Wednesday’s action in the Bundesliga includes a matchup between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and 1. FC Koln. Leverkusen is clinging to fourth place in the table, a point ahead of Borussia Monchengladbach, hopeful for that automatic entry into the UEFA Champions League. They welcome a Koln team that seems safe from relegation, in 12th place with 35 points, but is also far from contending. The job for Leverkusen is to pull out three more points from this match and keep their Champions League hopes alive; for Koln, all that remains is the chance to play the spoiler. This match will be played in front of empty stands due to the continuing restrictions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and away teams have done better than home teams since the league resumed play under these conditions. Can Leverkusen take care of business, or will Koln swipe a point or three? Let’s see how the Bundesliga Odds will be for the Leverkusen vs Koln.
Bundesliga: Bayer 04 Leverkusen vs 1. FC Koln (June 17)
- When: Wednesday, June 17, 2020, 2:30 pm ET
- Where: BayArena, Leverkusen
- TV: None
- Radio: None
- Live Stream: FOX Soccer Match Pass
- Bundesliga Odds: 1. FC Koln +486 / Draw +353 / Bayer 04 Leverkusen -181
Why should you put your money on Koln?
Koln comes to Leverkusen on the heels of a home loss to Union Berlin on Saturday. Union Berlin has toilet near the basement of the Bundesliga table for much of the season, and although they might be clear of relegation, they were given too much free reign by the hosts. Union Berlin opened the scoring in the 39th minute as Marvin Friedrich broke free, and then Christian Gentner made it a two-goal lead in the 67th minute. Jhon Cordoba made things briefly interesting in injury time at the end of the second half, scoring to halve the deficit, but that was all the hosts could offer in terms of scoring.
Koln possessed the ball for 59 percent of the match and outshot Union Berlin, 10-5 (6-4 on target). The game was bitterly contested, as the teams combined for 35 fouls and Koln was shown three red cards. Despite all the battling, though, the offense remained less on offer and more a feature of counterattacks and breakdowns, as both teams continued to show some rust from the lengthy pause to the season. If you like Koln, you think they can gum up the works in Leverkusen’s offense and either grab a draw or put a surprise goal or two in the net.
Why should you bet on Leverkusen?
Leverkusen turns right back around after a disappointing trip to FC Schalke 04 on Sunday, in which the favored visitors only came out with a single point, settling for a 1-1 draw. Schalke actually took a lead in this match as Daniel Caliguri converted from the spot in the 51st minute. Leverkusen looked headed to a sad defeat until they forced an own goal in the 81st minute. Despite some frenetics in the last ten minutes or so, Leverkusen was not able to push ahead.
Leverkusen dominated possession for the match, holding the ball for two-thirds of the action. They outshot Schalke, 10-4, but both sides put three shots on frame. Schalke brought more physicality, committing 14 fouls to just seven for Leverkusen — and earning four yellow cards, to just one for the visitors. Leverkusen brought pressure, forcing nine corner kicks, but they could not convert any of those set piece opportunities. If you like Leverkusen, you see that offense sorting itself out in time to take care of another team in the middle of the table.
Leverkusen vs Koln Final Score Prediction
It seems that playing two matches a week may be catching up to both of these teams. Leverkusen gets to sleep in their own beds the night before the match, which should start to play a more significant role as the season presses on. I predict a final score of Leverkusen 2, Koln 1.
