Our prediction for this Bundesliga match:
Sunday’s football game at RheinEnergieStadion pits together Koln and Bayer Leverkusen, the two top-table sides. Koln experienced all sorts of problems at the back in a 5-0 loss at Hoffenheim, but it is well known that they produce much better showings at home than on the travels. The Billy Goats are eager to get back on course as soon as possible, but the bookies see them as underdogs in Sunday’s showdown.
Both Jonas Hector and Dejan Ljubicic are sidelined through illness, while Ellyes Shkiri and Jannes-Killian Horn remain in the recovery room. Bayer, on the other hand, suffered a massive 5-1 loss to Bayern Munchen at the weekend. Patrick Schick and Co. aim to return to winning ways immediately, and given Koln’s shaky defence, away win should be considered. All Charles Aranguiz, Julian Baumgartlinger, and Timothy Fosu-Mensah are out of contention with injuries.
Highlighted Player (Jonas Hector):
Jonas Hector is a product of Koln’s youth school. The left back was born on 27 May, 1990 in Saarbrucken and he began his youth career at SV Auersmacher. In 2010 he joined FC Koln and he made 63 league appearances for the reserve team between 2010 and 2013. Ever since he made his debut for the senior team on 27 August, 2012 he has been playing regularly for the Billy Goats and he certainly helped the team return to Bundesliga at the end of the 2013/2014 campaign.
Jonas Hector made his Germany debut on 14 November, 2014 in a 4-0 win over Gibraltar. The left-footed defender scored his first goal for the German national team on 29 March, 2016 in a 4-1 victory over Italy in Munich.
Hector represented his homeland at the 2016 European Championship finals in France and he scored the winner from the penalty spot in the quarter-final against Italy. Hector is capable of playing as a midfielder as well.
Highlighted Team (Bayer Leverkusen):
Bayer 04 Leverkusen is a German football club from the city Leverkusen in the North Rhine-Westphalia region. The home kit of Bayer Leverkusen is black and red. The club is playing his home games in the Bay Arena.
Bayer Leverkusen started to play in the Bundesliga from season 1979/1980. In 1988 Bayer Leverkusen managed to win the UEFA Cup by beating Espanyol in the final with 1-0. In the national league Bayer Leverkusen has been the most successful in the last couple of years with the 2nd place as their best performance.
Bayer Leverkusen never managed to win the league title. The current biggest rival of Bayer Leverkusen is 1. Koln. Next to football Bayer Leverkusen has a volleyball and basketball division as well. Currently Bayer Leverkusen is one of the biggest teams in the Bundesliga. Known players that played for Bayer Leverkusen are: Michael Ballack, Rudi Voller, Lucio and Arturo Vidal.