Borussia Dortmund vs Bayer prediction, H2H and probable line-ups - 2 December 2025
One of the German Cup Round of 16 clashes will take place on Tuesday at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, where the local side Borussia hosts Bayer Leverkusen. I'm backing a bet on goals in this thrilling encounter, with good chances for success.
Match preview
Borussia Dortmund have already faced two challenging away fixtures in this season's DFB-Pokal, yet came out victorious both times. The team remains inconsistent in attack and rarely delights fans with a goal fest—only one of their last six cup matches featured more than one goal in regular time. However, Dortmund are a different beast at home, where they haven’t lost in the cup for ten straight matches.
Defensively, Borussia are prone to mistakes: in nine of their last twelve home cup games, both teams found the net. At the same time, Dortmund consistently score at least once in every one of their last twelve home cup ties. This suggests we can expect another high-scoring affair, especially with such a formidable opponent coming to town.
Bayer kicked off their title defense with a comfortable win over Grossaspach, then edged out Paderborn in extra time in a tougher test. Leverkusen showcase a systematic attacking approach—their scoring streak in the cup now stands at 16 matches. The team regularly makes deep runs in the competition, reaching at least the Round of 16 in each of the last three seasons.
On the road, Bayer play pragmatically yet reliably: they’ve scored exactly one goal in five of their last six cup away games. Meanwhile, in nine of their last eighteen such matches, they’ve managed at least three goals, underscoring their ability to dial up the pressure when needed. Defensively, they're solid too—rarely conceding more than once per match.
Probable line-ups
- Borussia Dortmund: Kobel, Anselmino, Anton, Schlotterbeck, Ryerson, Brandt, Nmecha, Svensson, Sabitzer, Adeyemi, Guirassy
- Bayer: Flekken, Bade, Andrich, Tapsoba, Grimaldo, Garcia, Hofmann, Tillman, Maza, Schick, Poku
Key facts and head-to-head
- Borussia have scored in all of their last 12 home matches in the DFB-Pokal.
- Bayer have found the net at least once in 17 of their last 18 away cup games.
- In the last five Bundesliga meetings at Dortmund’s ground, Leverkusen have scored 10 goals.
Prediction
Both teams are adept and eager to attack, especially in cup competitions. Borussia consistently score at home but also tend to concede, while Bayer have found the net even against tougher opponents. Given the form and stats, expect both teams to get on the scoresheet in this one.
