Luis Torres
Dailysports's expert
Liverpool
Bayer Leverkusen
Tuesday promises a festival of football with the Champions League on display, packed with exciting action. Among the highlights, I'd like to focus on the Liverpool vs. Bayer Leverkusen clash. Here's my prediction for this thrilling battle—will the "Pharmacists" hold their ground in the lion's den?
Match Preview
The current season is shaping up superbly for the Merseysiders, who sit at the top of the Premier League, two points ahead of their nearest rival. In the latest round, they managed a comeback win at home against Brighton—2-1—while their competitors dropped points.
Things are smooth in the Champions League as well, with Liverpool securing away victories over Milan (3-1) and Leipzig (1-0), and a home win over Bologna (2-0). The club currently shares the lead in the overall standings with Aston Villa. Liverpool has won 6 out of 7 home matches this season across all competitions.
The "Pharmacists" had a brilliant season last year, but maintaining their form has proven challenging. Bayer sits fourth in the Bundesliga, trailing the leader by seven points after just nine rounds. In their last league match, they deserved a home victory against Stuttgart, but couldn’t break through the opponent's defense, ending in a 0-0 draw. Their Champions League performance has been strong, with 7 points in three matches.
One exciting aspect of this game will be Xabi Alonso’s return to Anfield, now as the coach of the opposing team, after many memorable seasons as a Liverpool player. Bayer remains unbeaten on the road this season, with four wins and three draws.
These teams have met twice in the Champions League knockout stages before. In 2002, Bayer advanced after a 0-1 away defeat and a 4-2 home win. In 2005, Liverpool came out on top with two identical 3-1 victories.
Prediction
This matchup is a must-watch, given the styles of both teams, and we can expect a high-scoring battle. Betting on a total of over 3 goals comes with odds of 1.83. Coming away from Anfield with points will be a challenge. I believe the game will tilt in favor of the home side, the favorites, whose odds of success are 1.75. A bet on Liverpool to win seems like a solid choice here.
