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November 24 2024, 21:24 · Alex Lawes

Bayer Leverkusen vs Salzburg Preview: Team News & Prediction

Bayer Leverkusen vs Salzburg Preview: Team News & Prediction
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It has been an unsatisfying opening few months for Bayer Leverkusen after a historic 2023/24 campaign with Red Bull Salzburg significantly underperforming thus far, too. 

Kick-off date/time: Tuesday 26th November, 2024: UK – 8:00pm / US ET – 3:00pm / US PT – 12:00pm

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

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

Bayer Leverkusen Preview: Xabi’s Leverkusen

Bayer Leverkusen won the domestic double without losing a single game last season and only lost the UEFA Europa League final against Atalanta across all competitions but they haven’t been able to back that up this time around in both the Bundesliga and on the continent.

They did manage to hammer struggling Heidenheim by five goals to two at the BayArena at the weekend. On the continent, they most recently suffered a 4-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield with all four goals being scored in the second-half of that match. 

Salzburg Preview: Struggling Salzburg

Over the summer, after finally missing out on the Austrian Bundesliga title to Sturm Graz, Red Bull Salzburg took the decision to appoint Jurgen Klopp’s former Liverpool assistant coach Pep Lijnders but Lijnders’ reign as the main man has started very slowly.

The visitors come into this one on the back of a 2-1 defeat at home to LASK in the Bundesliga at the weekend with pressure growing on Lijnders. They started the UEFA Champions League campaign with three successive losses before a shock win versus Feyenoord earlier this month.

Bayer Leverkusen Team News: Several issues

Victor Boniface has joined the injury list for Leverkusen this week after an injury with Nigeria over the international break, whilst the likes of Nordi Mukiele and Jeremie Frimpong are also injured alongside experienced midfielder Jonas Hofmann. 

Predicted XI (3-4-2-1): Hradecky; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Tella, Palacios, Xhaka, Grimaldo; Wirtz, Garcia; Schick

Unavailable: Mukiele (Injured), Belocian (Injured), Frimpong (Injured), Hofmann (Injured), Adli (Injured), Terrier (Injured), Boniface (Injured)

Questionable: 

Key Stats

  • Leverkusen have won three and drawn two of their previous five UEFA competition matches against Austrian teams.
  • Leverkusen have won their previous two UEFA competition matches at home against Austrian teams; W 3-0 vs Rapid Wien (2012/13 UEFA Europa League group stage) and W 5-1 vs Austria Wien (1987/88 UEFA Cup first round second leg).
  • Leverkusen are unbeaten in their last ten UEFA competition matches at home (W7 D3), with six wins in the last seven (D1).
  • Leverkusen have kept three clean sheets in their previous five UEFA competition matches against Austrian teams.
  • Salzburg have won only one of their last eight UEFA competition matches against German teams (D2 L5).
  • Salzburg have lost their last four UEFA competition matches away from home against German teams.
  • Salzburg have lost only one of their last five UEFA competition matches away from home (W2 D2).
  • Salzburg are aiming to win successive UEFA competition matches for the first time since the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League group stage when they won back-to-back against Lille and Wolfsburg (MD2 and MD3).
  • Only one of Salzburg’s last 61 UEFA competition matches finished without a goal being scored.

Salzburg Team News: Finding a formula

Salzburg have created a very deep squad but there is no real hierarchy to their side at the moment and everything is a bit confusing. They also have a few injury issues with Janis Blaswich sidelined alongside the likes of Maurits Kjaergaard and Fernando. 

Predicted XI (4-3-3): Oelz; Capaldo, Piatkowski, Baidoo, Terzic; Clark, Gourna-Douath, Diambou; Dorgeles, Konate, Gloukh

Unavailable: Blaswich (Injured), Morgalla (Injured), Kjaergaard (Injured), Fernando (Injured)

Questionable: 

Bayer Leverkusen vs Salzburg Prediction

There have been fresh reports that Xabi Alonso will depart Bayer Leverkusen at the end of this season with Real Madrid his likeliest destination. Things haven’t been terrible this season but the dip between the performances and results of last season to this has been fairly major. They do, though, face a Salzburg side under immense pressure that are struggling both at home and on the continent with a comfortable home win to be expected for this one. 

Bayer Leverkusen vs Salzburg Tip: Bayer Leverkusen to win -1 handicap

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