Matchday in focus: Bayer Leverkusen | OneFootball

Leverkusen, boasting a crossing machine on the left and looking to equal a club record, host a full-strength Frankfurt.

Tactics

Eleven points and fifth place, two points and two league positions behind Eintracht Frankfurt: there’s no doubt that these teams are statistically more evenly balanced than in the 2023/24 season, when Bayer 04 Leverkusen marched to the league and cup double without a single defeat.

Head coach Xabi Alonso usually sets his team up in a 3-4-2-1 system. Ex-Frankfurt custodian Lukas Hradecky has started in goal in five of the six league games, behind the regular back three of Edmond Tapsoba, Jonathan Tah and Piero Hincapié. Jeremie Frimpong and Alejandro Grimaldo get up and down the wings, while Granit Xhaka is one of the first names on the team sheet in the holding midfield role. Alongside the Swiss international, Alonso has Robert Andrich, Aleix García and Ezequiel Palacios to choose from.

In attack, centre-forward Victor Boniface and playmaker Florian Wirtz – who has been passed fit after picking up a knock on international duty – are nailed on to start. The trio has mostly been completed so far by summer signing Martin Terrier, with Amine Adli, Jonas Hofmann and Nathan Tella the main alternatives to Wirtz and/or Terrier.

Absentees

Eintracht’s only definite absentee is Oscar Højlund, who is recovering from a metatarsal fracture.

On the Leverkusen side, everyone is fit.

One to watch: Alejandro Grimaldo

Grimaldo signed for Bayer 04 in 2023 following spells at Valencia, Barcelona and Benfica. Naturally a left-back, the 29-year-old enjoys a great deal of attacking freedom in Alonso’s system, either overlapping on the outside, making himself available in the middle, lurking in the penalty area for shooting opportunities or taking responsibility for direct free kicks. The Spanish international has hit 24 crosses from open play in the 2024/25 campaign – a league high. Grimaldo has also…

Runs and stats

In the 78 Bundesliga encounters between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt, there has not been a single goalless draw.

Omar Marmoush has fired off 27 attempts on goal this season, the joint most with Stuttgart’s Deniz Undav. Leverkusen’s Boniface is just behind them on 24.

Bayer 04 have recorded more home wins against Eintracht than against any other team in the German top flight. The Werkself have triumphed 24 times in total – including the last nine in a row, in which they’ve scored 31 goals. Another win over the Eagles at the BayArena would equal the club record of 10 successive home wins against the same team.