Leverkusen‘s 2-0 victory away at Cologne two days after Bayern Munich’s 2-2 draw with Freiburg last Friday gave them a 10-point lead at the top of the table. Not all of the news was positive for Die Werkself, either, as Frimpong—who scored goals at the RheinEnergieSTADION with Alejandro Grimaldo—was given his fifth yellow card of the season. He will therefore be unable to attend Wolfsburg’s visit to the BayArena. Tella, who began the UEFA Europa League midweek match with Qarabağ, provides Xabi Alonso, at least, with an acceptable alternative. Alonso made eight changes to the squad that defeated Cologne.Alonso required assistance from players like Frimpong and eventual goal scorers Florian Wirtz and Patrik Schick, who came off the bench to maintain the team’s unbeaten streak, since they were behind 2-0 at the break. Exequiel Palacios began the tie with Qarabağ after making a comeback as a substitute against Mainz, while Victor Boniface—who leads Leverkusen in goals scored this season despite missing a third of the action—is anticipated to be out until April.
Bayer Leverkusen
Leverkusen is at the top of the standings, living the dream, while Wolfsburg is at the bottom. They can still breathe a sigh of relief due to their eight-point lead over the relegation play-off berth, but they have only won once in their previous 13 top-flight games and are yet to win in 2024. They did, however, come close to losing 3-2 to VfB Stuttgart last week and drawing 1-1 with Borussia Dortmund on Matchday 22, indicating that they have what it takes to trouble the best teams in the division. Joakim Maehle’s services will not be available for Niko Kovač for this encounter, on the scorecard against Stuttgart when he is suspended and cannot play. The only other two people missing are Rogério and Mattias Svanberg, as Die Wölfe attempt to pull off a major surprise. In an attempt to overcome Leverkusen’s stingy defense, which has allowed only 16 goals in the league this season, Kovač will turn to top scorer Jonas Wind and new winter addition Kevin Behrens, who launched his Wolfsburg career in the 2-2 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt on Matchday 23.
Match stats
- Grimaldo leads Leverkusen in goal contributions with nine goals and nine assists so far in the Bundesliga, surpassing even the injured Boniface (10 goals, seven assists).
With an average of 2.67 points per game in 2023–2024, Leverkusen leads all of Europe.
With ten games remaining and a 10-point advantage at the top of the Bundesliga, no club has ever lost and not won the championship. - Wind has not scored in 12 Bundesliga games thus far. Out of his nine strikes, only one came against RB Leipzig, one of the top five teams right now.
- Wolfsburg is now undefeated in seven games at the BayArena and has won four of their past five visits to Leverkusen.
Between 1996 and 1999, Kovač made 77 Bundesliga games while playing for Leverkusen. Robert, his brother and the club’s assistant coach, was a player as well.