Bayer Leverkusen vs. Bochum preview: Can the league leaders end 2023 with a win?
Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen will be looking to claim all three points when they face Bochum in their final outing of 2023.
| Photo: Bayer 04 Leverkusen |
Bayer Leverkusen
Leverkusen maintained their four-point lead at the top of the table with a commanding 3-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday. Victor Boniface found the net in the 14th minute to give his side a half-time lead, before Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz grabbed a goal apiece to round off another successful outing and maintain Leverkusen's unbeaten record in the 2023-24 season.
As a result of their dominant performance at the weekend, Xabi Alonso’s side are guaranteed to head into the new year as league leaders. While they may go into 2024 in pole position, they have one final game to negotiate before the winter break.
Having won seven of their eight Bundesliga home games this season (D1), they will certainly fancy their chances of claiming maximum points on Wednesday. Die Werkself can also take confidence from the fact they have won four of their previous five home matches against Bochum (D1), including their last two meetings at BayArena.
Team News
Arthur will miss out through injury, while Exequiel Palacios will serve a one-match suspension for an accumulation of yellow cards.
Bochum
Bochum head into Wednesday’s fixture off the back of of a promising run of form, having lost just one of their previous seven matches (W3, D3). They have also won two of their three matches in December, including a 3-1 victory over Wolfsburg at the start of the month. Although they went on to lose in an away meeting with Hoffenheim, Thomas Letsch’s side bounced back to claim all three points in Saturday’s clash with Union Berlin.
Takuma Asano opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time, before Gonçalo Paciência doubled his side’s advantage within nine minutes of the restart. Kevin Stöger then kept his cool from the penalty spot to round off a comprehensive 3-0 victory.
Bochum, who occupy 13th place, will now be looking to extend their six-point cushion over the bottom three. Although they will be bracing themselves for a tough test against the league leaders, Bochum will have fond memories of their most recent clash with Leverkusen. Die Unabsteigbaren cruised to a 3-0 home win when the two sides last met in May.
Despite enjoying success on home turf, the visitors have not beaten Leverkusen at the BayArena since recording a 4-1 victory in April 2007.
Team News
Michael Esser, Ivan Ordets, Lys Mousset and Mohammed Tolba will miss out through injury. Erhan Masovic and Jordi Osei-Tutu are both doubts due to illness, while Stöger will be suspended for the away trip.