German Bundesliga
2010-02-27 - Bayer Leverkusen vs FC Koln
A Sports Betting Pick by Niko
Bay Arena
Saturday, 27th February 2010 – kickoff 18:30
Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen faced a tough challenge last weekend when they drew 2-2 against Werder Bremen, but lucky for them is that Bayern Munich slipped to a draw against Nurnberg too, so they are still at the top on level points with Bayern.
They have achieved a Bundesliga record of 23 games straight being unbeaten which they share it with Bayern Munich, and now they will have a chance to make a history with a win over the bottom side of FC Koln.
Bayer Leverkusen are in great form as they have won all of the last six home matches and they have total of nine home wins and just two draws this season.
The whole squad is made of great individuals that fit very well in the team and some of the players exploded with good games in the recent weeks. The midfielder Toni Kroos is one of the best scorers in the league with nine goals scored so far and the Swiss International Eren Derdiyok is also very valuable as he has scored in every of the last four matches for Bayer Leverkusen.
Good news for the team will be the return of the defender Sami Hyypia who had missed last match against Werder Bremen due to five yellow cards suspension. His absence was obvious in the defense and probably played a big part in the late equalizer last weekend which simply could not be prevented.
There are no reports for any injured or suspended players for this match and Coach Jupp Heynckess will have his full squad available for selection.
FC Koln
FC Koln were demolished 1-5 at home against Vfb Stuttgart which put them in a bad position near the droping zone. With just 25 points and 8 points above relegation places they will expect tough battle for survival until the end of the season.
This match against Bayer Leverkusen comes in a very bad time for the team as they still have not recovered from last weekend`s loss now they will face the toughest challenge of all.
Coach Zvonimir Soldo will probably rotate some players from the last match, but Lucas Podolski and the new striker Zoran Tosic will start the match again.
The team has a very poor defense and their central defenders Geromel and Mohamad have made some big mistakes recently which led into that FC Koln had conceded massive 16 goals in the last six matches.
The defense is not the only problem in the team as their big acquisition and hope for this season – their star striker Lucas Podolski has scored only one goal this season! The last and only time he has scored was last year in the fifth round against Schalke 04.
The team plays a bit better away than home and sixteen of their 25 points came from away games but that number of points will hardly be increased in this match.
Midfielder Maniche is out of the team due to an injury and the team will take more defensive approach in this match as they were embarrassed last week. Their main weapon will be the counter attacks but Bayer Leverkusen are too good team to be taken ‘asleep’ so probably FC Koln will try to hold on to the starting draw.
The Betting Verdict
This match will be the fiftieth encounter between these teams and the tradition is clearly on Bayer Leverkusen`s side. Bayer Leverkusen have won each of every last six matches against FC Koln and all of the last eight matches at home.
I expect Bayer Leverkusen to start strong in this match and to finish off their opponents as soon as possible. Bayern Munich have a very tough match against Hamburger SV this weekend so this will be a perfect opportunity for Bayer Leverkusen to try to raise the point difference with Bayern Munich.
FC Koln know that they will be happy if they can get a draw here but having on mind their ‘leaky’ defense and their strikers goal drought i think that Bayer Leverkusen will get another win here which will make them the first German team ever to be undefeated in the first 24 matches from the start of the season.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Bayer Leverkusen-FC Koln 2-0
