Bayer Leverkusen are looking for a quick response to their recent Bundesliga defeat when they host 1. FC Nürnberg in the DFB Pokal Round of 32 on Wednesday. The match at the BayArena kicks off at 20:45 local time and is Leverkusen's first fixture since a 3-0 loss away to 1899 Hoffenheim last Sunday, a match in which Andrej Kramarić, Alexander Prass and Max Moerstedt scored the goals.
The team has scored 16 goals and conceded 12 this season. They are four points behind the league leaders. Recent form shows four wins from their last five competitive games, but the heavy defeat in Sinsheim has raised concerns. Their form across the last five matches in all competitions reads four wins and one loss. Schick remains the team's top scorer this season with six goals in seven appearances.
Recent Lineups and Form
The starting XI against Hoffenheim featured goalkeeper Flekken behind a back four of Quansah, Tapsoba, Medina and Miguel Gutiérrez. Aleix García and Fernández operated in midfield, with Diaby, Maza, Tella and Schick forming the attack. Prior to that defeat, the team had secured important victories, including a 2-0 win over OFI, a 2-1 victory against SC Freiburg, a 0-4 result at Lech Poznan and a 3-4 triumph at FSV Mainz 05. Nürnberg arrive in Leverkusen following two high-scoring 2. Bundesliga draws (4-4 against Wolfsburg, 1-1 against Cottbus). These results highlighted their attacking threat but also defensive vulnerability.
The next Bundesliga assignment comes quickly, with a home game against VfB Stuttgart, who are 15th in the table, on Saturday, October 31st. Preparation for that clash will be influenced by the team's performance in the cup. Leverkusen must now prove the setback in Sinsheim was merely a blip.
