The Daily Star Ireland
Bayer Leverkusen had a strong start in the Champions League group stage but has had mixed results since. They secured victories against Feyenoord (4-0) and AC Milan (1-0) but then drew with Brest (1-1) and suffered a heavy defeat to Liverpool (4-0), leaving them in 13th place.
Currently, they are in a position to qualify for the play-offs but are two points away from the top eight, which offers direct qualification to the round of 16. In the Bundesliga, Leverkusen, the reigning champions, have struggled to maintain their status, sitting in fourth place with only four wins in ten matches. They resumed their domestic campaign on Saturday with a home game against Heidenheim, aiming for a win after drawing 1-1 with Bochum before the international break.
Salzburg, accustomed to Champions League participation and having reached the round of 16 in 2022, is not performing well this season. They are currently 30th in the standings, two points away from the last play-off spot. They earned their first points with a 3-1 win at Feyenoord but lost their first three matches, including a heavy 4-0 home defeat to Brest. In the Austrian Bundesliga, Salzburg has also struggled, sitting in fourth place after a loss to BW Linz (2-0) and a match against LASK Linz on Saturday.
For Leverkusen, defenders Nordi Mukiele (on loan from PSG) and Jean-Kévin Augustin are doubtful. Winger Amine Adli, who has no goals this season, is also uncertain due to injury. The team will miss him, along with summer signing Martin Terrier, who has recovered from an injury. It remains to be seen if starting defender Edmond Tapsoba, injured during the international break, will be fit.
Florian Wirtz has been impressive in Europe with three goals, while Victor Boniface, the club’s top scorer in the league with six goals, has only scored once in the Champions League. Jeremie Frimpong, influential with three assists, has yet to score.
Salzburg travels to Leverkusen without several key players. Youngsters Gadou, Baidoo, and Diakité were not registered for the Champions League. Brazilian striker Fernando is also injured and unavailable. Right-back Maurits Kjaergaard returned from injury before the break, but defenders Oumar Solet and Lukas Sucic, and midfielders Kjaergaard and Youba Diarra remain sidelined. Salzburg has struggled to score in the Champions League, with their top scorer, Karim Adeyemi, netting twice in the competition. He missed a hat-trick against Feyenoord by failing to convert a penalty.
Prediction
In their last 12 Champions League matches, Bayer Leverkusen has seen two or fewer goals scored in ten of them. Similarly, eight of Salzburg’s last ten away games in the Champions League have also featured under 2.5 goals. Therefore, it is expected that this important game for both sides will be a low-scoring affair.
Prediction: Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Salzburg
