Preview: Hertha Berlin vs. Bayer Leverkusen - prediction, team news, lineups

Both sides head into the weekend in the bottom half of the table, having each won only once in their opening five games.

Match preview

Having only avoided relegation by beating Hamburger SV 2-1 on aggregate in the end of season play-off last season, Hertha were not expected to have a particularly strong campaign this time around either.

However, Sandro Schwarz has clearly made them a more solid outfit since taking over in the summer, with their 2-0 win away to Augsburg last time out the fourth successive match in which they have not conceded more than one goal in a game.

After Dodi Lukebakio's stooping header broke the deadlock at Augsburg three minutes before the hour mark, Hertha's first league win of the season looked inevitable given how comfortably they were keeping their opponents at arms length.

There was a touching moment in injury-time, too, with David Selke racing away before unselfishly squaring the ball for Marco Richter to score his first goal since returning from testicular cancer surgery.

Now that they have broken their duck and gained three points for the first time this season, Schwarz will hope his players' improved confidence will see an upturn in positive results, especially with an out of sorts Leverkusen arriving in Berlin this weekend.

Indeed, Leverkusen have lost six of their seven matches in all competitions this season, including an embarrassing cup defeat to lowly-ranked Elversberg to kick-off the campaign before a 1-0 loss away to Club Brugge in the Champions League on Wednesday.

As such, Gerardo Seoane is under huge pressure to quickly improve his side's results, with last season's third-placed finish in his debut season in charge only likely to earn him a limited amount of good will.

Die Werkself had looked capable of at least avoiding defeat at home against top-of-the-table Freiburg last weekend, having earned a half-time lead through Karim Demirbay close range finish after 16 minutes.

However, the visitors turned the match on its head with two quickfire goals after the break, before Callum Hudson-Odoi's introduction made a positive impact as the former Chelsea winger's in-swinging cross found Patrik Schick to head home his first league goal of the season.

Yet another set-piece allowed Freiburg to secure a crucial victory, though, with Ritsu Doan stabbing home at the back post after another near post flick on. Seoane must ensure his side do not fall to a fifth defeat in six league games away to Hertha on Saturday, otherwise he could find himself the latest Bundesliga manager to be sacked.

Hertha Berlin Bundesliga form:

Hertha Berlin form (all competitions):

Bayer Leverkusen Bundesliga form:

Bayer Leverkusen form (all competitions):

Team News

Despite scoring an emotional goal from the bench against his former club last weekend, Richter is likely to be named among the substitutes once again, with Schwarz unlikely to deter from a winning starting XI.

Kevin-Prince Boateng should join him on the bench having recovered from a muscle injury, but Stevan Jovetic is doubtful due to a knock.

Lee Dong-jun, Linus Gechter, Rune Jarstein, Kelian Nsona, Jessic Ngankam and Derry Scherhant all remain sidelined.

Leverkusen, meanwhile, will welcome Mitchel Bakker and Piero Hincapie back to the fold after the duo served their one-match suspensions against Freiburg, with both likely to start on Saturday despite their indiscretions.

Hudson-Odoi could be rewarded with his first start for the club after impressing from the bench last time out, with Demirbay potentially dropping into a deeper midfield role and Exequiel Palacios dropping out of the team.

Andrey Lunev, Florian Wirtz, Amine Adli and Karim Bellarabi are all unavailable through injury.

Hertha Berlin possible starting lineup:

Christensen; Kenny, Uremovic, Kempf, Plattenhardt; Sunjic, Tousart, Serdar; Lukebakio, Kanga, Ejuke

Bayer Leverkusen possible starting lineup:

Hradecky; Tah, Tapsoba, Hincapie; Frimpong, Andrich, Demirbay, Bakker; Diaby, Schick, Hudson-Odoi

We say: Hertha Berlin 1-2 Bayer Leverkusen

With players returning from injury and Hudson-Odoi potentially providing fresh impetus to the team, we expect Leverkusen to end their losing run in Berlin on Saturday.

Hertha have been more solid of late, but there is little doubt that the visitors possess more individual quality, especially in attack.

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