Bayer Leverkusen vs. Atletico Madrid First Leg: Game Preview, Prediction
By Douglas Smith
@DFresh39
Getty Images
There are clear-cut favorites in the 2015 Champions League Round of 16 matches on Wednesday. Despite being at home, Bayer Leverkusen are expected to be in a hole for the return leg against Atlètico Madrid. Leverkusen have never won in the Round of 16. They advanced as runner-up in Group D while Atlètico topped a group with Juventus. On the surface, anything other than a heavy defeat may be a moral victory for Leverkusen.
Leverkusen have lost the last three ties at this stage by a combined 22-5 on aggregate. They are 1-2-2 in their last five matches in the Bundesliga with a defeat coming in the best game of the season in the league against Wolfsburg. They are winless in the last three matches in the domestic league. Since the winter break, Leverkusen have dropped three spots in the table and are barely clinging to a Europa League qualifying spot.
Atlètico are sitting in third in La Liga and are still hungry having lost in last year’s Champions League Final. They completed the double against last year’s champion, Real Madrid, in the domestic league, but have already lost more times in Spain this season than all of last year. Atlètico have won five and lost just one of their nine Champions League away matches since September 2013. They have won their last five two-legged competitions against German teams.
Leverkusen will be without Lars Bender and Tin Jedvaj, and defender Ömer Toprak will be serving a suspension. Coach Roger Schmidt said that the team needs “two perfect days to go through.” That means better finishing after scoring only seven goals on 92 total attempts in the group stage. They will have to keep feeding an on-form Son Heung-min.
Atlètico are sure to test the Leverkusen back line. They scored 14 goals on 88 total attempts in the group stage despite averaging just 47 percent possession. They played much cleaner in the group stage than Leverkusen. They suffered more fouls, committed less fouls, completed more passes and earned more corner kicks. Diego Simeone knows how to get the best out of his team on the biggest stages and has somehow reinvigorated Fernando Torres. Atlètico will be without Koke due to a hamstring injury.
Unfortunately for Leverkusen, this is truly an uphill battle. Schmidt may be right in saying that they need to be perfect. This one might be over before they play the return leg.
Douglas Smith is a soccer writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @DFresh39, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.
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