Champions League Group D was always set to be a difficult group to emerge from for Bayer Leverkusen. The Germans have not played well in the competition and head into their tie against Atletico Madrid facing elimination from Champions League knockout stage progression.
Atletico Madrid and Juventus sit atop Group D on seven points apiece. Russia’s Lokomotiv Moscow are third on three points while Bayer Leverkusen are rock bottom without a point after three matchdays.
If Juventus and Atletico Madrid win on Wednesday night in Group D play, the pair will stamp their tickets to the knockout round with two matchdays to go. Anything less than a victory and the door stays open for Lokomotiv Moscow and Bayer Leverkusen.
When these teams met on Champions League matchday 3, Atletico Madrid came away with a 1-0 win at home. Alvaro Morata’s 78th-minute goal gave Atletico Madrid the win despite a rather evenly matched fixture.
📽 That @ChampionsLeague feeling... 😉⭐ #UCL⚽ #B04Atleti🔴⚪ #AúpaAtleti pic.twitter.com/PswAY8JMzN— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) November 5, 2019
📽 That @ChampionsLeague feeling... 😉⭐ #UCL⚽ #B04Atleti🔴⚪ #AúpaAtleti pic.twitter.com/PswAY8JMzN
Peter Bosz’s Bayer Leverkusen are in awful form currently. They have won just once in their last seven matches in all competitions. That win came against Paderborn in the in the DFB Pokal. Bayer Leverkusen are coming off of a weekend loss to Borussia Monchengladbach, 2-1.
Atletico Madrid continue to under achieve domestically. Diego Simeone’s team is fourth in La Liga but should be running away with the league. The Mattressmakers have not been able to turn draws into wins and lead La Liga with six ties in 12 matches.
Goals have been hard to come by for Simeone’s side as just 17 goals have been scored in 15 matches in all competitions. Atletico Madrid average 1.13 goals per match but it is their defence that keeps them in games. Atletico Madrid’s defence allow a mere 0.60 goals per fixture.
It is that staunch defence that kept things close on matchday 3 against Bayer Leverkusen and allowed Morata to get a late winner. Matchday 4’s fixture at the BayArena should see that strong defence come to the forefront once more.
Injuries have been an issue for Atletico Madrid and things have not got better this week. Summer signing Joao Felix is not fit to play after suffering an ankle sprain two weeks ago. Defenders Diego Gimenez and Stefan Savic returned to light training this week but may not be fit enough to play.
Both Kieran Trippier and Thomas Lemar were removed at halftime of Atletico Madrid’s weekend draw with Sevilla. The duo is expected to travel with the team but my not feature.
Atletico Madrid’s defence will keep them in the fixture on Wednesday night in Germany. It will allow the Spanish team to nick a goal as the fixture ends in a 1-1 draw.
Bayer Leverkusen will finally get off the mark with a result as under 2.5 goals are tallied at the BayArena.