Liverpool vs Bayer Leverkusen: Match Preview & predictions
Liverpool vs Bayer Leverkusen: Match Preview & predictions. Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso returns to Anfield on Tuesday night as his side Bayer Leverkusen take on Liverpool in match day 4 of the Champions League league phase.
Alonso’s long-awaited Merseyside return arrives on Matchday 4 of the new UCL format, with Leverkusen facing a Liverpool side that have won their opening three league phase encounters so far to sit joint-top of the table with Aston Villa.
The Bundesliga champions impressively beat Feyenoord and Milan in their first two games before drawing away at Brest on Matchday 3. Their record is enough to have them in the top eight as the halfway point approaches.
Leverkusen will benefit from having an extra day’s recovery as they prepare for a daunting visit to Anfield under the lights. Alonso’s team were held by Stuttgart at home on Friday night, with Bayern Munich’s victory over Union Berlin meaning Leverkusen are already seven points adrift of Bayern in the Bundesliga table.
Liverpool, meanwhile, continue to impress with Arne Slot at the helm. A come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, saw them climb to the top of the Premier League table following a Manchester City’s defeat at Bournemouth. Slot’s Reds have lost just once in all competitions this term.
Here is how we preview the Liverpool vs Bayer Leverkusen Champions League clash.
What time does Liverpool vs Bayer Leverkusen kick-off?
Location: Liverpool, England
Stadium: Anfield
Date: Tuesday 5 November
Kick-off: 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT
Referee: Danny Makkelie (NED)
VAR: Rob Dieperink (NED)
Liverpool vs Bayer Leverkusen H2H Record (All Games)
Liverpool: 3 wins
Bayer Leverkusen: 1 win
Draws: 0
Last meeting: Bayer Leverkusen 1-3 Liverpool (9 March 2005) – Champions League
Liverpool team news;
Ibrahima Konate was forced off at half-time on Saturday after his arm was inadvertently stamped on by centre-back partner Virgil van Dijk, but the Frenchman alleviated fears over a prolonged absence on Sunday when he revealed that scans showed no fracture.
The defender will be hopeful of featuring on Tuesday, but Slot and his medical team might decide to take a more cautious stance.
Liverpool are still without Diogo Jota, Alisson and Harvey Elliott until after the international break, while Federico Chiesa has suffered multiple setbacks while attempting to recover from a muscle injury.
Liverpool predicted lineup vs Bayer Leverkusen
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Jones, Diaz; Nunez.
Bayer Leverkusen team news;
Alonso is hopeful that summer arrival Martin Terrier will be available for Tuesday’s game after the forward missed Friday’s stalemate with Stuttgart.
Nordi Mukiele also picked up a thigh injury during Leverkusen’s previous outing and will be out until after the November break. Jeremie Frimpong will drop into a wing-back position to cover the Frenchman’s absence.
The visitors are also without Amine Adli and Jeanuel Belocian for this midweek fixture.
Bayer Leverkusen predicted lineup vs Liverpool
Bayer Leverkusen (4-2-3-1): Hradecky; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Xhaka, Garcia, Grimaldo; Terrier, Wirtz; Boniface.
Liverpool vs Bayer Leverkusen score prediction;
Coming up against Liverpool under the lights at Anfield is as tough as it gets, but Leverkusen sure do have a reason to believe.
Despite the context surrounding Alonso’s homecoming, this fixture won’t feel particularly significant given that it arrives halfway through an extended league phase.
The Reds aren’t exactly desperate for three points having maintained a 100% record through three games so far and there’s scope for the visitors to enter Merseyside and do a job on the hosts, even if their domestic form at the start of the new season has been far from spotless.
Alonso will favour security over exuberance here, with this particular clash set to be cagey affair. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the spoils are shared in a low-scoring affair, also do not discard a win for the home side with their home advantage coming into play for this one.
Prediction: Liverpool 2-1 Bayer Leverkusen
