast) are with their national teams at the African Cup of Nations.
Final Betting Analysis: Leipzig vs. Leverkusen
The stop is difficult for Bayer Leverkusen, but there is no doubt that it is the club that plays best in the Bundesliga and somehow gets the points it needs. The victory will go to Xabi Alonso’s team.
The numbers at Gambyl Exchange have Leipzig as the favorite, as the Moneyline for them shows 2.45. Meanwhile, Leverkusen has 2.65, and the draw is at 3.60.
In their meeting previous this season, Bayer took all three points with a 3-2 win. We expect this result to repeat.
Go for a win in Leverkusen’s Moneyline. If you bet $100 at 2.65, you will gain $165 for a total payout of $265.
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