Cologne vs Bayer Leverkusen predictions, lineups and bet builder tips. Find the odds, best bets and team news before Sunday's Bundesliga clash in Cologne.
Cologne vs Bayer Leverkusen Match Summary
Competition | German Bundesliga |
|---|---|
Match Date | Sunday 8 November 2026 |
Match Time | 14:30 UK time |
Venue (City, Stadium) | Cologne, RheinEnergieSTADION |
Sunday's Rhine derby brings Cologne vs Bayer Leverkusen to the RheinEnergieSTADION, and the Bundesliga visitors are 4/5 favourites with Coral despite a rough week.
René Wagner's Cologne sit 15th in the table. They have won just two of their last eight competitive games, and needed debutant Malek El Mala to salvage a point at Union Berlin.
Carles Martínez's Leverkusen sit sixth, and their best work comes from attacking down the wings, which happens to be exactly where Cologne struggle defensively.
Leverkusen have won their last three away matches against Cologne in all competitions. The previous meetings record is lopsided as well, with five Leverkusen wins to Cologne's one and no draws.
Cologne vs Bayer Leverkusen Form
Cologne's form makes for grim reading. A Cologne win would have landed in just 2 of their last 10 matches against all opponents. Their last three Bundesliga games have all finished under 2.5 goals, which fits Wagner's stated focus on defensive stability. Saïd El Mala is the spark going forward, while Marius Bülter does the hard yards up top.
Leverkusen arrive off back-to-back defeats, against Stuttgart and then Marseille, the latter a home loss in the Europa League. Martínez has stressed managing fatigue, but domestically the goals keep flowing, with over 2.5 goals in seven of Leverkusen's previous eight Bundesliga games. Patrik Schick leads the line, with Ibrahim Maza pulling the strings behind him.
Cologne vs Bayer Leverkusen Lineups & Team News
Injuries & Suspensions
Cologne: Imad Rondić (Injured/out), Timo Hübers (Injured/out), Rav van den Berg (Injured/out), Thijs Dallinga (Injured/out), Ellyes Skhiri (Injured/out), Ragnar Ache (Injured/doubtful)
Bayer Leverkusen: Moussa Diaby (Injured/out), Kennet Eichhorn (Injured/out), Martin Terrier (Injured/doubtful), Guéla Doué (Injured/doubtful), Eliesse Ben Seghir (Injured/doubtful), Christian Kofane (Injured/doubtful)
Cologne
The boost for the hosts is striker Ragnar Ache returning to the squad, while winger Mikey Moore is set to return and Borna Sosa starts at left-back. Ellyes Skhiri will not be back until the new year, leaving Tom Krauß and Paul Okon-Engstler to run the engine room in a probable 4-4-2.
Bayer Leverkusen
Christian Kofane could return from injury, but Afonso Moreira is expected to step into the side. Moussa Diaby is out, a real blow given his record against Cologne, and Martin Terrier is a doubt. The Cologne vs Bayer Leverkusen lineups look most settled on the visiting side, with Leverkusen's probable 4-2-3-1 built around Schick and Maza.
Cologne vs Bayer Leverkusen Predicted Lineup
Cologne
Formation: 4-4-2 (probable)
Predicted Starting Lineup: Marvin Schwäbe; Sebastian Sebulonsen, Joël Schmied, Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, Borna Sosa; Linton Maina, Tom Krauß, Paul Okon-Engstler, Mikey Moore; Saïd El Mala, Marius Bülter
Bayer Leverkusen
Formation: 4-2-3-1 (probable)
Predicted Starting Lineup: Mark Flekken; Jarell Quansah, Edmond Tapsoba, Facundo Medina, Miguel Gutiérrez; Equi Fernández, Aleix García; Jonas Hofmann, Ibrahim Maza, Afonso Moreira; Patrik Schick
Cologne vs Bayer Leverkusen Key Stats & Match Facts
There have been 3+ goals scored in 7 of the last 10 Bundesliga meetings between Bayer Leverkusen and Cologne.
