Bayer Leverkusen will look to return to winning ways when they host 10th-placed Augsburg in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Defending champions Bayer Leverkusen have dropped points in their last two league games and now face a crucial situation, any slip-up against Augsburg could see them hand the title to Bayern Munich, who currently hold an eight-point lead at the top with just four matches remaining.

The home team are second on the table with 64 points in their 30 outings. While Bayern have been leading the race for the title since the start, Leverkusen did have an outside chance prior to the back-to-back draws against Union Berlin and FC St. Pauli.

Xabi Alonso’s team have been far from their best in recent weeks and he will be eager to help his team return to winning ways. Meanwhile, the manager’s future has also become a massive talking point as Real Madrid could part ways with Carlo Ancelotti at the end of this season.

The visitors are 10th on the table with 43 points in their 30 outings. They are only four points behind sixth-placed FSV Mainz and do have an outside chance of securing a European spot with just four games to go.

After their defeat at the hands of Bayern, they returned to winning ways against VfL Bochum but could only manage a draw against Eintracht Frankfurt last time out. They will have to step up their game if they want to get something out of this fixture against Leverkusen.

The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.

Team News & Tactics

Bayer Leverkusen

The home team will be without the services of Alejo Sarco, Martin Terrier, Jeanuel Belocian, Mario Hermoso and Nordi Mukiele.

Xabi Alonso will stick with the 3-4-2-1 formation, where Lukas Hradecky will be in goal. Edmond Tapsoba, Jonathan Tah, and Piero Hincapie will form the back three for Leverkusen.

Jeremie Frimpong and Alejandro Grimaldo will take charge as the wing-backs, while Granit Xhaka will partner with Exequiel Palacios in the centre of the park. The duo will look to ensure that they dominate the proceedings.

Nathan Tella and Florian Wirtz will be the two attacking midfielders behind Patrik Schick, who will continue to lead the line.

Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Hradecky; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Xhaka, Palacios, Grimaldo; Tella, Wirtz; Schick

Augsburg

The visitors will be without the services of Noahkai Banks and Mergim Berisha as the duo are out injured. Meanwhile, Arne Maier is suspended for this fixture.

Augsburg will also line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, where Finn Dahmen will be in goal. The back three will be made up of Chrislain Matsima, Jeffrey Gouweleeuw and Cedric Zesiger.

They will look to keep things tight at the back and will receive significant support from Marius Wolf and Dimitris Giannoulis who will feature as the wing-backs.

In the centre of the park, Kristijan Jakic will partner with Frank Onyeka. The duo will certainly have a lot of defending to do against a dominant Leverkusen side.

Fredrik Jensen and Alexis Claude-Maurice will be the two creative forces who will feature behind striker Samuel Essende.

Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Dahmen; Matsima, Gouweleeuw, Zesiger; Wolf, Jakic, Onyeka, Giannoulis; Jensen, Claude-Maurice; Essende

Key Stats

• Leverkusen and Augsburg have faced each other 29 times in all competitions. The home team have won 20 of those fixtures with the visitors winning only on two occasions.
• Xabi Alonso’s men secured a league double over Augsburg last season and they even won the reverse fixture 2-0 back in December.
• Augsburg have been unbeaten in their eight Bundesliga away games in 2025.
• Bayer Leverkusen have only lost one out of their last 28 league games. Their only defeat came at the hands of Werder Bremen back in March.
• Both teams have played out 10 draws in their 30 league games. Leverkusen have won a total of 18 games, while Augsburg have won 11 games.

Player to Watch

Florian Wirtz

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Some of the biggest clubs in the world are ready to battle it out for the signature of the 21-year-old Leverkusen star. While he seems ready to take the next step in his career, the German international is currently focused on finishing the season in the best possible way.

Wirtz did miss a few fixtures because of a ligament issue in the recent past but overall, he has been on fire for the home team. In his 41 matches across competitions, the young attacking midfielder has found the back of the net on 15 occasions and he even has 13 assists to his name. Given the kind of form he has been in, the 21-year-old can certainly end up being the difference between the two teams.

Prediction

Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 Augsburg

Bayer Leverkusen might have dropped points in their last two league outings, but they remain a formidable force at home. Xabi Alonso’s men will be determined to bounce back and keep the pressure on Bayern Munich, even though defending the title is almost an impossible task.

While Augsburg have been solid on the road in 2025, the quality and depth of Leverkusen’s squad should give them the edge. Expect the hosts to control possession, dictate the tempo, and create plenty of chances. If they get an early goal, they should get the desired result without much difficulty.

The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for the home team.