Bayer Leverkusen vs Real Betis Predictions & Match Preview

Bayer Leverkusen vs Real Betis predictions and match preview for Thursday’s UEFA Europa League fixture. Read on for the head-to-head, team news and predicted lineups as two strong sides meet in Germany.

Bayer Leverkusen vs Real Betis Preview

Bayer Leverkusen and Real Betis clash in Germany on Thursday in a game which may well decide who ends up on top of Europa League Group G. Both sides have 7 points so far and with the significant advantage for finishing top meaning one fewer knockout round fixture, both coaches will be hungry for victory here.

There wasn’t much to choose between them a fortnight ago in Seville. An even game saw Betis take the lead with 15 minutes to play as Borja Iglesias converted a penalty but it was quickly cancelled out by Robert Andrich’s strike for the visitors. As a result, it all comes down to this although 3rd placed Celtic will still harbour some hopes of getting themselves back into contention in this group as well.

Betis fans are dreaming of a Europa League Final in their city at the home of arch rivals Sevilla in May. At times this season, they’ve played like a team capable of getting there but we did see the first major cracks appear at the weekend in a heavy 3-0 defeat away to Atletico Madrid. They also have a home derby against Sevilla this weekend so it’s a huge week for Manuel Pellegrini and his side but they have until now managed to cope with the heavy workload pretty well and their rotation hasn’t severely impacted their results.

This week will be the ultimate test of that but the good news for Betis is that their opponents are not in good form. Bayer Leverkusen have gone 5 games without a victory overall heading into this. Since that first meeting, they drew away in Cologne in the Bundesliga before being dumped out of the German Cup at home by second tier Karlsruher. They also lost 2-0 at home to an out-of-form Wolfsburg side at the weekend.

Those may be positive omens for Betis but this is still a strong side they are up against. Bayer Leverkusen have plenty of dangermen in their ranks including exciting teenager Florian Wirtz, one of the most highly rated prospects in world football right now. The attacking midfielder has already netted 6 goals from just 9 starts this season in all competitions.

Head to Head

• The sides drew 1-1 a fortnight ago in Sevilla.
• That was the first ever meeting.

Team News

Bayer Leverkusen are missing six players to injury including Karim Bellarabi, Patrik Schick and Exequiel Palacios.

Betis have no fresh selection issues but are expected to rotate once more with Nabil Fekir, who was rested at the weekend, expected to return to the starting XI.

Possible Lineups

Bayer Leverkusen vs Real Betis Predictions

Score Prediction: Bayer Leverkusen 1-1 Real Betis

Betis were brought down to earth with a bit of a bump at the weekend and Manuel Pellegrini will be hoping that was just a bad day at the office. This is a tough game to have so soon after that but Bayer Leverkusen haven’t been in great form either with some significant injury problems and a repeat of the 1-1 draw from two weeks ago wouldn’t be a huge surprise.

UEFA Europa League Match Previews

PLEASE NOTE – Our UCL & UEL predictions are not betting tips. No profits are guaranteed if you’re using them to bet on football. If you are gambling, do so responsibly and never stake more than you can afford to lose. BeGambleAware.