Bayer Leverkusen will welcome FC Porto to BayArena this Wednesday, looking to record their second win of the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League season.
Venue: BayArena (Leverkusen)
Key Statistics
Bayer Leverkusen are unbeaten in their last three home games (W2, D1).
They have kept two clean sheets in their last three home games.
The hosts have won just three games this season (D2, L8).
FC Porto have won their last three games, keeping two consecutive clean sheets.
They have won just one of their last six UCL road trips (D2, L3).
The visitors have not won a match in Germany since triumphing over Hamburg in 2006 (D1, L3).
Neither side has scored a UCL goal before half-time this season.
Head to head
Bayer Leverkusen won the three previous meetings between both sides.
Latest performances in all competitions
Bayer Leverkusen: W-L-L-D-W
FC Porto: W-W-W-D-L
Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen began life under former Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich midfielder Xabi Alonso on a perfect note as they recorded a huge 4-0 win over Schalke 4-0 on Saturday and looked irresistible in the process.
The World Cup and European Championship winner with Spain described the win as a ‘complete performance’. But he will now turn his attention to recording another win, this time in the UCL where Leverkusen are on the brink of being knocked out unless they can sort their form.
Die Werkself have lost two of their opening three group games in this season’s UCL. The most recent of those losses came in a 2-0 loss to FC Porto last time. The loss marked the end for ex-manager Gerardo Seoane and left three teams (Atletico Madrid, Leverkusen and Porto) locked together on three points in an ultra-competitive Group B behind surprise runaway leaders Club Brugge.
The hosts who are looking to pass to the knockout stages for the first time since 2016/17 will fancy their chance of beating Porto at BayArena where they have enjoyed their recent success and have recorded two of the only three wins they have this season. They are unbeaten in their last three games at this venue (W2, D1) and won the only previous H2H meeting with their Portuguese opponents on this ground.
Possible Bayer Leverkusen starting line-up
Lukas Hradecky; Edmond Tapsoba, Jonathan Tah, Piero Hincapie; Jeremie Frimpong, Mitchel Bakker, Robert Andrich, Robert Andrich, Charles Aranguiz; Callum Hudson-Odoi, Moussa Diaby; Patrik Schick.
Injured: Exequiel Palacios, Florian Wirtz, Karim Bellarabi
Doubtful: None
Suspended: Jeremie Frimpong, Robert Andrich
FC Porto
After recording two losses in their first two UCL group games, FC Porto finally got a win last time out against Leverkusen.
The win was enough to take them to the second spot in the group, albeit on goal difference and with a six-point gap behind Club Brugge.
They will travel to Germany on the back of a 2-0 win over Portimonense, making it two consecutive wins without conceding a goal and three straight wins for Sérgio Conceição’s men.
Ahead of their visit to BayArena, the manager has stated that “there is no magic wand, there is work” and so he will be desperate for his side to win this game as they battle to avoid exiting the UCL at the group stage for a second consecutive season.
But the visitors have not enjoyed their previous visits to Germany, as they have not won a match in the country since triumphing over Hamburg in 2006 (D1, L3), so this could be a tough evening’s work for the Dragons.
Possible FC Porto starting line-up
Diogo Costa; Rodrigo Conceicao, Fabio Cardoso, David Carmo, Wendell; Mateus Uribe, Otavio, Stephen Eustaquio, Pepe; Mehdi Taremi, Evanilson.
Injured: None
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Prediction
Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 Porto
