Kaiserslautern vs Bayer Leverkusen Prediction: Team News and Lineups Preview

We have a David vs Goliath meeting to look forward to at Olympiastadion, Berlin as Jack Wright offers up a Kaiserslautern vs Bayer Leverkusen prediction, team news and lineups preview for the 2023/24 DFB Cup final.

The attention will undoubtedly be on Xabi Alonso’s men as they attempt to become the first side in German league history to record an invincible domestic double. The Bundesliga champions are understandably massive odds on favourites to lift the trophy but we look to get them onside at a palatable price against their lower league opponents.

• Kaiserslautern vs Bayer Leverkusen Tip 1: Bayer Leverkusen to Win to Nil
• Kaiserslautern vs Bayer Leverkusen Tip 2: Florian Wirtz to Score Anytime
• Kaiserslautern vs Bayer Leverkusen Tip 3: Half With Most Goals = Second Half

Kaiserslautern vs Bayer Leverkusen Prediction 1: Bayer Neverlusen

Germany, DFB Cup, Saturday, May 25th, 19:00 (UK)

Since Leverkusen secured their maiden Bundesliga title with a 5-0 mauling of Werder Bremen, they have kept their foot firmly on the gas. The Bundesliga champions are currently a European record 51 games unbeaten, winning 42 of those fixtures ahead of their Europa League final against Atalanta on Wednesday. 

Champions who clinch their title with games to spare often ease off and rotate to keep players fresh for the challenges ahead. Often finding it hard to flick the switch back on to recapture that cutting edge. That is not the case here and it is impossible to find a reason to predict anything other than a win for the 1.14 favourites.

No Foot off the Gas

We saw a good form line in the semi-final, with Xabi Alonso’s men thumping Bundesliga 2’s Fortuna Düsseldorf 4-0. A side that finished 25 points and 11 places better off than the Red Devils in the German second tier. 

The underdogs haven’t historically played that role given they are four-time German champions although last winning Bundesliga in 1998. A shock victory would see a return to European action for the first time since 2001 incredible for a side that was in the third tier domestically as recently as 2022.

This season has been a prolonged struggle in the league, with three wins from their final four games, meaning a finishing position seven points clear of the drop. However, there was a perfect reminder regarding the size of the club with just short of 48,000 fans at their final home game of the season a 5-0 defeat of Braunschweig.

Kaiserslautern CEO Thomas Hengen labelled Leverkusen “by some distance the best in Europe” and although that is up for debate they will be too strong for their lower league rivals on Saturday. Adding that win to be “to nil” makes the price a far more palatable 1.83. 

• Kaiserslautern vs Bayer Leverkusen Prediction 1: Bayer Leverkusen to Win to Nil (TRACKED BET)
• Best Odds: 1.83
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 7/10

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Kaiserslautern vs Bayer Leverkusen Prediction 2: Flo not the Wirtz price to get on the scoresheet

In a game that is expected to be very one sided it makes sense to back a Leverkusen player to get on the scoresheet. The traders have the Leverkusen handicap line set at -2 meaning they need to score at least three times to land the odds. 

It is no surprise to see three Werkself players at odds in the “to score” market, with Victor Boniface the lowest at 1.53. What is a surprise is to see six teammates at shorter odds than Florian Wirtz.

The newly crowned Bundesliga’s Player of the Season for 2023/24 has had a superb campaign for his side. In 47 games across all competitions he has fired in 18 goals to go alongside his 19 assists. 

Having signed for Leverkusen in the January transfer window of 2020, he became their youngest league debutant shortly after his 17th birthday. Some 18 days later, he became the Bundesliga’s youngest scorer. 

Having returned following ten months on the sidelines after suffering a tear to his anterior cruciate ligament, Wirtz has flourished under Alonso’s management. The German international has picked up three Bundesliga Player of the Month awards and announced his arrival for the national team by scoring his first goal for them seven seconds into a 2-0 win over France.

Alonso insisted “Flo is a good player even at 70 percent” illustrated perfectly in the 5-0 win over Werder Bremen which clinched the title. Wirtz coming off the bench in the second half to score his first senior hat-trick.

His tally of 11 Bundesliga goals could have been even higher if he had not hit the frame of the goal a league-high five times. The 21-year-old looks a great price to get on the scoresheet here and possibly even put his name in Ballon d’Or contention. 

• Kaiserslautern vs Bayer Leverkusen Prediction 2: Florian Wirtz to Score (TRACKED BET)
• Best Odds: 2.62
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 8/10

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Kaiserslautern vs Bayer Leverkusen Prediction 3: Alonso’s men not too Xabi second half performers

If Kaiserslautern is to have any hope of pulling off one of the shocks of the season then they must look to keep things tight for as long as possible. However, they are coming up against a side who, this season, just keep going. 

That is generally the case whether they are chasing a deficit, looking to win a match that is level or just simply to press home an advantage. Alonso has seen his side score an incredible 18 goals alone on or after the 90th minute of their 51 competitive fixtures. 

Three of those have come in their five DFB Cup ties. While across the campaign Leverkusen have scored 58 goals in the first half but 85 after the interval.

Twenty-three of their fixtures across all competitions have seen more goals in the second half.

• Kaiserslautern vs Bayer Leverkusen Prediction 3: Half With Most Goals = Second Half
• Best Odds: 1.95
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 5/10

Kaiserslautern vs Bayer Leverkusen Prediction odds via bet365 as at 15:00, May 21st, 2024. Odds may now differ.

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Kaiserslautern vs Bayer Leverkusen Team News and Possible Lineups: Lineup vs Atalanta could give clues to Cup final XI

With Leverkusen contesting the Europa League final in Dublin less than 72 hours before this game kicks off we will get more pointers as to their likely lineup here. So keep an eye out for any injuries in the game against Atalanta, any players struggling towards the end of the tie or even if it goes the full distance. Alonso has plenty of strength in depth so that should lead to a fair amount of rotation of the eleven who kick off at the Aviva Stadium.

There are no such luxuries for Friedhelm Funkel, who will definitely have to manage without Julian Niehues (Cruciate ligament tear), Hendrick Zuck (Cruciate ligament tear), Ben Zolinski (Ligament stretching), Jan Elvedi (muscular problems), Ragnar Ache (Achilles tendon irritation). He has at least a seven-day gap between fixtures for those on duty last weekend.

Kaiserslautern possible starting lineup:
Krahl; Soldo, Kraus, Tomiak, Ronstadt; Kaloč, Raschl; Puchacz, Ritter, Hanslik; Redondo

Bayer Leverkusen possible starting lineup:
Hradecky; Odilon, Tah, Tapsoba, Frimpong; Andrich, Xhaka, Grimaldo; Wirtz, Adli, Boniface

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Match Stats: Westkurve faithful should help make final day a true spectacle.

• Expect a frenzied atmosphere in Berlin with Kaiserslautern fans known for their ferocious support – Bayern Munich once lost a match against them in a charged atmosphere by a score of 7–4 after leading 4–1 at the 58th minute
• No side hit the frame of the goal in the Bundesliga more than Leverkusen’s 17 times.  
• Kenny Prince Redondo was the third quickest player in Bundesliga 2 this season, clocking a top speed of 36.17 km/h.
• Leverkusen’s eight penalties scored was the most of any Bundesliga side this term with a 100% conversion rate.

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