Liverpool are looking to extend their 100% record in the Champions League on Tuesday as they welcome Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen to Anfield.
By Sam McGuire
For the neutrals, it is one of the group games you aren’t going to want to miss. The potential is there for it to be one of the matches of the tournament so far.
The season so far in Europe
The Reds are one of just two sides to have won all three of their matches in Europe this term. Arne Slot has guided his team to wins over AC Milan, Bologna and RB Leipzig. He comes up against the man many felt would be the perfect Jürgen Klopp replacement, Xabi Alonso.
Had the former Spanish playmaker decided to leave B04 after their unlikely title success last season, he could have been in the home dugout on Tuesday. He instead opted to remain in Germany.
Despite many claiming Alonso wouldn’t be able to recapture the lightning in the bottle that was the 2023/24 campaign, Leverkusen have started well in Europe. They have claimed seven points from a possible nine having beaten Feyenoord and AC Milan. Their last outing, however, was a disappointing 1-1 draw with Brest in a game they took the lead in.
Interestingly, both Liverpool and Leverkusen have scored six goals and conceded one in Europe.
The not so recent history
It’s been almost two decades since these two sides faced off.
Liverpool have met the Bundesliga side on four occasions. There have been two two-legged match-ups and despite the Reds winning three of the four games, the aggregate scoreline of ties won stands at 1-1.
Leverkusen knocked the Merseyside club out of the Champions League in 2002 after overcoming a 1-0 first-leg deficit, winning 4-2 at home.
A Rafa Benítez-led Liverpool romped to a 6-2 aggregate scoreline win over Bayer on their way to success in 2005.
Back to the present day
Liverpool are top of the Premier League table having won eight of their opening 10 fixtures. The Reds came from behind on Saturday to beat Brighton at Anfield just one week after twice coming from behind to draw with Arsenal at the Emirates.
Slot’s side have the mental resilience this term and the defensive resilience required to really be a problem in every single competition. They have the best defensive record in the Premier League and lead the Expected Points table. The praise going their way is more than justified. It is fully deserved.
Leverkusen, on the other hand, have had a strange start to the season in the league. They’re currently fourth in the Bundesliga, seven points off of the top.
An issue for Alonso’s side this term has been the defence. B04 have conceded 15 in the league. For context, this is more than 13th-placed Mainz and 15th-placed St Pauli. When looking at the Expected Points table, Leverkusen have, performance-wise, done enough to be second. They have an Expected Points haul of 18. The reason they aren’t riding high in the league is because they’ve conceded four more goals than they should have, which points to poor goalkeeping.
The Injury situation
Both teams are missing players for this clash.
Liverpool are without Alisson Becker, Diogo Jota, Federico Chiesa and Harvey Elliott but Ibrahima Konaté should be available after coming off at half-time against Brighton with a hand injury.
The visitors are expected to be without Martin Terrier, though he could be fit enough to make the bench, while both Amine Adli and Nordi Mukiele are definitely missing from this game at Anfield.
Prediction
It’ll be a tactical battle but with momentum on their side and the backing of Anfield, a Liverpool win should be on the cards. It is an ideal opportunity for Slot to make a statement too, proving he was the right man for the job by picking up the win over someone many had at the top of their Klopp replacement list.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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