On Wednesday, Club Brugge will host Bayer Leverkusen, who they beat 3-0 at home in the league last weekend, looking to take their domestic form into the Champions League with kickoff at 10 pm.
After finishing third in the Bundesliga last season, much was expected of Leverkusen, but they have underwhelmed thus far.
Their shock 4-3 defeat at the hands of Elversberg set their season off on the wrong foot, and they have failed to recover since then.
While there was no shame in losing 1-0 at Borussia Dortmund on the opening day of the Bundesliga campaign, defeats to Augsburg, Hoffenheim and Freiburg were not expected.
At least a three-goal blitz at Mainz 05 got Leverkusen on the board in the Bundesliga, but they are currently down in 14th position in the standings.
Brugge’s biggest success story of the summer has been their ability to keep hold of midfielder Hans Vanaken, who had been heavily linked with a move to West Ham United.
As it stands, it remains unclear how the long-serving midfielder will react to that disappointment, but he is likely to be motivated to earn a move to a higher-profile club in the future.
In recent weeks, brugge have put together their best period of the season, posting four successive wins to move into the third spot in the Jupiler League table.
Club Brugge vs Bayer Leverkusen Head to Head
Both sides are yet to face each other and this marks their first encounter. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Club Brugge 4-0 Cercle Brugge
- RC Sporting 1-3 Brugge
- Brugge 2-1 KV Kortrijk
- Oud-Heverlee 0-3 Club Brugge
Away
- Bayer Leverkusen 2-3 Freiburg
- Mainz 0-3 Leverkusen
- Leverkusen 0-3 Hoffenheim
- Leverkusen 1-2 FC Augsburg
Club Brugge Team News
Brugge will be without Clinton Mata after he picked up an injury in Friday’s derby triumph over Cercle Bruges. Raphael Onyedika could be drafted into midfield for his debut, with Denis Odoi dropping into the back three. Noa Lang is not expected to recover from injury in time to feature in this fixture.
Bayer Leverkusen Team News
After making an impact as a sub at the weekend, Chelsea loanee Callum Hudson-Odoi will likely remain among the substitutes for Bayer Leverkusen. Charles Aranguiz is in line for a recall in midfield, but Seoane may be ready to stick with much of the side that started Freiburg’s defeat.
Prediction and Odds
One could make the case that Brugge is favourites heading into this contest, particularly with home advantage in their favour.
- Away Win
- Both Teams to Score
- Goals Over 1.5
