Bayer Leverkusen return to the Champions League for the first time since the 2022/23 season when they face Feyenoord at De Kuip this evening.

Xabi Alonso’s side come into this game following a comfortable 4-1 win against Hoffenheim at the weekend with Martin Terrier, Florian Wirtz and Victor Boniface (x2) getting on the scoresheet. The trio are again expected to start in attack for last season’s Europa League finalists and will likely prove a handful for Gijs Smal and Jordan Lotomba.

Matěj Kovář is likely to replace Lukas Hradecky in goal as the club’s cup goalkeeper, while the 24-year-old has already featured in the Bundesliga this season after Alonso stated that he will utilise the two with Leverkusen’s increased number of games.

Defensively, expect it to remain unchanged from their win against Hoffenheim, but Nordi Mukiele also remains an option following his move from Paris Saint-Germain.

In midfield, don’t expect too much to change, but Jeremie Frimpong is expected to come in for Nathan Tella. Robert Andrich and Granit Xhaka should play as the double-pivot with Aleix Garcia also an option.

Leverkusen’s Predicted Starting XI

Matěj Kovář – Edmond Tapsoba, Jonathan Tah, Piero Hincapié – Jeremie Frimpong, Granit Xhaka, Robert Andrich, Álex Grimaldo – Martin Terrier, Florian Wirtz – Victor Boniface

The first week of the UEFA Champions League finishes Thursday with the final six matches of the opening week slate. With German champions Bayer Leverkusen entering the competition alongside giants such as Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, there are plenty of intriguing matches to bet on.

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Even though Xabi Alonso remains at the helm and the team didn't make significant changes to their squad, it's clear Bayer Leverkusen are not the team that dominated Germany in the 2023/24 season. Die Werkself already have more losses in the Bundesliga than last season following a 3-2 loss against RB Leipzig, and their brilliant defense seems to be a thing of the past. They defeated Monchengladbach 3-2, lost to RB Leipzig by the same score and bounced back with a 4-1 victory over Hoffenheim. Goals are flying in at both ends every time Leverkusen take the pitch.

Feyenoord have also struggled defensively, conceding and scoring in every match of their domestic campaign. While they remain undefeated (W1, D4), three of those matches have produced more than four goals. This matchup should be one of the most entertaining ones of Thursday's slate, even if it doesn't reach the heights of Bayern's 9-2 win over Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday.

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RB Leipzig achieved something that was unthinkable a few months ago after taking down Bayer Leverkusen. Leipzig are known for their free-flowing attacking scheme and that has been in full display throughout the opening rounds of Germany's top flight. They're coming off a scoreless draw against Union Berlin the last time out, but they remain undefeated in competitive action (W3, D1) and two of those matches ended with over 4.5 total goals. There's a lot of entertainment when Leipzig play, regardless of the opponent and competition.

Can they do it against Atletico Madrid, though? Los Rojiblancos are also undefeated in league play with three wins and two draws. Still, as usual under Diego Simeone, their defense remains stout having kept four consecutive clean sheets after their opening 2-2 draw against Villarreal. The presence of Jan Oblak between the posts adds another layer of security to one of Europe's best defensive lines.

The only pause is that their defensive record seems to go out the window when Los Colchoneros play in Europe. Both teams scored in seven of their 10 matches during the 2023/24 Champions League campaign and with Leipzig scoring for fun, it's hard to see that changing.

Can any team stop Barcelona this season? Los Blaugranas have been dominant under the tutelage of Hansi Flick and are enjoying an excellent start to the 2024/25 season, winning their first five La Liga matches, scoring 17 goals in the process. No defense has found the recipe to stop the trio of Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, at least not yet.

The only blemish has been their lack of clean sheets, as they've conceded at least once in four of those wins, with the lone exception being the 7-0 thrashing of a recently promoted Valladolid side that has looked outmatched in Spain's top division. Traveling to France to take on Monaco doesn't look like the ideal way to start the Champions League campaign, either, as Monaco are also enjoying an undefeated start in Ligue 1 (W3, D1) while keeping three clean sheets in four matches.

Barcelona will find a way to score goals and should eventually open their European campaign with three points at the expense of Les Monegasques. However, don't be surprised if Monaco find a way to crack the scoresheet, as their potent attack can cause more than one problem to Barcelona's porous defense.

Arsenal travel to Italy in high spirits following their 1-0 win over Tottenham in the North London derby on Sunday, as they once again look like the only team capable of making a Premier League title run against Manchester City. Mikel Arteta's men are undefeated to start the 2024/25 Premier League season (W3, D1) and will aim to extend that run to Europe, though facing Atalanta is not going to be easy.

La Dea have won twice and drawn twice to start their Serie A campaign, but if the 2023/24 season taught us anything, they can't be overlooked, even in matches where they are serious underdogs. Their defensive record is suspect at best, as they've conceded eight goals in their previous three league games, but they should prove to be a stern test for an Arsenal side that relies on possession to find cracks in opposing defenses.

If Arsenal want to win, they'll need some of their top players to step up, and one of the few that can penetrate through crowded defenses and generate any kind of impact is Bukayo Saka. The star winger is dealing with a thigh injury, but he's expected to be available Thursday, and he'll aim to bolster his strong start to the campaign (one goal, four assists in four Premier League appearances) with a strike here. 

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