Verdict: Draw
Best odds: 51/20
Bookmaker: BetUS
A high-profile clash awaits on Tuesday evening as Germany’s reigning champions, Bayer Leverkusen, host Italy’s titleholders, Inter Milan, in the Champions League.
Inter are one of just three teams yet to taste defeat in the group stage and currently lead Leverkusen by three points in the standings, with both sides well-positioned to secure automatic qualification for the last 16.
Bayer Leverkusen
After clinching their maiden Bundesliga title and adding the DFB-Pokal to their trophy cabinet, Leverkusen are striving to reach the Champions League knockout stages for the first time since 2016, with aspirations of mounting a serious challenge for the title.
Xabi Alonso’s team sits sixth in the Champions League standings after five rounds, having amassed 10 points. They rebounded impressively from a 4-0 loss to Liverpool with a resounding 5-0 home victory over RB Salzburg, where star midfielder Florian Wirtz scored twice before halftime.
The Anfield defeat marked just their third loss in 25 European games, a run that included 16 wins and a journey to last season’s Europa League final. At the BayArena, Leverkusen have been particularly dominant, winning seven of eight UEFA home matches since the start of last season, with a +21 goal difference. They are unbeaten in 11 continental games at home.
Domestically, the German champions notched a fifth straight win across all competitions with a 2-1 triumph over St Pauli on Saturday, as Wirtz again found the net. Earlier, they progressed to the DFB-Pokal quarter-finals by defeating Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich 1-0 in a match where Bayern went down to 10 men early.
While Leverkusen are third in the Bundesliga and within reach of Bayern, defensive frailties have emerged, with 20 goals conceded in 13 league games—just four fewer than the entirety of their extraordinary 2023/24 campaign.
Having already beaten AC Milan at home in this season’s Champions League, Leverkusen now face the Rossoneri’s city rivals, Inter Milan, in what promises to be another thrilling encounter.
Team News
Patrik Schick, who netted six goals in four games—including a hat-trick against Heidenheim—remains sidelined with a calf injury, while Victor Boniface has been unavailable since returning from international duty with a thigh issue. In response to losing both his strikers, Xabi Alonso has recently deployed Florian Wirtz as a false nine, a tactic the Bayer Leverkusen coach may repeat on Tuesday night.
Jonas Hofmann and Amine Adli are also out.
Wirtz has proven instrumental, scoring the opener in three Champions League matches this season – the joint-most alongside Milan’s Christian Pulisic. He will likely be supported by a midfield anchored by captain Granit Xhaka, with Alex Grimaldo and Jeremie Frimpong providing width and attacking impetus from the flanks.
Inter Milan
Inter have a perfect record against Tuesday’s hosts, winning all three previous encounters. Their last meetings came in the 2002/03 Champions League group stage, where Inter completed a double over Leverkusen before advancing to that season’s semi-finals.
Inter Milan, crowned European champions for the third time in 2010, narrowly missed a fourth title in 2023, losing the final to Manchester City. Now, the reigning Scudetto holders are in prime form to contend for glory again next summer.
The Nerazzurri have won their last four Champions League group games without conceding, including a crucial victory over RB Leipzig that secured second place on 13 points. After beginning the campaign with a 0-0 draw at City, they are on the brink of history: keeping Leverkusen scoreless would make Inter the first team to record clean sheets in six group matches in the competition.
Since winning their 20th Serie A title last season, Simone Inzaghi’s men have suffered only one defeat in 19 matches this term – a somewhat surprising September loss to city rivals AC Milan. Inter remain in an intense battle for first place domestically, boasting a lethal attack that has scored three or more goals in half of their 14 league fixtures.
Their latest 3-1 win over Parma at San Siro highlights their attacking prowess, which will present a formidable challenge to Leverkusen’s defence.
Team News
Inter’s injury concerns include defenders Benjamin Pavard and Francesco Acerbi, though the latter has resumed partial training and might return to the bench.
Serie A’s recently crowned Coach of the Year, Simone Inzaghi welcomed Carlos Augusto and Davide Frattesi back into the squad over the weekend.
The midfield trio will once again be anchored by set-piece specialist Hakan Calhanoglu, a former Leverkusen player who scored 28 goals in 115 appearances during his time at the BayArena from 2014 to 2017.
In goal, Yann Sommer has been exceptional, keeping clean sheets in 75% of his Champions League games for Inter since joining from Borussia Monchengladbach – a record unmatched by any goalkeeper with 10 or more appearances in the competition.
Conclusion
Leverkusen might manage to breach Inter’s formidable defense, but the absence of a traditional striker could hinder their chances of securing a victory against their Italian opponents.
The Nerazzurri are adept at absorbing pressure and possess the composure and confidence to punish teams effectively on the counterattack.
The two teams sharing the points seems like the likeliest outcome.
Verdict: Draw
Best odds: 51/20
Bookmaker: BetUS
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