Can Schick strike Leverkusen to another European win?

• Watch all Leverkusen's Bundesliga goals so far this season
• Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen career in numbers
• Florian Wirtz: the complete midfielder
• Find out how Germany's teams are faring in Europe
• 5 reasons Leverkusen can still win the Bundesliga

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Leverkusen's Champions League campaign has so far mirrored their Bundesliga title defence in being promising but bringing a couple of bumps along the way. A thumping 4-0 win at Feyernoord and 1-0 victory at home to AC Milan provided a superb start, before a draw at Brest and 4-0 reverse in Liverpool saw the champions of Germany slip to 13th in the league stage table - not a bad position, but one that makes a win at home to Salzburg important for the hopes of Xabi Alonso's men to finish in the top eight. Schick is to lead the line in the injury absence of Victor Boniface and will be confident of finding the net again after a match-winning hat-trick in the 5-2 comeback win against Heidenheim. Summer signing Martin Terrier fractured an arm as a late substitute in the Bundesliga win, and will not be available until the new year, as will Jonas Hofmann after sustaining an injury ahead of the encounter. The indications are though that Jeremie Frimpong will be fine to play after coming off at half-time on Saturday following a collision with an opponent. 

Salzburg travel over the border from Austria to Leverkusen as big underdogs mired in the challenge of retaining their status as a force of their domestic game. A run of 10 successive Austrian titles was ended by Sturm Graz under new Hoffenheim coach Christian Ilzer last season, and the current campaign has been even worse, with the club down in sixth out of 12 teams in the Austrian top flight currently. A winless run of league matches was extended to four with a bizarre home defeat at the weekend in which they dominated LASK Linz from start to finish but still lost 2-1. Having started the Champions League with a dire run of three defeats without a single goal scored, the one bright spot in their recent run was a 3-1 win at Feyenoord in the last matchday. RB Leipzig goalkeeper Janis Blaswich joined Salzburg on loan in the summer but has lost his starting spot during the side's poor run of form.

Watch: Schick's hat-trick saw Leverkusen beat Heidenheim on Saturday

• Leverkusen are unbeaten in their last 10 European home games (W6, D4), dating back to a 3-2 loss to Monaco in their 2022/23 UEFA Europa League last-16 play-off first leg.
• Alonso won two Champions League titles as a player, lifting the trophy in 2004/05 with Liverpool and 2013/14 with Real Madrid.
• Schick scored five goals and was Leverkusen's joint-top scorer with Boniface in last season's Europa League on route to the final.
• Bayer have won four of six previous UEFA competition games against teams from Austria, drawing one and losing the other.
• Salzburg, meanwhile, have lost four of six Champions League meetings with German opposition (W1, D1).
• Blaswich won the 2022/23 DFB Cup and 2023/24 Supercup with Leipzig.

Probable teams

Leverkusen: Hrádecký (c) - Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapié - Frimpong, Xhaka, Palacios, Grimaldo - García, Wirtz - Schick
Out: Adli (broken leg), Belocian (foot), Boniface (thigh), Hofmann (muscular), Mukiele (thigh), Terrier (arm)
Doubtful: -
Coach: Xabi Alonso

Salzburg: Schlager (c) - Dedić, Piątkowski, Baidoo, Terzić - Bidstrup, Gourna-Douath - Gloukh - Nene, Konate, Yeo
Out: Blaswich (calf), Fernando (thigh), Kjaergaard (ankle), Morgalla (thigh)
Doubtful: -
Coach: Pepijn Lijnders

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