A top five Bundesliga clash is on the schedule Saturday February 8, 2020 as fifth place Bayer Leverkusen hosts third place Borussia Dortmund. Leverkusen need a win to stay in touch with the Champions League spots while Dortmund need to keep winning to stick with Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig at the top of the table.
Bayer Leverkusen currently sit in fifth place in the Bundesliga table and trail fourth place Borussia Monchengladbach by five points for the final Champions League spot. Leverkusen also have a few teams on their heels as Schalke are below them on goal differential and Hoffenheim is just one point back. Bayer Leverkusen have a Round of 16 DFB Pokal match-up with Stuttgart midweek and are looking to carry momentum into their Round of 32 Europa League clash with Porto in a few weeks.
Dortmund currently occupy the third spot in the Bundesliga, but trail RB Leipzig by just two points, for second, and Bayern Munich by three points for the top spot in the league. Dortmund are level on points with fourth place Borussia Monchengladbach and have a five point cushion over Bayer Leverkusen. Borussia Dortmund will head to Werder Bremen for a Round of 16 DFB Pokal match-up and will look to continue their rampant scoring as they prepare for a Round of 16 Champions League date with PSG.
Below is my pick for the Bundesliga action between Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund. All odds are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
Bayer Leverkusen (+210) vs Borussia Dortmund (+110) Draw (+280)
Bayer Leverkusen grabbed an early 1-0 lead last weekend, on the road against Hoffenheim, but could not hold on as they ended up losing 2-1 to a resurgent Hoffenheim squad. Leverkusen had 22 total shots and 11 on goal, so they will be disappointed with their finishing in the final third. The loss ended Leverkusen’s two game winning streak since coming back from the winter break. Bayer Leverkusen are a mid-table home squad this season having won just 16 points from a possible 30.
Borussia Dortmund scored five goals for the third consecutive game as they knocked off Union Berlin 5-0 last weekend. Erling Haaland scored his sixth and seventh goals for Dortmund, in just his third game, and fellow teenager Jadon Sancho also scored to lead Dortmund to victory. Dortmund have won their three games since the winter break by a combined 15-4 score line. Borussia Dortmund are a top five road club in Germany this season having won 15 points from a possible 30.
Series History: Since 2006 these two clubs have met 28 times and it is Dortmund who leads it 14-7-7.
Game Prediction: With the way Dortmund has been scoring I don’t see Leverkusen keeping up, so I am backing Borussia Dortmund +110.
2020 Results: 12-8