Bayer Leverkusen vs Nuremberg - prediction, team news, lineups

Hoping to bolster their awesome run with a cupful run, Bayer Leverkusen volition invited the 2. Bundesliga's Nuremberg to BayArena for a showdown successful the DFB-Pokal's 2nd circular connected Wednesday.

Die Werkself are aiming to bounce backmost from decision past clip out, portion Die Legende are looking for a archetypal triumph successful 4 games contempt arriving arsenic underdogs.

Match preview

Since making their mendacious commencement successful the Bundesliga, Leverkusen person established themselves arsenic a unit to beryllium reckoned with under Carles Martinez Novell.

Die Werkself were downed 3-2 by Elversberg successful their top-flight opener, and it would beryllium just to accidental that suffering humiliation against a promoted hostile is acold from the perfect mode to present a caller manager.

However, Martinez Novell's broadside followed that up with an eight-game undefeated tally crossed each competitions, including a six-match winning streak that featured 4 cleanable sheets.

That awesome agelong was brought to an extremity connected Sunday, erstwhile Leverkusen were amazingly beaten 3-0 by Hoffenheim connected the road, failing to respond to a flurry of precocious goals from Die Kraichgauer.

Keen to get backmost connected way successful midweek, Die Werkself volition beryllium hoping for a repetition of their first-round DFB-Pokal triumph implicit Wehen Wiesbaden, which saw the top-flight nine tally retired deserving 4-0 winners connected August 22.

Meanwhile, Miroslav Klose's Nuremberg person shown a akin level of resilience to their opponents this season, and volition surely airs a situation for their hosts connected Wednesday.

Die Legende began their run with a nine-game unbeaten tally crossed each competitions, winning six times successful the process.

Much similar Leverkusen, Klose's broadside saw their streak travel crashing down this past weekend, erstwhile they fell to a constrictive 1-0 decision to Kaiserslautern.

Regardless, Nuremberg stay 2nd successful the 2. Bundesliga and firmly successful the hunt for promotion, and arsenic 1 of the strongest clubs successful the division, they volition beryllium excited for the accidental to amusement their strength.

That being said, the visitors lone scraped done 5-4 connected penalties against Viktoria Koln aft a 1-1 stalemate successful the DFB-Pokal's archetypal round, and without a triumph successful 3 matches - a spell that goes backmost to mid-September - fans volition beryllium harbouring doubts. 

Bayer Leverkusen DFB-Pokal form:

Bayer Leverkusen signifier (all competitions):

Nuremberg DFB-Pokal form:

Nuremberg signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Leverkusen volition beryllium without Moussa Diaby and Martin Terrier owed to respective hamstring injuries, portion winger Eliesse Ben Seghir has a musculus contented and striker Christian Kofane is dealing with a thigh problem.

In their absence, Ibrahim Maza could displacement implicit to the left, with Malik Tillman joining the XI arsenic a fig 10, and Nathan Tella operating connected the close down striker Patrik Schick.

Elsewhere, 17-year-old antiaircraft midfielder Kennet Eichhorn is moving his mode backmost to afloat fittingness aft his metabolic upset stabilised, truthful Ezequiel Fernandez and Aleix Garcia whitethorn proceed successful the hosts' treble pivot.

Right-back options Montrell Culbreath and Guela Doue are besides sidelined with ft and calf injuries, though Jarell Quansah volition beryllium acceptable to start.

As for Nuremberg, they are lighter successful defence than ideal, missing centre-back Mikayil Faye and left-back Kristian Mandic, portion Finn Otto was forced disconnected against Kaiserslautern, so Alexios Kalogeropoulos and Styopa Mkrtchyan could beryllium joined by Tim Janisch and Eric Porstner successful Klose's backline.

Elsewhere, midfielder Finn Becker is unavailable and left winger Mohamed Ali Zoma is recovering from a dislocated shoulder, though Adam Markhiev and Javier Fernandez should beryllium connected manus to commencement successful the centre of the park, with Rayan Ghrieb and Rafael Lubach retired wide.

Bayer Leverkusen imaginable starting lineup:

Blaswich; Quansah, Tapsoba, Medina, Gutierrez; Garcia, Fernandez; Tella, Tillman, Maza; Schick

Nuremberg imaginable starting lineup:

Reichert; Janish, Kalogeropoulos, Mkrtchyan, Porstner; Markhiev, Fernandez; Ghrieb, Justvan, Lubach; Scobel

We say: Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 Nuremberg

Leverkusen whitethorn person travel undone past clip out, but they volition beryllium optimistic astir returning to winning ways against lower-tier opposition.

Nuremberg are successful the contention for promotion from the 2. Bundesliga this season, and person proven resilient truthful far, yet it would beryllium a daze to spot them advancement connected Wednesday.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.