Bayer Leverkusen vs Monaco

BayArena is the venue as Bayer Leverkusen and Monaco go head-to-head in the first leg of their handsomely-looking Europa League knockout playoff tie.

Bayer Leverkusen dropped into the Europa League knockout stages after finishing third in Champions League Group B behind Porto and Club Brugge (W1, D2, L3), courtesy of a superior H2H record of bottom-placed Atletico Madrid. Having never won an away H2H at Monaco (D1, L2), winning the first leg could be crucial to Leverkusen’s hopes of progression. Xabi Alonso’s men snapped a two-game losing Bundesliga run ‘to nil’ with a comprehensive 3-1 win at TSG Hoffenheim last weekend and now bid to win a European knockout home fixture for the first time since August 2020 (L2 since). But after only losing once in their last six competitive home outings dating back to October (W3, D2), ‘Die Werkself’ will relish their chances of defying an underwhelming nine-game form in European football (W1, D2, L6).

Meanwhile, visiting Monaco stunned joint-record French champions PSG 3-1 at home last weekend, extending a near-perfect Ligue 1 start to the new calendar year (W5, D2). Philippe Clement’s side eked out a runner-up finish in Europa League Group H behind Ferencvaros despite winning only 50% of their group fixtures (W3, D1, L2). A 4-1 home demolition of Crvena Zvezda Belgrade on the final matchday could be a platform to build on as ‘Les Monégasques’ bid to arrest a three-game losing streak against German adversaries. Worryingly, though, the visitors have managed just one clean sheet on their last ten continental travels, doing so in a 1-0 beating of Crvena Zvezda in their group-stage opener this term.