Leverkusen (6th place) played a fantastic match midweek in the Champions League, routing a strong Zenit side 2-0, but they will have to replicate the same form in Bundesliga, something they failed to do recently. Leverkusen has 3 draws in a row in the league and their defense is a real issue, as Bayer allows almost 2 goals per game in average – the offense can compensate only to a certain point.
Schalke (10th place) will be buoyed by a 4-3 win at home to Sporting midweek, even though they were 3-1 up at some point and Sporting had a player sent off in the first half. The visitors are playing very similar football to Leverkusen, attacking with pace and dynamism, but suffering at the back. Unlike Leverkusen however, Schalke is on a good run in Germany, winning 3 of the last 4 games to make up for a poor start.
Team news: Rolfes and Castro are out for Leverkusen. Schalke will again miss Kolasinac, Farfan, Giefer and Santana, with Matip being a question mark for this game. I reckon team news will not have too much of an influence on this clash (if any).
The logical tip here would be on goals, but the odds are low and I would not be shocked if the two will adopt a more careful approach, as this is a crucial game. I do expect goals, but the best bet value-wise is a draw. Leverkusen finished 50% of their Bundesliga games this season with a draw and I`m not sure if they have the form and strength to defeat a good, hungry Schalke side. Expect some nice, fast paced football with little separating these two sides and a draw being a real possibility. I`m sure both teams would sign for a draw right now, a loss is not really an option for either side. Prediction: Bayer Leverkusen – Schalke 2-2.
Pick: Draw
Odds: 4.22
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