Bayer Leverkusen vs Atletico Madrid predictions and match preview for Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League fixture. Read on for analysis and predicted lineups as Diego Simeone’s side travel to Germany.
| Date | Tuesday 13th September 2022 |
| Kick-Off | 21:00 (local time) |
| Stadium | BayArena |
| Competition | UEFA Champions League |
Bayer Leverkusen vs Atletico Madrid Preview
Atletico Madrid travel to Germany this week bidding to make it two wins from two to start their Champions League campaign. Bayer Leverkusen provide the opposition with the Bundesliga side in need of a result having started their campaign with a defeat.
Diego Simeone’s team meanwhile beat Porto in a match which featured some extraordinary late drama last week. Goalless heading into Stoppage Time, the game suddenly exploded into life with Mario Hermoso scoring for Atleti and then giving away a penalty which Porto converted. There was still time for a winner though, with super sub Antoine Griezmann in the right place to head home in the 101st minute.
That result leaves Atleti in pole position and they will be favourites to go on and win this group which could potentially result in a more favourable last 16 draw. Overall, Atleti fans will be relatively content with how they’ve started the season and they were 4-1 winners over Celta at the Metropolitano at the weekend, although the scoreline did flatter them to a large extent. The likes of Koke, Marcos Llorente and Joao Felix were rested in that game, but should return here.
By contrast, it has been a really poor start to the season for Gerardo Seoane’s Bayer Leverkusen. They did brilliantly to finish 3rd last term in the German top flight but currently sit 17th having taken just 4 points from their opening 6 league games of the 2022/23 season. Things did not go any better in Europe last time out, as they sank to a damaging 1-0 defeat away to Club Brugge on matchday one.
With the Belgians supposedly the weakest team in this group, it’s a long road back for Bayer Leverkusen and they’d have a mountain to climb were they to lose here too. Defensively they’ve been poor at times this season with 11 goals conceded in the Bundesliga so far but they do carry some threat with Czech striker Patrik Schick leading the line while Chelsea loanee Callum Hudson-Odoi will be hoping to ask questions on the left flank.
Possible Lineups (via Sofascore)
Score Prediction: Bayer Leverkusen 0-2 Atletico Madrid
It feels like Atleti are a bit more like their old selves this season in that they have a more settled approach and are finding ways to win even if they aren’t dominant. There are still some flaws that may expose themselves more as the season progresses but they look capable of coming here and beating an out of sorts Bayer Leverkusen side to make it two wins from two in this competition.
PLEASE NOTE – Our European predictions are not betting tips! No profits are guaranteed if you’re using them to bet on Spanish teams playing in Europe. If you are gambling, do so responsibly and never stake more than you can afford to lose. BeGambleAware.
