Bayer Leverkusen vs Milan: Preview, predictions and lineups
Bayer Leverkusen and Milan meet on Matchday 2 of the Champions League league phase after the two sides picked up contrasting results in their respective openers.
Leverkusen, off the back of a historic Bundesliga campaign, celebrated their return to Europe’s top table with an emphatic 4-0 victory in a tough environment at Feyenoord, while Milan were soundly beaten 3-1 by Liverpool despite taking an early lead.
That defeat ramped the pressure up on new manager Paulo Fonseca, but the Rossoneri responded with a seismic victory over Inter in the Derby della Madonnina as boyhood Milanista Mattia Gabbia headed home a late winner.
Milan head into Tuesday’s game having cruised past Lecce 3-0 on Friday night.
We saw another side to Leverkusen at the weekend as they ground out a 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. Xabi Alonso’s side offered close to nothing going forward after Robert Andrich’s opener, but they did a fine job of limiting Bayern in the final third after Aleksandar Pavlovic drew the hosts level.
Here is 90min’s guide to Bayer Leverkusen vs Milan in the Champions League.
Bayer Leverkusen vs Milan H2H Record
This is the first competitive fixture between Bayer Leverkusen and Milan.
Current form (all competitions)
|
Bayer Leverkusen |
Milan |
|---|---|
|
Bayern Munich 1-1 Bayer Leverkusen – 28/09/24 |
Milan 3-0 Lecce – 27/09/24 |
|
Bayer Leverkusen 4-3 Wolfsburg – 22/09/24 |
Inter 1-2 Milan – 22/09/24 |
|
Feyenoord 0-4 Bayer Leverkusen – 19/09/24 |
Milan 1-3 Liverpool – 17/09/24 |
|
Hoffenheim 1-4 Bayer Leverkusen – 14/09/24 |
Milan 4-0 Venezia – 14/09/24 |
|
Bayer Leverkusen 2-3 RB Leipzig – 31/08/24 |
Lazio 2-2 Milan – 31/08/24 |
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Country |
TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
|
United Kingdom |
discovery+, discovery+ App, TNT Sports 5 |
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United States |
Paramount+, ViX |
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Canada |
DAZN |
There’s unlikely to be many changes to Leverkusen’s XI from Saturday, with Alonso currently having the luxury of selecting from a fully-fit squad.
There’s fierce competition for places in the midfield pivot, but Andrich is likely to retain his place in the side alongside Granit Xhaka. Aleix Garcia and Exequiel Palacios, who recently returned from knee surgery, will hope to impress off the bench.
Patrik Schick and Victor Boniface continue to duel for a starting berth up top, but there’s no doubt as to who is currently Alonso’s first choice.
Leverkusen predicted lineup vs Milan (3-4-2-1): Hradecky; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Andrich, Xhaka, Grimaldo; Terrier, Wirtz; Boniface.
Fonseca doesn’t quite have the same luxury as Alonso on the injury front, although Ismael Bennacer is the only notable absence for Tuesday’s game.
The elegant midfielder could be out until the end of the calendar year with an ankle injury. However, Milan are far better placed to mitigate his absence compared to previous seasons.
Back-up goalkeeper Marco Sportiello and veteran full-back Alessandro Florenzi are long-term absentees. Captain Davide Calabria may also miss out with a muscle injury.
Milan predicted lineup vs Bayer Leverkusen (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Emerson, Tomori, Gabbia, Hernandez; Fofana, Reijnders; Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Leao; Morata.
The signs were ominous for Fonseca after their Matchday 1 defeat, but back-to-back victories ensures Milan head into this fixture with some momentum behind them. They’re beginning to purr going forward, and Christian Pulisic is the man Leverkusen will need to keep quiet on Tuesday given his excellent run of form.
It seems as if Leverkusen can only shut out teams if a concerted effort is made defensively, with Alonso changing tack at the weekend after seeing his side concede relentlessly in previous outings.
We’re not going to see the hosts opt for a mid-block and counter ploy against Milan, so the visitors should get their fair share of opportunities. However, the Italian side have their work cut out if they’re to prevent Florian Wirtz and company from wreaking havoc in this one.