Bayer Leverkusen vs RB Leipzig Predictions

• Leipzig won only seven of their 17 away games last term
• Leverkusen were 2-0 winners in this fixture last season
• Leverkusen lost only six of their 17 home games last term

Home advantage looks key for Leverkusen

Bayer Leverkusen host Leipzig in the pick of the matches on the opening weekend of the new Bundesliga season and home advantage could prove crucial.

Leipzig finished third in the Bundesliga last season, 16 points above sixth-placed Leverkusen, while they are also coming off the back of an emphatic 3-0 Super Cup win over Bayern Munich in which Dani Olmo scored a hat-trick.

However, Marco Rose’s side were beaten 2-0 on their trip to Leverkusen last term while they also suffered league defeats at Union Berlin, Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund, three fellow top-seven finishers.

With Josko Gvardiol, Dominik Szoboszlai and Christopher Nkunku having all earned big money moves away from Leipzig to the Premier League, it could take time for them to adapt and it would be risky to read too much into last week’s victory over Bayern.

Not only did Leverkusen defeat Leipzig at home last season, but they also got the better of champions Bayern.

Leverkusen’s leading scorer, Moussa Diaby, has been snapped up by Aston Villa, but they have added some much-needed experience to their ranks with the arrivals of Granit Xhaka, Jonas Hofmann and Alex Grimaldo.

Those additions should compliment this young squad well and it is worth remembering that Leipzig won only seven of their 17 away games last season.

The home team in this fixture has lost only twice in the last eight meetings between the pair and at the BayArena, Leverkusen appear the most likely victors.

Correct-score punters should opt for a repeat of last season’s 2-0 victory.