Bayer Leverkusen vs Bayern Munich

BayArena forms the backdrop for the return leg of a heavyweight Champions League last-16 tie between Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich. 

Bayer Leverkusen must pull a rabbit out of the hat to turn this tie on its head following a dismal 3-0 loss in last week’s first leg. That result marked Die Werkself’s first H2H defeat under Xabi Alonso after six unbeaten duels prior (W3, D3). Only four teams in Champions League history have hauled back a 3+ goal deficit to progress from a knockout tie, highlighting the magnitude of the task awaiting them this midweek. Adding to the home fans’ skepticism, Werder Bremen thrashed Leverkusen 2-0 on this ground at the weekend, putting them at risk of losing three consecutive matches for the first time since August 2022. Furthermore, Opta gives them only a 4% chance of locking down a quarter-final berth for the first time since 2001/02! 

Meanwhile, Vincent Kompany’s decision to rest several star players in last weekend’s Bundesliga home clash against relegation-fighting Bochum backfired as 10-man Bayern Munich dropped a two-goal cushion in a 3-2 home defeat! Despite that setback, the Bavarians are in the driver’s seat to secure a quarter-final berth for the 35th time – only Real Madrid boast a better record! However, the record-time German champions would be naive to take this fixture for granted, especially considering they’ve suffered two three-goal margin losses on their Champions League travels this term. Another such result would see them eliminated from the Round of 16 for only the second time since 2016. Moreover, they’ve only kept one clean sheet across their last 12 Champions League road trips.