Bayer Leverkusen vs Qarabag prediction: EUROPE: Europa League – Group Stage betting tips on match 2023-10-25 19:00.
If remaining unbeaten in each of the opening 11 competitive games of 2023/24 wasn’t enough for Xabi Alonso and his brilliant Bayer Leverkusen team, they have also scored at least twice in every one of those encounters! That has equalled the club record for consecutive matches with 2+ Leverkusen goals, meaning they can make history right here in this UEFA Europa League (UEL) clash against fellow group pacesetters Qarabağ.
After seeing his stock as a manager rise sharply since taking Leverkusen to the UEL semi-final last season, Alonso must be eyeing another dominant display in their first meeting with Azerbaijani opponents in the ultimate pursuit of lifting the trophy this time round. Backing up that hope is a four-game run without defeat at home in the UEL (W2, D2), as well as a 3+ goal haul in every competitive home contest this term (W5).
Qarabağ arrive in North Rhine-Westphalia in fine form themselves (W6, D1), but drawing 2-2 over the weekend saw them miss the opportunity to go top of their domestic league. Their current unbeaten streak includes a pair of slender 1-0 victories over Häcken and Molde in the UEL, yet facing a side from the Bundesliga, and the leaders no less, goes a long way to explaining their double-figure odds to triumph at the BayArena.
Another reason the visitors might be pessimistic is the fact that they have faced German opponents on six prior occasions and are yet to win against them (D1, L5), with three defeats and eight conceded goals contributing to the away portion of that record. Whatever happens, this could be an all-or-nothing affair as Qarabağ haven’t drawn any of their last 26 UEL away outings (W9, L17).
Players to watch: Jeremie Frimpong has now scored in three consecutive appearances for Leverkusen (G3, A1), each before half-time and twice before the 15-minute mark. It took Juninho just seven minutes to net for Qarabağ in their most recent fixture, extending his scoring streak to a career-best four straight matches.
Hot stat: Leverkusen have scored in both halves in ten of their 11 competitive games this season.