Striking late to secure a 2-2 draw at the Allianz Arena against reigning Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich was a strong way for Bayer Leverkusen to prepare for their UEFA Europa League (UEL) campaign and hopes will be high of a deep run after an unbeaten start to the season (W4, D1). Averaging 4.2 goals per game, the 1987/88 UEFA Cup winners could well be popular with neutrals if they continue that entertaining form.
The 2001/02 UEFA Champions League runners-up reached the semi-finals of this competition last term, making them clear favourites to win the Group H. They’re also unbeaten in three home UEL games (W1, D2), although manager Xabi Alonso seeks more improvement after describing a poor start against Bayern as if “we were still in the hotel”.
After eight failed attempts, BK Häcken have finally made it into the group stages of a UEFA competition with their only previous experience against German opponents seeing them dumped out of UEL qualifying by RB Leipzig in 2018/19 (D1, L1). The reigning Allsvenskan champions beat Aberdeen 5-3 on aggregate to get here, but with two defeats across their last three league games (W1), don’t travel in the best form.
The Wasps are hoping to put that to one side and sting their hosts with another away win, as after they secured their group-stage berth with a 3-1 win in Scotland, losing 4-0 in Leipzig in July 2018 remains their most recent UEL away defeat (W2, D1). Ibrahim Sadiq, who scored twice in Aberdeen, has since signed for AZ Alkmaar, leaving them a little short of firepower at the worst possible time.
Players to watch: Exequiel Palacios has netted after half-time in both of Leverkusen’s last two games, with his last five goals all coming after the break. Häcken defender Even Hovland’s experience of a three-season spell in Germany with Nürnberg could be useful here and he’s a goal threat himself after netting an injury-time winner against Halmstad on Sunday (W 3-2).
Hot stat: Four of Leverkusen’s last five games and six of Häcken’s last seven produced over 3.5 goals.
