Bayer Leverkusen vs Atletico Madrid

BayArena forms the backdrop as Bayer Leverkusen and Atletico Madrid go head-to-head in an exciting Champions League Group B contest.

It’s been a thoroughly underwhelming season start for Bayer Leverkusen as they’ve lost six of their opening eight matches across all competitions (W1, D1). That includes a frustrating 1-0 defeat away to Club Brugge in their Group B curtain-raiser as manager Gerardo Seoane faces an uncertain future at the club. With ‘Die Werkself’ fans already demanding his head on a silver platter, the Germans will be out to defy their abysmal 20-game form in the Champions League (W4, D8, L8). There’s a silver lining for Leverkusen, who are unbeaten in three of their four previous European home meetings with Atleti (W2, D1). However, they could provide the Bundesliga outfit with a false sense of security, considering they’ve lost all three competitive home fixtures this term, conceding first on each occasion.

In stark contrast to Leverkusen’s dismal spell of form, Atletico Madrid will take the field on the back of four unbeaten matches in all competitions (W3, D1), including a dramatic 2-1 home win over Porto on matchday one. Diego Simeone’s side followed that up with an overwhelming 4-1 La Liga home triumph over Celta Vigo at the weekend, bolstering their bid to win back-to-back Champions League games for the first time since March 2020. Despite ending up on the losing side in their last four Champions League visits to German sides, ‘Los Rojiblancos’ can draw inspiration from their stellar five-match form on the hostile turf overall (W4, D1). With three of those four wins being accompanied by a clean sheet, Simeone’s backline could be the key to Atletico’s potential success in Germany.