Bayer Leverkusen – SV Darmstadt 98
In Saturday’s matchday 3, the Bundesliga once again has five exciting games in store for us soccer fans. A somewhat unequal duel will take place at the BayArena in Leverkusen. Whether the Werkself will continue to ride the wave of success or the Lilien will earn their first point of the new season, you can find out in our Leverkusen – Darmstadt tip.
Leverkusen currently seems to be one of the best teams in the entire league. The Werkself’s opening win against Leipzig was followed by another convincing success against Gladbach last Saturday. The visitors from Darmstadt, on the other hand, again paid a lot of dues at home against Union Berlin the previous week. Despite being outnumbered for around 70 minutes, the Lilien ultimately suffered a 1:4 defeat.
And the statistics from a little further back also speak in favor of Bayer 04. In the last eight Bundesliga games, Leverkusen remained undefeated against promoted teams and triumphed six times. In addition, the Werkself scored 23 times in these eight encounters. The last defeat against a promoted team dates back to 14/03/2021, when they lost 2-1 to Arminia Bielefeld.
Leverkusen – Darmstadt info:
- Date & Time: 09/02/2023, 15:30 hrs.
- Game venue: BayArena, Leverkusen
- Competition: Bundesliga, Matchday 3
- TV broadcast: Sky
Leverkusen form & balance check
With Xabi Alonso as head coach, Bayer 04 Leverkusen experienced a remarkable metamorphosis last season, rising as high as sixth place. This season, the players under the Bayerkreuz thus once again participate in the Europa League. In the league, Bayer 04 is striving for the upper ranks and has its sights set on qualifying for the Champions League as an absolute must.
And at the start in the league, the Rhinelanders were completely convincing in the first two match days. After the 3-2 win against Leipzig at the start, the Rhineland duel against Gladbach then awaited in the previous week. There, too, Leverkusen put in a strong performance, winning convincingly 3-0 at Borussia-Park.
New arrivals in full
Moussa Diaby was probably the most important player for the Werkself in the preseason, contributing nine goals and nine assists in the Bundesliga. However, with the Frenchman now shining at Aston Villa in the Premier League, other players will have to take the spotlight in the new season.
The Werkself’s new arrivals, however, don’t seem to be avoiding the spotlight. Bayer’s newcomers have all been brilliant on the field so far. Xhaka guided the fortunes in the first games, Grimaldo and Hofmann orchestrated goal assists and Boniface shone in Mönchengladbach with a brace.
Leverkusen facts & analysis
- Last season in 6th place in the Bundesliga.
- Won 3:0 in Gladbach in the previous week.
- Excluded in the semi-finals of the Europa League the previous year
Darmstadt form & balance check
Torsten Lieberknecht shaped Darmstadt 98 into an absolute top team last season. The Lilies were among the top teams for the entire season and secured the coveted promotion from the 2nd Bundesliga on the penultimate matchday. But the start of the new season was highly unfortunate for the Lilies. In the first round of the cup, the Hessians suffered a stinging 0:3 defeat at the hands of regional league team Homburg.
However, the start to the first Bundesliga season since 2017 went far more promisingly. Nevertheless, the Lilien lost to cup finalists Eintracht Frankfurt 0:1. Against Union Berlin, Darmstadt then again kept up well, but the Hessians let up several times in standard situations. Three goals conceded from standards eventually led to a 1:4 defeat for the Lilies.
Standard weakness
Darmstadt’s impressive performance in the previous year was mainly based on stable defensive work. Throughout the season, goalkeeper Marcel Schuhen conceded just 28 goals and kept a clean sheet in 13 games. With a total of only 33 goals conceded, the SVD established the most robust defense in the entire 2nd Bundesliga.
The SVD was very stable against Frankfurt at the start of the season and allowed only a few scoring chances. And in the first home game against Union Berlin, the Lilien held the Eisernen to an xG value of 1.69. However, the Hessians were extremely unlucky with their standards and consequently conceded four goals.
Darmstadt facts & analysis
- In the preseason in 2nd place in the 2. Bundesliga.
- Lost 1:4 against Union in the previous week.
- Lost 16 of last 18 away games in Bundesliga
Predicted lineup – last update on September 1, 2023
Coach Xabi Alonso will have no reason to make any major changes to his team. Therefore, we expect the Werkself again against Darmstadt in 3-4-2-1 and without changes in the starting lineup. Hincapié and Adli will be missing for the last time in this match due to suspension.
For Darmstadt, we expect a 3-4-3 of sorts again, with the midfield roles not really set in stone. Luca Pfeiffer will probably act in the top again in Leverkusen.
Leverkusen – Darmstadt direct comparison & statistics
In the seven previous duels between Leverkusen and Darmstadt, the Lilies have picked up just two wins, while the Rhinelanders have emerged victorious five times. At the BayArena, the SVD has only managed one win so far. However, Bayer 04 always won the last three duels.
- The last victory of Gladbach against Leverkusen was on 12/09/2015.
- For the first time since 2017, the two teams are in the same league again
- Duell of 3rd place against 17th place in the league
