Leverkusen vs Cologne Prediction 5 February 2025

🔊 Will the current holder of the German Cup overcome the quarter-final barrier? The bookmaker's prediction suggests so. Especially since Bayer is in good form, and their opponent is Cologne, a participant in the Second Bundesliga. However, Xabi Alonso will likely rotate the squad. Therefore, we will consider different options to make an optimal prediction for the match that will take place at the "BayArena".

📊 Head-to-head

In a stretch of 33 head-to-head matches, Bayer holds the advantage with 61% victories. The last time the opponents met was last season when Cologne was still playing in the Bundesliga. At the "BayArena," the "pharmacists" achieved a rout (3:0), and they also kept a clean sheet away (2:0). In five consecutive head-to-head matches, more than three goals have not been scored. Considering that Bayer has become more pragmatic this season, it is worth considering a total goals under 3.5 bet.

🔴 Bayer

Bayer is having a decent season. There were concerns that they might not contend for anything serious, but the team is in second place in the Bundesliga, putting pressure on Bayern. They continue to participate in the German Cup and the Champions League, where they advanced to the playoffs from sixth place. In the last three months, Xabi Alonso's team has only one defeat - against Atletico (1:2). Bayer often drops points while leading. The match against "Los Colchoneros" was no exception. Something similar could have happened last weekend when the team was down to ten men for half an hour against Hoffenheim. However, by that time, they were leading by three goals, so they maintained the winning score (3:1). Bayer has already passed three rounds of the German Cup. The main encounter took place in the Round of 16. Then Bayer eliminated Bayern in an even contest (1:0), although their opponent was down to ten men from the 17th minute after Manuel Neuer was sent off. In the upcoming match, Martin Terrier, Janyuel Belocyan, and Amine Adli will not play due to injuries. Largely because of this, the club loaned Mario Hermoso (Roma) and Emiliano Buendia (Aston Villa) until the end of the season.

⚪ Cologne

Cologne is leading in the Second Bundesliga. However, they are only two points ahead of three clubs, so the battle for promotion is still ahead. The team had not lost for almost three months but was defeated by Hamburg away two weeks ago (0:1). After that, Cologne secured two victories, so their form is fine. They passed two out of three rounds in the German Cup after extra time. For example, it took them 120 minutes to beat Hertha in the Round of 16 (2:1), with their opponent playing with ten men from the 25th minute. Surprisingly, the only time they won within 90 minutes was against Holstein (3:0). Cologne capitalized on their chances better than their opponent, and substitute Luca Waldschmidt scored a brace at the end. Notably, the club sold a young goalkeeper to Bayern for a substantial sum. With this money, Cologne strengthened their defense by signing Yusuf Gazibekovic (Sturm) and Joel Schmid (Sion). Recently, they also signed forward Imad Rondic from the Polish league. Six players are in the infirmary. Highlighting Tim Lemperle, who recently got injured and has scored eight goals in 16 matches for Cologne this season.

⚽️ Goal Prediction

Bayer plays well in attack. In the Bundesliga, they trail only Bayern in terms of goals scored. Moreover, they often manage to score before halftime. At least they have scored in this segment in 8 of their last 9 matches. Given the difference in class, a goal from Bayer in the 1st half is expected.

🚩 Corner Prediction

The advantage in corners this season is with Cologne - 6.7 against 5.9. However, it should be understood that Bayer competes in tournaments with a completely different level of competition. They have at least seven corners in 6 of their last 7 head-to-head matches at the "BayArena." Therefore, a bet on Bayer's total corners over 6.5 seems justified.

📝 Match Prediction

Bayer is the favorite for the upcoming match. They surpass their opponent in class, although Cologne is solving similar tasks in their league. Weighing various trends, we note a potential exact score of 1:0, with which Xabi Alonso's team won 3 out of their last 4 matches in the German Cup.

Bayer is expected to rotate. Nevertheless, they will approach the match with full responsibility as there is an excellent opportunity to win a trophy. Meanwhile, Cologne has quite a reliable defense. At least in the Second Bundesliga, only Hannover concedes less. Therefore, as a key bet, we suggest total goals under 3.5, which has played out in five consecutive head-to-head matches.