Bayer Leverkusen vs AC Milan

BayArena forms the backdrop for a heavyweight UEFA Champions League showdown between Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan.

Bayer Leverkusen registered their most emphatic away win in the club’s Champions League history on matchday one, putting four unanswered first-half goals past Feyenoord in an overwhelming 4-0 victory at De Kuip. Xabi Alonso’s side followed up that success with a trademark stoppage-time 4-3 league win against Wolfsburg before holding Bayern Munich to a 1-1 draw despite having their backs against the wall for almost the entire game. Unbeaten in four consecutive outings since a 3-2 home loss to RB Leipzig (W3, D1), ‘Die Werkself’ host Milan in search of their first-ever home triumph against Serie A opposition after five failed attempts (D3, L2). The enthusiasm is sky-high, yet a 3-0 defeat to Atalanta in last season’s Europa League final remains a stark reminder of Leverkusen’s long-standing problems against Italian clubs.

In the meantime, Milan suffered a stuttering Champions League start, throwing away an early lead in a 3-1 home defeat to Liverpool. Everyone thought it would be the end of Paulo Fonseca’s reign. However, the Portuguese manager has since turned Milan’s fortunes around, overseeing a 2-1 derby win against Inter Milan before a 3-0 humbling of Lecce last Friday. Fonseca is not off the hook yet as ‘I Rossoneri’ head to Germany, where they haven’t lost a European contest since 2002 (W3, D4 since). That said, they had endured a five-game winless run in Champions League away action (D3, L2) before a 2-1 win at Newcastle United in last season’s matchday six, failing to score in four of those five matches, including a 0-0 draw at Leverkusen’s fierce domestic rivals Borussia Dortmund.