Cologne have failed to score in 3 of their last 4 Bundesliga matches against Bayer Leverkusen.
Patrik Schick has scored or assisted in 4 of his last 6 Bundesliga appearances against Cologne.
Saïd El Mala has attempted 3+ shots in 5 of his last 5 Bundesliga appearances.
Bayer Leverkusen have had 8+ corners in 4 of their last 5 Bundesliga matches against Cologne.
Cologne vs Bayer Leverkusen Prediction & Best Bets
Our prediction: Cologne 1-2 Bayer Leverkusen. The hosts are short of bodies and short of form, and Leverkusen have too much quality in the final third for a stubborn Cologne side to keep out for 90 minutes. The draw at 10/3 with Betfred does not tempt us.
Best Bets
Bayer Leverkusen to win in the Win Market. They are the model's favourites away at Cologne. Leverkusen head our Cologne vs Bayer Leverkusen best bets, carrying a 56.6% win probability with Cologne well behind. They have also scored at least 2 goals in their last 5 matches against Cologne in all competitions, and the price sits in a sensible band, neither odds-on nor a longshot.
Over 2.5 goals in the Total Goals Over/Under market. The model projects a high-scoring game. The projection points to 3.39 total goals, with Leverkusen doing most of the damage but Cologne chipping in too. Oddschecker AI rates Over 2.5 at 65.8%, and with Cologne's injury list stretching across both boxes, this has the feel of a messy afternoon.
Cologne vs Bayer Leverkusen Bet Builder
Our Cologne vs Bayer Leverkusen bet builder tips lean on Patrik Schick: him to score anytime and have over 3.5 shots, plus Leverkusen over 1.5 goals and Facundo Medina to be carded.
Schick has found the net in seven of his previous eight Bundesliga appearances and leads the line again in Leverkusen's probable XI, which is why he opens the build as anytime goalscorer.
The shots leg is based on volume. Across his most recent eight Bundesliga appearances, Schick has attempted 4+ shots six times, the bar this selection needs him to clear.
Over their latest eight Bundesliga matches, Leverkusen have scored 2+ goals seven times. Over 1.5 away goals ties in with our scoreline call.
Medina's card leg rests on his recent record, booked twice across his latest three outings. Leverkusen as a side have picked up 2+ cards in all four of their most recent Bundesliga meetings with Cologne.
At the time of writing, this bet builder pays a best price of 33/4 and is as short as 13/2 elsewhere.
Make sure to get the best odds on your Bet Builder with Oddschecker's Exclusive Bet Builder Comparison Tool.
Bet builder odds correct at time of publishing.
Cologne vs Bayer Leverkusen Talking Points
Cologne's route back into this game runs through Saïd El Mala. The 20-year-old wears the number 10 shirt and is the central outlet when Wagner's side break, and breaking quickly is exactly how to hurt a Leverkusen team that are vulnerable defending counter-attacks. Attacking set pieces are the other weapon for the hosts, especially against opponents who struggle in aerial duels. At the other end, Ibrahim Maza is the creative hub feeding Schick, and the Kopa Trophy nominee is the player Cologne must stop. They have not done enough of that lately, which is why our Cologne vs Bayer Leverkusen prediction still sides with the visitors.
Cologne vs Bayer Leverkusen Predictions FAQs
When is Cologne vs Bayer Leverkusen being played?
Cologne vs Bayer Leverkusen is played on Sunday 8 November 2026 at 14:30 UK time.
Where is Cologne vs Bayer Leverkusen being played?
The match is played at RheinEnergieSTADION in Cologne.
What competition is Cologne vs Bayer Leverkusen in?
It is a Bundesliga match.
Who is in goal for Cologne and Bayer Leverkusen, and what formations are expected?
The probable goalkeepers are Marvin Schwäbe for Cologne and Mark Flekken for Bayer Leverkusen. The probable formations are 4-4-2 for Cologne and 4-2-3-1 for Bayer Leverkusen.
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