Bayer Leverkusen vs Inter Milan Preview: Team News & Prediction

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German champions Bayer Leverkusen take on Italian champions Internazionale with both sides eyeing up a deep run in what appears to be a very open edition of the UEFA Champions League.

Kick-off date/time: Tuesday 10th December, 2024: UK – 8:00pm / US ET – 3:00pm / US PT – 12:00pm

How to watch on TV: UK – TNT Sports / US – Not televised

How to watch online: UK – Discovery+ / US – Paramount+

Bayer Leverkusen Preview: Improving Leverkusen

Xabi Alonso has done an excellent job in charge of Bayer Leverkusen but they were stuttering at the start of this season. The hosts have improved after that slow-ish start and come into this one on the back of a 2-1 defeat of St Pauli at the BayArena in the Bundesliga at the weekend.

That victory against the Hamburg-based club means they have suffered just two defeats in their 22 matches across all competitions so far this season. They have won three, drawn one and lost one of their five games in the UEFA Champions League.

Inter Milan Preview: Impressive Nerazzurri

The 2022/23 UEFA Champions League runners’ up Internazionale are being lined up as one of the favourites for this season’s tournament due to their efficient and effective style of football under the management of former Lazio boss Simone Inzaghi.

They romped to their 20th Italian title last season but haven’t been quite as good this time around. Despite that, their 3-1 defeat of Parma at San Siro in Serie A at the weekend means they are now unbeaten in 14 matches in all competitions since losing to Milan in mid-September.

Bayer Leverkusen Team News: Injuries in attack

Following Victor Boniface’s injury over the November international break, the attacking focus shifted to Patrik Schick but the Czech international is also now sidelined with a calf injury alongside attacking midfielders Jonas Hofmann and Amine Adli.

Predicted XI (3-5-2): Kovar; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Palacios, Andrich, Xhaka, Grimaldo; Wirtz, Tella

Unavailable: Hofmann (Injured), Adli (Injured), Schick (Injured), Boniface (Injured)

Questionable:

Inter Milan Team News: Rest and rotation

Simone Inzaghi and his players have complained about match fatigue throughout this season and they have heavily rotated at times. However, this is a big game against stiff opposition so they are likely to be at their strongest for the trip to Leverkusen.

Predicted XI (3-5-2): Sommer; Bisseck, De Vrij, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Martinez, Thuram

Unavailable: Pavard (Injured)

Questionable: Di Gennaro (Injured), Acerbi (Injured)

Key Stats

Leverkusen are unbeaten in their last 11 UEFA club competition matches at home (W8 D3), with seven wins in the last eight (D1).
Leverkusen have lost only two of their last 19 UEFA club competition matches (W12 D5).
Leverkusen won their previous two home matches in the league phase of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League without conceding a goal.
Jeremie Frimpong is set to make an appearance on his 24th birthday. He would be the fifth player to feature in the competition for Leverkusen on a birthday and the first since Diego Placente on 24 April 2002 against Man United in the semi-finals on his 25th birthday.
Florian Wirtz has scored five goals in his first five appearances in the UEFA Champions League proper. No German player has scored as many in his first five appearances.
Inter have won all the previous three UEFA club competition matches between these two teams.
Inter have won their last four UEFA Champions League matches. The last time they won four in a row was in the 2009/10 season when they went on to win six in succession.
Inter are unbeaten in their last 11 UEFA Champions League group/league phase matches (W7 D4).
Inter have not conceded a goal in their five UEFA Champions League matches this season, equalling their best sequence of successive clean sheets in UEFA club competitions (2014/15 UEFA Europa League and 1990/91 UEFA Cup).
Inter are the only team yet to concede a goal in the league phase of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League.
Lautaro Martínez has made 49 appearances in the UEFA Champions League proper.

Bayer Leverkusen vs Inter Milan Prediction

Bayer Leverkusen have issues in attack with attacking midfielders Florian Wirtz and Nathan Tella likely to form a strike partnership as they did at the weekend. They managed just two shots on target in that defeat of St Pauli, perhaps highlighting an upcoming lack of cutting edge in the final third. Inter are efficient at the back and have the requisite patterns of play to hurt anyone in Europe. A low-scoring affair seems quite likely with a draw suitable for both sides, too.

Bayer Leverkusen vs Inter Milan Tip: Under 3.5 goals