Bayer Leverkusen vs West Ham United
With the Bundesliga title almost wrapped up, Bayer Leverkusen have their eyes set on possibly winning two more titles in the form of the DFB Pokal and the Europa League.
Die Werkself are through to the quarter-finals here in the Europa League after their remarkable comeback in the Round of 16 against Qarabag, and they are set to take on West Ham United, who dominated SC Freiburg in the previous round.
The pre-game betting odds expect Xabi Alonso’s men to advance to the semi-finals because they’ve been in spectacular form all season. However, it would be foolish to completely write off West Ham United given their experience in Europe in recent years, including bringing home the Europa Conference League title last season.
Read more below to learn more about these two teams ahead of this epic clash.
Talking Points
Wirtz continues to amaze for Bayer Leverkusen
It’s clear that Bayer Leverkusen are the team to beat this season because they’re on a record run of 42 games without defeat in all competitions this season.
Florian Wirtz has been carrying the team in the Europa League so far. The 20-year-old attacking midfielder has been the driving force for Die Werkself, as he boasts a team-high seven goal involvements, with three goals and four assists, and he’s expected to lead up front alongside Patrik Schick and Amine Adli.
against Qarabag FK in October 2023
Overall, Wirtz is the team’s second-leading scorer, with 11 goals and 14 assists this season.
The Hammers will be hell-bent on slowing down Wirtz, but that shouldn’t worry Die Werkself because they have other weapons that they can rely on.
Wing-backs are staples in Xabi Alonso’s tactics, so Alex Grimaldo and Jeremie Frimpong have thrived this year, accounting for 21 goals and 20 assists this season.
Adam Hlozek and Nathan Tella won’t be available for Bayer Leverkusen after the two suffered injuries against Union Berlin last time out, but at least they finally have Victor Boniface back after a long injury layoff, their top scorer with 14 goals this term, who should be their first option off the bench.
No Bowen, big problem for West Ham United
There’s a big chance that Jarrod Bowen won’t be available for West Ham United on Thursday, which is going to be a massive blow since he is their top scorer with 19 goals and eight assists this season.
Bowen had to leave the pitch early in the second half of the West Ham United’s 2-1 victory over Wolves due to a “severe” back problem.
Bowen is not the only injury headache for David Moyes, as first-choice goalkeeper Alphonse Areola is also not expected to make it against Bayer Leverkusen since he is still recuperating from a groin injury.
And there’s more bad news for the Hammers, as midfield lynchpin Edson Alvarez will have to serve his suspension on Thursday.
With all of these absences, David Moyes will need the likes of Tomas Soucek, Michail Antonio, and Lukasz Fabianski to be at their best against their undefeated hosts.
History
Bayer Leverkusen and West Ham United will meet in Europe for the first time on Thursday.
Xabi Alonso’s side is undefeated in the Europa League this season (W7, D1), scoring 24 goals in the process. If they win again on Thursday, they’ll extend their winning streak to eight straight games, a record they previously set in 2001-02.
Die Werkself’s last European tie against an English opponent was in the 2016-17 Champions League group stage against Spurs (0-0 at home and 1-0 away).
West Ham United have already eliminated a German opponent in the Europa League this season. After falling behind by one goal against SC Freiburg in their first-leg meeting in the previous round, David Moyes’ men hammered them 5-0 in the second leg.
Betting Tip
As mentioned, the Europa League 2024 odds fancy Bayer Leverkusen’s chances to win against West Ham United in this tie. For their first-leg matchup, Xabi Alonso’s side is priced at 1.39, while David Moyes’ men are 5.90 underdogs, and a draw is at 4.22 odds in the 1X2 market.
However, if you’re a Hammers fan and you feel like your team can snatch a victory, then check out the Correct Scores of 1-0 and 2-1 in their favour, given their high prices of 19.50 and 21.00, respectively.
SBOTOP bettors may also have to take a look at Over 2.75 at 1.80, Over 3.00 at 2.06, Total Goal 2-3 at 2.01, and Total Goal 4-5 at 2.35 because we expect these two teams to create new Europa League 2024 highlights.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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