VfL Bochum 1848 vs Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Bundesliga this season
View moreOutcome Breakdown
| GP | P | GD | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 15 | 32 | 16 | |
| 18 | 15 | 6 | -22 |
B04
BOC
Leverkusen eager to bounce back after UCL defeat to Liverpool.
As Bochum seek their elusive first win of the season under new manager Dieter Hecking, they face a formidable challenge at home against Bayer Leverkusen, who are eager to bounce back from their recent rough patch and extend their impressive away undefeated streak in the Bundesliga.
VfL Bochum 1848
Bochum's difficult start to the Bundesliga campaign worsened last weekend with a 7-2 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt. This loss marked their fifth consecutive defeat in the Bundesliga, leaving them at the bottom of the table.
With just one point from their first nine matches (0W, 1D, 8L), Bochum has tied the record for the Bundesliga’s worst opening to a season. This unenviable feat was only matched by Fürth in 2021-22 and Saarbrücken in 1963-64, both of whom were relegated after finishing in last place.
Their goal difference of -20 underscores the worst start by a Bundesliga team in history, and they have already conceded 29 goals, their worst defensive record at this stage. Things could deteriorate further as they face Leverkusen, a team they have beaten just once in their last ten meetings (1W, 3D, 6L).
However, newly appointed manager Dieter Hecking will be seeking to make a strong debut. He is likely to continue with the 4-4-2 formation used against Frankfurt, featuring Moritz Broschinski and Dani de Wit in attack. Unfortunately, Philip Hofmann, Myron Boadu, and Bernardo will not be available for the match.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen are struggling to match last season's lofty heights, with their latest setback being a 4-0 loss to Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday. "To win against top, top teams, you need to go through tough moments and suffer," Xabi Alonso said after the loss.
Die Werkself have faced challenges in recent weeks, with their only win in the last five matches across all competitions occurring in the DFB-Pokal against SV Elversberg. Alonso's men had to settle for a goalless draw with Stuttgart at home in their last Bundesliga game.
The draw saw Die Werkself [DDWDD] drop to 4th with 16 points [4W, 4D, 1L], seven points behind league leaders Bayern Munich. The last reigning champions to start the league so poorly were Borussia Dortmund in the 2012-13 season with 15 points at this stage.
Leverkusen will hope to pick things up against Bochum as they look to extend a 21-match unbeaten Bundesliga streak in away games. However, their last defeat on the road was a 3-0 loss to Bochum on the final day of the 2022–23 season.
A 3-4-2-1 formation with Victor Boniface in attack is expected on Saturday.
Team form
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