Atletico Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen will meet on Tuesday night in the Champions League Group D. The Mattressmakers could move to the top of the table with a victory depending on Juventus’ result against Lokomotiv Moscow.
Bayer Leverkusen are seeking their first points of the Champions League. The German have lost both of their Champions League Group D fixtures thus far conceding five goals and scoring just once.
Diego Simone’s Atletico Madrid head into the fixture struggling to score goals. It is the problem Atletico Madrid have always had under Simeone. They have scored just eight time in nine La Liga matches. The Mattressmakers have won just once in six matches with four of those games ending in draws.
Atletico Madrid’s latest setback was a 1-1 draw with Valencia at home over the weekend. The Spanish side will be without summer signing Joao Felix after he picked up an ankle injury over the weekend.
Felix, who continues to receive praise from all corners, has scored just three goals in 11 games in all competitions. The Portuguese forward will miss the next three weeks of matches.
Bayer Leverkusen head into Champions League matchday 3 following a loss at the weekend to Eintracht Frankfurt, 3-0. The Germans have been up and down in form this term in both the Bundesliga and Champions League.
Die Werkself have lost both of their Champions League matches. Peter Bosz’s team lost to Lokomotiv Moscow 2-1 on Champions League matchday 1.
They then conceded three goals to Juventus and were shut out on matchday 2. Bayer Leverkusen’s only goal in the Champions League thus far came from an own goal.
Bosz is without forward Leon Bailey which is keeping them from creating and scoring goals in the final third. Making Bayer Leverkusen’s mission for a point at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium even more difficult on Tuesday night is the absence of full-back Wendell.
The full-back tore his thigh muscle on Friday night against Eintracht Frankfurt. He is set to miss several games as he recoups from injury.
Atletico Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen have played six times over the past 10 seasons in European football. Atletico Madrid have recorded a solid record of 2W-3D-1L. The last time these clubs met in the Champions League was 2016-17.
On those occasions, Atletico Madrid picked up a 4-2 win in Germany and a nil-nil result in Spain. Tuesday night’s fixture is vital for the Mattressmakers to win as they head into the match level on points with Juventus (four) and Lokomotiv Moscow are on three.
If Bayer Leverkusen want to get out of the group, they must get points at the Wanda Metropolitano. Getting points against Atletico Madrid is easier said than done, however.