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Bayer Leverkusen get their DFB Pokal title defense underway when they visit the Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld to face amateur side Jena on Wednesday. Henning Burger’s men head into the midweek clash fresh off the back of an emphatic league victory over Plauen and will look to cause the biggest upset of the opening round.
Jena maintained their impressive early-season form as they cruised to a 4-1 victory over Plauen in the Regionalliga Northeast last Saturday.
Burger’s side have now made it five wins from five to start the new campaign, a run which has seen them surge to the top of the league table.
Jena will look to pick up where they left off at the weekend as they face the daunting challenge of taking on the German champions in the DFB Pokal on Wednesday.
Elsewhere, a 12th-minute belter from Granit Xhaka and a brace from Florian Wirtz inspired Bayer Leverkusen to a 3-2 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach in the 2024-25 Bundesliga opener last Friday.
Prior to that, Xabi Alonso’s men clinched the German Super Cup courtesy of a penalty-shootout victory over Stuttgart following a 2-2 stalemate in normal time on August 17.
Having won the league double last season, Leverkusen will be looking to begin their DFB Pokal defense on a high on Wednesday as they eye back-to-back cup triumphs.
Jena vs Bayer Leverkusen Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- This will be the fourth meeting between the two teams, with Bayer Leverkusen winning their previous three encounters.
- Bayer Leverkusen have lost just one of their last six matches since the start of pre-season in July while claiming three wins and two draws in that time.
- Jena are on a run of eight straight competitive victories, stretching back to a thrilling 2-2 draw against Altglienicke on May 4.
- Bayer Leverkusen have won all but one of their last six away matches across all competitions, with the 3-0 defeat against Atalanta in May’s Europa League final being the exception.
Jena vs Bayer Leverkusen Prediction
Bayer Leverkusen had to dig deep to secure all three points in last week’s Bundesliga opener and will head into Wednesday’s clash with sky-high confidence.
While Jena will be looking to show their mettle against the German champions, we predict Alonso’s side will come away with a comfortable victory.
Prediction: Jena 1-4 Bayer Leverkusen
Jena vs Bayer Leverkusen Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Bayer Leverkusen to win
Tip 2: Over 2.5 goals - Yes (There have been at least three goals scored in five of Leverkusen’s last six matches)
Tip 3: Over 4.5 cards - No (There have also been fewer than five bookings in five of the visitors’ last six games)
