Bayer Leverkusen have lost three of their last five matches across all competitions, and they will look to get back to winning ways in the crucial Bundesliga clash vs Hamburger SV at home on Saturday afternoon.
On the other hand, the visitors have bounced back after a run of three consecutive defeats with two wins. They will look to build on that and pick up another three points to wrap up a reasonably successful return to the top flight this season.
Hamburg are 11th in the Bundesliga table, and they will look to finish the season strongly. On the other hand, the hosts are sixth, and their hopes of clinching a top-four finish are fading. Die Werkself require a miracle to leapfrog VfB Stuttgart and TSG Hoffenheim to secure UEFA Champions League qualification.
On paper, Leverkusen are the better team, and they have an impressive record against Hamburger as well. It will be interesting to see if they can step up and get the job done. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
The home team will be without Nathan Tella (muscular), Christian Kofane (shoulder), and Martin Terrier (hamstring) this weekend. Bayer Leverkusen will shape up in a 3-4-2-1 formation vs VfB Stuttgart, with Janis Blaswich in goal.
In the back three, Jarell Quansah will start alongside Loic Bade and Edmond Tapsoba. Montrell Culbreath and Alejandro Grimaldo will start as the wing-backs. They will help out defensively and look to hit Hamburger on the break.
As for the midfield unit, Aleix Garcia and Exequiel Palacios will start in a pivot in the middle of the park. They will add control and composure to the side. Meanwhile, Malik Tillman and Ibrahim Maza will start as the attacking midfielders.
They will look to create opportunities in the final third with their vision and technical ability. Finally, Patrik Schick will spearhead the Bayer Leverkusen attack vs Hamburger SV on Saturday afternoon.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Blaswich; Quansah, Bade, Tapsoba; Culbreath, Garcia, Palacios, Grimaldo; Maza, Tillman; Schick
Robert Glatzel (calf), William Mikelbrencis (groin), and Fernando Dickes (shoulder) will miss out. Alexander Rossing-Lelesiit has suffered a serious ankle injury, and he is a long-term absentee.
Hamburger SV will shape up in a 3-4-3 formation vs Bayer Leverkusen, with Daniel Heuer Fernandes in goal. In the back three, Nicolas Capaldo will start alongside Luka Vuskovic and Jordan Torunarigha. Bakery Jatta and Miro Muheim will start as the wing-backs. They will look to protect the central defenders and hit Leverkusen on the break.
As for the midfield unit, Nicolai Remberg and Albert Sambi Lokonga will look to add defensive cover and physicality in the middle of the park. They will look to win the ball back for their team and protect the defence.
Fabio Vieira and Jean Luc Dompe will start on the flanks here. They will look to create opportunities during transitions and add pace and flair to the team while largely veering infield to allow the wing-backs to provide width. Finally, Ransford-Yeboah Konigsdorffer will lead the line for Hamburger SV vs Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Fernandes; Capaldo, Vuskovic, Torunarigha; Jatta, Remberg, Lokonga, Muheim; Dompe, Konigsdorffer, Vieira
The Czech striker is our key player to watch out for. He will look to find the back of the net here and help his team get back to winning ways. The visitors have been quite poor defensively, conceding 53 goals in 33 league matches. They will need to tighten up at the back to get something out of this contest. Schick could punish them with his goalscoring ability and creativity in the final third. He will look to create opportunities for his teammates and find the back of the net.
Both teams will look to pick up a win here, and this is likely to be a close contest. Neither side is particularly good defensively, and there is likely to be plenty of opportunities on offer. The two teams are likely to go on the score sheet, but the home team has more quality in its attacking unit and should edge this one. A narrow victory is on the cards for Leverkusen this weekend.
