FC Kaiserslautern vs Bayer 04 Leverkusen
With their 51-game unbeaten run snapped in dramatic fashion in Ireland, Xabi Alonso and the rest of the Bundesliga-winning Leverksuen head to Olympiastadion Berlin this weekend to face FC Kaiserslautern for the DFB-Pokal final.
Despite their recent loss in the Europa League, Leverkusen are still the heavy DFB-Pokal 2024 odds favourites against the second-division side.
However, if an upset does happen in Berlin, FCK would not just claim German Cup glory, it would also send them to the Europa League next season.
As for Leverkusen, winning the DFB-Pokal would further cement their status as one of the best clubs in German football folklore by adding another trophy to what was the greatest season performance in the history of the Bundesliga.
Talking Points
Atalanta proved that Leverkusen bleed
The Europa League final was nothing but cinematic. Atalanta, who trampled over football juggernauts Benfica, Liverpool, and Marseille, kept true during the final and stunned the entire football world by handing Bayer Leverkusen their first loss of their campaign across all competitions.
This SBOTOP writer found his jaw on the floor when Bergamo’s Ademola Lookman completed a hat-trick and singlehandedly obliterated the unbeaten Leverkusen to claim the 2024 Europa League title with a 3-0 score line, proving that the invincibles can, in fact, bleed.
Still in shock, the football world poses the question, What now?
Well, Leverkusen can’t afford to sulk over their shocking defeat, as they’ll need to lace up their boots for the last time to end their historic season and face FCK in the DFB-Pokal final in Berlin.
Xabi Alonso and his men have nothing much else to prove this season, but finishing it with a double would be the ultimate cherry on top.
Dir Werkself have been unstoppable en route to the final, with Armine Adli posing as the tournament’s top scorer with five goals, while Bundesliga Player of the Year awardee Florian Wirtz boasts as the best maestro of the competition with four claimed assists, along with Düsseldorf’s Ísak Bergmann Jóhannesson.
Can FCK pull off an upset?
On the other side of the pitch stands FC Kaiserslautern, a club with a rich history that were once a powerhouse in the German football scene. However, the club has faced uncertainty in past years, a decline punctuated by a relegation to the second division of football in Germany.
FCK’s struggles continued this season, as they finished 13th in 2. Bundesliga, but amidst the headscratcher of a campaign, Friedhelm Funkel and his squad fought hard and earned a well-deserved spot in the DFB-Pokal final.
They surged through the competition, scoring seven goals and conceding just one since the Round of 16 of the DFB-Pokal. Now, standing in their way of clinching football glory are Xabi Alonso’s invincibles, the final boss in Germany.
Despite coming into the final as the underdogs, Funkel and his men look ready and eager to face Leverkusen and claim the title, especially after their 5-0 obliteration of Eintracht Braunschweig last weekend in 2. Budnesliga.
History
Despite the small sample size, Bayer Leverkusen have bossed their past head-to-heads against FC Kaiserslautern. In 14 games since 2003, Die Werkself have won eight of those matches, while FCK have only garnered two wins and two draws.
Their most recent match was during the Round of 16 in the 2015 edition of the German Cup, where Bayer Leverkusen easily cruised past Kaiserslautern with a 2-0 clean sheet victory at BayArena.
In recent form, despite finishing the season in the 13th spot in the 2. Bundesliga standings, FCK managed to go on a strong tail-end run, losing just one of their last five matches of the season in the second division.
Leverkusen, on the other hand, well, if you don’t know by now, went on a 51-game unbeaten run but were put to an abrupt halt by Atalanta in the Europa League final. How much will that loss affect Die Werkself’s performance in the upcoming DFB-Pokal final? We’ll just have to wait and see.
Betting Tip
The odds suggest that fans could expect Die Werkself to tear the roof down with DFB-Pokal 2024 highlights, as Leverkusen are marked as the overwhelming favourites at 1.14, while Kaiserslautern are the glaring underdogs at 12.00 with a 7.10 price to draw.
Going with Bayer to win seems like a sound choice, but their price of 1.14 could spark little to no interest from punters. Instead, my betting tip is first half goals over 1.50 at 2.00. The ability of Leverkusen to find the back of the needs no explanation, while FCK’s recent 5-goal performance during their last league game proves that they too can put up big numbers on the scoreboard. These reasons, coupled with the alluring price of 2.00, make this line a no-brainer for punters to consider.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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