Leverkusen face biggest test yet at Liverpool

• 5 reasons why Leverkusen will beat Liverpool
• Alonso returns to Anfield a master coach
• See how all eight German teams are getting on in Europe this season
• Leverkusen held in stalemate by Stuttgart ahead of trip to Liverpool

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Whilst Leverkusen's recent domestic form has been relatively underwhelming as they have recorded two consecutive draws away to Werder Bremen and at home to VfB Stuttgart, their European results are solid. They are unbeaten after three games, having taken seven points from an available nine and sit in sixth place in the 32-team league hhase table. However, they'll be hoping to improve on their most recent outing, a 1-1 draw away at Brest. For this clash, Alonso will be glad to be able to select a team from a near complete pool of available players, with Victor Boniface expected to lead the line once again after missing the Brest encounter. Amine Adli will miss out, Jeanuël Belocian and Nordi Mukiele are all set to miss out. Martin Terrier should return after sitting out the Stuttgart game. Alongside Boniface, the likes of Florian Wirtz and Jonas Hofmann will be hoping to cause the Reds' backline plenty of problems.

Liverpool, meanwhile, are one of the in-form teams in Europe. Arne Slot's side are one of only two teams in Europe's premier club competition to have won every one of their games in the tournament so far (alongside Aston Villa), most recently a 1-0 victory over RB Leipzig. Domestically, too, they are fine fettle as they sit at the top of the Premier League with just one defeat this season across all competitions. They may be without Diogo Jota, Federico Chiesa, Harvey Elliott and ex-Leipzig centre-back Ibrahima Konaté for this fixture but are still stacked with talent all across the pitch with the likes of Mohamed Salah, Virgil Van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Cody Gakpo all at Slot's disposal. Bundesliga alumni Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endō and Ryan Gravenberch could all also feature.

Watch: The best link-ups between Wirtz and Boniface

Match stats

• Wirtz has three goals in three career Champions League appearances, all coming away from home. Only two players aged 21 or under have ever scored in each of their first three away Champions League games (Erling Haaland and Manor Solomon).
• Aleix García’s 13 line-breaking passes ending in the final third is the most of any midfielder in the Champions League this season. He has also completed 100 percent of his long passes (16/16).
• Leverkusen’s only defeat in their last 17 European fixtures was last season’s UEFA Europa League final against Atalanta. They have won 11 and drawn the other five.
• No team has more wins (11) or scored more goals (37) in European competition since the start of 2023/24 than Die Werkself.
• Alonso made 210 competitive appearances for Liverpool as a player between 2004 and 2009. One of his 18 goals on Merseyside came in the famous Miracle of Istanbul to beat AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final.
• Liverpool’s only defeat in their last 21 European meetings with German opposition came against Leverkusen, who won 4-2 in the 2001/02 quarter-final second leg to advance en route to the final.

Probable teams

Liverpool: Kelleher - Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, Van Dijk (c), Robertson - Gravenberch, Mac Allister - Salah, Jones, Díaz - Núñez
Out: Alisson (hamstring), Chiesa (muscular), Elliott (broken foot), Diogo Jota (upper body)
Doubtful: -
Coach: Arne Slot

Leverkusen: Hrádecký (c) - Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapié - Frimpong, Xhaka, Andrich, Grimaldo - Hofmann, Wirtz - Boniface
Out: Adli (fibula), Belocian (ankle), Mukiele (thigh)
Doubtful: - 
Coach: Xabi Alonso 

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