The quarter-final match of the German Cup between Bayer Leverkusen and Cologne will take place on February 5 at the BayArena in Leverkusen. Bayer Leverkusen vs. Cologne: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Bayer Leverkusen
The reigning champions of the tournament are making steady progress in the 2024/25 German Cup. After two victories against lower-division teams, Xabi Alonso's side triumphed over Bayern Munich in the previous round (1-0). This win marked their ninth consecutive victory in the national cup, with Bayer keeping a clean sheet in six of those matches.
- At home, the club has scored at least three goals in 6 of their last 7 German Cup games.
- Leverkusen opened the scoring in 8 of their last 9 matches in this tournament.
- Both teams scored in 6 of Bayer's last 8 home matches in the national cup.
Predicted lineup for Bayer Leverkusen (4-5-1)
Matej Kovar – Piero Hincapie, Edmond Tapsoba, Nordi Mukiele, Jonathan Tah – Alejandro Grimaldo, Granit Xhaka, Robert Andrich, Jeremie Frimpong, Exequiel Palacios – Florian Wirtz.
Cologne
Gerhard Struber's side reached the quarter-finals by defeating Hertha Berlin (1-1, extra time 1-0). Notably, Cologne has suffered just one defeat in regulation time in their last 12 national cup matches (4 wins, 7 draws). The club hasn't achieved significant success in this tournament recently; the last time they reached the quarter-finals was in the 2009/2010 season, and they last advanced beyond this stage in 2002.
- Cologne's scoring streak in the German Cup stands at 6 matches.
- Away from home in the national cup, the club has not lost in regulation time in 7 of their last 8 matches (2 wins, 5 draws).
- The number "2" appeared in the final score in regulation time in 4 of the team's last 5 away matches in this tournament.
Predicted lineup for Cologne (3-5-2)
Marvin Schwäbe – Dominique Heintz, Timo Hübers, Julian Paul – Max Finkgräfe, Denis Huseinbašić, Linton Maina, Jan Thielmann, Eric Martel – Tim Lemperle, Linton Maina.
Bayer Leverkusen vs. Cologne: Match Prediction
Last season, the teams met in the Bundesliga, with both matches won by Leverkusen (2-0, 3-0). It's unlikely that Xabi Alonso's side will face any obstacles in defeating Cologne again. I anticipate the hosts will secure another victory in a low-scoring encounter.
At home, Bayer Leverkusen demonstrates solid defensive play: Xabi Alonso's side hasn't conceded more than one goal in their last 8 official matches. In the national cup, Leverkusen has kept a clean sheet in their last five consecutive matches.
Only one team has conceded fewer goals than Cologne in the league. Away in the Second Bundesliga, Gerhard Struber's side has kept clean sheets in 4 of their last 6 matches. However, their attack is modest: Cologne hasn't scored more than one goal in 6 of their last 7 games in Germany's second-tier league. Against a stronger opponent, the club will likely focus on defense, which won't contribute to a goal fest.
My prediction: Total under 3.5 goals
