Will Eintracht spoil Hjulmand’s debut?
Never before has a coach been fired after just two match days in the Bundesliga. But that’s exactly what happened to Erik ten Hag, who was let go as head coach of Bayer 04 Leverkusen after only one point from two games. Kasper Hjulmand was introduced as his successor at the start of the week. The former Denmark national team coach is supposed to push forward the turnaround at Werkself with a different style and more seriousness. Right from his debut, however, the former Mainz coach faces an extremely difficult task with his new club. The Leverkusen vs. Frankfurt tip definitely carries a lot of risk for the Rhinelanders.
With SGE, an opponent is traveling to the BayArena that has made a perfect start with six points in the first two match days and has also been convincing across the board. However, when making a prediction for Leverkusen vs. Frankfurt, it must be taken into account that Bayer has won all of its last ten Bundesliga home games against the Hessians. Looking back at the last five direct duels, Leverkusen also has a clear lead with five wins and 17 (!) goals scored.
However, it is also clear that the cards will be completely reshuffled on Friday evening at the start of the third matchday in the Bundesliga, and Eintracht can rely on a well-rehearsed collective compared to the 23/24 double winners.
The home side is still considered to have a slight advantage, although I don’t share this assessment and therefore see more value in the 2.80 odds for an away win.
Leverkusen vs. Frankfurt AI prediction
Incidentally, artificial intelligence tends to side with the bookmakers in its assessment of the odds. On the one hand, “BETSiE” predicts xG values of 1.79 to 1.33 in favor of the Werkself. This results in the Leverkusen vs. Frankfurt AI prediction of a victory for the Rhinelanders. Interwetten is offering odds of 2.35 for this, which you can also bet on with Interwetten’s €10 free bet.
Leverkusen – Statistics & current form
Kasper Hjulmand is the new man taking over from Erik ten Hag, who was sacked after two match days. The 53-year-old most recently coached the Danish national team for four years and previously gained various experiences at club level. Hjulmand has also been under contract in the Bundesliga, although neither party has particularly fond memories of his seven-month interlude at FSV Mainz 05 during the 2014/15 season. This makes it all the more surprising that Bayer officials Simon Rolfes and Fernando Carro now believe that Hjulmand, of all people, can give the revamped team an identity.
Bayer Leverkusen remains a surprise package
In any case, the Werkself will have to improve significantly compared to their first two Bundesliga games. On the one hand, they have already squandered five points after taking the lead, including a supposedly certain victory against a Bremen side playing with ten men. On the other hand, it seems as if the individual cogs are still far from meshing after the XXL upheaval. The individual quality is undoubtedly there, but a functioning collective looks different…
This is one of the reasons why my Leverkusen vs. Frankfurt prediction is that the home side will remain winless in their third league game of the young season. If you combine the double chance X2 with over 2.5 goals, you get an attractive top odds of 2.70 at Betano.
Frankfurt – Statistics & current form
For only the second time this millennium, Eintracht Frankfurt has started a Bundesliga season with two wins. After a commanding opening victory against Werder Bremen, coach Dino Toppmöller’s team also passed their first tough away test with flying colors at TSG Hoffenheim in Sinsheim. Seven goals scored in 180 minutes is an impressive tally, surpassed only by Bayern Munich so far. The record champions from Munich are currently the only team ahead of SGE in the standings.
Frankfurt’s offense is in high spirits and playing with gusto
The offensive output is very impressive, especially since Can Uzun, Jean-Matteo Bahoya, and new signing Ritsu Doan are three professionals who have at least three points to their name. The Japanese player, who moved from Freiburg to Frankfurt, has scored twice in two of his three competitive games for his new club. If Doan gets on the scoresheet again on Friday evening, the Interwetten app is offering a corresponding bet for the Leverkusen vs. Frankfurt match with odds of up to 4.40.
Another factor in Eintracht’s favor is their remarkable self-confidence and belief in their ability to implement their own game plan in every match. Frankfurt seem well-rehearsed, the team chemistry could hardly be better, and in terms of quality, the Champions League participants, who kick off their Champions League campaign next Thursday with a highlight match at home against Galatasaray, have nothing to fear from Leverkusen. I therefore believe that Toppmöller’s team will not only score the first goal of the game, but also secure their first away win at the BayArena since 2013.
Leverkusen – Frankfurt Head-to-head record
As mentioned in the introduction, Leverkusen has won all of its last ten Bundesliga home games against Eintracht Frankfurt. The Werkself has not celebrated as many home wins against any other club in the German top flight as it has against SGE, which has conceded at least three goals in four of the last five meetings with its upcoming opponent. In general, goals are a certainty in this match. In 14 of the last 15 encounters, the over 2.5 would have been a winner. There has never been a goalless draw in 80 Bundesliga games between these clubs!
Leverkusen – Frankfurt Tip
The third matchday of the Bundesliga kicks off on Friday evening with a real top match. After all, two Champions League participants are facing each other in a direct duel, having finished second and third behind Bayern in the final standings last season. At the moment, however, the home side are a long way from similar heights in the table. The personnel changes in the summer were too big, and the first two games of the season were too disappointing, with the 2024 double winners picking up only one point out of a possible six. With new coach Kasper Hjulmand at the helm, the new season is set to really get underway for the Werkself.
However, Eintracht are a very strong opponent who also have the clear advantage of being well-rehearsed and knowing exactly what it takes to win games in the top flight of German soccer. I am therefore pushing for a tip on the visitors to take all three points between Leverkusen and Frankfurt, which brings with it a maximum odds of 2.80 at Oddset.
