Bayer Leverkusen will look to put aside their poor domestic form as they travel to Club Brugge for their opening Group B fixture in the UEFA Champions League.
Club Brugge are making a second straight appearance in the group stage of the Champions League after winning the Belgian First Division last season. They will be looking to do better than last term’s campaign where they claimed just one win and lost their final four group stage matches.
Things appear to be looking up for Club Brugge ahead of Wednesday’s Group B opener as they have suffered just one defeat in the Belgian First Division this season. Carl Hoefkens’ men are currently third on the table, five points off the pace.
Club Brugge have won their last four matches, scoring two or more goals in each of those wins. Their last fixture was a 4-0 victory at Cercle Brugge last Friday.
Bayer Leverkusen’s start to the their domestic campaign has been in stark contrast to Club Brugge’s. They have claimed just one win this season and are currently in the bottom half of the Bundesliga standings.
Gerardo Seoane’s men warmed up for the trip to Brugge with a 3-2 home defeat to Freiburg in a Bundesliga fixture last Saturday. They took an early lead through Kerem Demirbay but still lost despite Patrik Schick also getting on the score sheet.
Bayer Leverkusen will feel that their campaign will come together at some point and will welcome the distraction of the Champions League. One positive they can hold on to is that their only win this season has come on the road having claimed a 3-0 victory at Mainz in their previous away fixture.
How the bookies view it
Despite their problems this season, Bayer Leverkusen still have the upper hand among the bookies and are priced at 23/20 by bet365. A victory for club Brugge is valued at 23/10 by SBK while a draw is set at odds of 3/1 by Unibet.
Head to head
Club Brugge are unbeaten in two friendly meetings with Bayer Leverkusen with the last meeting a 2-1 victory back in 2011.
Players to watch
Ferran Jutgla had been one of the early season stars for Club Brugge with five goals in seven appearances. The forward is priced at 10/3 by bet365 to get on the score sheet on Wednesday.
Patrik Schick has not been at his best this season but remains the biggest attacking threat for Bayer Leverkusen. The Czech striker was on target last time out against Freiburg and is priced at 6/4 with bet365 to find the net on Wednesday.
Anything else catch the eye?
Club Brugge and Bayer Leverkusen have plenty of quality in attack and could be set to serve up a thrilling encounter on Wednesday. Over 4.5 goals could be considered at 31/10 with BetVictor who are also offering 13/10 for over 3.5 goals.
Both teams have a knack for fast starts and could be backed to score in the first half at 5/2 with William Hill.
This UEFA Champions League match between Club Brugge and Bayer Leverkusen will be played on Sep 7, 2022 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Club Brugge vs Bayer Leverkusen prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
