With their historic Bundesliga title essentially wrapped up and Xabi Alonso committed to the club's immediate future, Bayer Leverkusen are gunning for two more notable achievements as they host West Ham in the first leg of their Europa League quarterfinal.
The German side remains the only team amongst the Big 5 European leagues without a single defeat across the entire 2023/24 campaign, as they continually refuse to lay down at the end of matches.
Even reaching this point took two heroic late-game efforts, as they dramatically dispatched Azerbaijani side Qarabag on goals in the 93rd and 98th minute by Patrik Schick, just a week after the first leg ended with a 92nd minute equalizer from the same player. Even in league play they continue to earn points on late goals, with goals in the 88th and 91st minutes snatching a 2-1 win over Hoffenheim in late March.
Defending Europa Conference League champions West Ham sit seventh in the Premier League table amidst a furious battle for European places, but they know that derailing Leverkusen's seemingly destined season would provide not just a famous result but a platform to build off towards another deep European run.
USA: Click here to see the latest odds for Bayer 04 vs West Ham and bet Europa League matches
Bayer Leverkusen vs West Ham prediction, odds
- Moneyline lean: Bayer Leverkusen (-260 on DraftKings)
- Score prediction: Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 West Ham
Bayer Leverkusen have played with fire plenty over the past few months against inferior sides, but thanks to their massive lead atop the Bundesliga table, they've been afforded the chance to focus on the European journey.
While Patrik Schick has been a late-game hero on a few occasions recently, they got first-choice striker Victor Boniface back from a long-term injury over the weekend, and he could be deployed from the start for the first time since before he departed for the Africa Cup of Nations. The hosts are in better form and have the better players, so it's wise to back them for an early start to this two-legged tie.
| DraftKings (USA) |
|
| Bayer 04 win | -260 |
| Draw | +425 |
| West Ham win | +700 |
| Both teams to score |
Y: -115 N: -110 |
| Over / Under 2.5 goals |
O: -175 U: +130 |
| Bayer 04 to advance |
-260 |
| West Ham to advance |
+200 |
Bayer Leverkusen vs West Ham match facts
- Date: Thursday, April 11, 2024
- Kickoff Time: 9 p.m. local (3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT)
- Location: BayArena (Leverkusen, Germany)
- Referee: Artur Soares Dias (POR), VAR: Tiago Martins (POR)
- Last meeting: None (First meeting)
MORE: Preview the Liverpool vs Atalanta preview for other Europa League quarterfinal
Bayer Leverkusen vs West Ham best bet
- Pick: Bayer Leverkusen to win 2H
- Odds: -165 (DraftKings)
Bayer Leverkusen have been ruthless in the final stage of matches, especially since the 2024 calendar year began. They have the most goals in the final 30 minutes of matches of any club participating in the Europa League, and seven of their 23 Bundesliga goals, or nearly one third, since the start of January have been scored in the final 15 minutes of games.
If the Bundesliga table counted only the first half of matches, Leverkusen would have just a two-point lead at the top of the standings, but when counting just the second half, that lead balloons to 13 points.
West Ham, meanwhile, have conceded eight goals across the final 15 minutes of Premier League matches in 2024, the most of any 15-minute interval, and when you expand that across the full season, their 16 goals conceded in the final 15 minutes is the most of any interval.
Bayer Leverkusen vs West Ham prop bet
- Pick: Granit Xhaka 1+ shots on target
- Odds: +190 (FanDuel)
Granit Xhaka has gone two straight starts without a shot on target, and that means he's due for a return to the mean. Prior to that recent pair of matches, the former Arsenal midfielder had been a regular contributor in front of goal, putting at least one effort on frame in four straight matches — a stark contrast from earlier in the season when he was deployed deeper in the early stages of ball progression.
In West Ham's road defeat at Freiburg in the previous round of the Europa League, they conceded 15 shots to the German side, and they've conceded the fourth-most shots of any Premier League club this season.
Bayer Leverkusen vs West Ham live stream, TV channel
| TV channel | Streaming | |
| USA | — | Paramount+, ViX |
| Canada | — | DAZN |
| UK | TNT Sports 2 | discovery+ |
This Europa League quarterfinal match will be available to stream in the United States exclusively on Paramount+ from CBS Sports.
In the UK, the match will be televised on TNT Sports 2, with streaming on their dedicated platform discovery+. In Canada, the match will be streamed exclusively on DAZN.
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