Only eight points separate the first-place team in the Bundesliga table from the fifth-place team, which means that the difference between a title (and a Champions League slot, given to the top four teams) is still fairly thin, given how far we are into the season. Bayern Munich leads the league with 58 points right now. On Saturday, Bayer Leverkusen, currently in fifth place with 50 points, heads to Borussia to take on Monchengladbach, currently in third place with 52 points. A road win for Bayer Leverkusen would be a huge boost, pushing them past Monchengladbach into no worse than fourth place. Normally, this would be a real challenge in terms of sustaining momentum, but Stadion im Borussia-Park will be empty, as the restart of Bundesliga play meant that the stands would be empty of fans. Can Leverkusen pull off the upset? Check out our Bundesliga betting Odds & preview before you lock in your wagers for the Monchengladbach vs Leverkusen.
Bundesliga: Borussia Monchengladbach vs Bayer Leverkusen – Saturday, May 23
- When: Saturday, May 23, 2020, 9:30 am ET
- Where: Stadion im Borussia-Park
- TV: FS2 / Fox Deportes
- Radio: None
- Live Stream: fuboTV
- Soccer Odds: Borussia Monchengladbach +135 / Bayer Leverkusen +180 / O/U 3.5
Why should you put your money on Bayer Leverkusen?
Leverkusen flew out of the gate once the COVID-19 hiatus came to an end. They had an away fixture on Monday, visiting Werder (currently sitting in 17th place in the 18-team table). They demolished the hosts, rolling in 4-1 fashion. Kai Havertz opened the scoring for the visitors in the 28th minute. Theodor Gebre Selassie brought the hosts level two minutes later, but then Havertz completed his brace just three minutes after that. After halftime, Leverkusen pulled away, with Mitchell Weiser tallying in the 61st minute and Kerem Demirbay adding insurance in the 78th.
Leverkusen possessed the ball for 61 percent of the game and led in shots, 13-8 (9-1 on target) as Werder was happy to do most of their shooting from distance. The match was spirited, with 29 combined fouls and three combined yellow cards, but Leverkusen applied most of the pressure, adding nine corners to their nine shots on target. If Leverkusen can keep the offense rolling on Saturday, they have a great shot to close that gap in the standings.
Why should you bet on Borussia Monchengladbach?
Monchengladbach also have a huge game coming out of the hiatus, as they also went on the road and delivered some punishment. They visited Eintracht Frankfurt, currently in 13th place in the standings, and delivered a 3-1 win. Monchengladbach established a dominant tone in the early minutes, as Alassane Plea scored in the first minute and Marcus Thuram added a goal just six minutes later. Things remained 2-0 well into the second half, when Ramy Bensebaini converted from the spot in the 73rd minute to make it 3-0. Eintracht Frankfurt was able to avoid the embarrassment of a clean sheet when Andre Silva found the back of the net in the 81st minute.
For the match, Monchengladbach possessed for just less than half of the match but made use of the ball when they had it, outshooting the hosts 17-14 (8-4 on target). The hosts had some frustration, committing 19 fouls to just 10 for Monchengladbach, and drawing five yellow cards to just one for the visitors. However, the physicality and the late pressure were not enough to dent the Monchengladbach defense.
Final Score Prediction for the Monchengladbach vs Leverkusen
I was impressed with Leverkusen’s energy out of the gate. In fact, many of the Bundesliga teams showed a great deal of spark, particularly given that they had the unusual experience of playing in front of empty stands. However, as dominant as Leverkusen’s win was, Werder is not a difficult side. Monchengladbach’s early establishment of their offense against a better team (in Eintracht Frankfurt) makes them the smart pick here, even though the home field advantage that Monchengladbach has is lessened by the absence of fans. I predict a final score of Monchengladbach 3, Leverkusen 2.
