Bundesliga: Monchengladbach Sets Sights For Control at the Top Spot

Bayer Leverkusen vs Borussia Monchengladbach

It’s a tight race up top here in the Bundesliga, and multiple teams are aiming for valuable points as the games go along.

For a while, it looked like RB Leipzig are about to break away from the pack. But after a couple of match days, it is now Borussia Monchengladbach who hold the top spot with 19 points.

Behind the Foals are the defending champions Bayern Munich who are at solo second with 18 while SC Freiburg and Wolfsburg are drawn level with 17 apiece. Borussia Dortmund are currently fifth with 16 points while RB Leipzig sank to the sixth spot with 15 points.

The Marco Rose-mentored squad will get to face Bayer Leverkusen, who are yet to win in their last five fixtures. The month of October hasn’t been great for the Peter Bosz-managed club as they endured tough losses against Juventus, Eintracht, and Atletico Madrid while drawing level against the likes of RB Leipzig and Werder Bremen.

The game will be held at the Bay Arena, where the hosts would like to start the next month on a great note by winning over the Foals.

Today, SBOBET is here to give you some talking points ahead on Saturday’s match.

Talking Points

Marco Rose’s golden touch

I initially touched upon on how Marco Rose will fare for the Foals this season, and so far it has been good for everyone involved. The 43-year-old manager was appointed in lieu of Dieter Heckling’s departure and he already has experience in managing Dortmund II and Huddersfield Town – where he guided them to the Premier League before.

opacity 0

CLICK HERE
TO SEE UPDATED ODDS

La Liga

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is a huge fan of him apparently and rightfully so, as his high-tempo, attack-minded style bodes well for the team’s overall output. They are currently the third-highest scoring team in the Bundesliga with 19 goals, only behind Borussia Dortmund (20) and Bayern Munich (24).

A huge part of their success in the attack is the trio of Breel Embolo, Marcus Thuram, and Alassane Plea, who have netted 11 total for Monchengladbach. They are expected to continue their high-scoring ways while producing some of the best Bundesliga 2019 highlights.

Their defence is no slouch either as they’ve only conceded nine goals so far this campaign. For the meantime, their backline will be backstopped by the likes of Florian Neuhaus, Tony Jantschke, Stefan Lainer, and the young Denis Zakaria. Centre-back Matthias Ginter is still out due to injury, but he is expected to be back in full shape soon for Marco Rose.

This team is expected to bring their A-game in their fixture against Bayer Leverkusen, since grabbing those valuable three points would further boost their Bundesliga 2019 odds for a championship.

Die Werkself looking to flip the page

Peter Bosz’s side will look to bounce back from a horrible month of October after accumulating two draw and three losses – both in the Champions League and in the Bundesliga.

Kai Havertz is not the player he used to be last Bundesliga season, scoring just 2 goals in 8 matches — Bayer Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz has been shortlisted for the 2019 Golden Boy award

Their output on both ends of the pitch have been underwhelming, as they’ve only scored 14 goals while giving up 13 after nine match days.

But even with those inconsistencies, there’s still reason to be optimistic if you’re a Bayer fan. For starters, striker Lucas Alario has been stepping it up lately by scoring the team’s previous two goals (one against Paderborn and one against Werder Bremen). He looks to be a great fit with the likes of Kevin Volland, Leon Bailey, Karim Bellarabi, Kerem Demirbay, and Kai Havertz.

Speaking of Kai Havertz, he continues to be the focal point of attack for Bayer. The 20-year-old wunderkind has cemented his place at the starting XI with his leadership, versatility, and quality, leaving pundits to compare him with the likes of Mesut Ozil, Michael Ballack, and even Toni Kroos.

With all of these players at his disposal, I guess it’s just a matter of finding the right combinations if you’re Peter Bosz. But it will also help if they’ll be aggressive enough to add more depth to their lineup, particularly at midfield or at the back.

History

In their 37 matches together, it were Bayer Leverkusen who have had the upper hand as they’ve compiled 18 wins compared to only eight by Gladbach along with 11 draws.

However, Monchengladbach was the better team last season as they didn’t concede a single goal in their two fixtures (2-0 home and 1-0 away).

Betting Tip

	Bayer Leverkusen vs Borussia Monchengladbach	Borussia Monchengladbach Asian Handicap +0.75 @1.65
	November 02, 22:30 (GMT+8)

It’s a bit odd for me that Bayer Leverkusen were given the edge in the 1×2 market as they’re placed at 2.04 compared to Gladbach who are at 3.20. Odds of a draw, on the other hand, were pegged at 3.75.

With the race to the top heating up, it’s expected that this will be a tight affair between these two clubs. However, I will give the slight advantage to the road team because of their firepower that will surely get through the porous Leverkusen’s defence.