Bayer Leverkusen is the opponent on the final matchday of the group stage of the Champions League. Visiting the Germans, Blauw-Zwart will be looking for a group win. You can read all you need to know about our campaign and the opponent here!
Bayer Leverkusen - Club Brugge means the 341st European match for Blauw-Zwart & the 243rd for Leverkusen. On this last matchday, there is still a lot at stake for Blauw-Zwart. If FC Porto does not do better at home against Atlético than Blue-Black did in Germany, it is sure of group win. As already known, that gives an important advantage in the next round. The return game can then be played on home soil and can only be against the runner-up of another group.
Club has been sure of European wintering in the Champions League since the 4th match day. It is the first time in 10 campaigns that this is the case. On Monday, Nov. 7, we will know our opponent in the next round.
The match in Germany is Club's 100th European match under chairman Bart Verhaeghe and CEO Vincent Mannaert. Under their leadership, Club has already played 52 matches in the Europa League and 47 in the Champions League.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen grabbed a lifeline last match day by playing 2-2 draw on the 5th match day in Madrid. Leverkusen and Atlético must decide on the final matchday which of the two will continue its European adventure in the UEFA Europa League after the New Year. The Germans must do better than Atlético, otherwise their European adventure is over. Both Leverkusen and Atlético have never finished last in a UCL group stage.
Last weekend, Bayer 04 Leverkusen went down 2-0 at RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga. The previous clash with Blue-Black in this Champions League campaign ended 1-0 at the Jan Breydel Stadium after a header goal by Abakar Sylla.
The day after the 2-0 defeat at FC Porto, Swiss coach Gerardo Seoane was sacked at Leverkusen. Spaniard Xabi Alonso, who was named as successor, was given his first chance as head coach by Bayer. The former Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich player previously served as coach at Real Madrid's youth and Real Sociedad's 2nd team.
Top shooter this season at Leverkusen is Dutch defender Jeremie Frimpong (5 goals). Assist king is Frenchman Moussa Diaby (4 assists). But the man to keep an eye on is Bayer's Callum Hudson Odoi. He scored just last week on the Atlético Madrid pitch and already created 7 chances for his club this season in the UCL.
Club is the guest of Leverkusen's BayArena on Tuesday. For European matches, the stadium seats 29,412 spectators.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen was founded in 1904 by employees of the German pharmaceutical company Bayer AG. The club has been vice champion of Germany 5 times and won the German Cup once. In 1988 they clinched the UEFA Cup, but perhaps their biggest success was the 2001-02 UCL campaign when they made it to the final. It was Real Madrid's Zinedine Zidane who then denied them the dream of winning the UCL with a fabulous goal.
