Feyenoord vs Bayer Leverkusen: Champions League Preview ...
Coming off of an unbelievable season in the Bundesliga, where they found themselves defining all odds and being crowned uneaten champions of Germany, Bayer Leverkusen return to the Champions League after a short one year absence from Europes biggest stage.
Having to face tough opponents in teams such as Liverpool, Atletico Madrid and both Milan teams, Xabi Alonso will once again have to prove his doubters wrong if wanting to progress deep into the competition and challenge for silverware yet again.
The Die Werkself kick off their champions league campaign with a trip to the Netherlands, the home of Thursdays opponents Feyenoord.
Wining 3 out of their last 4 matches so far this season Alonso will hope to start Leverkusen’s champions league journey strong with a win away from home, not loosing a competitive match away since May of 2023- Excluding the most recent UEFA Europa League Final where the German giants surprising lost to Italian underdogs Atalanta 3-0 in Ireland.
After the recent departure of former manager Arne Slot to Liverpool, Feyenoord haven’t started the season as well as expected, struggling to adapt to life under their new gaffer winning 1 and drawing 3 out of their first 4 league games played.
Having won the Champions League 54 years ago in 1970 and recently falling short of European success in the UEFA Europa Conference League final in 2022, Feyenoord fans desire the taste of European glory and even some believe this could be their year.
Stranger things have happened and you can never deny the magic of the Champions League.
Team newsFeyenoord
Feyenoord will enter this match without Calvin Stengs (Knee injury), Hugo Bueno (Muscle injury) and Bart Nieuwkoop- whom came off in the 62nd minute against FC Groningen in the Dutch clubs most recent match an unlikely to feature in this affair.
However in better news, Gernot Trauner returned to first team action on Saturday after suffering a thigh injury in Euro 24, and will likely return to first team football on the bench in this coming match due to recovery reasons.
Santiago Gimenez is also to be expected to start upfront for the home side after a successful start to his season which saw him grab 2 goals and 1 assist in the first 4 games of the Eredivisie.
Bayer Leverkusen
Xabi Alonso’s side look set on travelling to the Netherlands with no recent injury concerns as there is some hope in Exequiel Palacisos passing a late fitness test, being absent from the football pitch since early August due to a knee operation.
German youngster Florian Wirtz looks set to make his Champions. League debut after impressing in the Europa League for the past few seasons, proving that he is ready for Europes biggest stage, and ready to work his magic once again.
Scoring a brace over the weekend, Nigerian Striker Victor Boniface will be in Alonso’s mind when deciding the team sheet- competing with Czechian Patrik Schick for a place up top, with both being reliable goal scorers in Europe.
Signing from Girona this summer for a fee of around 15 million pounds, Aleix Garcia may be another player to make his Champions League debut- Potentially starting alongside former Arsenal man Granit Xhaxa in midfield due to Palacisos absence.
Potential LineupsFeyenoord (4-3-3):
Wellenreuther; Lotomba, Beelen, Hancko, Smal; Nadje, Milambo, Timber; Osman, Paixao, Giminez
Bayer Leverkusen (3-4-2-1):
Kovar; Mukiele, Tah, Tapsoba; Grimaldo, Xhaxa, Garcia, Frimpong; Adli, Wirtz; Boniface
Key playersFeyenoord: Santiago Gimenez
After a disappointing start to the season for Brian Priske and his men, many of Feyenoord’s players have lacked that cutting edge and have looked very average in their most recent matches.
Regardless of this, a shining light in this lacklustre Feyenoord side has been Mexican striker Santiago Gimenez whom has started the season very brightly scoring 2 goals and assisting 1 in 4 Eredivisie matches.
Being selected for the Mexican national team over the summer, Gimenez had a very disappointing campaign where he couldn’t seem to find the back of the net and never found any consistently in his game time over the tournament.
Fortunately for the Mexican, he never lost confidence and returned to his Dutch club and instantly proved how much of a clinical striker he can be- scoring 2 and assisting 1 in a 4-4 thriller against PSV Eindhoven in the Dutch Super Cup.
If the Mexican can retain his fine form, he could prove to be a vital player for Feyenoord in a game where they are huge underdogs and up against all odds. Maybe he could be the difference between a terrible start to the Dutch clubs Champions League campaign or the hero of the night.
Bayer Leverkusen: Florian Wirtz
Making his Champions League debut, Florian Wirtz is considered as “The future of Germany” and is definitely one of the best players in Europe at the moment.
Scoring 18 goals and tallying 19 assists for Leverkusen last season, then being awarded with the Bundesliga player of the season award because of his sensational performances, to say the youngster is a “wonder” to watch would be an understatement.
Having a very successful campaign in the Euros with Germany over the summer, Wirtz has picked up from exactly where he left off last season after being crowned a champion of Germany.
Scoring a 101st minute winner for Leverkusen in their first Bundesliga game back, and then a penalty in a 1-4 win over Hoffenheim, it looks as if Wirtz may continue to impress and break many records being a vital player in Xabi Alonso’s team.
To add to his fine form so far this season, Leverkusen’s starboy once again found himself selected for Germanys national team, scoring a goal and assisting Musiala in a 5-0 win over Hungary in the Nations League.
Hopefully Wirtz can open his champions league account strong and help his team have a successful return to Europes biggest club competition.
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Match detailsWhere is the game being played?
The fixture is set to take place at the Stadion Feijenoord, the home of Feyenoord.
What time is kick-off?The game is set to kick off at 17:45 BST on Thursday 19th September 2024.
How can I watch it?The game will be shown on TNT Sports 2 or it can be watched on Discovery+ provided you have a subscription to do so. You can also watch the highlights on the TNT Sport YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle is blown.
