DFB-Pokal: Not an Easy Bout for Leverkusen in the Quarterfinals

Bayer Leverkusen vs VfB Stuttgart

Two of the three top-flight outfits left in the DFB Pokal will face off in the quarterfinals. And, in all fairness, this could easily be the biggest and brightest match in the tournament so far.

Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen will aim to stay unbeaten and advance to the semifinals, but not without a convincing challenge from a threatening Stuttgart squad.

Deniz Undav will have the opportunity to end Leverkusen’s Cinderella run and hand them their first defeat across all competitions when they visit Bay Arena this Wednesday. The 27-year-old has become one of the hottest commodities in German football, as he keeps on finding the back of the net against any adversary that comes Stuttgart’s way.

Meanwhile, the mighty Leverkusen are just three wins away from crossing DFB Pokal off their perfect season.

Their main man, Victor Boniface, remains sidelined, as he suffered a right adductor injury in Dubai and underwent corrective surgery. But the rest of Leverkusen have held down the fort and are poised to continue their perfect season.

Talking Points

Leverkusen forwards getting it done

It’s every manager’s nightmare to lose your star player when they’re off for international duties, which is exactly what happened to Xabi Alonso’s Victor Boniface. Luckily for Leverkusen, Alonso’s system allows multiple players to shine and showcase their God-given talents night in and night out.

In the DFB Pokal, it has been Adam Hložek and Amine Adli who have been the main catalysts for Leverkusen. The young forwards have been in charge of the offence with three goals each, blazing through German adversaries since the tournament began.

Playing with Leverkusen in the DFB Pokal’s quarterfinals will be a bittersweet endeavor for Amine Adli, who was with Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations just a few weeks ago. Due to Morroco’s early exit in the Round of 16, the 23-year-old will now go back to Germany and play for his domestic club for better or worse.

His return to Leverkusen came at the most opportune time for Xabi Alonso and the rest of his team, as they hope to continue their winning DFB Pokal 2024 results despite the absence of their main goal scorer, Victor Boniface.

Undav keeps the ship afloat

Like Leverkusen, Stuttgart are also missing the tip of the spear for their system, Serhou Guirassy. But all hope’s not lost, as Guinea exited the AFCON after their quarterfinal defeat against DR Congo. There is still a chance their No. 9 will be able to compete in the DFB Pokal this Wednesday.

But even though there’s a looming doubt on whether Guirassy will play or not, Stuttgart are still in good hands, as Deniz Undav has been playing out of his mind in the past few weeks.

The 27-year-old forward has skyrocketed in the Bundesliga Golden Boot race and is now just one goal away from overtaking Openda as the third-leading goal scorer in the top flight.

Undav played his magnum opus against RB Leipzig during their recent Bundesliga bout, where he scored a hat-trick to lead Stuttgart to a dominant 5-2 victory. And with that pivotal win, they are now three points clear of Dortmund in the league standings.

So, this SBOTOP writer is convinced that Guirassy’s availability will just be a cherry on top for Sebastian Hoeneß and his outfit.

History

These outfits have yet to come out of a match where one side is victorious, as they’ve tallied a draw in their last two bouts dating back to May and December of last year.

The last time one side was the unanimous winner was during their Bundesliga bout in 2022, when Leverkusen managed to win with a 2-0 clean sheet.

As the whole football world knows, Alonso and Leverkusen are still unbeaten in all competitions this season, winning 25 of their 29 games. And they are three wins away from crossing DFB Pokal off their list.

Meanwhile, Stuttgart are on a Cinderella run of their own, bagging 40 points after 20 top-flight matches, placing them in the upper echelon of the Bundesliga table, sandwiched between German giants Bayern Munich and BVB Dortmund in third place.

In their recent DFB Pokal matches, Stuttgart got the tougher matchup in the Round of 16, where they faced the proven Dortmund, while Leverkusen trampled 2. Bundesliga outfit SC Paderborn 3-1.

Betting Tip

The Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen are the DFB Pokal 2024 odds favourites to come out of this quarterfinal bout as the victors with a price of 1.60, which is a respectable price and would be enough to get me intrigued.

But I would understand if punters would want more of a value bet, considering the level talent that will be showcased in this marquee matchup. Which is why my betting tip is Leverkusen’s Asian Handicap of -0.75 at 1.84.

Multiple Leverkusen forwards have shown tremendous form in the tournament, which means that goals can come from anyone at any time. And that’s why giving Alonso’s outfit a minor handicap wouldn’t be that much of a task for the unbeaten Leverkusen.

 

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