Bayer Leverkusen vs Qarabag Prediction & Match Preview

Bayer Leverkusen and Sporting CP will come across each other for the fourth time in just over four months. The two teams finished Group H at the top two positions and the last-16 round draw has put them together once again. The tie is wide open after a 2-2 draw in the first leg but the Germans are heavy favourites to advance in front of the home fans.

• Bayer Leverkusen go into this on the back of 13 wins and 2 draws in the previous 15 matches across competitions.
• Qarabag shipped two or more goals in four of the previous five Europa League outings.
• Leverkusen scored 14 goals in three group stage games on the home patch this season. 

Xabi Alonso decided to rotate his starting XI in the first leg of this tie seven days ago on Azerbaijani soil. It could have easily proved costly for the Spanish manager as Qarabag grabbed an early two-goal lead last week in Baku. Alonso made all five changes in the second half and two substitutes (Florian Wirtz and Patricks Schick) bagged goals to secure a positive 2-2 draw for Die Werkself on the occasion.

Bayer were successful at the weekend as a 2-0 home win over ten-man Wolfsburg kept them ten points clear at the top of the Bundesliga standings. Qarabag did not face any problems either in their domestic league game, beating Zira 3-1 on Sunday afternoon. Qurban Qurbanov’s men are 24 points clear at the top of Azerbaijani Premyer Liqa after 26 rounds.

Recent Meetings

• Bayer Leverkusen picked up two wins over Qarabag in the group stage. They were especially impressive in the home match, beating the Azerbaijani outfit 5-1 in October last year.
• Qarabag held Die Werkself to a 2-2 draw seven days ago in Baku, although it is worth mentioning that Xabi Alonso rotated his starting lineup heavily on the occasion.
• We saw goals at both ends in two of the previous three head-to-head meetings between Bayer and Qarabag.

Bayer Leverkusen vs Qarabag Prediction

Bayer Leverkusen are one of the hottest teams in Europe this season. They are currently on a run of 13 wins and 2 draws in the last 15 outings across competitions. Xabi Alonso’s men have 21 wins and 4 draws in 25 Bundesliga matches this season. They also topped their Europa League group with six wins in six games and they have advanced to the DFB Pokal semi-finals.

With a place in the Europa League quarter-finals on the line, we don’t expect Xabi Alonso to rotate this time around. Bayer’s strongest XI should have too much for Azerbaijani champions on Thursday, much like they did in October last year when Die Werkself celebrated a 5-1 win over this opponent. The main bet is Bayer Leverkusen to win in -2.5 Asian Handicap at the 2.25 odds.

The gulf in quality between these rivals is enormous and Bayer Leverkusen should finish the job by the half-time break on Thursday night. Qarabag are by no means a defensive force. They shipped at least two goals in four of the last five Europa League matches, including both knockout stage playoffs ties against Sporting Braga. We will alternatively back the Over 1.5 goals in the first half pick at the 1.90 odds.

Steffen Schmidt- March 12, 2024

Bayer Leverkusen vs Qarabag Betting Tips

Bayer Leverkusen -2.5 Asian Handicap

OK

	2.26 Odds
	2.20 Odds

Over 1.5 goals in the first half

OK

2.04 Odds

Correct Score: Bayer Leverkusen 3-0

OK

	7.50 Odds
	7.00 Odds