Bayer Leverkusen vs West Ham Preview, Prediction and Betting Tips | Europa League
Bayer Leverkusen vs West Ham Preview:
- Date: Thursday, 11 April
- Kick-off Time: 7:00 PM (GMT)
- Venue: BayArena
With the UEFA Europa League set to return midweek, Bayer Leverkusen will host West Ham in the first leg of the quarterfinals at BayArena on Thursday. The home side come into the game on the back of a 0-1 win against Union Berlin in the Bundesliga. The narrow win saw Leverkusen prolong their unbeaten journey this campaign and now the Xabi Alonso-coached side is one win away from winning their first-ever Bundesliga. However, the side seems hungry to make further history and is eyeing the Europa League trophy as well.
Meanwhile, visiting BayArena are West Ham. The reigning UEFA Conference League winners have only improved further under David Moyes this season and are currently 7th in the English Premier League. The Hammers took on Wolves over the weekend and managed to win the game 1-2. While West Ham have managed to win games consistently in recent weeks, they will definitely be prepared for the Leverkusen challenge and might even be eager to break the German club’s unbeaten streak this campaign.
Also Read: AC Milan vs AS Roma Preview, Prediction and Betting Tips | Europa League
Bayer Leverkusen vs West Ham Team News:
Bayer Leverkusen:
The German club has been unstoppable this season and Xabi Alonso’s side are yet to taste defeat this season. Apart from the ingenuity of Alonso’s tactical system, a lot of Bayer Leverkusen’s success can also be attributed to the ability of the medical staff to help players avoid injuries and recover faster. In the Bayer Leverkusen vs West Ham tie, Alonso’s side will only be without three players.
Forward Nathan Tella sustained an injury after Leverkusen’s latest game in the Bundesliga and has been ruled out for a long time. His hip injury will see him recover on the sidelines and make his participation in Bayer Leverkusen vs West Ham impossible. Bayer will also be without fullback Arthur who continues to recover and reach full fitness as the business end of the season approaches. Much like Tella, Adam Hlozek also suffered an injury in Bayer’s latest outing and is now ruled out for the Bayer Leverkusen vs West Ham tie.
West Ham:
Similar to Bayer Leverkusen, West Ham doesn’t have a long injury list and will travel to BayArena with a strong squad. However, while West Ham’s injury list isn’t long they will be missing two crucial players for the first leg tie in the UEFA Europa League.
Goalkeeper Alphonse Areola suffered muscle injury on 31st March and is expected to view the game from home on Thursday night. He will work hard in training to recover in time for next week’s second leg, but as of now Areola seems ruled out for that tie as well.
However, the biggest worry for West Ham is forward Jarrod Bowen who has been in sensational form for the club this season and is in danger of missing the first leg. The forward was involved in a challenge in West Ham’s weekend tie against Wolves in which he apparently hurt his hip. While Bowen was deemed to be unfit to continue on the field and was withdrawn immediately, David Moyes seemed positive about the Englishman’s injury. It remains unknown whether Bowen will participate against Bayer and could be rested as a precaution.
Edson Alvarez will miss the Bayer Leverkusen vs West Ham game via a suspension.
Bayer Leverkusen vs West Ham Predicted Lineups:
Bayer Leverkusen Expected XI:
Lukas Hradecky (GK), Edmond Tapsoba, Jonathan Tah, Piero Hincapie, Jeremie Frimpong, Robert Andrich, Granit Xhaka, Alejandro Grimaldo, Florian Writz, Jonas Hoffman, Patrik Shick
West Ham Expected XI:
Lukasz Fabianski (GK), Vladimir Coufal, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Kurt Zouma, Emerson, James Ward-Prowse, Tomas Soucek, Lucas Paqueta, Kudus, Antonio
Bayer Leverkusen vs West Ham Head-to-Head Record:
While Bayer Leverkusen and West Ham did face each other in a Pearson friendly ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, this will be their first official meet in any competition in Europe. The preseason friendly earlier this season ended in a 4-0 victory for Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen.
Last result:
Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 West Ham:- Club Friendly – 5 August, 2023
Bayer Leverkusen vs West Ham Prediction:
Bayer comes into the game as the only side in Europe that is yet to face defeat in the 23/24 campaign as they extended their unbeaten run to 41 games over the weekend. While West Ham did win their latest outing in the Premier League, the Hammers have won only two out of their last seven fixtures. The David Moyes side seems a little fatigued and could suffer against the mighty Bayer Leverkusen.
Predicted Score: Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 West Ham
Bayer Leverkusen vs West Ham Betting Tips and Odds:
Bookmakers expect Leverkusen to win the Bayer Leverkusen vs West Ham affair and expect the Xabi Alonso side to score at least two goals.
- Bayer Leverkusen win: 1.48
- Draw: 4.70
- West Ham win: 6.40
Bookmaker: Stake
Odds Source: Oddspedia.com
Where to watch Bayer Leverkusen vs West Ham:
- India: Sony Liv, Sony Sports Network
- United Kingdom: TNT Sports
- US: CBS Sport
Also Read: Benfica vs Marseille Preview, Prediction and Betting Tips