It has been a damning start to the Bundesliga season for Bochum. They come into matchday ten having failed to win in nine matches, picking up just one point and losing each of their last five.
A league-high of 29 goals have already been allowed from an xGA of 19.63. Most alarming would be their most recent record, conceding 12 goals across their last two matches against Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt.
A more defensive approach could be taken this weekend, with the Germans likely to deploy a 5-4-1. That set-up has seen Bochum register an xGA of just 1.47, but it could limit them in the final third after registering an xG of 0.88 after failing to net.
Manuel Riemann is still unavailable due to a disciplinary issue, while the absences of Philipp Hoffmann and Myron Boadu will limit their chances in the final third of the field.
An instant response will be expected by Xabi Alonso after Bayer Leverkusen were hammered 4-0 in the Champions League by Liverpool in midweek. However, consistency has been a major issue this term, drawing four of their last five.
Leverkusen’s dominant winning sequence from last season has been missing this term, despite the champions continuing with the same system that played out so well for them last term. The attacking wing-backs aren’t hitting the same numbers as last year, which could be a major issue.
Jeremie Frimpong and Alex Gimaldo have recorded just two involvements this term. Leverkusen also appears to be wasteful in the final third, registering an xG of 14.38 but scoring just eleven goals.
They are also underperforming in terms of an xGA of 7.23 after conceding ten goals from open play. Amine Adli remains out, but he likely would have only featured on the bench with Victor Boniface leading the line.
Bet hereBayer Leverkusen may be nine points worse off than at this stage this season. However, it could be hard to overlook their 21-game unbeaten record on the road when making a Bochum vs Bayer Leverkusen prediction.
The visitors have been wasteful in the final third this season, but with Bochum’s defensive approach and limited talent in the final third, it’s likely that they will have more than enough chances to make their advantage count.
Bochum’s injury issues in the final third will limit their chances of gaining a shock point, but it’s incredibly hard to overlook the sheer number of goals that they are conceding.
Leverkusen’s dominant players in the wide areas looked dangerous against Liverpool, and against a weaker opponent, they could spark back into form this weekend.
Given the short prices for goalscorers, a slightly more unusual approach can be taken. Granit Xhaka has an xG of 0.25 this season and has already registered three goals in the Bundesliga.
The Swiss international has attempted an average of 0.89 shots per game, with the vast majority of those coming from outside of the box. That could be the betting prediction angle this weekend, as Bochum have conceded eight goals from outside of the box this season from an xGA of 2.50.
Alternatively, Bochum to win under 4.5 corners could be a decent betting angle. The German side have shown clear limitations in the final third this season, and are unlikely to have much possession against Leverkusen this weekend. Bochum have won an average of 3.00 corners per game, and an average of just 3.5 corners per game in home matches.
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