1. FC Köln v Bayer Leverkusen, Bundesliga
- Kick-off
- Venue
- RheinEnergieSTADION
Our model, until the team news
Predicted line-ups
1. FC Köln
4-2-3-1
Bayer Leverkusen
4-2-3-1
- 1Schwäbe
3Sosa- 22Simpson-Pusey
24Lochoshvili
28Sebulonsen- 5Krauß
- 8Jóhannesson
- 10El Mala
- 47Moore
- 37Maina
- 30Bülter
1Flekken- 3Gutiérrez
12Tapsoba
2Medina
4Quansah
24García
6Fernández- 9Moreira
- 30Maza
17Vázquez
14Schick
Bench
- 2Schmied
23Okon-Engstler
17Castro-Montes- 14Mensah
29Thielmann- 11Heskey
7Waldschmidt
Bench
7Hofmann
10Tillman
8Andrich
5Badé- 28Blaswich
22Boniface
35Kofane
1. FC Köln
From 10 games this season; 4-2-3-1, the shape in 32% of them, weighted to recent games.
Close calls
- Lochoshvili or Schmied
Out or doubtful
- SkhiriInjured, expected back early January
- DallingaInjured, expected back late June
- AcheInjured, expected back About 1-2 weeks
- RondićInjured, expected back early November
- van den BergInjured, expected back About 1-2 weeks
Injury and suspension news read for this game.
Bayer Leverkusen
From 14 games this season; 4-2-3-1, the shape in 100% of them, weighted to recent games.
Out or doubtful
- DiabyInjured, expected back mid November
- TellaInjured, expected back About a week
- TerrierInjured, expected back early December
- KofaneDoubtful
- DouéInjured, expected back A few weeks
- Ben SeghirInjured, expected back About 1-2 weeks
Injury and suspension news read for this game.
Our guess from each side's line-ups this season, recent form, the opponent and the injury news. The confirmed line-ups replace it about an hour before kick-off. Photos: Carlo Bruil Fotografie / CC BY 2.0 · Werner100359 / CC BY-SA 4.0 · 3point.dk / CC BY 3.0 · Bryan Berlin / CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sandro Halank / CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sport Lisboa e Benfica / CC BY 3.0 · Northside / CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fuguito / CC BY 4.0 · Eastfrisian / CC BY 3.0 · Fuguito / CC BY-SA 4.0 · Yoroudhgd / CC0
Last 5 games
Coming in form
1. FC Köln
13th in the table
- W
- L
- D
- W
- D
- Goals
- 8–3
- xG for / against
- 7.6–5.3
- xG difference per game
- +0.46
Bayer Leverkusen
6th in the table
- W
- L
- W
- L
- L
- Goals
- 9–10
- xG for / against
- 10.1–9.0
- xG difference per game
- +0.21
From our model
Our call
Our call
1–2
Frozen at kick-off, never changed afterwards. A model estimate, not betting advice.
- KOL 20%
- Draw 22%
- LER 58%
Likeliest scores
1–1
12%
2–1
8%
1–2
8%
Even the likeliest score happens in only about 1 game in 8, so here are the top three.
- Köln's xG is down to 1.19 a game over their last 5, from 1.54 across the season
- Last meeting: 1. FC Köln 1-2 Bayer Leverkusen (25 Apr 2026)
This season
Players to watch
1. FC Köln
- El Mala2 goals2 goals, 0 assists, 2.4 xG in 7 games
- Maina1 goal, 2 assists1 goal, 2 assists, 0.2 xG in 8 games
Bayer Leverkusen
- Schick7 goals, 2 assists×77 goals, 2 assists, 5.1 xG in 8 games
- Maza3 goals, 2 assists3 goals, 2 assists, 2.3 xG in 8 games
Recent meetings
Head to head
These two have not met in the games we hold.