Bayer Leverkusen vs RB Leipzig Tips
The 2023/24 Bundesliga campaign kicks off this week, and the most attractive game for the neutral fans will certainly be the clash between Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig which is scheduled for August 19, 3:30 pm local time. We should expect to see an electrifying match, with Bayer starting their first full season under Xabi Alonso and Leipzig coming fresh after their 3-0 Super Cup win over the mighty Bayern Munich.
Both teams lost important players over the summer (Moussa Diaby for Bayer, Christopher Nkunku, Dominik Szoboslzai, Josko Gvardiol and others for Leipzig), so it will be no surprise if they struggle a bit at first. The two teams are known for their high-intensity, pro-active style of play which did not change during pre-season, and this will be reflected in our Bayer Leverkusen vs RB Leipzig tips.
Both teams to score? Yes
While RB Leipzig managed to keep a clean sheet against Bayern Munich in the Super Cup, they still allowed five shots on goal with a xG (expected goals) score of 1.45 xG, which is typically enough for the ball to cross the line at least once. Last term, Marco Rose’s disciples weren’t too secure in defence either, finishing the league season with 41 goals in 34 games.
The same claims would be true about Xabi Alonso’s side, as his team finished with 49 goals in the same number of games. However, a considerable number of goals came before his appointment, so the Spaniard still deserves some credit for improving the team’s defence.
One way or another, both Bayer and Leipzig are more about quick, vertical attacks, with pacey wingers and crosses into the box, and not about sitting deep and waiting for their opportunity.
Considering this, Bet365’s 1.57 odds on both teams to score look more than convincing.
Total Goals Over 2.5
While it is hard to predict what the final score will be, we do believe that the match at the BayArena will be a goal fest. We’ve listed above the reasons why we expect it to be an open match, and the Bayer Leverkusen vs RB Leipzig tips would read wrong if we did not expect there to be at least three goals in the game – Bet365 gives 2.20 odds on this event.
Leipzig already put three past Bayern Munich, surely they can score a few against Bayer as well. As for the Schwarzroten, let's not forget that their first official game of the season was an 8-0 cup win against Teutonia Ottensen, with the likes of Victor Boniface, Jonas Hofman and Florian Wirtz all getting on the scoresheet.
Goal before 26:00 - 1.83
We’ve already mentioned that both teams are high-intensity and attack-oriented. This pro-active playing style means that neither Bayer nor Leipzig will start the match at BayArena by sitting deep and waiting for the opponent’s first move – both Xabi Alonso and Marco Rose will have their teams push high from the get-go. This approach proved fruitful in their previous matches as well, as Bayer netted their first of the eight goals vs Teutonia in the 16th minute while Leipzig scored their opener in the Super Cup in the 3rd minute already.
We will not go as far as to predict who will score the first goal, but a goal in the first 26 minutes of the game from either team seems like a plausible scenario.
The Bet365 1.83 odds on this event do not look bad at all.
Please remember to always gamble responsibly and treat our tips like a friendly suggestion rather than a call to action.