Nurnberg vs Bayer Leverkusen 04/12/18

04 December 2018

The two struggling sides will face each other at the Max-Morlock-Stadion, as Nurnberg look to host Bayer Leverkusen.

Sitting top of the relegation zone, the hosts have failed to secure a victory in their previous six Bundesliga outings, losing four times in the process. A nightmarish 5-2 defeat to Schalke 04 last weekend has seen Der Club conceding a minimum of two goals for the fifth time in their past seven league meetings. Their inability to keep a clean sheet (2/12) has made of Die Legende the joint-worst defensive team in the German top flight, considering they have allowed 29 goals in their opening 12 league matches so far. Michael Köllner’s players have managed an average of 1.08 goals per game, having bagged just 13 goals ahead of this round.

On the other hand, the visitors are one of the most unpredictable teams in the Bundesliga, as they have achieved four triumphs while playing out two draws and losing six times in 12 Bundesliga clashes so far. A 2-0 home win over Stuttgart last week has brought Leverkusen’s two-game losing run to an end, but the Company XI will be seeking their first back-to-back Bundesliga triumphs since the opening two fixtures. Huge oscillations in form and their defensive frailties have seen Bayer conceding 24 goals, as they have kept a clean sheet just three times prior to this round. Meanwhile, Kevin Volland and Co. have scored a minimum of one goal nine times, managing an average of 1.50 goals per match.

Provisional line-up – Nurnberg:

Gk: Bredlow Defense: Leibold – Margreitter – Ewerton – Muhl Midfield: Behrens – Petrak – Simon Rhein Attack: Palacios-Martinez –Mikael Ishak – Yuya Kubo

Provisional line-up – Bayer Leverkusen:

Gk: Hradecky Defense: Tah – Sven Bender – Jedvaj – Wendell Midfield: Baumgartlinger – Aranguiz – Havertz Attack: Brandt – Bellarabi – Volland